tbleech

Coal Mining Regulations- Crucial to Winning Your Case

We’ve all seen tragic mine stories on the news. What you don’t get to see is what happens to the widows and children of these lost miners after cameras turn off.  My job at The Segal Law Firm is to provide protection for the miners’ families and I do that by delving into the state and federal regulations that set the safety guidelines for the coal mines. Often times, these regulations have been broken in some way or another and you need an attorney that understands the rules, so they know where to start looking for answers. What Type of Mine? The first thing I’m going to do when I find out a coal miner has been killed in an accident is determine if it happened in a deep mine or a surface mine. The answer to that question is going to affect which state and federal laws were in place to protect them while they were at work. You have to know where it happened so you can begin to look at the very complex set of regulations that are in place to protect the miners. Training and Licensing Let’s say it was a deep mine. Well, deep miners […]

Coal Mining Regulations- Crucial to Winning Your Case Read More »

My Loved One Was Killed in a Coal Mining Accident: What Now?

Some of the most difficult cases I’ve come across involve the wrongful deaths of coal miners. Unfortunately, they are not uncommon and my experience with them has become extensive. It’s important that the families of these deceased miners understand that they have rights under West Virginia law. These laws protect them and make sure that an experienced lawyer can help them get the damages they deserve. The first thing you need to do if your dad or husband has been killed in a coal mining accident is find out who the executor or executrix is, based on the will of your loved one. If no one has been appointed, then you can go to the courthouse and someone will be appointed. It’s then that person’s responsibility to seek out a law firm that understands coal mining regulations and protections and who can figure out why the wrongful death occurred. You’ve got to have an answer to that question. The first thing we are going to do at The Segal Law Firm is start investigating to find out what shortcuts the coal company has taken, as this is most likely what has occurred. The company probably decided to ignore a safety

My Loved One Was Killed in a Coal Mining Accident: What Now? Read More »

Settlement Amounts for Coal Mining Injuries in West Virginia

If you or a family member have suffered a coal mining injury or death, there are several factors that must be determined in coal mining injury cases and settlements amounts vary, as each coal mining case should be evaluated on an individual basis. A coal miner and his family deserve a complex interview with detailed questions and the Segal Law Firm has years of experience in handling these types of injury cases. Some factors that should be determined are: “Will you ever be able to return to work?” It is an unfortunate fact that many coal mining injuries can end the career of a miner and this means he and his family will no longer have wages, health benefits and retirement benefits that are included in a normal employment contract. “What is the age of the worker?” A miner who is in the 25 to 30 years old range could suffer a loss amounting to millions of dollars; however, because medical and retirement benefits would be substantially less for someone who is 55 years or older, the settlement amount might be considerably lower. “What medical and rehabilitation expenses were incurred as a result of an injury?” This could include home

Settlement Amounts for Coal Mining Injuries in West Virginia Read More »

What Makes for the Best Personal Injury Attorneys and Lawyers?

An experienced lawyer or attorney is of utmost importance if you have a personal injury case. It’s important to you because you are hurt and it’s important to your family and loved ones because they suffer as well. It’s also important to the opposing side that they understand your lawyer has handled your type of cases before and is prepared to defend you in front of jury. If your lawyer is lacking in experience, the other side might decide to drag your case out and fight to the point where you accept pennies on the dollar and this is not fair to you. Check out Your Lawyer’s Experience by His Rankings You need a law firm who will fight and go the distance to obtain the money you deserve because your injury is a result of wrongdoing. Segal Law has that ability and I am pleased to say that I am a ranked lawyer by the agency of Martindale-Hubble. I am also the only lawyer from West Virginia to become a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates. You can look on the web to find out how lawyers are ranked, but beware of those rankings that are paid for

What Makes for the Best Personal Injury Attorneys and Lawyers? Read More »

Why Do Coal Mine Injuries Keep Happening?

Coal mining is far from being a new industry and yet we are still seeing injuries over and over again on the job site. Why is that? Well, it’s pretty simple: companies are putting the almighty dollar ahead of their workers’ safety and aren’t following the rules and regulations that have been in place by the government. For the past hundred years, inspectors have been looking at injuries and deaths due to coal mining accidents and figuring out how to prevent them from happening to workers in the future. Unfortunately, the coal companies are still taking shortcuts, which inevitably result in the injury or death of a miner.   Training There are very specific rules and regulations, both state and federal, about how someone is to be trained before they’re even allowed to work in a mine. I don’t care if we’re talking about a surface mine or a deep mine: You can’t be there until you have certain training. You’d be surprised how many cases we’ve investigated where the person or contractor on the job doesn’t have the license or permit to be there. You’ve also got the operating of equipment. Are the people working this dangerous equipment trained

Why Do Coal Mine Injuries Keep Happening? Read More »

