Tappahannock Legal Information
If you live in Tappahannock or nearby in Essex County, it is important for you to know where your case may be handled.
In general, personal injury cases involving Tappahannock residents go through the 15th Judicial Circuit, which includes the Essex County Circuit Court on Prince Street in Tappahannock. There are 10 other courts in the Circuit: Caroline, Fredericksburg, Hanover, King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond County, Spotsylvania, Stafford and Westmoreland.
If you are applying for workers’ compensation benefits, you may need to go to a hearing at the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission regional office in the Tappahannock Municipal Building on Church Lane.
The nearest Social Security Administration field office is located on West Cary Street in Richmond. If you request a hearing in your case, it could be held at the Richmond-based Office of Disability Adjudication and Review.
Tappahannock Car Accident Statistics
Even though you may be a safe driver, you still run the risk of getting into a car accident in Tappahannock and elsewhere in Essex County. As Forbes reports, the average driver should expect to get involved in at least one auto accident roughly every 18 years, or three to four crashes over the course of the person’s lifetime.
As Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) statistics from 2015 indicate, when traffic increases on Virginia roads – due, perhaps, to an improved economy and cheaper gas prices – the risk of car accidents increases as well.
For instance, between 2014 and 2015, the number of licensed drivers and estimated vehicle miles traveled rose by 1.89 percent and 2.45 percent, respectively. During that same period, the state’s total traffic crashes went up by 4.59 percent.
In Essex County, on average, 226 crashes occur each year, including 12 crashes that involve drinking and driving, according to DMV statistics from a recent four-year period. Every year, on average, those auto accidents cause 104 injuries and two deaths, the DMV statistics show.
At Marks & Harrison, we know how these numbers represent people whose lives have been tragically altered or, at the very least, significantly disrupted. We use our firm’s skill, experience and resources to set things right for Tappahannock car accident victims and help them to move on with their lives.
Dangerous Intersections in Tappahannock
Auto accidents can occur anywhere in Tappahannock. You can collide with another vehicle, bicyclist or pedestrian while traveling on a busy highway or when simply backing out of your driveway. However, as a Town of Tappahannock Comprehensive Plan found, some stretches of road in the area pose greater risks than others.
According to the Plan, the primary road with the highest accident and injury rate in Tappahannock is the U.S. 17 corridor. Additionally, a study discussed in the Plan found that eight of the top 11 sites for traffic crashes in Essex County fall within Tappahannock’s town limits, including the county’s top six accident sites.
According to that study, the most dangerous intersections in Tappahannock are:
- Tappahannock Boulevard and Winston Road
- Tappahannock Boulevard and White Oak Drive
- Church Lane and Queen Street
- Tappahannock Boulevard and Richmond Beach Road
- Tappahannock Boulevard and Elm Street.
The Plan also noted the need to improve sidewalk conditions for pedestrians in the Town of Tappahannock and to provide safer access to areas such as schools, recreational areas, shopping facilities and the Essex Public Library on Church Lane.
Some roads and intersections may be dangerous due to poor design and maintenance. However, in reality, most crashes in Tappahannock result from driver negligence. If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered harm due to the careless or reckless conduct of another, make Marks & Harrison your first call.
Marks & Harrison, takes pride in providing professional, aggressive and compassionate legal representation to residents of Tappahannock and surrounding areas in Essex County.
Our firm has been involved with local schools, such as a recent sponsorship of the Essex High football team’s “Pizza Night” at Roma Restaurant to honor the team’s run to the Division I state championship game. We have also presented our Make It Home program to local Essex County schools to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.
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