In Virginia, as well as across the United States, incidents of motor vehicles crashing into commercial and residential buildings are way more common than they should be. There could be many different reasons why these accidents happen, but it is rarely as simple as a person driving into a building and damaging property, as happened recently in Arlington, when police said a ride-share driver crashed into a crowded bar, injuring 15 people.
If the damaged building happens to be a restaurant or another establishment that typically contains a lot of people, the chances are good that at least some of those people may be injured (or worse). There is a possibility that not everyone will be able to escape the vehicle coming toward them by jumping out of the way. Some may need medical treatment on the scene or may even need to be transported to the hospital.
Other possible consequences
Besides human casualties, there is also a possibility that such a crash from a motor vehicle might cause structural and other damage to the building or the impact of the crash may cause a fire as well. If a fire does occur as a result of a crash, it may be one that can pretty easily be extinguished or one that causes a great deal of damage to the building, if not burning it to the ground.
Another aspect of the possibly devastating consequences of such a crash is the expense involved. In such a situation, the police, first responders (emergency medical team), and fire department are all needed at the scene of the accident. Someone certainly has to pay for that. Another person who may be required is an engineer, who will have to determine whether the building was structurally sound or not before the accident and after the accident occurred. All of those people are necessary and not having them on the scene means that lives may be lost that could otherwise have been saved.
Solid advice from a personal injury lawyer
If you were driving along a street and you ended up driving into a building, the advice of a knowledgeable Virginia personal injury lawyer may make a tremendous difference to the outcome of your case. You may not even be certain why the crash occurred but having the support of a lawyer can only help.
You may have been injured in the accident, which means that not only will you have to deal with the stress of knowing that your vehicle caused the accident but you may also be dealing with injuries and related pain as well. Your lawyer can successfully advocate for you and can help you to protect your rights at the same time.