Virginia is one of a handful of states that follow the rule of “pure contributory negligence.” This rule means that when an injured person is found to share any blame for the accident, even a small percentage of the fault, he or she will not be able to recover damages from other at-fault parties, even if those parties bear most of the blame. It’s important to have an experienced lawyer on your side to make sure you protect yourself against this rule when seeking damages from other parties.
There are time limits for filing lawsuits, called statutes of limitations. Each state has these limits, which vary from state to state and according to the area of law. Your lawyer will advise you on the applicable statute of limitations for your accident. However, you should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.