Articles from our Morgantown Personal Injury Law Office about Safety Issues, Insurance Law, Auto Accidents, Personal Injury Claims, and Other Legal Issues in West Virginia. Questions? Call 304-594-1800 Today. Our phones are answered night and day.
A man was recently killed while changing a tire on the northbound shoulder of Interstate 79 near the Star City exit. This man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer and was found already deceased when the investigating trooper arrived on the scene. A passenger was also struck by the passing truck but suffered minor injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not physically injured by the impact, but surely is suffering as well.
Tire Changing Safety
If you get a flat tire and have no other choice but to change it yourself, it is essential that you do everything you can to make yourself visible to other drivers. Some drivers drive too close to the shoulder and may not see you in time to stop when they are traveling between 70 and 80 miles per hour.
• Turn on your hazard lights (emergency blinkers).
• If possible, keep rolling until you get to a straight stretch of highway so that you are not hidden to other drivers by a curve in the road.
• Pull off as far away from the highway as possible to keep yourself off the roadway as you are working to change the tire safely.
As fellow drivers, we have a continual responsibility to look out for others in distress. This fact makes it essential that we do everything possible to ensure that we are not distracted by anything while driving.
If You Were Injured in a Truck Accident
When you are suddenly involved in an auto collision causing you serious injuries, you will likely have plenty of questions about how the insurance claims process and court system work. In essence, you want to be informed so that you can be fairly compensated for your injuries.
You need to understand your legal rights to ensure that you are compensated fairly for the injuries you received due to someone else’s negligence. The Robinette Legal Group has made available Collision Care, a Guide for WV Accident Victims, free of charge for West Virginians and those injured in WV.
Collision Care will answer your important questions about how to enforce your legal rights against the persons responsible for causing your injuries; how to navigate through the complexities of the insurance claim process and legal court system; and how to avoid being taken advantage of by insurance adjusters and their team of defense lawyers who are determined to minimize your recovery for your auto injury claim.
If you or your loved one has been injured due to negligence or willful violation of safety regulations on the road, it is important to act quickly to protect your claim. Mr. Robinette has handled hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death and can provide the insight you need right now. Call Jeff Robinette today for a free evaluation of your case at 304-594-1800 or visit our Robinette Legal Group, PLLC website: http://www.robinettelaw.com
Guest Blog by Adam Rosenblum, a personal injury lawyer who is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey.
If you have been involved in a car accident and are unsure of what to do, it is important to understand the best course of action to take. Understanding your rights and how to proceed can help ensure that you are given proper compensation and are well on your way to repairing your vehicle or gathering the compensation to purchase another one.
As soon as you are involved in a car accident the first step would be to seek aid by way of calling the police and an ambulance for medical attention if anyone is in need of it. If you find that someone is seriously injured and attempting to move that person would result in further damage, contact emergency services immediately.
As police arrive and begin making an accident report, it is important to remember to never admit fault at the scene of an accident to the other driver, police, or even persons that were in your vehicle at the time the accident occurred. When the police begin the process of filing an accident report, make sure all information is filled out accurately and correctly. You should get the name, license number and other essential information from the other driver involved in the accident.
If the police officer issues you a traffic ticket in connection to your accident, it is important that you seek the advice of an attorney to protect your rights.
How Do I Go About Filing a Claim?
If the accident has left you injured or has resulted in damage to your vehicle or the other person’s vehicle, it is important that you file a claim with your insurance company.
Filing a claim is the best way to get legal compensation and help yourself or anyone else involved in the accident get on the path to medical recovery (learn more: Xarelto lawsuit compensation) or monetary damages for your vehicle.
As soon as the accident occurs you should exchange insurance information with the other drivers involved. This step is especially important if you were not the one at fault during the accident as you could potentially end up paying a higher deductible fee after an accident. Document any damages that occurred by taking pictures of the accident itself and the surrounding environment. The insurance representative will also take their own set of photos, but pictures will help in explaining your own personal experience in the accident.
