Interstate 79 has reopened in Monongalia County after a tractor trailer accident, which resulted in a diesel spill.

MECCA 911 said it happened around 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday between mile markers 148 and 149, just after the Interstate 68 interchange, before the Uffington Bridge.

HAZMAT and other Monongalia County authorities responded to on scene, including the Clinton District Fire Department and state police, according to 911 officials.

Monongalia County EMS transported one person to Ruby Memorial Hospital. No word on his/her condition.

State Police say a man is dead following an accident involving a motorcycle.

Police say the crash happened at the intersection of Loop Road and Apple Harvest Drive in Berkeley County on Saturday. They say Curtis Smith of Martinsburg died after he attempted to pass a car on his motorcycle. At the same time, the car was making a left turn and that's when Smith then struck the driver's side door, throwing him off the motorcycle.

According to a press release, Smith died at the scene and the driver of the car was treated for minor injuries at Martinsburg City Hospital. The crash is still under investigation.

For more information see http://your4state.com/fulltext?nxd_id=304032

I represent people who are seriously injured in motorcycle accidents in Clarksburg, Fairmont, Elkins, Morgantown, Buckhannon, and throughout North Central West Virginia.  These injuries often result in broken bones, head injuries, and unfortunately death.  If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, contact the West Virginia Motorcycle Accident Attorneys of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414.

Deaths among new drivers in the beginning of 2012 increased 19 percent, according to a report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Overall, 16- and 17-year-old driver deaths increased from 202 to 240. The report is based on preliminary data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the first six months of 2012.

This report follows a 2012 report that found the first increase in teen-driver deaths in more than eight years.

Specifically, deaths of 16-year-old drivers increased from 86 to 107, a 24 percent change, and 17-year-old drivers went from 116 to 133, a 15 percent change. A full state-by-state breakdown is included in the report, showing 25 states that reported increases. Indiana saw the biggest increase, up 13 deaths, and Tennessee was second with an increase of 10 deaths. 

The report says use of mobile devices—that's texting and talking on the phone—appear to have contributed to the rise. And with the improving economy, more teens are getting access to cars.

For more information see the full report at http://ghsa.org/html/publications/pdf/spotlights/spotlight_teens12.pdf

Driving while texting (DWT) is nearly as dangerous as driving while intoxicated (DWI).  If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a car accident involving a cell phone or text messaging, contact the Morgantown Car Accident Lawyers of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414.

An I-79 crash in Washington County, Pa., took the life of West Virginia University student Sarah Graham Wednesday.

Police said Graham, 20, of Frederick, Md., died at the scene of the accident just before the Marianna exit in Amwell. The driver of the car was WVU nursing student Emily Benford.

Benford lost control of the vehicle and hit a guardrail before a tractor trailer collided with the stationary vehicle. Benford was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital and is in critical condition.  

See http://wvmetronews.com/wvu-student-dies-in-i-79-wreck/ for more information. 

The law firm of Colombo Law represents clients who have suffered serious personal injury or the death of a loved one due to trucking accidents, products liability, workplace accidents, motorcycle accidents, and automobile accidents. For more information go to www.callcolombolaw.com.

Federal regulators are working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to decide who has jurisdiction over a fatal accident involving a gas-drilling rig near Fairview, W. Va..

The incident occurred at a coal mine prep plant.

Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesman Jesse Lawder says an unidentified worker died Monday night when the rig overturned and crushed him at CONSOL Energy's Loveridge Mine preparation plant in Fairview.

Lawder says the rig was doing exploratory work on Marcellus shale gas deposits, drilling 30-foot holds and setting off small explosives for seismic testing.

Pennsylvania-based CONSOL didn't immediately comment Tuesday.

A high number of jobs in West Virginia involve the mining, manufacturing and construction industries. Unfortunately, work injuries are common in these industries.  Going over this checklist before starting the days work will help prevent unnecessary injuries.

 YES     NO

____    ____   1. Is the area in order and clean?
____    ____   2. Are exits accessible and free of obstacles?
____    ____   3. Are storage areas in a secured place?
____    ____   4. Are there proper warning signs and tags posted?

