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.

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?

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.

An accident could happen anywhere—a car crash, the workplace, in a sport, or even at home. If an accident is bad enough, it can cause serious injuries that are debilitating to the victims. Each year there are over 20 million traumatic injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Not only do traumatic injuries affect the physical and mental health and abilities of a victim, but they can also greatly impact the victim’s family in the same ways.

Even though intersections are a common aspect of driving, many people do not handle them with the caution they should. Some intersections are simpler and only have yield or stop signs. Some are complex and have turning lanes, stoplights, or more than two roads. In fact, about half of all crashes occur at or around intersections. Most of these are side impact or T-bone collisions, which have a higher death rate than other crashes. Intersections are especially dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians, as a speeding car might not see them until the last second. No matter what, car accidents at intersections take a toll on all of those involved.

West Virginia’s rural roads cause a significant number of accidents due to mountainous terrain, winding roads, and poor maintenance by the state. Many car accidents in West Virginia as well as across the nation cause whiplash, an injury that affects 3 million people each year. A person gets whiplash during a collision when their head quickly whips from one direction to another. This causes the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck to overstretch and hurt.

Adrenaline pumps through the body immediately following a car accident, and so any pain the victim should feel may be masked by the rush. A person might not even realize they have whiplash until hours or weeks after the accident.

If you’ve been in a car accident, there’s a chance emergency services will show up at the scene. There are a number of reasons why you may decline to receive treatment. Maybe you feel fine, or you could be worried about the cost of medical bills. Regardless, it’s important to know that if you elect not to seek medical care after a car wreck, you could be putting your claim in jeopardy. While you still have the legal right to file a car accident injury claim if you do not see a doctor after an accident, it will be significantly harder to prove the relationship between the crash and your injuries.

A car accident has the potential to cause many serious injuries. In these cases, the person who was injured will file a claim and the insurance will pay for their losses like medical bills. However, this matter can get complicated if the person had pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies may scrutinize the claim because of the person’s medical condition before the accident, but the person was still injured because of another negligent person, and they deserve to hold them accountable for what they’ve done. A reliable car accident lawyer from DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC will make sure that your rights are represented.

We understand how a car accident can throw your life off track. When an insurance company is fighting back and trying to give you a settlement that will not help you, it can be scary because you’re unsure about your financial future. We’ve handled many car collision cases and know how to get favorable results for our clients.

When you’ve been in a car accident, your injuries can require a lot of care. You’re trying to do everything you can to heal and get back to your normal life as soon as possible. There may be some options you haven’t thought about, like visiting a chiropractor. They may be able to offer treatment that will help you. However, no matter the treatment options you pursue, recovering from a car accident can be expensive. This is why you need a skilled West Virginia car accident lawyer who will fight to get you the justice you deserve. DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC do everything we can to get you fair compensation for your accident.