Claiming Damages
All states require by law that drivers insure their vehicles in order to legally operate them. This prevents any potential mishaps that might occur when getting into an accident with the other driver not having insurance and covers both yourself and others in your policy from personal injury resulting from an accident. If the other driver does not have insurance, then it is important you call the police to make a report.
Your own insurance policy also helps cover you if the other driver involved in the accident does not have his or her own insurance. If you find yourself struggling to receive a claim for either monetary damage or a personal injury settlement resulting from a car accident, contacting an experienced personal injury attorney will get you well on your way to successfully gaining compensation and reduce an liabilities that you might forced to pay as a result of the negligence of another party.
Adam Rosenblum is a personal injury attorney licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey.For more information concerning car accidents in New York and New Jersey, visit Adam Rosenblum at personal-injury-nj.com and rosenblumlawfirm.com.
Authorities are investigating the cause of an explosion at a gas well compression station site in Tyler County. The Twin Hickories Road compression station explosion happened on Thursday, April 11, 2013 in Wick near Middlebourne. The facility is owned by Marietta, Ohio based Eureka-Hunter. Three people employed by third-party contractors suffered severe burns and were flown directly to the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh. A fourth employee was injured, but treated and released at a local hospital.
Later, Eureka officials corrected initial reports. The senior vice president of Eureka Hunter clarified the reported explosion was a flash fire, and the location was a pig receiving station along the pipeline, not a compression station as first reported. The “pig” is a device to clean out pipelines to remove accumulated liquids. This particular line carried methane as well as natural gas liquids such as ethane, propane and butane from the wellhead.
At about 7 p.m. on April 11th, Tyler County 911 received a call from a Eureka Hunter employee of an explosion with storage tanks on fire and at least two people injured at the Twin Hickories Road compression station near Wick, W.Va.
Fire and emergency responders were sent to the scene along with the Tyler County Sheriff Deputies. According to a press release, fire units from Shirley, Alma, Middlebourne, Sistersville, as well as Saint Mary’s from Pleasants County and Paden City from Wetzel County, responded.
Two Tanks on Fire near Tyler County Compression Station
“When we arrived on scene we had a track-hoe on fire and two tanks were on fire,” said a member of the Middlebourne VFD. “This was not a well, this was a compressor station.”
It was reported the workers were using a new piece of equipment to “pig” the line. However, it’s unclear what caused the fire. The blaze was intense and rekindled several times due to the heat. He said firemen took more than an hour to get it out. Early reports indicated the natural gas liquids in the tanks fueled the fire. The fire remained above ground and did not progress to the underground pipelines.
“We went in and shut the valves off feeding the tanks. What was burning was what was in the tanks on top. It was very flammable,” he said. “It kept reigniting and burning off. We climbed on the tank, shut the lid, and put it out.”
West Virginia Gas Drilling Injury Lawyers – Robinette Legal Group, PLLC
The development of the Marcellus Shale oil and gas drilling in West Virginia provides many jobs to hard-working West Virginians. West Virginia workers have a long-standing tradition of working hard in spite of dangerous and exhausting conditions.
In most cases, a worker who is injured on the job will be able to receive some benefits from a Worker’s Compensation claim. In West Virginia, if an employer is found to have intentionally placed their employee in harm’s way, resulting in serious injury or death, that employee may qualify to file a claim against the employer’s insurance company. If the cause of your injury was due to faulty equipment or a negligent contractor, you may be entitled to seek additional monetary compensation from that third party.
If you or your loved one has been injured due to negligence or willful violation of safety regulations in the workplace, it is important to act quickly to protect your claim. Mr. Robinette has handled hundreds of cases involving serious injury and wrongful death and can provide the insight you need right now. Call Jeff Robinette today for a free evaluation of your case at 304-594-1800 or visit our Robinette Legal Group, PLLC website: http://www.robinettelaw.com
Does it really matter if I wait to contact a lawyer about my wrongful death claim?