TRAINING

____    ____   1. Are basic safety trainings provided to new employees?
____    ____   2. Are job-specific trainings given to employees regularly?
____    ____   3. Are personnel familiar with MSDS?
____    ____   4. Are employees familiar with emergency evacuation plan?
____    ____   5. Are training materials/documents up to date and accessible?

SAFE LIFTING

____    ____   1. Are safe lifting training techniques provided?
____    ____      a. testing load
____    ____      b. Avoiding heavy loads
____    ____      c. Bending knees when lifting
____    ____      d. Firming up abdominals when lifting
____    ____      e. Avoid twisting

ERGONOMICS

____    ____   1. Are workers provided with proper ergonomics, adequate breaks and some activities?

FIRE PREVENTION

____    ____   1. Are emergency exit signs well lighted?
____    ____   2. Are fire extinguishers/alarms located visibly and accessibly?
____    ____   3. Are manual stairway doors kept closed?
____    ____   4. Are 18” vertical clearance below sprinkler heads maintained?
____    ____   5. Are annual inspections of fire extinguishers maintained?
____    ____   6. Are aisles and stairways clear and free of obstruction?

EARTHQUAKE

____    ____   1. Are cabinets, shelves, and storages over four feet tall secured?
____    ____   2. Does shelve have seismic restraints?
____    ____   3. Are portable machines secured against movement?
____    ____   4. Are heavy equipments secured to withstand accelerations?
____    ____   5. Are storages of heavy & large objects located on lower areas?
____    ____   6. Are the locations of valuable and sensitive equipments secured (ie. computer disks, glass, instruments)?
____    ____   7. Are files or equipments in the storage area filed orderly?
____    ____   8. Are storage cabinets of hazardous materials equipped with latch  mechanism?

EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

____    ____   1. Is it clean and in good condition?
____    ____   2. Are electrical cords in good condition with proper grounding?
____    ____   3. Ensure that extension cords are used only as temporary, equipped with circuit breaker and multiple connectors
____    ____   4. Ensure that combustibles materials are kept away
____    ____   5. Is there enough ventilation?
____    ____   6. Are switches and emergency stop mechanism working properly?
____    ____   7. Are machine guards in place and working properly?
____    ____   8. Are PPE available to employees whenever necessary?

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

____    ____   1. Are hazardous containers properly labelled?
____    ____   2. Are non hazardous containers properly labelled?
____    ____   3. Are there secondary containers provided for liquid chemicals?
____    ____   4. Ensure that sinks are clear and away of stored hazardous materials
____    ____   5. Ensure that there is a proper segregations of solid and chemicals
____    ____   6. Are chemical containers sealed properly?
____    ____   7. Ensure that 10 gallons or more of flammable liquids are properly stored
____    ____   8. Ensure that hazard communication training are completed by your employees
____    ____   9. Are MSDS and chemical inventory lists accessible?

HAZARDOUS WASTE

____    ____   1. Are waste containers inspected regularly and closed tightly?
____    ____   2. Are containers labelled properly (ie. date of accumulation, physical state,  full chemical names and other hazardous properties)?
____    ____   3. Ensure that wastes are not to be stored after 9 months
____    ____   4. Ensure that wastes stored more than 8 months had been reported for  waste pick-up
____    ____   5. No other wastes are to be used for red bags but infectious wastes

A meningitis outbreak has now reached five states, killing four people and leaving at least 30 others sick.

The illness is linked to epidural steroid injections tainted with the Aspergillus fungus, and experts say the number of cases will rise, the New York Times reports.

The infections have all been traced to injections received from the New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts pharmacy. There have been victims in Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland, and at least 23 other states may have already received shipments of the contaminated drug.

The compounding center recalled three lots of the injections on Sept. 26, but, in one instance, a Tennessee clinic had already received 2,000 vials of the drug, according to the New York Times.

Although this strain of meningitis can’t be spread from person to person, it causes inflammation of the braining lining or central nervous system and produces symptoms that include severe headaches, fever and slurred speech, the Wall Street Journal reports.

