After being charged in September with misdemeanor battery, West Virginia Delegate Mike Caputo recently cited a piece of state code that gives him immunity from criminal charges.

Not all work environments are relaxing and accommodating. Sometimes, an employer can impart more stress onto their workers than is acceptable. At first, you might think that the expectations causing your stress are normal, but if it’s enough to affect your productivity and health, then it is considered unfair and unlawful. Thankfully, there is something you can do to stand up for yourself about excess stress and anxiety in the workplace.

During the holidays, it’s typical to want to stay inside under a blanket and drinking hot chocolate by a fire rather than braving the cold outdoors. But that doesn’t always get you in the spirit of the season. If you need to get out of the house and start feeling festive, then don’t look any further because we’ve compiled this list of holiday events in Charleston that are sure to get you in the spirit!

Most people don’t prefer to drive in the dark, especially for long distances, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. When that’s the case, it’s best to take as many precautions as possible since it can be a dangerous time to drive. Road fatalities triple during the night, according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In West Virginia, you’re not only at risk of hitting an animal, but you might also come across a drunk driver. That same research from NHTSA presents that drunk driving is the leading cause of fatalities in nighttime crashes in West Virginia, but speeding doesn’t follow too far behind. On top of that, the National Sleep Foundation ran a study where 3% of drivers admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Wellness is a term becoming more prevalent in our society. People are looking for ways to give themselves the best care possible. This is an excellent goal to have, but sometimes when people don’t have all the information, it can lead to taking substances that end up harming them. There are many unknowns when it comes to natural remedies as they’re not prescribed by doctors. If you’ve been taking natural remedies and have sustained injuries or illness, you should explore your legal options.

Product liability is an area of personal injury law for when defective products harm the people who use them. The natural remedy you’ve taken may have caused injuries and the company that was involved with that remedy may have known about the dangers of the substance or made a mistake when making and selling it. In any case, it’s worth taking a look into. The lawyers at DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC will review the validity of your claim. If we believe you have a case, we can start fighting for you.

In 2015, a 20-year old woman had just finished an overnight shift at a clothing store and was driving home when her drowsiness took over. She had only slept 3 of the last 36 hours, which caused her to crash into another car, killing the other driver. The 20-year old received up to two years in prison, and her license was suspended for three years.

She knew she shouldn’t have been driving because she was exhausted, and her actions had severe consequences. This accident shows that driving while tired is just as dangerous as drunk driving because your reaction time is delayed, and you have trouble focusing on what you’re doing.

Each year, there are about 37,000 car crashes caused by drowsy driving that result in injury, and just under 1,000 that are fatal, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA goes on to say that most drowsy driving crashes occur between midnight and 6 in the morning, and usually are single vehicle crashes with just a driver. So how do you know when you’re too tired to drive?

Beginning a new phase in your career is an exciting time. But prior to your first day, your signature is needed on a number of documents. Arguably the most important is your employment contract. While the document could be a simple page laid out in an easily digestible way, other contracts are lengthy and intimidating.

Contracts are often filled with vague and confusing legal terminology. Before signing anything, it’s beneficial to have a lawyer look over your employment contract. This way, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of what you’re agreeing to and, if necessary, you’ll be able to tactfully negotiate terms.

Understanding the legal concepts surrounding a personal injury case can be overwhelming without the right legal counsel. Fortunately, the lawyers at DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC have years of experience in a wide array of personal injury cases. Whether you were injured in an automobile accident, on someone’s property, or by a doctor, we can examine your situation and help you determine how to proceed.

Every step of the way we’ll make sure you understand how your case is proceeding. This includes explaining legal terms and how they relate to you. When proving your accident resulted from another party’s negligence, we’ll use the terms “proximate” and “actual” cause. Let’s take a look at what those terms mean.

The time following a car accident can be confusing. Not only are you dealing with healing from the crash, you also have to figure out your legal options for proving liability and receiving compensation. You might assume that insurance companies will be on your side since you are the victim, but that isn’t always the case. When you aren’t responsible for an accident, you’ll need to know the tactics insurance companies might use to get out of paying you.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, your next move may be thinking about suing the other party for negligence. However, if the person was driving a company car, you may also have the option of suing the employer. Because car accident cases like this can quickly become complex, it’s important to have an experienced lawyer at your side. The attorneys from DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC will do everything possible to get you the compensation you deserve.

We’ll find out the facts of your case through careful investigation. If we believe you have a valid claim against the employer, then we’ll work as diligently as possible to build your case.

While whether or not you can sue the employer can be tricky to find out, our lawyers will look into the details of your case and explain your options to you. Before learning more about how we can help, let’s look at some situations where the employer may or may not be held liable for an accident.