If you think that waiting a few months to speak with a lawyer won’t impact your wrongful death claim, think again. Every day that you wait to seek legal counsel equates to a loss of opportunity to obtain full compensation for your injuries. In reality, it is the first 30 days following the fatal injuries to your deceased family member that are most critical to your case.
It is within this relatively short time period that initial inspections should be completed and necessary evidence and testimony secured. It is always best if a lawyer is consulted within the first few days following the tragic event because certain evidence won’t last even 30 days. If you wait too long to develop your wrongful death claim, it will make the job of even a good lawyer more difficult to obtain a full recovery for the estate.
Waiting even a few weeks to get legal advice about your case may be just enough time for evidence to be lost or destroyed or an important witness to disappear. Loss of vital evidence and witness testimony will cause permanent shortcomings in your wrongful death case. Without evidence, you have no way of proving liability against the responsible parties who caused the death of your family member.
You don’t know if or when your evidence will disappear or be destroyed. An important witness to your case will not likely call you up and give you their testimony and forwarding address before they skip town. When they skip town, there goes your evidence, too. And that documentary evidence — the tangible information like records and parts — you need to prove your case can disappear. Nobody is going to alert you to that either.
Also, please keep in mind that West Virginia allows only two years to file suit after the occurrence. After this time, your claim will be forever barred.
It doesn’t matter if your evidence is accidentally lostor intentionally destroyed; both have the same adverse impact on your fatal injury claim. All these things happen without you knowing it — these are some of the legal ramifications of waiting too long to get legal counsel. You don’t have to end up being further harmed — you can exercise your right to consult with your own lawyer about your injury claim today.
For further information about moving forward after a tragic, unexpected death, we offer a free resource for you to help guide you through the process of moving forward with your lives. Click this link to gain the insight you need today: Beside Still Waters: West Virginia Fatal Injury Guide.
No words or amount of remuneration could ever compensate all that you have lost when your loved one is taken from you. As you move forward with your life, those who are responsible must be held accountable to give you a sense of justice and closure. Jeff Robinette and his staff are available to answer your questions. Every call is handled with compassion, and every case is handled with dignity and professionalism.
“It’s just crazy how many people went by and didn’t stop. If I was in his situation, I’d want someone to stop and help me.” Nathan Foreman
Kingwood, WV: On Wednesday, January 30, 2012, Brian Delaney of Morgantown, 47, was driving east in a Tri-State Mortuary Plymouth Voyager van that veered into a ditch, crashed into the embankment and rolled several times during a rainstorm. Delaney works for Tri-State Mortuary Services, of Poca, WV and was “on his way to Martinsburg, transporting someone to a funeral home,” according to Senior Trooper Wood of the WV State Police.
Nathan Foreman and Carl Wilson, education specialists at the USP-Hazelton, came upon the van near the Coopers Rock exit as they were returning from Morgantown. The two men stopped to see if they could help. They found Delaney “hanging upside down on the seatbelt,” according to Wilson.
“He wasn’t breathing,” Foreman said. According to Wilson, “It was a dire situation. I used my body to take that pressure off the seatbelt.”
Another man at the scene was small enough to get into the crushed van “to unclick the seatbelt,” according to Wilson. Once the seatbelt was loose, the men removed Delaney from the van and Wilson, a paramedic who once taught emergency medicine, began CPR.
“He slowly started breathing again,” Foreman said. Wilson added, “He didn’t regain consciousness, but he did start to breathe on his own.”
“It’s just crazy how many people went by and didn’t stop,” Foreman said. “If I was in his situation, I’d want someone to stop and help me.”
Delaney was in fair condition at Ruby Memorial Hospital late Wednesday, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Good Samaritan Laws: Most states have a statute to protect individuals that assist a victim during a medical emergency. Most Good Samaritan laws are created specifically for the general public and assume that there is no medically trained person available to assist the victim. Since the Good Samaritan typically does not have medical training, the law protects him or her from being liable for injury or death caused to the victim during a medical emergency as long as the care was given in good faith and without malicious intent.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books and downloads for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been designated as the signature injury of the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and as a result many injured soldiers and their families suffer in silence. In response to the need, the US military is now funding new research and has established multiple centers for those soldiers with traumatic brain injuries to receive effective therapies to rebuild and reroute their neurological pathways in the hope returning to work and building a better future.
