Charleston Personal Injury Law Blog

Who is to blame for logging truck collisions?

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Logging trucks are a common sight on West Virginia highways. Most of the time, these vehicles are in good repair and their drivers are alert and competent. However, there are many factors that could increase the risk of deadly accidents.

Some of these risks are beyond anybody's control. Weather, for example, could diminish highway safety. However, the unfortunate fact is that human negligence is often a factor serious motor vehicle accidents. Here are some of the specific ways in which certain parties could be liable for logging truck accidents on West Virginia's high-traffic river-valley roadways.

Comparative fault and your personal injury claim

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

Auto accidents occur on a daily basis. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from an auto accident that was not your fault, you deserve compensation for your suffering.

Thankfully, a personal injury claim for your auto accident can aid in obtaining such payment. One critical aspect of a personal injury claim is the comparative fault law.

How common is substance abuse among truckers?

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Monday, March 4, 2019.

As someone who lives and works in West Virginia, you have probably grown accustomed to sharing the state’s roadways with coal trucks, logging trucks and other commercial vehicles, but that does not make doing so any less anxiety-inducing. When cars and commercial vehicles collide, cars are often on the losing end of the equation, and such collisions become exponentially more likely when the professionals driving those commercial vehicles are drunk or high.

Sadly, the American Addiction Centers report that truck driver substance abuse is alarmingly common across the trucking industry, and that this has held true for decades, despite the fact that the dangers associated with drunk and drugged driving are well-documented. Just how prevalent is the use of alcohol and drugs in commercial trucking?

How to take the best pictures after a car accident

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Monday, February 4, 2019.

After a car accident, your primary concern should be on whether anyone suffered any injuries. However, it is vital to also pay attention to the property damage after a car crash.

You need to contact your insurance agency, doctor and the police right after the incident. It is also critical to take as many pictures as you can after the collision. To better help your claim, you should take more pictures than you think you need to increase your chances of a more successful case.

Driving tired just as dangerous as driving while impaired

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Exhaustion has become the norm for many people as they are running errands, working and shuttling kids around. Doctors recommend eight hours of sleep per night to help ensure the brain has the time it needs to heal itself and the body. Without proper rest, the body will start to run down.

Did you know that driving while tired can have the same effect as driving while impaired? While this type of infraction is not yet against the law in West Virginia, the state legislature may start following the lead set by other states and create a drowsy driving law.

How often is construction a factor in car crashes?

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

When it comes to life’s certainties, road construction ranks right up there with death and taxes. As populations continue to grow and the nation’s roads undergo more and more use, work zones will likely become increasingly common on the nation’s roadways.

Regrettably, however, car crashes are also becoming increasingly common in work zones, with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration reporting that the number of work zone crashes taking place in the country rose 43 percent between 2013 and 2015. So, what is it about work zones that make them so dangerous, and what can you to reduce your risk of a construction zone car crash?

3 holiday road trip tips

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Wednesday, November 7, 2018.

If you are hitting the road for the holidays, make sure you prepare yourself and your vehicle. Traveling via car during the holiday season can be deadly.

According to the National Safety Council, here are how many people died in holiday car accidents in 2015:

Thanksgiving: 386
Christmas Day: 273
New Year's Day: 355

Understanding liability in parking lot accidents

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Wednesday, October 3, 2018.

West Virginia has one of the highest car accident rates in the country. Reports estimate that one out of every four crashes that occur in the state are a result of driving under the influence of alcohol.

While accidents most often occur on highways and busy streets, a good number of them take place in parking lots. Although vehicles generally do not travel fast in parking lots, a slow-speed crash can still result in substantial injuries and even death. Even though the damage may not seem like much following a parking lot accident, it is important to establish liability in case you sustain an injury or discover significant property damage.

What you should know about medicating and driving

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Friday, September 7, 2018.

There are car accidents in West Virginia every day that leave drivers injured, disabled and, in the worst cases, dead. These accidents happen for a variety of reasons: disregard of traffic laws, poor road conditions and, sometimes, the effects of medication on a driver. The latter of these is a particularly pernicious problem as the opioid epidemic worsens and more drivers are impaired by prescription medications.

There are a few things everybody on the road should know about driving and medicating. The following are three important facts to keep in mind whether you are taking medication yourself or suspect that you have been in an accident with a driver who was impaired by medication:

3 tips for driving around logging trucks

On behalf of Romano & Associates, PLLC on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.

Many car accidents that occur in West Virginia are relatively minor in nature. However, any accident involving a logging truck or any kind of big rig could result in much greater damage. Due to their immense size and weight, a collision between a logging truck and a standard sedan is much more likely to result in injuries or fatalities.

Truck drivers receive extensive training to handle the vehicle properly, but staying safe on the road also means other motorists need to be careful when driving around large trucks.