Harry Deitzler has been a practicing trial attorney since 1976. As a member/partner of the law firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC, Mr. Deitzler's primary field of legal concentration is representation of people in cases involving severe personal injury or death arising from negligence, defective product, unsafe workplace, ground water contamination, and motorcycle or other motor vehicle collision. Some of his cases have also been significant class actions. Mr. Deitzler also represents clients who are victims of insurance company abuse or misconduct, and persons who have been harmed by professional malpractice. In one of his insurance company misconduct cases, the result was a settlement at $1 million over policy limits. In total, eight of Mr. Deitzler's individual client cases have resulted in client recoveries in excess of one million dollars. Mr. Deitzler's success for clients in serious motor vehicle and insurance cases is complimented by substantial recoveries in cases against manufacturers of defective automobiles, paint, swimming pools, augers, boom trucks, ATVs, industrial equipment, and other dangerous or defective products. Mr. Deitzler owns and rides motorcyles, and is particularly interested in helping people who suffer injury as a result of motorcycle crashes. Mr. Deitzler authors the Motorcycle Justice column for Motorcycle Consumer News and also serves as administrator of the MotorcycleJustice website. Mr. Deitzler and the Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC law firm have also devoted significant resources to neuro-law and the representation of individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury. More than half of all Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC clients (excepting class action cases) are the victim of brain injury at one level or another. In that regard, Mr. Deitzler has taught and lectured throughout the country regarding brain injury litigation techniques including such brain injury topics as: Deposition of the Defendant's Biochemical Engineering Expert (NCA-Dallas TX), Direct and Cross Examination of the Neuropsychologist (NCA-Aspen, CO), and Brain Injury Cases on a Budget (Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY). Mr. Deitzler has also taught and lectured extensively regarding other aspects of litigation, including: Deposition of the Defendant's Biomechanical Engineering Expert (NCA-Dallas, TX), How to Make the Most Out of Depositions (American Association for Justice-WVU Law School), Alternative Dispute Resolution: What's Happening in the Federal District Courts (NCA-Breckenridge, CO), Elimination of Court Backlog and Delays by the Use of ADR, Mediation, Telephonic Hearings, and Other Techniques (West Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting-Charleston, WV), Law Office Management with Computers: Hardware, Office Software, CD ROM, Internet (WVAJ-Charleston, WV), How to Settle a Small Claim (Arkansas TLA-Fayetteville, AK), Jury Selection and the Legal Assistant's Role (WVAJ-Charleston, WV), and Insurance Bad Faith Claims in West Virginia (Lorman-Charleston, WV). Mr. Deitzler and his partners were recognized as "Trial Lawyers of the Year" for work in a precedent setting case involving recovery for victims of C8 groundwater pollution by corporate giant Dupont in the Parkersburg, West Virginia surrounding areas. That settlement, valued in excess of $300 million, resulted in cleanup of six community water systems and the creation of the largest, most in depth, medically verified, community health study in history. Affected residents will be entitled to all necessary medical testing, as established by the study, paid for by Dupont. In addition, any class member whose medical problems are found to be caused by the pollutant chemical (perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as C-8 or C8) will be entitled to claim for full damages from Dupont in further related civil actions. (As a result of his work in the Dupont C-8/PFOA case, Mr. Deitzler was invited to serve as co-chairman of the national Mealeys C-8/PFOA Science, Risks & Litigation Conference at Philadelphia, PA October 24 and 25, 2005.) While his primary litigation focus is upon helping personal injury victims, Mr. Deitzler also continues to carry a very limited high profile criminal law practice. His record of defending high-profile individuals began September 25, 1989 when the lead story in the Miami Herald described Deitzler's defense of a DEA agent accused of money laundering. Subsequently, he successfully defended a nurse accused of murdering her abusive boyfriend (the Jackson County prosecutor later apologized for indicting her) and the secretary of former West Virginia Attorney General Charlie Brown who was accused by Brown of extorting money (charges were dismissed and the attorney general resigned). Mr. Deitzler has represented multiple