Though most of the traumatic brain injury cases we handle are the result of vehicle and work accidents, hazardous military duty and sports activities also often lead to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Injury to the brain is usually the first injury to occur, and the last to be diagnosed. Thanks to new funding by the US military and the NFL, more hope, treatments, and tests are available to help heal the wounds.
Symptoms of TBI involve a wide range of symptoms including vomiting, persistent headaches, sensitivity to light, memory loss, mood disorders, inability to focus, slow reaction time, dizziness, depression, blurred vision, and loss of balance.
On the leading edge of TBI research are studies concerning the use of Omega-3 fatty acids and new cognitive therapies designed to reroute and stimulate neurological pathways where healthy parts of the brain can compensate by learning to handle new functions. Rest augmented by a battery of mental exercises involving memory drills, math, and hand-eye coordination can help a brain accomplish neuroplasticity, a term which means that the brain repairs, regenerates, and reconnects.
In January of 2013, the results of the examination of the brain of the former NFL player, Junior Seau, were published indicating that Seau’s brain was found to be clearly damaged by the repeated blows inherent to football. Prior to his death by suicide, he had been diagnosed with degenerative brain disease. Results of an NIH study of Seau’s brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a severe problem experienced by dozens of top football players.
The NFL may be facing thousands of lawsuits right now from former players who say that they were not protected or informed enough about the result of concussion. In response, The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels.
PET Scans and Chemical Markers Can Identify Progression of Brain Diseases in Athletes
More and more, researchers have speculated a connection between sports-related concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries with the development of degenerative brain diseases later in life – most notably chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Previously, the only way to confirm a connection between repetitive brain injury and these debilitating brain conditions was through an autopsy.
But now, there may be a new way to identify or track the progression of these brain diseases while a current or former athlete is still alive.
For the first time, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have utilized positron emission tomography (PET) scans and a newly developed chemical marker called FDDNP to do brain imaging tests on five retired NFL players. The new imaging technique ultimately revealed the buildup of the abnormal tau protein, which has been associated with repetitive head trauma, as well as the onset of Alzheimer’s.
New Research Indicates Omega-3 May be Part of the Answer
Brain Health Education and Research Institute was founded by Dr. Michael Lewis in 2011 to pursue educational and research endeavors to further knowledge of natural and nutritional ways to improve brain health. The initial focus of the Institute is educating providers and the public on the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of the brain prior to or following an injury such as traumatic brain injury or concussion. With Dr. Lewis’ 30-plus years of military experience, a special emphasis is working towards improving the care and outcomes of our military personnel and veterans who have experienced psychological or physical trauma to the brain.
Dr. Lewis is a pioneer in the use of omega-3 for concussion and TBI – a simple, yet profound concept. Everyone is different, but his theory is if the basic building blocks of the brain aren’t present, the brain is going to have a more difficult and longer time putting the pieces back together. Here is something essential to know:
According to Dr. Lewis, there is no cure for concussion and TBI. All medical providers can do is optimize the conditions to help the brain do the healing. That is what using omega-3’s will do. It provides a tool, the basic building block, for the brain’s healing.
Omega-3 Aids Brain Recovery of Randal McCloy, Survivor of the Sago Mine Disaster
Neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes is often at the cutting edge of the latest treatments for people with brain injuries. Former NFL players and other notable people with brain injuries—including Randal McCloy Jr., the sole surviving miner in the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia—have received his care. Dr. Oz talks with Dr. Bailes about how he used omega-3 fatty acids, a common nutritional supplement, to aid in Randal’s brain recovery.