In the United States, there are about 3,000 pharmacies like the New England Compounding Center, which prepare customized drug mixtures that are not available through major manufacturers. Compounding pharmacies are not held to the same safety standards as normal manufacturers and are not subject to FDA inspection, the New York Times notes.

For more information visit http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/03/qa-facts-about-the-meningitis-outbreak/

If you or someone close to you has been effected by this outbreak contact the meningitis law firm of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414.

An Upshur County man who was injured in an accident involving his motorcycle Tuesday has died from those injuries.

David Ware, 55, of Buckhannon died Friday after he collided with a truck at the intersection of Route 33 and 20.

Ware, an Upshur County School bus driver for approximately 12 years. was returning back to a school bus garage when the accident took place. 

For more information see: http://www.wboy.com/story/19437504/upshur-county-bus-driver-dies-from-injuries-after-motorcycle-accident

I represent people who are seriously injured in motorcycle accidents in Clarksburg, Fairmont, Elkins, Morgantown, Buckhannon, and throughout North Central West Virginia.  These injuries often result in broken bones, head injuries, and unfortunately death.  If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, contact the West Virginia Motorcycle Accident Attorneys of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414.

This is a recent article from Elizabeth Lancaster of The Parsons Advocate

Nine year old Alex Nelson of Harman suffered third degree burns to more than 60 percent of his body on Feb. 28, 2010, after spraying the product, “Natural Fire Starter Gel” onto smoldering kindling wood in his family’s fireplace. According to his attorney, Dino Colombo, Nelson, who was seven at the time, was attempting to restart a fire in the fireplace so he could roast marshmallows. As he sprayed the product onto the kindling, flames traveled up the stream of gel and into the bottle causing the bottom of the bottle to explode in his hands, burning him severely. Colombo said Nelson was transported to Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins, moved to West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh, Pa. and finally to the Shriners’ Hospital in Ohio for surgery. Colombo said, “It was devastating. This is the definition of suffering.”

On the positive note, Colombo says, “Alex is an amazing kid. He is back to school in Harman and doing reasonably well. The school teachers have been wonderful to him.” Colombo stated the communities of Tucker and Randolph Counties have rallied around this little boy and been very supportive. “They have been wonderful to him.” 

Nelson continues to be treated for his injuries by doctors at Shriners’ Hospital. According to Colombo, although he will face treatments and surgeries for the rest of his life, Nelson does not necessarily continue to be in pain. The treatments and surgeries are used to allow flexibility and reduce scarring as he continues to grow. He added, “Most don’t survive what he has been through.” 

Nelson’s family is pursuing a civil case against the manufacturers of the product, the bottle and the cap. He said this is a dangerous product, which is still available at Walmart. The case will be heard by the Federal District Court in Elkins. 

Personal injury and wrongful death cases have strict timelines for filing claims and it is important not to let these pass by. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured, contact the West Virginia Accident Attorneys of Colombo Law at 800-860-1414. We represent accident victims in Fairmont, Clarksburg, Morgantown, and throughout North Central West Virginia.

A 26-year-old gas industry worker from Nutter Fort was killed in a truck crash last July. Now his widow says two Colorado companies are to blame, after they forced a work crew to drive almost 200 miles, after a 22-hour work day.

Even though working at the rig can be intense, the greatest danger could be on the road. 

Crystal Roth's husband Timothy died last July, after the truck driver carrying supplies for natural gas drilling fell asleep at the wheel. Roth was a passenger on the truck with a crew that was traveling from a job in Ohio, back to the company shop in Anmoore. 

Roth is now suing Energy Services, along with a "chameleon" company that was allegedly formed when the company lost its DOT registration for repeated safety violations. That's what Roth's attorney Dino Colombo says is the most important issue in this case. 

He says a "chameleon" company is when a business owner starts a new company that looks and acts just like the first company, except the name. That's how the business was basically able to keep running, even though it had lost its authority to operate 10 months before the accident. 

Colombo says if they wouldn't have kept violating rules and regulations, Roth's death could have been prevented. One of those violations includes making their employees work for long hours on a regular basis. 

In court documents, officials with the two companies deny doing anything wrong. But calls to their attorney for the past two weeks have not been returned.