Local lawyers fight for your right to full compensation

With its mountain roads winding through rural areas, West Virginia is the most dangerous state for driving in its region. However, the roads are only partially to blame. West Virginia drivers who drive aggressively, speed, and operate vehicles while impaired by drugs and alcohol contribute to severe crashes resulting in serious injuries and death. If you are injured in an auto accident in West Virginia, a local attorney at Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban is prepared to help. We take decisive steps to determine the cause of your accident and build a compelling case for full compensation. Whether your accident was due to a negligent driver or a negligently maintained roadway, we hold wrongdoers accountable for the harm you’ve suffered.

West Virginia strives for greater traffic safety

The danger on West Virginia’s roads has not escaped notice of state authorities. In the 10 years from 2006 to 2015, annual roadway casualties averaged 344 deaths and about 2,800 seriously injuries. But while those numbers were inordinately high, they did represent a significant reduction of 35 percent for fatalities and 81 percent for serious injuries over the decade. Authorities attribute the reductions to changes made during the state’s first Strategic Highway Safety Plan and hope that the next SHSP, designed for 2017 to 2021, will continue the downward trends.

Important roadway safety facts for West Virginia

In West Virginia, local streets and interstates are the safest roads to travel, accounting for only six and nine percent of accidents, respectively. The most dangerous are:

• S. Routes — 25 percent of accidents
• West Virginia Routes — 31 percent
• County Routes — 29 percent

When statistics reveal a certain stretch of road is the site of frequent, serious accidents, it becomes possible to make the case that the road is unreasonably unsafe and that the county, state or federal agency charged with maintaining that road is at fault. But the types of crashes occurring at the site are also pertinent. For example, a common type of accident in West Virginia is roadway departure, which accounts for 65 percent of all fatalities and 56 percent of all serious injuries. Between 2006 and 2015, more than 2,200 people died due to a roadway departure crash in the state.

What causes a vehicle to leave the road? The road itself can be a problem: poorly lighted, winding, unbanked, undivided roads without guardrails are inherently hazardous.

Dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to West Virginia accidents

After roadway departures, the most frequent factors in serious or fatal West Virginia accidents are:

• Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving
• Excessive speed
• Aggressive driving

Between 2006 and 2015, almost 2,000 people died in crashes due to speeding and aggressive driving in West Virginia. These crashes accounted for 58 percent of all deaths and 25 percent of all serious injuries. Alcohol- or drug-related fatalities represented 53 percent of roadway deaths and 13 percent of serious injuries over the period.

Resolving your West Virginia car accident claim

Most car crash cases begin as claims against a defendant driver’s insurance company. However, as we’ve noted above, injured parties in West Virginia might also have a case against the government for an unreasonably dangerous roadway. In either case, you would be dealing with a professional whose job it is to limit the amount of compensation you receive. Your best strategy would be to get a highly trained and highly motivated professional on your side. Our firm’s attorneys have more than 200 years of combined legal experience, and we are passionate about protecting our clients’ rights. We fight aggressively to obtain the maximum level of compensation possible. We are in your area, and we work closely with you, so you can have peace of mind throughout the legal process.

Schedule a free consultation with our West Virginia auto accident lawyers

Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban helps West Virginians who have sustained serious injuries in auto accidents. Call us today at (855) 435-7247 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation. You pay nothing until your case is resolved and you receive compensation.