Auto Accident Lawyers

Serving West Virginia and Ohio

Back Injuries

Although most motor vehicles are well designed and professionally manufactured, some are not. Some are poorly designed and incompetently manufactured, and they may be unsafe and the cause of severe injuries or death.

Laws that govern liability for defective motor vehicles vary among the states. However, there are some common elements as to which parties can be found liable:

• The vehicle manufacturing company
• The company that made any components such as hoses or tires
• The car dealer, if one was involved in the vehicle purchase

There are several reasons why a person or an entity might be found responsible for injuries caused by a vehicle defect. The three most common legal reasons are:

• Negligence

• Breach of warranty

• Strict liability

If you have been hurt by a defective motor vehicle, our product liability attorneys will be able to discuss the rules applicable in your state.

What is Crashworthiness?

A crashworthy vehicle is able to protect its occupants from injury should a collision occur. In a collision accident, there is a “second collision” caused by the quick acceleration or deceleration, according to whether your car is impacted from the rear or the front. These two forces abruptly change the forward movement of the car’s occupants, throwing them against the vehicle’s interior.

Vehicles that are crashworthy can distribute the two harmful forces over a larger time period and longer distance than vehicles that are not crashworthy. Part of that is done by redirecting the forces to body areas more able to cope with them. Crashworthiness is the most central concept in lawsuits involving vehicle defect liability.

Several different reasons exist for holding a party liable for harm caused by a motor vehicle defect. The three most common legal theories for finding someone liable are breach of warranty, negligence, and strict liability. An experienced auto accident lawyer can advise you about the rules that apply in your state to your situation involving a defective motor vehicle.

The most important concept in vehicle defect liability cases is "crashworthiness". Crashworthiness is the ability of a vehicle to prevent injuries to the occupants in the event of a collision. During a collision, a vehicle's occupants are subject to a number of forces that can result in back or other injury , including rapid deceleration and rapid acceleration, depending on the direction of impact in the collision.

Crashworthiness deals primarily with the 'second collision' that results from these forces, in which the driver and passengers collide against the interior of the vehicle. An effective crashworthy vehicle design will distribute these injurious forces over as great a period of time and distance as possible, by directing them to parts of the body that are more capable of withstanding them.

Who Might Be Responsible for my Back Injury?
We can handle personal injury lawsuits against drunk drivers, employers and other liable parties in matters involving:

• Quadriplegia
• Paraplegia
• Bulging discs in back
• Back surgery
• Lumbar strain and sprain
• Herniated discs

We will represent accident victims including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and workers.

The seriousness of a back injuries, neck injury, head injury or spinal injury depends on how you were hurt and your age. For older people, the injury is usually more serious because older spines are less elastic, and the injury may not heal as quickly in older patients. Regardless of how you were injured, you should seek legal representation so you can recover the compensation you deserve. Back injuries are not only incredibly painful and debilitating, they can also last a lifetime and prevent you from having the quality of life that you had prior to your injury.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you or a loved one has suffered a back injury in Ohio or West Virginia , please contact experienced auto accident lawyer Jim Leach today to schedule your initial consultation.

Our auto accident lawyers represent back injury victims throughout West Virginia and Southern Ohio including the communities of Belpre, Parkersburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Athens, Charleston, and Huntington.