By Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton, Wrongful Death Attorneys in Virginia

An 18-year-old car passenger lost his life due to injuries suffered in a single-car crash on Cherry Grove Road in Suffolk, Virginia (VA).

As depressing as that sentence is, the story gets worse when one learns that the 17-year-old driver was apparently drunk when the car ran off the road at around 2 am on April 29, 2012. Police have filed DUI and reckless driving charges against the driver, who also suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the wreck.

The underage drinker is recovering at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he and his passenger were medevaced following the crash. Despite being flown to the hospital, the passenger did not survive.

View a larger map of the area in Suffolk, VA, where a teen, driving drunk, ran off Cherry Grove Road, causing fatal injuries to this passenger.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is never OK. As Virginia wrongful death attorneys who have helped numerous victims of DUI/DWI accidents, we know that tragedy results too often when people drink too much before getting behind the wheel.

The fact that the person accused of driving drink in connection with this fatal crash adds a sense of shock to the outcome, but the reality is that no one of any age is safe to operate a vehicle after consuming too much alcohol.

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About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton,  have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Mark Favaloro, Wrongful Death Attorney

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm wrote about a tragic accident that occurred in Charlotte, NC involving a teenage boy. The boy was crossing the street when he was hit by a driver and lost his life as a result. Reports indicate it was a clear day out, so it makes one wonder how the driver could fail to see the boy crossing the road. To learn more, read the story here…

Accident in East Charlotte Results in Death

About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton,  have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Mark Favaloro, Wrongful Death Attorney

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm wrote about a recent accident that occurred on Interstate 64 (I-64) that led to the death of one man and injuries to two others. The three victims were on I-64 due to a broken down vehicle when they were hit by a GMC Savana. To learn more, read the story here…

 Man Killed in I-64 Accident

About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton,  have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Jim Lewis, Wrongful Death Lawyer in Virginia

In his latest blog post our Virginia personal injury attorneys’ website, my colleague Rick Shapiro reports on the criminal conviction of a man who caused a fatal hit-and-run drunk driving accident in West Palm Beach, FL. Rick notes that the at-fault driver’s bizarre and brazen defenses to avoid liability for the deadly crash failed to convince jurors. Shortly after being sent to jail to await official sentencing, the man settled a wrongful death claim brought by the deceased victim’s parents. To read more, click over to “Billionaire Convicted in Fatal Florida DUI Settles Civil Wrongful Death Suit for $46M.”

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About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton,  have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Randy Appleton, Wrongful Death Attorney

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton law firm wrote about an accident that occurred on Linville Road in Oak Ridge, NC. A speeding driver overcorrected and wound up crashing into another vehicle. A teenage girl lost her life and multiple people were injured in the crash. To learn more, read the story here…

Teen Girl Killed in Wreck on Linville Road 

About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton,  have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Personal Injury Attorney

Drunk drivers make the selfish decision to put themselves and everyone else on the road at risk. Two Lynchburg men are dead after one driver made the decision to get behind the wheel intoxicated. To learn more about the wreck, visit our blog. Drunk Driver Kills Two in Lynchburg, VA Crash

About the Editors: The VA-NC medical malpractice attorneys at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton include medical and surgical malpractice lawyers licensed in both Virginia and Carolina. Our medical/hospital malpractice focus on personal injury and accident law and have experience handling medical malpractice cases involving hospital and doctors’ mistakes, as well as nursing home abuse and neglect. Check out our case results to see our track record of success in medical malpractice lawsuits, and also be sure to read our free medical malpractice reports Top 10 Tips From a Medical Malpractice Insiderand Top 5 Surgical Errors. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive.

By Kevin Duffan, Personal Injury Attorney

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A young man is dead after the car he was traveling in slammed into a parked tow truck in Wingate, North Carolina. The driver of the car, 23-year-old Fernando Diaz Arce, lost control and struck a flat bed tow truck parked on the side of the road. Arce survived the crash, but his 22-year-old passenger wasn’t so lucky. Shockingly, Arce fled the scene of the crime, hiding in a nearby field until police officers found him around 5:00 a.m.

Our thoughts go out to the victim’s family and loved ones at this most difficult time. Though police say alcohol didn’t not likely play a role in the crash, Arce’s urge to run implies a very guilty conscience. As authorities continue to investigate the crash, time will tell why the driver lost control of his vehicle. In the meantime, Arce has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

As a North Carolina car accident attorney, I’ve seen my fair share of bad crashes. This particular wreck, however, was extremely shocking. A tow truck is a powerful machine, and one that doesn’t budge easily. Reports indicate that the car crashed so hard that it pushed the tow truck out of it’s parking spot. The fact that the driver survived and then took off, leaving his passenger for dead is tragic.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, consider consulting with an NC injury attorney. We’ve got the experience, expertise, and dedication to fight for justice in the court room for you.

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By Emily Mapp Brannon, Personal Injury Attorney

A new government report reveals that while the accidental death rate inVA is down, accidents remain the leading cause of kids from 1-19. To learn more about how these accidents frequently happen, visit our blob. Accidents the Leading Cause of Death for Children Under 19

About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys

By Mark Favaloro, Personal Injury Attorney

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The Honda Civic went off road on Linville Road near Hollow River Drive in Oak Ridge, NC.

A family mourns the loss of a young life after a head-on collision in Oak Ridge, North Carolina. Police say the girl was a passenger in her boyfriend’s 2009 Honda Civic. The driver of the Civic went off the right side of Linville Road, overcorrected, and crashed into an oncoming Dodge pickup truck. The wreck sent four people to the hospital with injuries, but the teen girl riding in the Civic was killed in the crash. Her boyfriend remains in the hospital in critical condition.

Our thoughts go out to the girl’s family at what must be an incredibly difficult time. Accidents like this one are inexplicable, and happen so quickly that young, inexperienced drivers cannot react in time to prevent them. Police say neither passenger in the Honda Civic wore a seat belt – something that would certainly have protected both driver and passenger from major injury. We recently reported that running offroad and overcorrecting is one of the most common mistakes made by teen drivers.

This kind of accident just goes to show you how quickly life can change. Talk to your kids about wearing their seat belts, and about the dangers of drinking and driving. Though police say they do not believe alcohol was to blame for the crash, empty bottles were found in the car. As a NC injury attorney, I’ve seen first hand how even the smallest decisions – like the choice to buckle up, or refuse a drink at a party – can change life forever.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, consider a free consultation with our expert injury attorneys. We have the experience and knowledge necessary to fight for you in the court room.

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About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.

By Jim Lewis, Personal Injury Attorney

A Mebane, NC man is dead after the driver of the car he was riding in failed to yield to a stop sign, crashing into another vehicle. To learn more about the crash, visit our blog. Passenger Killed in NC Wreck.

About the Editors: The lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have decades of experience handling wrongful death claims in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). Check out our case results to see our track record of success. Our wrongful death law firm has offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, and in Elizabeth City, NC. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To learn more about wrongful death law, take a look at this free consumer report written by one of the firm’s experienced wrongful death attorneys.