political figures including two state senators, three mayors, several prominent attorneys, two county sheriffs, and one circuit judge. Mr. Deitzler received his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University in 1973, followed by a law degree from West Virginia University in 1976. He was certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in 1991. Mr. Deitzler is an appointed member of the West Virginia Access to Justice Commission and a board member of the West Virginia Association for Justice. He is a sustaining member of the American Association for Justice and past president of Public Justice, a national non-profit public interest law foundation with offices in Washington, D.C. and Oakland, California. Deitzler currently serves as vice president of the West Virginia State Bar. In addition, he is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Melvin M. Belli Society. Mr. Deitzler has been named in Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Deitzler received substantial trial experience as Wood County Prosecuting Attorney at Parkersburg, West Virginia. As the state’s attorney, he presented nearly 100 cases to trial juries. During his last seven years in that position he did not lose any case before a Wood County trial jury. In addition to his criminal law duties as Prosecuting Attorney, Mr. Deitzler served as a legal advisor to the Wood County Commission and the Wood County Board of Education. In the Parkersburg community, Prosecuting Attorney Deitzler served as the second president of the Parkersburg Homecoming Festival, founder and president of the Parkersburg area "Just Say No" Committee, board member of the Wood County Sheriff's Advisory Committee under Sheriff Lee Bechtold, member and president of the Parkersburg Area Salvation Army Advisory Board, board member of the Wood County Senior Citizens Association, board member of the Wood County Society, board member for the Boys & Girls Club of Parkersburg, board member and Paul Harris Fellow for the Parkersburg Rotary Club, volunteer instructor for the Wood County Fire School, volunteer instructor at Glendale Gym Club, and board of elders member for the Westminster Presbyterian Church. Mr. Deitzler presently serves on the Wood County Sheriff’s Advisory Board for Sheriff Jeff Sandy. Mr. Deitzler is a 30+ year member of River City Runners and Walkers Club, Wood County Farm Bureau, the Parkersburg Moose Club, Ben Bey Grotto, and Ohio Valley Ski Club. Mr. Deitzler served as president of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorney's Association from 1986 through 1988. At the conclusion of his state's attorney career in 1988, Mr. Deitzler was a Democratic candidate for the office of West Virginia Attorney General. Following a voter mandate that he was better qualified for private practice than attorney general, Mr. Deitzler began his private practice at Preiser Law Offices (Charleston) in 1989, working for two years with a civil practice focus on helping brain injury victims and representing injured individuals on product liability and insurance claims. Mr. Deitzler subsequently joined the law firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC as a partner in 1991. Since its inception, the law firm of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC has endorsed and advocated community service by its members, staff, and familes. Following that philosophy, Mr. Deitzler and his wife Kathe created and funded the Deitzler Foundation, Inc., a Wood County based charitable family foundation that has provided support to more than 50 community organizations, charities and schools in Parkersburg and other areas of the state and nation over the past ten years. Harry and Kathe Deitzler live at 149 Bella Vista Drive in Vienna, West Virginia with their German Shepherds, Leyna and Jaeger. Harry and Kathe are the proud parents of two children: Erin and Brad. Daughter Erin is a school counselor at Amity High School, Amity, Oregon. Son Brad is a junior at West Virginia University. Kathe works as a part-time cardiac nurse at St. Joseph’s Campus of Camden Clark Hospital in Parkersburg. In his spare time Harry enjoys recreation with his family, and occasionally Tae Quon Do, weight lifting, and motorcycles. Mr. Deitzler can be reached through the law office number on this website or at his home in Parkersburg. He welcomes calls at his residence if it is necessary to contact him outside normal office hours. Mr. Deitzler believes that his availability for client and citizen access are a part of his responsibility as an attorney and elected/appointed official. Throughout his service as an attorney representing injured individuals and also as an elected public servant, Harry Deitzler has never had an unlisted home telephone number. Please feel free to contact Harry on days, nights or weekends:
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