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Children love to play.  We all want to provide our children with fun and imaginative toys, and we expect toys to be safe. But when toys are dangerous, tragedy and injuries can be the result. Did you know… Did you know that hundreds of thousands of children are hurt in the United States every year while playing with toys their parents believed were safe?  Some injuries are slight, but others require trips to the emergency room and some can even result in death. What are the risks? The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regularly announces recalls of dangerous toys.  However, many of the unsafe toys remain on store shelves or continue to be played with by unsuspecting children. The risks from dangerous toys are many, including: exposure to toxic levels of lead paint chemicals and heavy metals exposure to choking hazards strangulation hazards fire and burn dangers Has your child been injured by playing with a toy? If so, please call The Segal Law Firm so we can determine whether there is a meritorious lawsuit to be brought on behalf of your child.

When a commercial truck, a coal truck, or a tractor-trailer truck is involved in an accident with another automobile or motorcycle, the results are often devastating and catastrophic. Tractor- trailers, coal trucks and other commercial vehicles are many times the size of passenger automobiles and motorcycles. A fully loaded tractor-trailer or coal truck can exceed 70,000 pounds, far in excess of the average passenger automobile. Because of the size and weight of these vehicles, it is often difficult for their operators to see passenger vehicles, to maneuver the vehicles, and to get their vehicles stopped in the event of an emergency. The injuries suffered by the victims of collisions with these large commercial vehicles are often far more devastating than an accident involving two or more passenger automobiles. What should I do if I’m in an accident? It is imperative that after an accident involving a collision with one of these large vehicles, an immediate and thorough investigation take place so that the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident, and its causes, can be uncovered. Tractor-trailer and other commercial vehicle drivers operate under a set of strict regulations governing how long they are permitted to operate their vehicles before putting

Motorcycles are becoming more and more popular all over the country, mainly due to the fact that they get good gas mileage at a time when gas prices are steep. Because of this increase in motorcycles on the road, there has also been an increase in motorcycle accident injuries. The number of fatalities involving motorcycles and scooters are at an all-time high.  Motorcycles and scooters offer less physical protection than cars, vans and SUV’s.  They also can be difficult for cars and vans to see, especially when they are in the blind spot of other vehicles. Easy Solutions to Motorcycle Injuries At the Segal Law Firm, we understand that motorcycles can be convenient in this time of high gas prices. But we also promote proper motorcycle safety that can help you prevent injuries. Some simple safety precautions you can take are: Wear a helmet.  Fatalities are reduced when riders wear helmets. Wear jackets, boots and gloves as additional protection. Watch for “no zones” or blind spots of cars, vans, SUV’s and trucks. Drive defensively. Drive with caution. Do not ride between lanes or share a lane with another vehicle. Have you or a loved one suffered a serious injury or

One of the most fun recreational activities, especially in West Virginia, is riding on an ATV. An ATV, or All-terrain Vehicle, is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control. With the beautiful hills, landscapes, and ATV trails in West Virginia, it’s easy to see why people love them. The Problem However, nationwide there are hundreds of people who die in ATV-related accidents every year.  Hundreds of thousands of people are injured, and some of the injuries are significantly life changing. At The Segal Law Firm, we appreciate the passion for ATV riding.  But, we are concerned about the safety of you and your family. Simple Solutions Here are some simple and well-recognized ATV safety steps that you can take to help be as safe as you can while riding an ATV: Take a hands-on training course; Wear a helmet and other protective gear; Do not carry passengers on single-rider ATVs; Ride off-road and on trails and not on paved roads; Know the terrain you are riding; Keep children younger than 16 on youth ATVs and off adult ATVs. Have

When the heat rises in the Summer, most people love to run to the pool for a quick cool-down and Summer fun. But this can also mean that there is an increase in pool related injuries. At times, pool fun can turn to tragedy.  Some 400 children ages 0-14 die in pool and spa drownings each year. Another 5,000 are treated for injuries in emergency rooms. Some of these injuries are severe and life changing. Portable pools such as those that are inflated in back-yards account for 10 percent of all pool drownings for children under the age of five. Drains in larger pools and spas can also be a danger. Pool Safety is Key The Segal Law Firm promotes pool safety, and here we provide some basic safety practices that help keep families safe and having fun at the pool: Always watch children; Teach children basic water safety; Keep away from drains, pipes and openings to avoid being entrapped; Keep a cell phone close by; Learn to swim; Learn CPR. Would you like to know more about pool related injuries and pool safety? Have you or a loved one suffered a serious injury or a fatality at the pool? If

Today we’d like to take the time to tell you about a case our legal team took on recently. During the dark early morning hours on a surface mine, a highwall drill operator with a wife and two children was killed. He was killed when the small portal van in which he was a passenger was pushed, run over and crushed by an enormous rock truck weighing over 126 tons empty and capable of carrying 190 tons. The enormous rock truck with a length of 42 feet and a width of 22 feet and tires over 11 feet tall limits the driver’s line of sight and has significant blind spots.  The surface mine rock trucks are so large that the drivers who are sitting some 20 feet above the ground have huge blind spots where they cannot see other vehicles or miners working nearby. The portal van used to transport miners to their work sites had an inoperable strobe light. The non-functioning strobe light had been reported to management and maintenance and not repaired or replaced. Strobe lights are necessary for safe movement of people and equipment at the surface mine. Result As a result of discovery efforts and investigation,