Motorcyclists are involved in nineteen percent of the fatal and serious injury crashes on Norfolk’s streets — far more than their share of the traffic. Then the claim starts, and in Virginia a rider found even slightly at fault recovers nothing at all. Decker Law has represented injured riders in this city’s courts since 1961. Call 757-622-3317 for a free consultation — any hour, no obligation.
IN VIRGINIA, A RIDER STARTS THE CLAIM BEHIND
Motorcycle claims are not car claims with a different vehicle on the form. Adjusters arrive with an assumption — that the rider was going too fast, filtering, taking a risk — and in Virginia that assumption is unusually dangerous. Under our contributory negligence rule, a rider found even slightly at fault recovers nothing at all.
So the work is front-loaded and specific. Establish the sight lines at that intersection. Document the driver’s failure to yield. Get ahead of the rider-fault story before it hardens in a claim file. The most common case we see is the left turn — a driver crossing a rider’s path and reporting that they simply never saw the bike. “I never saw the bike” is not a defense. It’s an admission, and it’s provable.
Where these cases are filed, they’re filed in the Norfolk General District Court or the Circuit Court, and we’ve appeared before nearly every judge who has sat in either.
HOW WE WORK A RIDER’S CASE
We attack the assumption first
The rider-at-fault story is the insurer’s opening move. It’s our first target, not an afterthought.
Left turns are provable
“I never saw the bike” is an admission of failure to look. We prove what was visible from where that driver was sitting.
Week one decides it
Virginia’s all-or-nothing fault rule makes early evidence everything. Scene photographs and witness memory don’t improve with time.
WHERE NORFOLK RIDERS GET HIT
The City of Norfolk’s own crash data puts motorcyclists in nineteen percent of the fatal and serious injury crashes on city streets — up from eighteen percent a few years earlier, and far above riders’ share of the traffic. Virginia as a whole sees more than two thousand motorcycle crashes a year.
Norfolk’s geography plays into it. Ocean View Avenue and Tidewater Drive carry steady volume past constant turn movements and parked cars. Downtown, the Granby Street grid puts riders alongside pedestrians and opening doors in tight quarters. The tunnel approaches stack traffic in ways that leave a rider with nowhere to go.
Riders here also tend to be hurt worse. A car crash at the same speed produces a claim about a bumper, whereas the same collision on a bike produces a claim about a shoulder, a femur, or a career. We build the file for what the injury will still cost in five years, not what the first offer covers this month.
A Norfolk native and former Public Defender, Cole Roberts represents clients in criminal defense and traffic matters, from reckless driving and DUI to serious felonies. He has tried numerous jury cases across the seven Hampton Roads cities.
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Michelle Parker
Michelle Parker concentrates on personal injury, elder law, wills, trusts and estates, litigation, corporate law, and criminal defense. She handles civil, probate, and traffic cases throughout the seven cities of Greater Hampton Roads.
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Joseph Rigney
A Portsmouth native and former prosecutor, Joseph Rigney focuses on personal injury and criminal defense, including traffic law. He tries both civil and criminal cases in the courts of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News.
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Jeffrey Partington
A Virginia Beach native, Jeffrey Partington serves clients in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and business law, and has worked both sides of the aisle. He practices in the courts of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Suffolk.
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George Neskis
George Neskis represents clients charged with criminal and traffic offenses — from DUI and reckless driving to felony matters — and also handles personal injury. A former Norfolk Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, he practices across all seven Hampton Roads cities and has been named to Super Lawyers for criminal defense.
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Peter Decker, III
Peter Decker, III focuses his practice on criminal, traffic, and personal injury. He regularly practices in the General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations, and Circuit Courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Suffolk and Newport News.
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Martin Thomas, Jr.
Martin Thomas, Jr. focuses on personal injury, criminal, and traffic law, along with contract law and civil litigation. He tries cases in the courts of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake, and formerly served on the Norfolk City Council.
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Martin Thomas
Martin Thomas is the firm’s president and managing attorney, concentrating on personal injury, criminal, and traffic law. He handles multimillion-dollar injury cases throughout Virginia and has been named to Super Lawyers for personal injury.
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H. Joel Weintraub
Joel Weintraub has been practicing law for over 40 years and focuses his practice on civil litigation involving disputes between individuals and corporations. Joel’s recent cases involve corporate litigation, personal injury, business law, will and trust contests and interpretation, shareholder rights, and estate administration.
injury clients represented in Norfolk in the last two years
16,000+
injury clients represented since 1995
65+
years practicing in Norfolk’s courts
HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE DECKER LAW HAS HELPED
Jsmn Z.
George Neskis is on speed dial when it comes to anything related to law. He gave me the best possible outcome for a traffic ticket on one occasion. A year later he has helped me get a great settlement for a car accident I endured. He is the best in the business and I highly recommend him for any of your needs!
I chose the Decker Law Firm for my personal injury case due to my serious “Head-on- Collision” auto accident back in 2019.My attorney, Jeffrey Partington and his team were awesome from day one of my initial phone call. Mr. Partington and his team immediately jumped into action and stayed in contact with me, my doctors, insurance companies, bill collectors, etc., etc. throughout the four year duration of my case!Jeffrey Partington is truly a professional, very personable, caring and super intelligent young attorney!!! He will put in many long hours and devote 150% of his time and energy to your case, in an attempt to get you the best end result for you!!!Jeffrey Partington, his team and the entire Decker Law Firm get a “Five~Star” review from me!!!
