Colombo & Stuhr recently completed a 12 week video series titled "Legally Speaking" that was televised on WDTV. The series was aimed to help consumers make informed decisions regarding a variety of  legal issues.

Each week we focused on a different topic aimed to help inform the viewing public. We started off by discussing how our law firm handles cases and explained how to make informed decisions that will be financially sound . 

In week 2, the topic was "Who do you call first after an accident?" providing valuable information regarding the appropriate steps to take after a car, truck or motorcycle accident.

Week 3 covered "How cases get resolved." The discussion centered around the difference between settlements and cases that go to trial.

Next we discussed "Insurance coverage." Types of coverages, limits of liability, state minimum coverage, the uninsured and the underinsured were covered.

In week 5 we introduced our exclusive "eCase Status" system that allows us to provide near real time updates to our clients' cases 24/7 via our website.

Our website was the week 6 topic, which currently features answers to Frequently Asked Questions and other useful information that can be accessed anytime for free.

The next topic was "Medical payments coverage" on your automobile insurance policy and how it can help when you are involved in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident.

Motorcycle accidents led the discussion in week 8. We talked about how motorcycle accidents can be among the worst accidents, especially when the accident involves a car or truck.

Have you ever thought to yourself "Do I need a lawyer?" We discussed how a qualified and trusted attorney will handle your case and can help you get through your situation in the best possible way.

Week 10 we covered health insurance and medical expenses after an accident. Who pays the bills before your case is resolved?

One of the questions we get asked most often is "How much is my case worth?". We cover this topic in order for you to make a better informed decision regarding your situation. 

In the final episode, the advice given was "Hire an experienced lawyer that is looking out for your interests"

Thanks for watching!

More and more we are seeing insurance companies making low ball settlement offers to people injured by motorcycle accidents, automobile accidents, and trucking accidents.  The insurance companies are counting on injured victims to take the low ball settlement offer because they are desperate for cash.  Unfortunately, this settlement strategy has worked very well for the insurance companies when dealing with an injured person who is not represented by a lawyer.

The attorneys at Colombo & Stuhr represent children and adults in Morgantown, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Fairmont, Elkins, Buckhannon, Weston, and throughout North Central West Virginia who have been injured in car wrecks, motorcycle accidents, and trucking accidents.  We know how to handle aggressive insurance adjusters and the insurance company attorneys.  Clients know that when they hire our law firm that they are hiring a law firm that is ready, willing and able to try the most complex case.

For example, Dino Colombo recently tried a case for a client where State Farm had offered only $10,000 to settle a rear end collision type of accident.  The client had a permanent neck injury and $10,000 would just barely cover the medical expenses.  The case went to trial and a Monongalia County jury returned a verdict of over $400,000 for this client.

There is no way any attorney can guarantee a result for our client.  Also, simply because there was a significant verdict for this particular client it does not automatically mean that all cases will end this way.  However, what is important to know is that a well prepared trial attorney, who has the experience necessary to try complicated cases involving permanent spinal cord injuries or brain injury cases, is vital to a successful outcome. 

Cars have gotten a lot safer in recent years, and that trend seems to have accelerated just in the past year. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its annual list of Top Safety Picks. The big news is that 72 vehicles earned the Institute’s highest ranking this year, more than double the number of 2008 models and more than three times the number of 2007 winners.

To earn a Top Safety Pick award, a car has to  receive the Institute’s highest rating of Good in front, side, and rear crash protection, including a Good rating in an assessment of head-restraint safety; and it must offer electronic stability control.

For the first time, there is at least one vehicle in every segment Consumer Reports tests that earns a Top Safety Pick award, giving consumers the ability to find a safe car, no matter their budget or transportation needs. All Acura and Subaru models earn Top Safety Pick awards. The IIHS doesn’t test two-seat roadsters, but three four-passenger convertibles made the grade: the Saab 9-3, Volkswagen Eos, and Volvo C70.

In addition to the 72 Top Safety Picks, another 26 models earn Good front- and side-crash-test scores and offer electronic stability control, but don’t have good head-restraint designs. While rear impacts are rarely fatal, they produce a high percentage of injuries in auto accidents.

Virtually all cars now earn Good front crash scores, but not all have Good side-crash scores and rear-impact scores.

It is important when choosing a new car to also consider its dynamic performance relative to safety. Consumer Reports Safety Ratings factor insurance industry and government crash tests, when available, as well as our own dry braking, wet braking, and accident avoidance test findings. On the model overview pages at ConsumerReports.org, we provide a complete breakdown of how each tested model fares in the full range of safety evaluations.

Below are the lists of 2009 Top Safety Picks, as well as those "Also-Ran" models that lack only good seat/head restraint designs.

Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 Series sedan
Ford Fusion with optional ESC
Honda Accord sedan
Mercedes C Class
Mercury Milan with optional ESC
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars
Honda Civic sedan with optional ESC (except Si)
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional ESC
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional ESC
Toyota Corolla with optional ESC
Volkswagen Rabbit 4-door

Minicar
Honda Fit with optional ESC

Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M Class
Nissan Murano
Saturn Vue
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma

Also-Rans
These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front- and side-crash tests. They have ESC, standard or optional. They would be 2009 Top Safety Pick winners if their seat/head restraints also earn good ratings:

Chevrolet Malibu
Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, Town & Country
Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan
Infiniti G35, M35
Kia Amanti
Lexus ES, GS, IS
Mazda CX-7, CX-9
Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor
Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra
Saturn Aura
Smart Fortwo
Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna

Friends often ask me whether the car they are thinking of buying is safe. I always refer them to these three terrific sources of car safety information:

1. WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV – This is the government’s website reporting on its safety testing of vehicles. The government doesn’t test every vehicle sold, but it tests many of them, more rigorously than in the tests the car makers are required to pass to sell the car. It rates the vehicles with a star rating system so you can compare safety from one vehicle to another. If you “drill down” deeper into the site, you can also see the raw numbers – the test scores. One caution: the star ratings only compare similarly sized cars. In frontal collisions, for instance, the tests involve crashing the vehicles into non-deformable barriers, which simulates a head-on collision with a car of the same weight. The ratings don’t factor in the fact that a heavy car is going to have an advantage over a lighter car in any such collision.

2. WWW.IIHS.ORG - Like the government, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests some, but not all, cars in very rigorous testing. The results are reported on this very helpful website. Not only does this site give good comparisons between cars, using its own rating system, it also gives details about its tests and even allows you to watch the videos. Like the government website, the Insurance Institute site can help you identify not only safer models, but safer model years for those models, which is useful if you are shopping for a used car.

3. WWW.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG – Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is a great source of all sorts of information on new and used cars including safety, reliability, features, pricing, even how fun the vehicle is to drive. You can get some basic information online for free, and more information for a small subscription fee. Or, you can go to your local library and look at the annual April car edition for a wealth of information. The April issue is a great starting point for figuring out which car is right for you.

I always check all three sites when looking for a car for my family or helping friends with their car search. The sites don’t tell everything, for instance, some cars are “designed to the test” so that they perform well in safety tests but contain some other safety flaw or defect that undermines car safety. For those issues, watch this website and blog.