On January 2, 2006, the nation was captivated by efforts to rescue 13 men who were trapped in the Sago coal mine explosion. While news sources initially reported that all 13 men were alive, tragically it was only Randal who survived. After more than 40 hours of exposure to carbon monoxide, Randal was entrusted into the care of many doctors, including Dr. Bailes. “He’s had a massive heart attack from the carbon monoxide exposure, he was in kidney failure, liver failure, he was dehydrated, he was hypothermic and he was in the deepest of coma,” he says. “We didn’t have anything promising.”
Soon though, Dr. Bailes says he and the other doctors were confident they could save Randal’s life, but it was uncertain if his brain would recover from its extensive injuries. Randal was given three hypobaric oxygen treatments, but Dr. Bailes says there was no drug available that could help repair his damaged brain. “Since there was no drug to do it … why don’t we give him what his brain was made from in the first place, when he was an embryo in his mother’s womb?” Dr. Bailes says. That substance was omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3 fatty acids—EPA and DHA—[are] what people commonly would call fish oil, but we gave him a super variety in extremely high doses, up to 19 grams a day that we delivered to him in a liquid form through his tube that was in his stomach,” he says.
As Randal’s brain functions started to improve, Dr. Bailes recorded his findings and now says people suffering from minor to severe brain injuries can benefit greatly from omega-3s. “Consider this as a nutritional supplement, if you will, for their recovery, which I think has very profound effects on the brain,” he says. While Randal was the first known person with brain injuries to be treated with omega-3s, Dr. Bailes says he won’t likely be the last. And, Dr. Bailes says everyone can benefit from the supplement—in fact, he says he takes 800 milligrams of algae-based DHA a day.
Randal McCloy has gone on to live a normal life in a small town in West Virginia and has become the father of two children since the Sago coal mine disaster.
US Army Funds Three-year study of Omega-3’s Effect on Brain Health
Research published last year by Brain Health Education and Research Institute’s Michael Lewis, MD, in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported that active-duty military with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 62% more likely to have committed suicide compared to those with higher levels. In October 2012, the military announced they are funding a three-year study to do just that. In cooperation with the NIH, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina led by Bernadette Marriott, Ph.D., a professor in the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the Institute of Psychiatry, will test whether omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can relieve the anxieties and quiet the suicidal thoughts plaguing many combat veterans.
“The potential good versus the potential extraordinarily low risk and low cost make this a type of intervention that can be – if findings are warranted – rolled out extremely fast and on a large scale,” said Dr. Ron Acierno, a co-investigator on the project at USC. “Omega-3s are among the primary fatty acids in the brain… They’re responsible for the neural generation and neural repair – for new neurons to be made and for broken ones to be fixed.”According to Dr. Hibbeln, “Research conducted in our lab [at the NIH] during the last 20 years points to a fundamental role for omega-3 fatty acids in protecting against major depression, substance abuse and other problems. Here we hope to be successful in understanding if omega-3 may play a role in reducing the risk of severe suicidal behaviors among U.S. military veterans.”
If research by the Army and Cleveland Clinic is successful, then diagnosis for brain injury could include an inexpensive blood test. Medical researchers are developing a test that will determine the presence of a protein that is released into the bloodstream after a person suffers a brain injury.
Researchers are currently testing their findings by analyzing the blood of college football, hockey, and soccer players to even diagnose concussions. Current methods of diagnosing brain injury involve the use of a CT scanner. These scans are expensive and may also fail to detect slight bleeding and other signs of a brain injury.
The military has also ordered nearly 50,000 sensor helmets with the ability to measure the severity of blows to the head and to detect possible concussions. The NFL is partnering with the military to place similar sensors in the helmets of professional football players.
Research indicates that the potential for serious lifelong traumatic brain injury is increased greatly if a subsequent head injury occurs a short time after a concussion, so a quick and inexpensive means of determining mild brain injuries could be a lifesaver for military personnel, workers, children, and sports participants.
