We rely on our personal motor vehicles for everything from getting to work and dropping kids off at school to running errands and traveling for vacations. When an accident leaves you without a working car, you need a replacement, and you need it fast. So, how do car insurance companies calculate total loss value, and how can you make sure they’re paying you what you’re owed?

If you don’t know what to expect, you’re at a greater risk of being taken advantage of. That’s why our team of Charleston car accident attorneys ensures that every client we work with understands their rights and what they are entitled to.

We’ll Answer Questions Like…

• How do I know if my vehicle is totaled after an accident?
• How does the insurer determine the fair market value of my vehicle?
• What can I do to receive full compensation for the loss of my vehicle after a crash?

Exploring a new area can be an exciting adventure—or it can be terrifying and stressful. The Charleston car accident attorneys from DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC talk tips for safe road travel in unfamiliar territory.

There isn’t always one person who is at fault in a T-bone car accident. But because T-bone accidents are often caused by traffic violations, this type of motor vehicle accident can be more clear-cut than other types.

More often than not, a T-bone car accident is caused by a person who runs the red light, misses the stop sign, drives drunk, or crashes into the side of another car while looking at their cell phone. Essentially, most T-bones happen when one driver is negligent and fails to yield the right of way to another.

You may have been following the rules of the road when you suddenly found yourself being T-boned by another vehicle. If that’s the case, you may have grounds to file a car accident claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. But before any legal action can be taken to recover compensation for medical bills, property damage, and other losses, you need to be able to conclusively answer the question: Who is at fault in the T-bone car accident?

You become involved in a slow-speed fender-bender while sitting in a traffic jam, tap the bumper of a vehicle as you pull into or out of a parking space, or lightly graze a pedestrian or bicyclist as you navigate a turn. These are three examples of what may seem like relatively minor car accidents; however, despite appearances or perceptions about them, these collisions can have far more devastating consequences to property and persons than you imagine.

Many motorists are quick to classify their car accidents as minor ones. They do so because they want to avoid getting the police or their insurance company involved, seeking medical treatment, or losing access to their vehicle while it’s under repair.

Commercial vehicle wrecks are some of the most destructive accidents on the road. Because of the size, weight, and configuration of large trucks like 18-wheelers, the consequences of a collision are usually catastrophic and often fatal. 

Particularly dangerous are rollover accidents. When a big rig driver loses control of the vehicle and tips over, passenger vehicle occupants caught in the devastation rarely survive. 

Right-of-way is the statutory right granted to drivers that allows them to proceed ahead of others on the road. Anyone who has a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit should have learned about West Virginia right-of-way traffic laws at one point in time, but we understand that it can be difficult to recall this information after weeks, months, or even years have passed. 

The attorneys at DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC want everyone on the road to be as safe as possible. For this reason, we have created the following guide to right-of-way laws in West Virginia. 

A car accident can change your life in the blink of an eye. If you’re lucky, you walk away with just some minor scrapes and bruises. But what if your Charleston collision is more serious? What if you end up with a concussion or even worse? And what if someone else’s negligence caused the accident?

If that happens, then West Virginia law may allow you to file a car accident claim and get compensated for your injuries by the other motorist’s insurance company. Your claim’s success may depend on whether the other driver was distracted when your Charleston crash occurred. So what exactly constitutes distracted driving, and how can it impact your car accident claim in our state? Read on to find out.

Being involved in a car accident is a physically, financially, and emotionally traumatizing event. Depending on the severity of your crash, you may be left with thousands of dollars in auto repairs and a seemingly unending stream of medical bills. If you are unable to work after your car accident, making a full recovery might seem out of reach.

Speed is a key factor in determining the severity of a motor vehicle crash. The faster the speed of the vehicles at the time of the collision, the more likely it is that occupants will suffer catastrophic injuries or death. High-speed crashes can rob accident victims of their health, mobility, mental capacity, and even their life. In 2019, speeding killed more than 25 people every day. 

If your life was changed by the immeasurable consequences of a speed-involved car accident, we may be able to help. At DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC, we have experience defending clients who suffered catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one in a high-speed collision. Our car accident attorneys advocate for crash victims harmed by another driver’s negligent actions. We serve individuals and families in Charleston, WV and the surrounding areas.  

Car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. By the time you realize your vehicle has been hit, you might not have the presence of mind to realize what actions led to the collision. This is not an uncommon reaction, as the hormone adrenaline (sometimes referred to as the fight-or-flight hormone) will flood your body as your brain prioritizes survival over all else. Thinking about who caused the accident might not even occur to you until later.