Whether you’re buying a toy for your child, a niece or nephew, a child in your family, or your friend’s children, it’s important to consider safety before purchasing and presenting the toy to the child. Even though the toy you want to buy is the toy of the season that everyone is getting, you still want to make sure that it will be safe for the specific child you’re planning to purchase it for.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were over 226,000 toy-related injuries in children under 15 in 2018, and 17 children died from toys. In all ages, injuries most commonly occurred to the face and head. Much less common were injuries to arms and legs. All these injuries could be prevented by taking proper safety precaution.

As 2021 approaches, you’ll want to stay on top of any law changes in West Virginia—especially if that’s where you live. While law changes can happen at different points in the year, we often look to the beginning of a new year to determine what big changes are coming.

Not only will this knowledge keep you up-to-date on what changes the state is making, but you’ll also know that you’re continuing to abide by any applicable laws. So far, we know there will be changes coming to fishing, college information availability to students, and medical marijuana.

At DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC, we pride ourselves on doing what we can to boost our local and nationwide communities. As part of that dedication, we understand the importance of education and how crucial it is for aspiring students and professionals to receive a college degree. We decided to start a scholarship in 2018 that was specifically geared toward first-year college students. The Fall 2020 submission period just came to a close.

We were humbled by the amount of applications we received as well as the overall quality of every essay. The essays were fantastic and we enjoyed reading them! We’d like to thank everyone who applied.

We’re pleased to announce we’ve chosen a winner.

Congratulations to Celine Moubayed of California!

Celine is attending UC Hastings College of the Law.

Gregory Bee, a timekeeper in the patient care services department at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, says he’s the whistleblower in the string of patient killings at the facility. Bee worked at the facility from 2015 until April 2019.

According to the lawsuit filed in the North District of West Virginia, Bee is alleging he was wrongfully suspended for reporting a number of suspicious deaths. He is seeking reinstatement of employment and to be back paid wages and compensatory damages, along with several other monetary compensations.

While he was employed at the VA, Bee was responsible for updating standard operating procedures in the patient care department. In August 2018, he was instructed by the hospital to amend various policies regarding insulin. This included the security, storage, and administration of insulin, as well as the language concerning hypoglycemia. At one point, Bee was pressed by a supervisor on why the changes were taking so long. Bee didn’t understand why the changes were so important and claims he was the only employee outside of upper management at the facility who knew about the changes.

Car accidents are traumatic events. When one happens, it generally takes some time for those involved to realize what has happened. Vehicular damage and physical injuries are a real possibility—the latter of which should be attended to immediately. But, what about the emotional injuries? How does a person go about overcoming the guilt of causing a car accident?

The emotional stress of causing a car accident, even if you were only partially at fault, can take a significant toll on a person’s everyday life. Let’s take a look at the concept of guilt after an accident, trauma reactions, and what steps you can take to overcome guilt.

DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC is proud to announce our lawyers have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in multiple areas of litigation in Charleston, West Virginia for 2021. Best Lawyers uses a rational and transparent methodology to determine the consensus opinion of leading lawyers within the same geographical locations and legal practice area.

Even though we may see falls as minor, they can cause serious injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five falls causes a serious injury, like a broken bone or a brain injury. When your fall was caused by someone else’s negligence, like a wet floor without a warning sign, then your resulting injury was their fault. You shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden of your injuries alone.

When a product that was marketed to you as safe, or that you thought was safe, ends up harming you in unexpected ways, then you could have a product liability claim. Product manufacturers are responsible for testing their product to ensure that it is safe in the way that it is intended to be used. If those products are not properly tested, they are falsely advertised, or a batch was changed from someone’s negligence, then the product could cause serious harm, or result in a fatality.

As a responsible driver, you have auto insurance that, at the very least, meets the state minimum requirements. You may also have additional coverage or policies for specific situations. In the event you’re in a crash, you expect that coverage, or the coverage of the other driver, to take care of your expenses. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

When you file an auto insurance claim, an adjuster is assigned to your case. They will investigate what happened and ultimately decide what, if anything, you’re owed. In the event your claim is denied, it’s important to understand your legal rights and options. Let’s take a look at why claims get denied and what steps to take when appealing an insurance decision after a wreck.

As an employee or potential job candidate, it’s important to understand your legal rights. Employees are protected by law against discrimination. In the event an employer breaks any of the laws and an employee suffers as a result, that employer can be held accountable through an employment law claim.