Jeff Robinette, Experienced Brain Injury Litigation Attorney
As a lawyer who has helped victims of TBI navigate and receive substantial settlements from insurance companies, my great hope for these injury victims is that they would be able to move forward with their lives and receive the best care and treatment available. Kudos to those who are at the forefront of this helpful new research designed to overcome TBI and help those people function in a manner close to that of their pre-injury selves.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
An ambulance and a flatbed semi-truck collided on Interstate 79 south near Weston Tuesday morning and closed the highway for almost two hours on Tuesday, January 15, 2013.
Jan-Care Ambulance Services confirmed Tuesday morning that a Jan-Care EMT died following the accident on Interstate 79 in Lewis County.
A Jan-Care ambulance was returning to the station from an EMS transport when it collided with a flatbed semi-truck Tuesday morning, according to the Director of Operations at Jan-Care Ambulance Services.
Lewis County sheriff’s deputy said Jan-Care EMT, a passenger in the ambulance, was injured in the accident and later died as a result of his injuries at Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital. The ambulance’s driver was treated and released. No patient was on-board the ambulance at the time of the accident.
A spokesman of Jan-Care reflected that “It is a real tragedy when something like this happens to someone who has devoted so much time and effort to helping others.”
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department said the driver and passenger of the semi-truck involved in the fatal crash were not injured.
The collision happened south of the Weston exit at mile marker 97.5. Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and the Weston Fire Department were called to the scene. Drivers on I-79 south of Weston were stuck for an hour and a half until crews opened the shoulder to allow them to pass through.
The cause of the accident is unknown.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and State Police are investigating the accident.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
Click on the book image for immediate download, or if you are a WV injury victim, call 1-304-594-1800 or email our office today to have a softcover book sent to your home at no cost or obligation to you.
Collision Care: A Guide for West Virginia Accident Victims will give you the basic facts that you must know in order to make the best decisions for your present and future circumstances and to help you achieve the best result possible regarding your injury claim. (87 pages)
Righting the Wrong: West Virginia Serious Injury Guide provides serious injury victims and their families essential information about the insurance claims process to enable them to maximize their efforts to rebuild their lives. (161 pages)
Beside Still Waters: West Virginia Fatal Injury Guide provides surviving family members the information they need in order to pick up the pieces of their lives to enable them to rebuild a financial future for themselves and their children. (123 pages)
Click on a book cover image for a free immediate download, or if you are an injury victim or family member, call our office today to have a softcover copy sent to your home. Due to limited availability, there is a limit of one book per family.
All of these books can also be purchased on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble for $16.95 each, plus shipping, but if you act now, Jeff will send it to you at No Cost or obligation.
Some of the useful information you will find in these books:
What Are My Legal Rights?
What Is Legal Liability?
What Is Comparative Fault? What happens if we were both at fault?
How Do I Prove My Claim? What documentation must I provide?
For What Damages May I Receive Compensation?
Do I Really Need A Lawyer? How to choose the right lawyer for your case.
Can I Afford A Lawyer?
Financial Motivation Of The Insurance Company – to minimize their pay-outs and maximize their own profit.
What is wrongful death?
Statements and Authorizations – Think twice and get advice before you sign that release!
Social Media Traps and insurance company surveillance of your activities.
Spoliation of Evidence, vehicle salvage issues.
And much, much more!
Bonus Information: The Anatomy of a Real-life Injury Case and 10 Ways to Ruin Your Case
Our Mission
Morgantown lawyer and principal attorney, Jeff Robinette, shares what he believes is the mission of the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC. The primary objective of a personal injury law firm is to help the average person who has been the victim of negligence against the powerful resources of the insurance industry.
About the Author:
Jeffery Robinette is a personal injury lawyer with decades of insurance litigation and trial experience in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Prior to representing injured individuals exclusively, Mr. Robinette was a partner in a major West Virginia law firm where he focused his legal practice on defending serious personal injury and wrongful death claims and lawsuits stemming from auto and truck collisions. He has also represented the nation’s largest and most powerful insurance companies at all levels of litigation including jury trials and appeals in state and federal courts in West Virginia.