I cannot say enough good things about Peter Decker III at The Decker Law Firm. During a very difficult time for my family, Mr. Decker provided exceptional legal support for my elderly Dad. From the very beginning, he was compassionate, patient, and truly took the time to understand our situation.What stood out most was his dedication and genuine care-not just as an attorney, but as a person. He went above and beyond to ensure my dad received the best possible outcome, and we are incredibly grateful for his hard work and professionalism.If you are looking for a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and compassionate attorney, I highly recommend Mr. Decker with The Decker Law Firm.
I had a denied bond at Virginia Beach Correctional on a holiday week.Cole Roberts worked fast to get me a bond hearing and had a bondsman lined up for me I was out by lunch time the same day and looking forward to him representing me on my case. He’s prompt, caring and respected in the courtroom. THANK YOU Cole Roberts.
I cannot recommend Martin Thomas and The Decker Law Firm highly enough. When another major firm dropped the ball on our personal injury case, Mr. Thomas stepped in at the absolute 11th hour and completely turned things around. He salvaged the case with exceptional skill and professionalism, ultimately securing a settlement that far exceeded our expectations.The entire Decker Law team in Norfolk was responsive, compassionate, and results-oriented. If you need a lawyer who truly delivers under pressure, look no further. We are so grateful and would happily work with them again.
I highly recommend Mr. Cole Roberts for anyone needing expert legal representation. I was facing a speeding charge of 20 mph over, and he successfully got it reduced to a non-moving violation for faulty equipment.Although his firm is based in Norfolk, he personally came up to Yorktown to handle my case, which I truly appreciated. As someone on active duty, it was a huge relief that the firm understood the unpredictability of my work. They were fully prepared to handle everything and work around my schedule if I had been sent out of town for my court date.Their communication was top-notch. They always picked up the phone or responded quickly, which gave me a lot of peace of mind throughout the process. If you need a firm that is efficient, proactive, and delivers results, this is the one to call.
I was rear ended last year and was referred to Decker Law Firm by a coworker. My attorney that ended up representing me was Martin Thomas Jr and from our first meeting I knew I was in good hands. I had tried a law firm I’d used previously first and they wouldn’t take the case but Martin was confident that I indeed had a case and wanted to take it on. He was very straightforward and told me what he thought the case was worth and I decided to go with his representation. We ended up having to take the case to trial and I was so nervous but Martin went out of his way to answer my questions and put me at ease. Any time I sent him an email with questions, which was often, he always responded within a couple of hours even on the weekends. When we went to trial he was calm and confident in the courtroom and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. The judgment was in the monetary range Martin told me he thought the case was worth which proved again just how competent he is when it comes to his job. If I ever need a lawyer again Martin will be the first person I call. You can’t go wrong with this firm.
I was so nervous, as I sat in the court room, waiting for my case to come up. In strolled Mr. George Neskis, and he approached the front of the room with great confidence. After some talk with the officer who ticketed me, I was called up to the bench, and the case was dismissed. Apparently, Mr. Neskis had found holes in the officer’s report, and the judge kindly agreed to let the case go. Thank God I had such a terrific lawyer, as I would have been intimidated by the whole scene. I was so relieved, and still am, with the results of the case. Thank you, George Neskis!
Attorney Jeff Partington with a few minutes on the phone was able to put all my worries to rest on a car accident from last year my “friend” cause. He gave me the exact defense, citation, and all the information I would need to protect myself in court for nothing more than a few minutes of my time. Super helpful and very knowledgeable and understanding!
A very tough situation for me. Was in a terrible accident on Christmas in 2022. Broke my hip, damaged my nerves and needed a difficult surgery to repair everything. I immediately contacted Decker and Decker as my wife used them years back. Ms Parker and Ms Rebecca have worked around the clock trying to get me a fair settlement. We faced many challenges. Lack of communication from the hospitals. Random invoices and payments. Insurance companies being greedy. And the medical professional trying to take me to court for payments while I’m disabled and out of work. In the end, while I wasn’t awarded with an amount to cover all of my losses for the year, I was able to get an amount that can allow me to continue providing for my family while I’m recovering from this injury. Outstanding, highly recommended.
I had the pleasure of being represented by Martin Thomas Jr. I found him to be professional, thoughtful and more than competent. In a few months he was able to accomplish what another lawyer could not do in over two years. Mr. Thomas will always be my first choice when I need a lawyer.Thank- you for all your efforts on my behalf.
I was very pleased with this law firm! Martin Thomas Jr. And Martin Thomas represented me when I was injured in a car accident. Everyone was extremely professional and helpful. Martin Thomas Jr. really took the time to fully understand the impact of my injuries and expressed them perfectly to a jury. After all I had been through they got me what I deserved to be compensated. I felt like they were completely on my side throughout the process and when we went to court I felt prepared. I highly recommend them and will use them again in the future should I ever need to.
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