Injury Lawyer in Portsmouth Discusses His VA Roots and Experience

I’ve devoted my life to becoming a top-notch Virginia personal injury lawyer and my connection to Portsmouth, Virginia (VA) runs deep. I’ve handled numerous cases in the Portsmouth area and I lived in Portsmouth for years. In fact, I had my main office in Portsmouth for decades. Furthermore, I was President of the Portsmouth Bar Association. I am also an active member of the American Association of Justice and Virginia Trial Lawyers Association which means I handle cases not only in Portsmouth, but also throughout Virginia including Hampton Roads cities like Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Newport News, and Suffolk.

During my 30+ years practicing personal injury law, I’ve had the honor of representing dozens of injured railroad workers in FELA claims. FELA stands for the Federal Employers Liability Act. It is a special law for railroad workers who have suffered serious injuries on-the-job working for big railroads like CSX and Norfolk Southern. My law firm is designated counsel for the Transportation Communications International Union and I regularly handle cases for members of other prominent rail unions including crafts like conductors, trainmen, trackmen, engineers, machine operators and carmen.

To learn more about my Portsmouth injury law firm, take a look at video library featuring videos on various legal topics including car accidents, truck wrecks, medical malpractice, and of course, FELA.

Randy Appleton on Truck Accidents in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Beyond

Do I Need a Seat Belt in a Truck Bed?

Maybe one of the most dangerous things you can do in a truck is ride in the bed. This practice, widely accepted in rural areas, has claimed many lives, including a Kentucky man, a Pennsylvania man, and six southwestern Virginia teens. The National MCH Center for Child Death Review recently listed riding in a truck bed as one of the leading concerns for children under the age of 16.

Riding in the truck bed is dangerous for a variety of reasons. First, there are no seat belts in the back of a truck. Anyone involved in a collision in the back of a truck will invariably be thrown from the truck. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, this sort of accident accounts for more than 200 deaths a year, nationwide.

Still, only 34 states have laws that prohibit riding in the back of a truck.

Virginia law prohibits passengers under the age of 16 from riding in truck beds. It does not prohibit adults from riding back there.

In Maryland, anyone over the age of 16 may ride in the back of the truck. If you are 15, you may ride in the back as long as the truck is traveling 25 mph or lower. However, Maryland makes an exception for pickup trucks that have covered cargo areas – the reasoning being that the covered cargo area will contain the person in the event of an accident.

West Virginia, on the other hand, has absolutely no law governing who may ride in the back of the truck. In the absence of a law, it is perfectly permissible to ride in the truck bed.

In South Carolina, only people under the age of 15 are prohibited from riding in a pickup truck. However, South Carolina makes several exceptions. For example, the child may ride back there (1) with an adult, (2) in emergency situations, (3) while hunting or in some agricultural enterprise.

In North Carolina, only children under the age of 12 are prohibited from riding in a truck bed.

As you can see, truck bed laws vary greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. As a general rule, the laws become more and more lax as the state becomes more and more rural. This is because of the necessities of farm life that sometimes require children to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

In any case, if you can avoid riding in the back or having a child back there, you should do so. This practice costs the nation about 200 lives per year. Any steps we can take toward prevention should be taken.

Welcome to my Portsmouth Injury Law Blog

Hello! Randy here. Thank you for taking the time to visit my Portsmouth personal injury blog. As the title indicates, I’m a Virginia personal injury lawyer who has handled numerous cases in Portsmouth, Virginia (VA) and throughout Hampton Roads. My firm only handles personal injury cases and we have over 100 years of combined legal experience.

You’re probably here because you’re looking for the best Virginia injury lawyer for your case. Well, the law prevents me from declaring that I’m the best Virginia injury lawyer or that my firm is the best Virginia injury law firm. But, I can tell you that three of my firm’s lawyers are Virginia “Super Lawyers” (2011 ed.) and two lawyers are “Best Lawyers” for injury law (2011 ed.). Our firm was also recognized as a “Best Law Firm” for personal injury law (2010 ed.).

If you’d like to learn more, take a look at our firm’s website for more information.