A crash with a loaded commercial truck isn’t just a bigger car accident. Trucks can weigh 20 to 30 times what a passenger car does, the injuries are often catastrophic, and — unlike an ordinary wreck — more than one party may be responsible. Decker Law knows how to untangle who’s at fault and pursue every source of compensation. For more than 60 years, we’ve represented injured people across Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and all of Hampton Roads. Call 757-622-3317 for a free consultation, available 24/7.
18-Wheeler Accidents
Fatal Truck Accidents
Personal Injury
WHY TRUCK CASES ARE DIFFERENT
An ordinary car crash usually involves two drivers. A commercial truck crash is a business operation gone wrong — which means the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, and even the truck’s manufacturer can each carry a share of the blame. Federal rules govern how long a driver may be on the road, how trucks must be maintained, and how drivers are trained and tested. Those rules create obligations an ordinary motorist never has — and a paper trail that can prove exactly what went wrong.
That paper trail doesn’t stay put. Trucking companies carry large insurance policies and move fast to protect themselves, sometimes dispatching investigators to a crash scene the same day. Driver logs, electronic logging device (ELD) data, and maintenance records can be the difference in a case — and they’re in the company’s hands. In Virginia, where pure contributory negligence lets an insurer deny a claim over even a sliver of shared fault, preserving that evidence early is often what makes the difference.
18-WHEELER ACCIDENTS
Tractor-trailers and big rigs bring their own dangers: jackknifes, underride, wide turns, and blind-spot “no-zones.” We know the federal rules that govern them and how to prove a violation.
When a truck crash takes a life, a grieving family also faces a wrongful-death claim. We handle it with care, and we pursue full accountability from everyone responsible.
Most truck crashes trace to driver error: fatigue, speeding, distraction, or impairment. Federal hours-of-service limits exist for a reason — we check whether they were broken.
The trucking company
Carriers are responsible for training, drug testing, maintenance, and the schedules that pressure drivers. When they cut corners, they can share the blame.
The maker or loader
A defective brake or tire, or cargo loaded wrong, can cause a wreck no driver could prevent. We trace the failure back to its source.
TRUCK ACCIDENTS: WHAT TO KNOW
What causes most truck accidents?
More than 80% trace to driver error — fatigue, speeding, distraction, or impairment. But trucking companies (training, maintenance, scheduling), cargo loaders, and parts manufacturers can all contribute.
Why are more parties involved than in a car crash?
A commercial truck is a business operation. The driver, the carrier, the cargo company, and the manufacturer each have legal duties — so fault, and the insurance that follows it, can be spread across several of them.
What injuries are common?
Because of the size and weight difference, truck crashes tend to cause severe injuries: broken bones, head and spinal-cord injuries, internal injuries, and, too often, fatalities.
What evidence matters — and how fast does it disappear?
Driver logs, ELD data, maintenance records, and the truck itself. Carriers can move quickly to control that evidence, which is why getting a lawyer involved early is critical.
What should I do after a truck accident?
Get medical care right away (some injuries surface later), document what you can at the scene, and talk to a lawyer before giving the trucking company’s insurer a statement.
MEET OUR LAWYERS
Cole Roberts
A Norfolk native and former Public Defender, Cole Roberts represents clients in criminal defense and traffic matters, from reckless driving and DUI to serious felonies. He has tried numerous jury cases across the seven Hampton Roads cities.
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Joel Weintraub
Joel Weintraub has been practicing law for over 40 years and focuses his practice on civil litigation involving disputes between individuals and corporations. Joel’s recent cases involve corporate litigation, personal injury, business law, will and trust contests and interpretation, shareholder rights, and estate administration.
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Michelle Parker
Michelle Parker concentrates on personal injury, elder law, wills, trusts and estates, litigation, corporate law, and criminal defense. She handles civil, probate, and traffic cases throughout the seven cities of Greater Hampton Roads.
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Peter Decker, III
Peter Decker, III focuses his practice on criminal, traffic, and personal injury. He regularly practices in the General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations, and Circuit Courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Suffolk and Newport News.
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Martin Thomas
Martin Thomas is the firm’s president and managing attorney, concentrating on personal injury, criminal, and traffic law. He handles multimillion-dollar injury cases throughout Virginia and has been named to Super Lawyers for personal injury.
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Martin Thomas, Jr.
Martin Thomas, Jr. focuses on personal injury, criminal, and traffic law, along with contract law and civil litigation. He tries cases in the courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake, and serves on Norfolk City Council.
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Joseph Rigney
A Chesapeake native and former prosecutor, Joseph Rigney focuses on personal injury and criminal defense, including traffic law. He tries both civil and criminal cases in the courts of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
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George Neskis
George Neskis represents clients charged with criminal and traffic offenses — from DUI and reckless driving to felony matters — and also handles personal injury. A former Norfolk Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, he practices across all seven Hampton Roads cities and has been named to Super Lawyers for criminal defense.
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Jeffrey Partington
A Virginia Beach native, Jeffrey Partington serves clients in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and business law, and has worked both sides of the aisle. He practices in the courts of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Suffolk.
Truck cases turn on evidence the carrier controls and moves to protect — the sooner we start, the more we can preserve. Reach us by text, chat, phone, or email — or call right now at 757-622-3317.
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