Virginia's Only Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney
Catastrophic Commercial Vehicle & Tractor-Trailer Trial Lawyer
Robert Byrne is the first and only attorney in Virginia board-certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. With over 20 years of trial experience in state and federal courts, he represents individuals and families in catastrophic tractor-trailer crashes, traumatic brain injury cases, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death claims throughout Virginia.Bob is keely aware that truck crash cases are not ordinary car accident cases. They are complex corporate negligence cases involving federal motor carrier safety regulations, electronic logging devices, black box data, layered commercial insurance, and teams of defense counsel. Bob's practice is built for this level of litigation. He prepares every truck accident case for trial from day one.
Why Robert Byrne Is Different
Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law
Board certification in Truck Accident Law requires demonstrated experience, peer review, and tested knowledge of federal trucking regulations, regulatory compliance, broker liability, and commercial vehicle litigation strategy. Bob is the only attorney in Virginia to hold this certification. Learn what board certification in truck accident law means and why it matters for your case. To become board certified, Bob had to:- Demonstrate years of deep experience handling truck accident cases
- Pass a specialized bar exam focused on trucking law and truck crashes
- Obtain extensive peer references from attorneys and judges confirming his qualifications, experience, and high ethical standards
His practice centers on:
- FMCSA regulatory violations
- Hours-of-service and logbook manipulation cases
- Negligent hiring, supervision, and retention
- Broker and shipper liability
- Corporate safety failures in motor carrier operations
Trial-Ready Commercial Vehicle Litigation
Trucking companies and their insurers deploy rapid response teams immediately after serious crashes. Evidence disappears quickly. Defense strategies begin early. Bob responds the same way. He conducts immediate evidence preservation, pursues black box and telematics data, and litigates aggressively against national and regional motor carriers. This approach creates leverage—and positions cases for maximum recovery through verdict or settlement.Catastrophic Injury & Wrongful Death Focus
Robert Byrne represents victims of the most severe commercial vehicle crashes, including:- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Polytrauma and multi-system injuries
- Severe burn injuries
- Wrongful death
Representative Results
Bob and his team have secured significant verdicts and settlements in truck accident and catastrophic injury cases throughout Virginia:- $5,000,000 settlement – Pedestrian crash against the City of Charlottesville involving mild traumatic brain injury with complications (Charlottesville Circuit Court)
- $4,000,000 settlement – Truck accident in federal court involving polytrauma injuries, including traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries, when box truck crossed median and crashed into client's tractor-trailer (Abingdon Division, Western District of Virginia)
- $3,500,000 jury verdict – Tractor-trailer crash causing mild traumatic brain injury (Roanoke Division, Western District of Virginia)
- $3,357,234 settlement – Client who suffered myelopathy (spinal cord injury) despite severe pre-existing spine injuries, including full policy limits plus personal contribution from defendant. This was a policy limits settlement with the defendant contributing an additional $360,000
- $2,500,000 jury verdict – Medical malpractice case in Fairfax Circuit Court for mother who underwent emergency C-section without adequate anesthesia (zero pretrial offer) (currently on appeal)
- $2,220,000 total verdict – Mother who sustained mild TBI and PTSD following collision with commercial dump truck on I-64 ($1,750,000 verdict plus prejudgment interest; $125,000 pretrial offer)
- $1,750,000 confidential settlement – Wrongful death medical malpractice claim
- $1,500,000 policy limits settlement – Pedestrian struck by vehicle while running, sustained complicated mild TBI and orthopedic injuries
- $1,300,000 policy limits settlement – Wrongful death when heavy truck incorrectly unloaded shed at worksite
- $1,000,000 policy limits settlement – motorcyclist hit by tractor trailer, causing severe orthopedic injuries
How Robert Byrne Handles Truck Accident Cases
Immediate Evidence Preservation
Black box data, electronic driver logs, maintenance records, onboard camera footage, and dispatch communications are often lost or overwritten within days. Bob moves quickly to preserve critical evidence before trucking companies destroy it. Read why Bob says the First 48 Hours After a Truck Crash are critical.Regulatory & Corporate Investigation
Commercial carriers often operate through layered corporate structures involving motor carriers, brokers, contractors, and maintenance vendors. Bob investigates the full chain of responsibility to identify every liable party—from the driver to the broker to the shipper.FMCSA Compliance Analysis
