02 Sep

A car accident at Richmond International Airport can feel different from a normal fender bender. 

Maybe it happened in the parking garage, on the arrivals loop, or near the rental car return. You are dealing with your injuries, and now you’re wondering who is responsible. Was it the other driver? A shuttle company? The airport itself?

At Merrick Brock, we help people file claims for all types of accidents, including injuries from an airport car accident. Here is what to do right after an accident and where Virginia law stands on suing the airport.

What to Do Right After a Car Accident at Richmond International Airport

Your safety comes first. Move to a safe place if you can, and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Richmond International Airport has its own police force. An officer can usually respond quickly, no matter where on airport property the crash happened.

Get the other driver’s information. Take photos of the vehicles, the road, and anything nearby that might have played a role, such as poor lighting, unclear signage, or construction. 

Get medical attention even if you feel fine at first. Some injuries do not show symptoms right away. Ask for a copy of the incident report once the police have filed it. Write down what happened while it is still fresh in your memory. Then, consider calling a Richmond car accident attorney to discuss the details of your case.

Who Is Liable for a Richmond Airport Accident?

Most airport car accidents work like any other crash. You usually start with the driver who caused it, or that driver’s insurance. This applies whether the crash happened on airport roadways, in a parking garage, or near the terminal curb.

The airport itself may share some of the blame in narrower situations. This could include cases involving:

  • Broken lighting,
  • Unmarked construction, or 
  • A poorly designed intersection. 

If the accident involved a shuttle bus or rental car company, that company may be a separate part of your claim.

Can You Sue the Richmond Airport After a Car Accident?

This depends on what actually caused your accident. The Capital Region Airport Commission runs Richmond International Airport. That makes it a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, not a private company.

Because the Capital Region Airport Commission is a political subdivision, Virginia’s sovereign-immunity rules may affect claims against it. The Commission’s enabling legislation expressly characterizes airport ownership and operation as governmental functions, but whether immunity applies depends on the specific conduct and legal theory involved. A claim against the Commission, therefore, requires a separate analysis from an ordinary claim against another driver or private business.

Claims against a governmental entity may be subject to procedural requirements that do not apply to an ordinary claim against a private driver. An attorney should evaluate those requirements promptly.

What Evidence Matters in an Airport Car Accident Case?

Richmond International Airport has cameras covering much of its parking garages, roadways, and terminal areas. That footage can be key to proving fault. This matters even more in Virginia, where even a small amount of blame can hurt your case (more about this in the next section).

Footage from an airport is not always kept for long. Asking a government commission for camera footage can be more complex than requesting it from a private business. A lawyer can move quickly to request and preserve this evidence before it disappears.

How Does Contributory Negligence Affect a Richmond Airport Accident Claim?

Virginia is one of the toughest states in the country for injured drivers. That is because of a rule called contributory negligence. This means that if you are even one percent at fault for an accident, you may not be able to recover anything at all. This is true no matter how bad your injuries are or how careless the other driver was.

When the parties dispute whether the injured person was negligent, that issue may ultimately have to be decided by a court or jury. It is not something an insurance adjuster gets to decide on their own. However, shifting some of the blame onto the claimant is a strategy that insurance companies often use in Virginia.

A skilled trial attorney knows how to present your case. The goal is to keep the focus on what the other driver, or the airport, did wrong.

Minor-Looking Damage Does Not Mean a Minor Injury

Insurance companies often argue that if your car only has a small dent, your injuries must be small too. That is not how the human body works. A low-speed crash can still cause whiplash, a concussion, or a herniated disc. Don’t let anyone tell you your claim is not worth filing just because your bumper looks fine.

What Can You Recover?

Compensation in an airport accident claim usually covers medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. How much you can actually recover often depends on how much insurance is available. That could be the other driver’s policy, a rental car company’s policy, or coverage tied to the airport commission.

Identifying every policy that might apply is one of the first things a lawyer should do. You also generally want to recover the highest amount a reasonable jury might award. You cannot collect more than what you asked for, even if the jury wants to give you more.

Ready to Talk About Your Claim with an Experienced Richmond Car Accident Attorney? 

At Merrick Brock, PLLC, our attorneys have spent more than 25 years defending insurance companies and large corporations. Then we decided to represent injured people instead. We know how the other side builds its defense because we used to build it ourselves.

If you suffered injuries in an airport accident that wasn’t your fault, we aim to get you a fair result. Contact us for a free consultation.

FAQs

What Makes an Airport Car Accident Different from a Regular Car Accident?

The location adds extra layers of legal complexity. You might be dealing with a rental car company, a shuttle service, the other driver, or even the airport itself. Sorting out who is responsible often takes more work than a typical two-car crash.

How Long Does It Take to Settle These Types of Cases?

The time required to resolve an airport accident claim varies substantially. Some claims resolve after the injured person reaches an appropriate point in treatment and the evidence is assembled, while disputed or more serious cases may require litigation and take considerably longer.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim After a Richmond Airport Accident?

Generally, you have two years for a standard car accident claim in Virginia. Missing this deadline can forfeit your right to file a claim. This is one more reason not to wait to talk to a lawyer after an airport accident.

Legal References Used to Inform This Page

To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process: