West Virginia Personal Injury Law Blog

Three suffer personal injury in explosion

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, September 16, 2020.

Colleges and universities across the nation are often places where important research and development take place. Laboratories at these institutions allow both students and staff to conduct important work in various fields. West Virginia residents may be among the thousands of Americans who work in a laboratory, and a recent incident proves that a laboratory can be dangerous and serious personal injury can occur.

Rescue workers rushed to help victims after an explosion was reported at a university biodesign lab. Upon arrival, they found at least three people injured. Two of the victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, and the conditions of the victims are currently unknown.

Coal mine accidents have unforseen consequences for victims

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Coal Mine Accidents on Thursday, September 10, 2020.

Recently, an opinion piece about the effects of coal mining in West Virginia presented some eye-opening facts about the dangers workers face each day in the often troubled coal mine industry. Being injured in coal mine accidents can obviously affect a victim seriously and immediately, but there may be evidence to suggest that an injured miner can suffer for a lifetime in ways that may not be so apparent. At first glance, it may seem like the instances of addiction to opioids and other prescription drugs that have ravaged families across the state are unrelated, but addiction and coal mining accidents may go hand in hand.

In many communities, coal mining is the primary industry. Many employees may feel like it is the only job available, and even if it is a dangerous job, the alternative is being unemployed. When a worker is seriously injured on the job, he or she may feel helpless or out of options unless he or she can recover quickly and return to work.

Hidden danger causes personal injury to students

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, September 3, 2020.

Across the Mountaineer State, college students are settling in for a new semester on campus. Parents have done their best to warn college-age students about dangers they may face as they strike out on their own, many for the first time. Unfortunately for several students at West Virginia University, a danger no one could have prepared them for has caused serious personal injury, and now families are taking legal action.

Apparently, the school failed to keep students safe from giant rocks that fall onto campus grounds. At least three students have been seriously injured. One student may never fully recover.

Products liability can be life or death

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Products Liability on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.

Many West Virginia residents rely on a medical device, either temporarily or permanently, to maintain a better quality of life. An infusion pump is a medical device that can deliver medicines, blood or necessary fluids to a patient. Many of these patients may now be looking into a products liability claim in a civil court.

Recently, the FDA issued the most serious class of recall for some of these devices after serious injury and even death were reported by victims. The Becton Dickinson Alaris System, a popular brand of infusion pump, has been found to malfunction. The FDA says issues with the device's software and system, coupled with errors during routine use, made it necessary to issue a Class 1 recall, which is the most serious type of recall the FDA has.

Personal injury is not always a physical injury, says father

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

West Virginia residents know that there are many kinds of pain. Physical pain and emotional pain can both affect a victim for a lifetime. Now, one father is taking legal action against an amusement park because his son suffered mental and emotional personal injury on the premises.

The father has filed a civil suit against a popular amusement park because, he attests, employees did not perform a thorough safety check as his son boarded a roller coaster. As the roller coaster, which accelerates quickly, began to move, his son panicked because his safety harness was not fastened. The boy, fearing for his life, was forced to jump off the moving coaster at the last second. This event was traumatic for both father and son.

Teen's family files wrongful death suit

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, August 13, 2020.

Summer vacation is drawing to a close, and West Virginia teens are trying to squeeze in a few more days of fun before the academic year begins. Parents should be aware that having teenage guests at their house can lead to trouble or tragedy if proper supervision is not maintained. Recently, the death of a teenage girl resulted in a wrongful death lawsuit for the host family.

The parents of the deceased child say that she was allowed to visit friends in another state. Apparently, the group of teens had unsupervised access to alcohol during the trip. Even though the girl was not of legal drinking age, alcohol consumption was not prevented.

Secret ingredient may lead to products liability suits

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Products Liability on Thursday, August 6, 2020.

West Virginia residents are doing their best to keep their families safe and healthy throughout the ongoing health crisis. Lately, it has been difficult to find ordinary products that can help reduce the spread of illness. Hand sanitizers are a cheap and easy way to help prevent illnesses and germs that spread through touch, but some shocking information may leave many wondering about how to handle a products liability case.

The FDA has recalled over 100 different kinds of hand sanitizers in the past few weeks. It is not uncommon for these products to contain ethanol, and packaging warns that the product can be dangerous if ingested. Unfortunately, many of these products contain another chemical named methanal, which is very dangerous if absorbed through the skin. Many of these packages do not list methanal as an ingredient, and the FDA says, even if a product does list this dangerous ingredient on the label, it is illegal to sell in the United States.

Personal injury accident may lead to traumatic brain injury

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, July 30, 2020.

A traumatic brain injury can unfortunately take a toll on a person's life, not only physically but also emotionally. However, it is possible for people who have suffered this type of personal injury to re-enter today's workforce in West Virginia and elsewhere. Here are a couple of tips to help job seekers with traumatic brain injury.

First, it may behoove people who have suffered brain injuries to seek support for their mental health. The reason for this is that issues with mental health are often a symptom of traumatic brain injury. These symptoms range from insomnia to depression, anxiety and PTSD. Unfortunately, these challenges can make the process of recovering from traumatic brain injuries -- and returning to the workforce -- that much harder.

Coal mine accidents: Machine-related incident proves fatal

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Coal Mine Accidents on Monday, July 20, 2020.

Individuals who operate in the mining industry may encounter a variety of hazards nearly every day. Incidents that occur near mines can have devastating results and fatal coal mine accidents have a way of leaving an entire community in mourning. A 41-year-old man from West Virginia has died following an incident involving a mining machine that took place on the surface of a mine in a neighboring state.

According to reports, the accident is said to have taken place on the surface of the mine on a recent Thursday. Although many of the details pertaining to the incident remain unclear, officials have stated that it occurred when the man lost control of a mining machine. They say the machine proceeded to go over a nearby embankment, throwing him to the ground in the process. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Coal mine accidents and injuries occur despite zero harm goal

On behalf of Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee & Deitzler, PLLC posted in Coal Mine Accidents on Thursday, July 16, 2020.

Mining will likely always be a high-risk industry regardless of the safety and health officials' efforts to limit injury risks. Stricter protocols and legislation, along with improved equipment safety, have brought about a drop in the fatality rate in the mining industry. However, coal mine accidents continue to cause injuries to workers in West Virginia. One of the most significant hazards in mining that continues to affect coal miners despite legally enforced measures is dust.

Dust causes a lung disease known as miner's lung, or black lung, that develops over time from dust exposure. Excessive noise is another constant hazard that causes progressive damage. Even if workers get used to excessive noise, damage occurs, which can cause permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep disturbances and concentration problems. Many mineworkers develop musculoskeletal disorders that cause lower back, neck, shoulders, knees and arm pain.