Mr. Robinette taught insurance companies and their adjusters how to follow insurance laws and regulations, including how to adjust insurance claims in good faith. He was a frequent speaker at insurance conferences on West Virginia insurance law.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Call us today: 304-594-1800. We are glad to answer your questions.
More than 90 million people will be traveling home for the holidays this week. Getting your vehicle ready to travel is one of the most important ways to keep yourself and your family safe and to avoid mishaps along the road.
You certainly want to prepare. Check the Internet to see what the weather forecast is in the area that you’ll be traveling. You may want to leave a little earlier to avoid bad weather, or you may want to allow yourself more time for traffic or the possibility of snow on the roads… use your good common sense. Fill your windshield wiper fluid and tires to recommended levels. If you know you will be driving through snow, throw in some ice melt, kitty litter, or gravel for traction.
If you do break down, the time it takes a towing company to get to you might be longer than usual. They see a huge jump in accidents close to the holidays. You may have to wait an hour or two before help arrives, so prepare for that by making sure that your gas tank is full and be sure to pack extra blankets and food.
Other things to remember are to make sure you don’t always count on your GPS; have a backup plan for directions. If your windshield looks like it has streaks on it it’s probably time to change your wiper blades. And finally, slow down.
Submitted by the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
Don’t let fire ruin your family Christmas. Fire hazards greatly increase when decorating for the holidays; about one-third of home fires and home fire deaths occur during December, January, and February. Fire is an expense you can’t afford this Christmas, potentially costing irreplaceable lives and an average of $35,000 damage per house fire.
Main Causes of Fire Calamities include: Connecting multiple extension cords together, putting up holiday lights without inspecting them for frayed cords, letting your tree dry out after it is decorated in the home, creosote buildup in chimney, and leaving a burning candle unattended.
Top Winter Fire Hazards:
Cooking calamities. Keep an all-purpose or Class ABC rated fire extinguisher nearby to get a kitchen fire under control.
Space heaters: Avoid setting up a space heater too close to curtains, furniture or holiday decorations. Keep at least three feet of clear space around it and set it up on the floor.
Children playing with fire: Never leave children unsupervised with ignition materials such as matches or lighters.
Burn only wood in the fireplace: Trash, cardboard boxes or Christmas trees burn unevenly and may cause a dangerous flash fire.
Take care with candles: Make sure candles are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.
Holiday lights: Inspect each year for frayed wires, bare spots or broken sockets before putting them up. Turn off holiday lights before leaving the home or going to bed.
Counterfeit electronics: Look for CSA or UL certification marks that indicate the product was tested and met the product safety standards.
Electrical outlets: Don’t overload your electrical outlets with too many lights or decorations.
Electrical cords: Never bundle electric cords together or run under rugs or carpet.
Christmas trees: Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches. Regularly give the tree plenty of water.
Dirty chimney: Most chimney fires are caused by the buildup of creosote, a highly combustible byproduct of burning wood. Have it inspected and cleaned annually.
Dirty fireplace: Put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal.
Wishing you a safe and Merry Christmas from the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC, West Virginia Injury Lawyers. Free books for WV accident victims — Call us today: 304-594-1800 for your free copy of Righting the Wrong: WV Serious Injury Guide; Collision Care: WV Auto Injury Guide; or Beside Still Waters: WV Fatal Injury Guide for Families. We are glad to answer your questions.
A man was recently killed while changing a tire on the northbound shoulder of Interstate 79 near the Star City exit. This man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer and was found already deceased when the investigating trooper arrived on the scene. A passenger was also struck by the passing truck but suffered minor injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not physically injured by the impact, but surely is suffering as well.
Jeffery Robinette is a personal injury lawyer with decades of insurance litigation and trial experience in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Prior to representing injured individuals exclusively, Mr. Robinette was a partner in a major West Virginia law firm where he focused his legal practice on defending serious personal injury and wrongful death claims and lawsuits stemming from auto and truck collisions. He has also represented the nation’s largest and most powerful insurance companies at all levels of litigation including jury trials and appeals in state and federal courts in West Virginia.
