By Randy Appleton, West Virginia Brain Injury Attorney

A bike accident in Putnam County, West Virginia (WV) that sent an 11-year-old girl to a nearby hospital with injuries has brought charges of criminal neglect against the child’s father. According to police reports, a car collided with the girl as she was riding along heavily traveled Mount Vernon Road in the town of Teays Valley during the evening of March 22, 2012. The youngster was trapped under the car’s bumper and dragged several feet before the driver could stop.

The girl was not wearing a helmet, which is required safety equipment for any bicyclist younger than 15 years of age in West Virginia. While the child does seem to have been spared a brain injury, the high risk for that outcome and the fact that her parents were not supervising her at the time of the accident led police to file charges against the father.

View a larger map of where a car struck and injured an 11-year-old girl in Teays Valley, WV.

The driver who hit the bike rider and caused the girl significant bruising and scrapes was not cited for a traffic violation. That would not necessarily prevent the injured child’s parents from filing a personal injury claim, especially if signs of physical or mental disabilities persist or appear over time.

But what strikes me as the real story here, as an attorney who has represented both children and adults who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, is that any parent would allow a child to ride a bike while not wearing a helmet. Head protection is required by law because helmets absolutely save bicyclists’ lives. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal neglect case against this girl’s father, I see it as a very good sign that police take the West Virginia bike helmet requirement so seriously.

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney Randy Appleton, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

By Randy Appleton, Virginia Brain Injury Lawyer

An attorney with the Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton has written about the serious risks associated with distracted driving, focusing specifically on a woman walking to class who was hit and seriously injured by a driver she suspects was distracted at the time. The pedestrian crash victim is now an advocate for banning cell phone use while driving. To learn more, read “Chapel Hill, NC Crash Victim Calls Distracted Driving a ‘Prescription for Tragedy’.”

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About the Editors: The VA-NC brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Our head injury attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Check out our other case results to see our track record of success in brain injury and other lawsuits. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, Virginia (VA), along with an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers since 2010, an honor fewer than 5 percent of outstanding attorneys receive. To get more information about traumatic brain injury law and what to do after an accident, take a look at this free consumer guide written by a brain injury attorney who is licensed in VA and NC.

By Emily Mapp Brannon, Injury Attorney in North Carolina

My colleague Kevin Duffan has written about a recent accident in North Carolina (NC) that occurred on US Highway 258 involving the driver of a Ford sedan and a bulldozer operator. Reports indicate the bulldozer operator did not have his lights on and no reflectors to illuminate the vehicle for oncoming traffic. To learn more, read “Accident on US Highway 258 Causes Serious Injuries.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Rick Shapiro, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

My colleague John Cooper has posted a new blog to our law firm’s Carolina personal injury layers’ website about a teenager who sustained a serious head injury when he fell off the roof of a moving car. The 17-year-old appears to have been involved in the dangerous game of “car surfing,” leading to his injury in a school parking lot in Gastonia, North Carolina (NC).

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Jim Lewis, Brain Injury Attorney in Virginia

My colleague John Cooper recently wrote about an accident that occurred at a Ramada Inn in Norfolk, Virginia (VA), in which a young boy fell from a balcony. The 2-year-old suffered head trauma, and his life may be changed forever. To learn more, read “Traumatic Brain Injury Can Forever Change a Child.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Randy Appleton, Injury Lawyer in North Carolina

My colleague John Cooper has written about an accident that occurred outside of Cameron Village shopping center in Raleigh, NC. A driver who was pulling into a parking space suddenly accelerated, went over a curb, and slammed into three women. To learn more, check out “Parking Lot Accident in Raleigh, NC Injures Three.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By John Cooper, Personal Injury Attorney in Virginia

My colleague Randy Appleton has written about a hit-and-run accident that occurred in North Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania (PA), and injured a teenager. The at-fault driver remains at large. Will the victim be able to pursue damages if the at-fault driver is never apprehended? Find out by reading this story: “Teenager Injured in Hit-and-Run Accident.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Randy Appleton, Personal Injury Attorney in Virginia

Another major bus crash has made the headlines. My colleague John Cooper wrote about this awful wreck that occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike involving a bargain bus. Just a couple months ago, four people were killed in a bus accident near Richmond, VA. To learn more, check out “Major Bus Crash on New Jersey Turnpike Causes Multiple Injuries.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

By Rick Shapiro, Virginia Brain Injury Attorney

A bike rider in Arlington, Virginia (VA), was hit by a car and suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result. This bike rider did everything right. He had a greenlight and was within a crosswalk. He even had a helmet on. Unfortunately,  following all the rules wasn’t enough to prevent a careless driver from turning right on red while looking left on a street featuring two signs that clearly prohibit right turns on red.

This terrible accident highlights just how under the radar a brain injury can be. When the bike rider was initially treated at the hospital, no one noticed brain damage and he was released free and clear. But as time went on, the victim noticed problems with memory, cognitive function, and frequent headaches. His co-workers started to notice and even had to assist him in ways they never had before the bike accident.

Six weeks went by before the victim was finally diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The victim had to go on disability from his job since the demands of his position were simply too much given his brain damage.

The victim wisely sought legal counsel and a personal injury claim was filed on his behalf. The defendant tried to argue that the victim did not actually suffer a brain injury since he continued to work and receive a salary. This was not a strong argument and, during mediation, a $3 million settlement was reached. Congratulations to the victim’s attorneys — Robert Hall, Steven Frei, and Peter Everett — for achieving this settlement.

Our firm fully appreciates the challenges associated with traumatic brain injury claims. For example, we represented an injured gas station store worker who suffered a brain injury after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and crashed into his store. It took a while, but we were able to secure a $46 million jury verdict (raised to $60 million with interest), which is the largest traumatic brain injury verdict in Virginia history.

To learn more about traumatic brain injuries, take a look at this article written by a Virginia brain injury lawyer.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.

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By Randy Appleton, North Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer

My colleague Emily Mapp Brannon has written about a wrong-way car accident that occurred on Greensboro Road in High Point, NC. A passenger in the at-fault driver’s car died, and a passenger in the other pickup that was hit head on suffered serious injuries. The wrong-way driver was charged with failing to comply with driver’s license restrictions. To learn more, click over to “Wrong-Way Car Crash in High Point, NC Leaves One Injured, One Dead.”

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we also have an office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.