Car Accident Lawyer in Parkersburg, West Virginia

Car accidents happen every day, despite our best intentions and safe driving practices. Even a minor accident can be a stressful event, while more serious crashes can result in catastrophic injuries or the death of loved ones, in addition to significant financial, emotional, and property damages.

While financial compensation can’t fix all problems, it can certainly help relieve stress, pay for the best medical treatment and long-term care if necessary, and replace any property that was lost in the crash. We at Kaufman & McPherson have a track record to make sure you get the full and fair compensation you deserve.

How Can a Parkersburg Car Accident Attorney Help?

Retaining the services of a law firm will help ensure the success of your claim. Our Parkersburg car accident attornies will work tirelessly on your behalf to help you build the best possible case and win you a settlement that covers all the costs of a car crash – both tangible and intangible.

Why Choose Kaufman & McPherson PLLC?

Kaufman & McPherson attorneys specialize in personal injury cases, specifically for car accidents. As a firm, we have many decades of cumulative experience and a strong winning record with auto accident cases. Our lawyers are qualified to take on automobile manufacturers, government entities, insurance companies, other drivers, and anyone else who may be at fault in an accident.

We are intimately familiar with West Virginia law and we are equipped to handle all types of motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents that involve tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles, and single-vehicle accidents.

Our law office is here to offer real-time assistance in the aftermath of your accident. Dealing with your injuries or the death of a loved one, insurance companies, medical bills, property damage, missed work, and so forth can be incredibly stressful. Let us take some of the burdens off your shoulders – contact us today if you or a loved one has recently been in a car accident in West Virginia.

Parkersburg Auto Accident Statistics

There were 17 fatal auto accidents in Parkersburg between 2014 and 2017, which resulted in 17 deaths. Fortunately, Parkersburg has quick EMS response times and hospital transport times when compared to the state averages. While the state of West Virginia experienced a sudden yet sustained increase in fatal accidents in 2008, Parkersburg has remained at a relatively steady rate since 1996.

Most Common Crash Types in West Virginia

There are several different types of car crashes, but among the most common types in West Virginia are head-on collisions, rear-end accidents, T-bone crashes, sideswipe accidents and chain reaction crashes.

Head-on collisions, unfortunately, result in the most fatalities due to the compounded forces of two vehicles moving towards each other at speed, although T-bone crashes can be fatal as well especially for passengers sitting on the side of the car that is struck by another vehicle.

Any type of car crash can become a chain reaction crash if the vehicles in the original crash cannot get out of the way of traffic quickly or if drivers behind them are not paying attention or cannot stop their vehicles in time. Chain reaction crashes can involve anywhere from three to hundreds of cars in the worst-case scenarios.

The 7 Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in West Virginia

Car crashes can be caused by a variety of reasons, but here are the seven most common causes in the state of West Virginia.

1. Speeding

The faster a vehicle is moving, the less time the driver has to react to their surroundings. Potential dangers can include large debris on the roadway, stopped vehicles ahead, other drivers behaving unpredictably, and environmental factors such as ice on the road surface. Speeding does not only refer to exceeding the posted speed limit. It can also mean driving too fast for the conditions at the time, such as not diminishing speed when the road is icy and so forth.

2. Distracted Driving

Driving distractions can include visual, cognitive, and manual distractions – things that take your eyes off the road, your mind off the task of driving, or your hands off the steering wheel. Texting is a very serious distraction because it involves all three of those infractions.

3. Alcohol Impairment

Alcohol impairs a driver’s response time, their ability to steer and brake effectively, and the ability to visually track moving objects, among other things. All of these functions are critical for safe driving.

4. Fatigued Driving

Extreme fatigue can cause similar impairments to drunk driving and can be just as dangerous.

5. Confusion or Getting Lost

Drivers who make a navigational error such as missing their exit or turning the wrong way onto a one-way street are more likely to make subsequent errors in judgement in an attempt to rectify their original mistake – such as veering through multiple lanes of freeway traffic to reach the exit.

6. Defective Car Parts

Occasionally car parts do fail, which can cause an accident or turn a minor accident into a major one.

7. Lack of Maintenance

Vehicles that are not regularly maintained can become major hazards. Accidents can occur due to tire blowouts, worn brake pads, burnt-out signal lights, or ineffective windshield wipers – all things that can be easily avoided with proper maintenance.

Driver Error and Vehicle Crashes

As you can see, driver error is often the primary cause of car accidents. Someone’s lapse in judgment can result in catastrophic injuries or even death, incurring massive medical bills or end-of-life costs. Some accidents even result in injuries that require constant long-term care. Our personal injury attorneys will help you win the financial compensation that you deserve as a result of this negligence.

Parkersburg Auto Accident Damages

There are many different types of damages that you can claim in the aftermath of a car accident. Damages can include things like medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, diminished earning capability, pain, and suffering, and repair or replacement costs for damaged property. If a loved one dies as a result of a car accident, damages might also include wrongful death elements such as loss of companionship, loss of consortium, funeral fees, and other end-of-life damages.

Our attorneys are experts at investigating car accidents and gathering helpful evidence. If you have been in an accident recently, you can help the case go smoothly by getting medical attention immediately, taking photos of the crash scene if you are able to, and saving the receipts and bills for everything relating to the accident.

Comparative Negligence: West Virginia Car Wreck Lawyer

West Virginia follows comparative negligence law, which means that even if you were partially responsible for the crash, you can still receive compensation. The court will determine what portion of the blame is yours, and you will be awarded damages accordingly. So for example, if you were deemed to be 25% responsible for the crash and the total damages were assessed at $100,000, you would still be entitled to $75,000

Free Legal Advice and Case Evaluation

If you think you might have a personal injury case on your hands, contact us at Kaufman & McPherson today. We offer free initial consultations and legal advice to help you determine whether you have a case and whether it will be worth your time to pursue it.

Don’t let any outstanding legal issues or hesitancy about whether the accident was your fault stop you from contacting us – your consultation will be completely confidential. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay a dime unless we win the case for you.