West Virginia Injury Lawyer Blog

WDTV News reports that a Randolph County school bus was involved in an accident yesterday on Route 92. According to news reports, the bus - that was carrying 21 passengers - was rear ended by a commercial truck when it had stopped to allow some of the children to disembark the bus. The collision injured two students, who were taken to the hospital for treatment of their non-life threatening injuries. State Police officers are currently investigating the incident in order to determine the cause of the wreck.

Most traffic accidents only involve a few persons, but when public transportation is involved, cases can become much more complicated simply because there are often far more victims involved. In the case described above, only two children required immediate medical treatment, but given the large number of children onboard the bus, the outcome could have been far worse. While the driver of the truck that rear-ended the bus may have been at fault, there are many other factors that could have contributed to causing the accident. Negligent truck maintenance, malfunctioning brakes, or even broken bus brake lights could have played a part in causing the collision. Determining the actual cause or causes of the accident is a difficult and complicated process, and is best approached by someone with experience and applicable legal knowledge.

If you or a loved one has been involved in such an accident, it is always a good idea to consult an attorney for advice as soon as possible. A West Virginia personal injury attorney can perform a proper investigation and evaluate the resulting evidence to create a plan for your case. By retaining legal representation, you are protecting your rights and helping to ensure that you are able to obtain the medical treatment you or your child needs.

For the second time in three days, a tractor trailer has overturned on West Virginia's roads and spilled a load of steel onto the highway. The Charleston Daily Mail reports that Wednesday's accident happened on the southbound lanes of I-77 caused a truck hauling steel plates to overturn and block both lanes of traffic. Now this afternoon, WSAZ reports that a similar accident occurred when a semi-truck hauling steel coil flipped while driving northbound on I-77. Authorities stated that both accidents occurred due to a shift of the steel loads each driver was carrying. Luckily, neither driver was hurt, nor was anyone else injured in the crashes.

Stories like these show us all just how dangerous driving at highway speeds can be. In both of the accidents described above, the truck in question was coming around a curve at speed when its load shifted and caused each truck to roll over. In both cases it is possible that either their loads were not strapped to the truck securely enough, or the driver was operating the truck at an unsafe speed while turning. Were anyone else was caught up in the debris or struck the overturned vehicle, the driver and the people who loaded the steel could be liable for the damages suffered by the victim because such accidents rarely occur in the absence of negligence.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a semi-truck accident, you should contact a West Virginia tractor-trailer accident attorney to help you determine if you have a viable claim. Your lawyer can investigate the causes of your accident and help you build a successful legal case to help you pay for your damages. Proving negligence requires the keen legal knowledge and skilled advocacy that an attorney can provide, so you should retain a lawyer as soon as possible after the accident occurs.

The Martinsburg Journal reports that a woman died last week in a motorcycle accident on Winchester Ave. in Darkesville, West Virginia. According to the West Virginia State Police, the woman was a passenger on the bike and she died when the motorcycle ran off the road and hit a utility pole. The driver of the bike fled the scene after the collision, but was discovered by authorities some time later and was airlifted to the hospital for treatment. State troopers responded to the accident after being notified, but were unable to get there before the woman lost her life. Officers continue to investigate the circumstances and cause of the accident.

The Wolfe Law Firm would like to express our condolences to the family of the victim of this terrible accident. Unfortunately, as West Virginia motorcycle accident attorneys, we know just how dangerous motorcycles can be, and fatalities are not uncommon when such wrecks occur. This accident illustrates not only the dangers of being a passenger on a bike, but also the extreme consequences that can result when a bike operator does not exercise an appropriate standard of care. Of course, the authorities have much investigating to do to determine the cause of the accident, and the driver may have run off the road avoiding a small animal or his bike may have malfunctioned in some way. In cases such as these, it is important to thoroughly inspect what happened to determine who or what was responsible for the accident.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accident in Darkesville, West Virginia Costs Female Passenger Her Life, State Trooper Investigation Continues to Find the Accident's Cause" »

A boating accident occurred last week on the New River approximately fifteen miles downstream from the Bluestone Dam near Beckley, West Virginia. According to the Woods and Waters Charleston Gazette Blog, there were five men riding in a fourteen-foot jon boat that capsized. Two of the men were able to swim to safety, two others drowned, and a third man has still not been found. According to news reports, the group was not wearing life jackets, and the boat they were riding in was only rated to carry three people and 350 pounds. Authorities searched for the last victim by dragging the river and using sonar, but his body remains undiscovered.

Boating on fast moving rivers like the New River can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, but those same swift waters that make for great recreation can also pose a great danger. We here at the Wolfe Law Firm are deeply saddened by the accident that took the lives of three men, and the incident shows just how important it is to exercise safe boating practices when out on any body of water. In this case, the owner of the boat may have been negligent in allowing too many passengers in his watercraft, and each of the men should have been wearing a life vest while out on the river.

Boating accidents are a fairly frequent occurrence on West Virginia's many waterways, and if you or a loved one was injured in a boating incident, you should contact a professional West Virginia boating accident attorney as soon as possible. Not every accident is compensable under the law, but a lawyer can investigate the causes of your accident to determine if you have a viable legal claim. Whether you were injured or lost a loved one in such an accident, you should not wait to consult an attorney -- the longer you wait to get help, the more difficult it will become for you to accumulate the evidence needed to build a successful case to protect your rights and interests.

Last week, a three vehicle accident occurred on US 60 where it intersects with Hughes Creek Road in Hugheston, West Virginia about 20 miles southeast of Charleston. The wreck occurred when one vehicle exiting Hughes Creek struck a second car on US 60. After the initial T-bone collision, a third car was swept up in the accident and crashed as well. Unfortunately, nine people were injured in total, and those victims were taken to medical facilities for treatment after Kanawa County sheriff's deputies and local fire department personnel responded to the wreck.

When any car accident occurs, one of the most challenging legal issues confronting a court is making a determination of fault and liability. There are often many factors that coalesce to create the circumstances causing an automobile wreck, and the addition of more vehicles only serves to complicate the analysis. In the accident described above, the limited information contained within the Charleston Gazette's story indicates that the driver entering US 60 from Hughes Creek Road was driving negligently and caused the initial collision. The first driver is also likely to be legally responsible for the second portion of the accident as well, but proving causation is more difficult because that first driver did not directly impact the third car. Sorting through all of the circumstances that contributed to the second part of the crash is a difficult job, and it is one best left to a legal professional familiar with the legal rules and theories used by courts to assign fault.

If you have been involved in a multi-car accident, you need experienced and knowledgeable legal counsel to marshal the facts of your case to form the most compelling legal arguments possible. A skilled West Virginia automobile accident attorney can evaluate the factors that contributed to the accident, determine who was at fault, and use that information to create a plan of action that will protect your rights. In the wake of such accidents, it is best to contact an attorney as soon as possible to get started sifting through the information and get you prepared for the legal journey ahead.