Free Consultations for Personal Injury Cases

If you have been involved in an accident resulting in a serious personal injury, Segal Law Firm offers free consultations to you and your family. This meeting provides a chance for you to become acquainted with us, learn about our background and find out how we can help you. It also gives us the opportunity to learn how your injury has affected you and your loved ones so that we can fully understand the impact it has had on your life. This free consultation gives you the opportunity to be sure we have the experience to deal with your lawsuit. You should ask questions such as: Have we tried cases like yours before? Have we settled cases like yours before? Do we have the ability to obtain the necessary information needed to win your case or get it settled? How much will my contingency fee be? A contingency fee is paid to your lawyer only if your case reaches settlement or jury verdict. What will the agreement with my law firm look like and will it be in writing? A free consultation gives you the ability to explore what Segal Law Firm can do for you and your case. It

Free Consultations for Personal Injury Cases Read More »

Qualities of the Best Law Firms and Lawyers in West Virginia?

The best and most successful attorneys in West Virginia are those with experience in settling lawsuits, trying cases that reach a verdict and having the drive to take a case to the Supreme Court if necessary. They should possess the willingness to help you in your darkest hour if you or your family suffers a serious personal injury or wrongful death. These highly qualified lawyers know how to handle your case, where to find the right experts and how to get key documents from the opposing side. They will check to see if a corporation or insurance company has a history of wrongdoing. An experienced lawyer understands a corporation or insurance company is going to fight your case and they will want to know if your lawyer has the necessary experience the number of verdicts reached. They will be more willing to fight with and wait out a lawyer who doesn’t have the track record of taking cases to court. When you really need a lawyer who will defend your family, make sure that lawyer can back up your case with a full arsenal of experience and isn’t afraid to fight for you and your loved ones. Segal Law Firm

Qualities of the Best Law Firms and Lawyers in West Virginia? Read More »

Coal Mining Accidents- What’s the Average Settlement?

If you or a family member has been injured in a coal mining accident, one of the first things you’re going to ask is how much is the average settlement for a case like mine? You’ve obviously suffered some damages and are eager to get the recovery you deserve. The thing is, there are as many different types of settlements as there are types of coal mining injuries. We at The Segal Law Firm have seen every type of injury you can imagine and we have to approach each case individually to try to get the most we can for our clients. The amount of a settlement is based on several different factors. Who is the target of the lawsuit? If it’s your employer, then there’s a more difficult legal standard. We have to prove that certain safety rules, whether federal, state, or industry practice, were violated. We’ve seen many cases where the coal company is putting profit ahead of safety and when this is happens, injuries are bound to occur. And if the jury believes that the employer did in fact put profit over safety or that the contractor came onsite badly prepared to do the job he was

Coal Mining Accidents- What’s the Average Settlement? Read More »

Why do Law Firms in West Virginia Work off of Contingency Fees?

West Virginia law firms represent people and their families on a regular basis, regardless of the nature of injury received. Injuries can range from an aviation case involving a plane or helicopter crash, a coal miner’s injury, a Marcellus Shale driller’s case, a tractor trailer wreck or a coal truck wreck. All of these types of cases are handled by the Segal Law Firm and other lawyers here in the state on a contingency fee basis. We recognize the desperation an injury can create when medical and rehabilitation bills begin piling up. When people are injured, no longer able to work and they have no source of income to help pay these bills, this can be devastating to families. How Contingency Fees Help in a Time of Crisis A contingency fee allows families to retain the best possible lawyers to represent them. These lawyers are experienced and trial-hardened, and they’re not afraid of taking your case to a jury trial. Until you make the decision to settle your case, or you receive a jury verdict, you pay no fees to these lawyers. The typical contingency fee is between a third and 40%, and this depends on the complexity of your

Why do Law Firms in West Virginia Work off of Contingency Fees? Read More »

Your Mesothelioma Attorney: Experience Counts

When you’ve been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, the last thing you want to think about are legalities. But because of the terrible toll the disease takes on you and your family, it’s crucial to find an attorney that can protect you and make sure you get the help you deserve. When it comes to picking your lawyer, you need to find someone who has so much experience with mesothelioma cases that they can easily take over and you can focus on the more important aspects of life. Your lawyer needs to have experience with the disease, its medicine, the history of the industry, extensive knowledge of the worksites that exposed workers to asbestos and experience in the courtroom trying mesothelioma cases. Experience with the History So, let’s talk about the first one; experience with the history of the asbestos industry. Why is that important? If you don’t have experience with the history, then you won’t know which products were used during which periods of time. This is critical in finding out the specific asbestos that was the cause of your client’s mesothelioma. Many people think that all asbestos is the same- this is untrue. There’s chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite and something known

Your Mesothelioma Attorney: Experience Counts Read More »