Wes Metheney is a native West Virginian and has been trying complex legal cases throughout the state and surrounding states since 1983. He handles civil and criminal cases at both the trial court level and appellate levels.
Wes is one of only nine lawyers in West Virginia who is Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy. Board Certification in this field is provided by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, which is an American Bar Association accredited organization.
Wes Metheney has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 21st through 27th Editions of The Best Lawyers in America© in the practice of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs for every year since 2015. Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers has been regarded-by both the profession and the public-as the most credible and definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. His peers have additionally recognized him as the “2017 Lawyer of the Year” for the Morgantown Area in plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation.
Wes has also received the highest rating from Martindale Hubbell, AV Preeminent, which is a significant rating accomplishment – a testament to the fact that the lawyer’s peers and clients rate him at the highest level of professional excellence with very high ethical standards.
In 2014, Wes was chosen to be a Founding Member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel whose mission is to objectively recognize attorneys who elevate the standards of the bar and provide a bench mark for other lawyers. Only 100 lawyers in the United States were chosen for this honor and only one of two lawyers selected in West Virginia.
In 2015, Wes was selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, the Trial Lawyers Honorary Society, for excellence in the art of advocacy and the highest ethical standards and integrity.
In 2010, Wes was selected as a member of the National Trial Lawyers Association, a national organization composed of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state. Membership is obtained through special invitation and is extended only to those attorneys who exemplify superior qualifications, leadership, reputation, stature, and profile as a trial lawyer for civil plaintiffs or criminal defendants.
Since 2007, Super Lawyers has listed Wes as one of the Top 5% of the lawyers in West Virginia. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and assessment.
Representative Cases
Medical Malpractice:
Loy v. UHC Hospital, et. al. – Strep B-fetal brain damage
Riggs v. WVU Hospitals, et. al., – hospital negligence; landmark infection case
Johnson, Lofton v. WVU Hospitals, et. al. – hospital negligence case; landmark exposure to AIDS case
Powell v. WVU Board of Governors, et. al. – failure to diagnose brain tumor in a young child
Futten v. University of WV Board of Trustees and WVU Hospitals – wrongful death of twin infants, failure to diagnose fetal distress and negligent failure to perform emergency C-Sections
In Re: Death of Baby Girl Myers – wrongful death of infant – failure to diagnose necrotizing gram pneumonitis
Snyder v. Weyrich and Reynolds Memorial Hospital – wrongful death, sinus surgery, brain perforation during surgery (Moundsville, WV)
Cady v. Jones and Monongalia General Hospital – hospital/physician negligence, spinal stenosis surgery, paralysis
Cortes-Vargas v. Lotshaw – physician negligence during hysterectomy resulting in multiple injuries, hemorrhage and paralysis
Motor Vehicle Accidents:
Scroggie v. Shipley Transport System, et. al. – negligent maintenance of tractor trailer rig, lost wheel and tire assembly impact with passenger vehicle, massive skull fractures, brain damage, and loss of familial consortium
McCormick v. Federal Express, et. al. – negligent operation of a delivery vehicle, driving left of center, injuries to multiple parties, including paralysis of five year old child
Weaver v. Lanham – wrongful death of mother and spinal cord injuries and paralysis of three minor children; negligent operation of vehicle crossing center line
Slavensky v. Monongalia County EMS, et. al., – negligent operation of ambulance; severe injuries to health care worker
Crooks v. Paul Thomas & Sons Trucking, et. al. – negligent operation of tractor trailer, chain reaction collision, multiple injuries to senior citizens in a passenger vehicle
Workplace Injuries:
Mearns v. Antero Resources Corporation, et. al. – Marcellus gas well, drilling site explosion; wrongful death of gas field worker
Phillips v. Moore Business Forms – loss of toes on loading dock, deliberate intent
Prater v. B & O Railroad, et. al. – wrongful death, negligent operation of train – FELA case
Defective Products:
Sonya Carl v. Piper Aviation Trust – inflight breakup of aircraft, wrongful death
Shroyer v. Boston Scientific – cardiac personal injury, negligent manufacture of cardiac cutting balloon
Wolfe v. Bechtel, et al. – wrongful death, negligent design of coal silo at electrical generating plant
Mayle v. Ahlstrom Pyropower, et. al. – defective design, manufacture and collapse of fly ash bin system resulting in severe burns and other injuries at electric generating plant
Sexual Abuse Cases:
Miller v. Monongalia County Board of Education – sexual abuse by a teacher
Vance v. Monongalia County Board of Education – sexual abuse by a teacher
Greulick v. Pocahontas County Board of Education – sexual abuse by teacher
Criminal:
State v. Frabutt – embezzlement
State v. Peddicord – arson
State v. Simms – murder
State v. Haller – rape
State v. Richter – wanton endangerment with firearm
Appellate Cases in Supreme Court:
Sellaro v. Sellaro – alimony; equitable distribution
Robinson v. Randolph County Commission – wrongful death; jail suicide
Spears v. Spears – appeal, child custody
In Re: Metheney – right to bear arms – concealed carry permit standards
Erika Miller v. Mon County Board of Education – wrongful dismissal of case/ sexual abuse by a teacher
Certified Legal Specialties
Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy
Bar Admissions
West Virginia, 1983
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia
U.S. District Court Northern District of West Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. Supreme Court
Education
West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia
Doctor of Jurisprudence – 1983
West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
Bachelor of Science – 1968
Professional Associations and Memberships
American Association of Justice – AAJ
Sustaining Member, M Club
Outstanding State Delegate Award 1999 – 2000
West Virginia Association for Justice (West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association)
Board Member since 1983
Sustaining Member
President, 1995 – 1996
Member of the Year
President’s Award, 2000 – Present
Founding Fellow, Southern Trial Lawyers Association
