Two People Injured in W. VA I-64 accident | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

News Channel 3 reports that on Monday, January 17th, 2011, a one-car accident closed most lanes of Interstate 64 in West Virginia (W.VA) and sent two people to the hospital.

According to police, the driver was headed eastbound on I-64, and ran off the road just after the Cross Lanes exit in Kanawha County at approximately 6 p.m. The car flipped over several times and landed back on the roadway. The 52 year-old man and 48 year-old woman were taken to the hospital. The extent and nature of their injuries was unknown at press time.

Although the eastbound part of the roadway, as well as one westbound lane, had to be blocked off for a time to clear the crash, all lanes of I-64 were re-opened the same day.

We hope that the injuries to both victims are not life-threatening, and that they have a speedy and uneventful recovery. Although it is difficult to discern in this instance exactly what caused the crash, it is always a good idea to take extra precautions while driving during winter.

Make sure to have your car properly maintained, with regular oil changes and tire rotations. Put on snow tires if you do a great deal of driving, or just as an extra safety measure. Keep a winter emergency kit in your car in case you get stranded.

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, you can still be the victim of an accident that is no fault of your own. In cases like these, it’s best to contact a qualified car crash attorney who can evaluate your claim.

In winter weather, such as icy or snowy conditions, all drivers have a duty to drive their cars or trucks at a safe speed, which may be well below the speed limit, depending on severity of the weather.  In wintry conditions, it is foreseeable the cars may slide or that a driver may lose control is exceeding a safe speed.  Negligence law allows any person to bring an injury claim against a careless driver.  This means a passenger or even a family member in a “host” car may have a viable injury claim if the driver is negligent.  Also, an occupant of a car or truck struck by a driver of a different car or truck has an injury claim when a vehicle driver causes the collision. When questions on whose insurance applies, an experienced injury attorney should be sought.

IW