Victims of catastrophic accidents involving commercial vehicles would be well-served to have the experienced legal mind of attorney Michael Leizerman on their side. Michael has dedicated his life as an attorney to protecting the rights of people who are suffering as the result of a truck accident.
Whether you have a family member who was seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, or you yourself suffered injuries resulting from a crash with a tractor-trailer or big rig, Michael has nearly two decades of experience helping people like you in courtrooms across the nation. When he isn't in court, Michael is typically sharing his experiences with other lawyers, either through one-on-one consultations specific to a particular case, or through lectures that speak in general terms about case strategy and truck accident, hot-button topics.
Or contact me online. All information is kept confidential. I will not accept a case in a state where I'm not ethically permitted under the circumstances.
A man struck by a tractor trailer as he walked across U.S. Route 340 in Charles Town, W.V., on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 21, was airlifted to a nearby medical facility with serious injuries, according to The Journal. Initial … [Read more]
Read more >Truck drivers who’ve felt singled out by talk of cell phone bans can take heart: It’s not just about trucks anymore. Thanks to a strong correlation between fatality crashes and cell phone usage while driving, on Tuesday the five-person National … [Read more]
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I am honored that West Thompson—the world’s largest publisher of legal books—asked me to write this multi-volume book on truck accident law in 2004. I had already begun the project for my own reference. My book includes the federal regulations that are the same in each state for interstate tractor-trailer crashes, as well as state law that differs in areas, like whether there are monetary limits or “caps” in the lawsuit, whether you can receive punitive damages, and the varying technical requirements for filing a lawsuit.
I have handled cases across the country. I am licensed in several states, and have local counsel in many states who I trust and work with closely. Select your state to learn more:
In states across the country, Michael Leizerman has helped victims who are suffering from serious truck-related catastrophes. In West Virginia, more than 1,000 fatal and non-fatal accidents involving trucks occur every year, leaving hundreds of people with life-altering injuries or the loss of a family member. Busy highways such as interstates 64, 68, 81 and 470, as well as local roads that help trucks reach manufacturing hubs like Charleston, Huntington and Parkersburg, cause traffic congestion that leads to often-avoidable injury and suffering.
Don't be fearful of taking on a negligent trucking company or truck driver. Contact Michael today to make sure that your rights following a catastrophic accident are protected. If you or a family member has been the victim of a truck accident in West Virginia, call Michael at 1 (800) 628-4500 to ensure that an experienced truck accident attorney handles your case to your greatest advantage.
Michael Leizerman regularly engages in continuing legal education presentations around the country, including the following events in or near West Virginia:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.
There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Point Pleasant may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.
The West Virginia Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382, 383, 384, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, and 399 of the federal regulations.
For an overview of laws that affect trucks operating only in West Virginia, visit our West Virginia Trucking Laws page.
Your truck accident case may be larger than you think. My experience often enables me to maximize awards, well beyond what the co-counsel originally expected. My book Litigating Truck Accident Cases, published by West Publishing, is considered the definitive work on handling truck accident cases. Contact me if you are seeking co-counsel on your case.
Fatal Truck Accidents: 45 per year
Non-Fatal Truck Accidents: 957 per year
Accident Locales: 88%(Rural), 11%(Urban)
Carrier Fact: 57% of West Virginia's truck accidents involve carriers whose principle place of business is not West Virginia.
In 82% of West Virginia truck accidents, weather conditions were NOT a factor.
Interstate 64: Traveling 184 miles through the state, I-64 passes through the cities of Huntington, Charleston, Beckley, and Lewisburg.
Interstate 68: The section of I-68 that travels through West Virginia includes passage through the rural counties of Preston and Monongalia. From Morgantown to just west of the border with Maryland, I-68 is mountainous and beautiful.
Interstate 70: Spanning the distance from Utah to Baltimore, I-70 was the first Interstate Highway project in America. I-70 crosses the Ohio River at Wheeling and spends its passage through West Virginia entirely within Ohio County.
Interstate 77: I-77 is widely recognized as one of the best north-south routes through the middle Appalachians. Running from Columbia, South Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio, I-77 enters West Virginia from Virginia and soon after becomes concurrent with the West Virginia Turnpike. After traveling past Charleston and heading north toward Ripley and Parkersburg, it departs West Virginia at Williamstown.
Interstate 79: Also known as the Jennings Randolph Expressway after a popular West Virginia politician, I-79 is the principal route through western Pennsylvania and West Virginia and provides access to Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, and Morgantown.
Interstate 81: I-81 is a heavily used trucking route that spans the distance from Tennessee to the Canadian border. A rural route that follows the path of the Appalachians, I-81 only briefly enters West Virginia in the panhandle city of Martinsburg.
Interstate 470: The only auxiliary Interstate in West Virginia, I-470 is a 10.63 mile loop bypassing downtown Wheeling and was recently designated the U.S.S. West Virginia Memorial Highway.
