It only takes a few seconds for a car accident to change your life forever. Even some of the most common types of accident injuries can have a painful and long-term impact on your life, and it can take months or even longer to fully recover from the consequences of your accident.
Lawmakers call on DHSS to issue drug testing guidelines
Five U.S. senators including West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin have called on the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidelines for conducting drug tests on hair samples. The lawmakers say that the Department of Transportation cannot introduce new drug testing protocols for the nation's truck drivers until the guidelines are in place. Congress is growing impatient because the DHSS was given one year to finalize hair testing guidelines in December 2015 when President Obama signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act into law.
Safety group suggests side underride guards for trucks
West Virginia motorists might be safer if large trucks have both rear and side underride guards according to crash tests done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the spring of 2017. In two crash tests, the IIHS had a passenger car collide with a 53-foot dry van trailer in the center. In the first test, the trailer had a side underride guard. In the second test, it had a fiberglass side skirt. The intended function of this skirt was improved aerodynamics and not to protect against an underride.
West Virginia man killed in chain-reaction crash
A woman who allegedly caused a deadly car accident in Wayne County on April 7 has turned herself in more than a month after the incident. The chain-reaction accident, which occurred on Interstate 64 at the bridge on Spring Valley Drive, resulted in the death a 70-year-old man.
The lost art of falling down
Did you know there is a science to falling? Physical therapists say small children demonstrate some of the best ways to fall, just allowing themselves to drop without worrying about injury. Eventually, people do become afraid of hurting themselves and exercise caution as they walk. Of course, if someone's negligence creates a dangerous situation, you may end up falling anyway.
Detecting cellphone use in car accidents
West Virginia drivers who cause an accident because they were using a cellphone may be easier to identify if law enforcement adopts a device called the textalyzer. Fatal motor vehicle accidents are on the rise, and in 2016, around 40,000 people died in traffic accidents. Experts believe that phone distractions are partly to blame, but it can be difficult to identify this as the cause of an accident. Drivers may not be forthcoming about the reason for the accident, and law enforcement might not be permitted to examine phones without a warrant.
Who is liable for your slip-and-fall accident?
In West Virginia, is a property owner responsible for injuries suffered in a slip-and-fall accident that occurred on his or her property? It is reasonable to suggest that you may hold the owner liable for your pain and suffering, but determining liability and proving fault can be a complicated process.