Federal motor carrier regulations govern driver hours, training, safety management systems, drug testing, and vehicle maintenance. Bob understands how regulatory violations translate into proof of negligence and has published extensively on defending against common trucking industry defenses. Learn how Federal Truck Regulations Win Your Truck Accident Case.Full Damages Documentation
Catastrophic truck crashes require detailed life care plans, future medical cost projections, lost earning capacity analysis, and non-economic damage evaluation. Bob works with recognized experts to present comprehensive damages models that account for a lifetime of care.Serving Clients Across Virginia
Robert Byrne handles truck accident litigation throughout Virginia, including cases arising along:- I-81 commercial trucking corridor – One of the nation's busiest freight routes
- I-95 North-South freight corridor – High-volume tractor-trailer traffic
- I-64 Central and Coastal Virginia – Commercial vehicle crashes from Richmond to Hampton Roads
Thought Leadership & Legal Education
Bob is a recognized authority on truck accident litigation and regularly shares his expertise with attorneys across Virginia and nationally.Recent Speaking Engagements:
- 2025: National Business Institute online CLE, "Modern Transportation Issues: Electric Vehicle Fires, Autonomous Vehicle Crashes, Handling Rideshare Crash Cases Involving Uber and Lyft"
- 2025: American Association for Justice Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA, "Settlement Negotiations: Getting Their Best Offer Before Trial"
- 2025: Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association, "What Every Virginia Lawyer Needs to Know About Truck Accident Cases"
- 2025: Trial Lawyers University, Huntington Beach, California, "10 Things You Can Do To Go From 6 to 7-Figure Results"
- 2025: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, The Homestead, VA, "Courtroom Secrecy: Do's and Don'ts About Protective Orders and Confidentiality Provisions"
- 2025: Lynchburg Bar Association: "What Every Virginia Lawyer Needs to Know About Truck Accident Cases"
- 2025: Roanoke County Bar Association: "What Every Virginia Lawyer Needs to Know About Truck Accident Cases"
- 2024: American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group, Ponte Vedra, FL, "Why Every Truck Case May Become a Products Case" (focusing on product liability claims involving collision avoidance and collision mitigation technology in trucking telematics systems).
- 2024: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Small Business Retreat, "Family and Friends Firm: Best Firm Ever?"
- 2024: Trial Lawyers University Speech, Las Vegas, NV, "Three Settlement Techniques to Obtain -- or Exceed -- Policy Limits"
- 2024: Trial Lawyers University Speech, Huntington Beach, CA, "Try Your FRKN Case"
- 2024: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Convention, Washington, D.C., "Trends of the Defense"
- 2023: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Sources of Coverage Seminar, Richmond, VA, "Tractor Trailer Insurance Coverages"
- 2023: Trial Lawyers University Webinar, Discussing $2,500,000 Medical Malpractice Verdict in Anesthesia Case
- 2023: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Greenbrier Resort, WV, "Taking a Fresh Look at Negligent Entrustment Claims in Virginia."
- 2023: American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group, Nashville, TN, "How to Handle Hazardous Conditions Trucking Cases."
- 2022: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Tractor Trailer Retreat, Williamsburg, VA, "How to Handle Bad Weather Trucking Cases in Virginia."
- 2021: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Richmond, VA, "The Glories and Pitfalls of Virtual Lawyering."
- 2021: Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Advanced Automobile Retreat, Wintergreen, VA, "Lost Earning Capacity Claims."
Published Articles:
- “Uncovering Defendants in Car and Truck Crash Cases,” TRIAL Magazine, The American Association for Justice, February 2026
- “Ten Things To Do – And Not Do – About Protective Orders in Discovery,” Journal of Trucking Litigation, AAJ Trucking Litigation Group, Summer 2025
- "How to Identify and Litigate Lightly Defended Mild TBI Claims in Trucking Cases," Journal of Trucking Litigation, AAJ Trucking Litigation Group, Summer 2024
- "Ten Tips for Defeating the Sudden Medical Emergency Defense," Journal of Trucking Litigation, AAJ Trucking Litigation Group, Summer/Fall 2023
Professional Recognition
- Virginia Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law (National Board of Trial Advocacy) – Only attorney in Virginia
- Super Lawyers (multiple years)
- AV Preeminent Rating – Martindale-Hubbell (achieved in less than 6 years of practice)
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Virginia
- Virginia State Bar Litigation Section, Chairman, 2021-22
- Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer of the Year (2010)
- Top Rated Lawyers – The American Lawyer Magazine (multiple years)
- Member – Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
