E. William Harvit

The focus of Bill’s practice has been in the following areas. Some of these cases received local and national media attention and some may be viewed on the firm’s website. Regardless of the type of case, each received committed individual treatment from Bill and his staff.

Underground and Surface Coal Mine Accidents
Prior to practicing law, Bill worked in an underground coal mine where he learned coal mining practices and procedures. This experience has helped him successfully represent many clients who have been seriously injured or killed in underground mining explosions and other accidents. Many of these involved improper mining techniques and/or the disregard for safety practices and procedures and all could have been avoided.

Bill has also represented surface miners who have been injured and killed while around or on improperly designed, constructed and/or maintained haul roads and highwalls as well as negligently maintained or jury-rigged surface mining equipment. 

Heavy Equipment and Defective Products
Bill has successfully prosecuted cases involving industrial and heavy equipment-related accidents involving rock trucks, well service vehicles, continuous miners, excavators and other heavy equipment.

Additionally, he has represented people seriously injured or killed by products that were defectively designed, constructed and/or maintained. Some of these case have involved defective trucks and other vehicles, respiratory devices, lifting equipment, polycarbonate material, etc.

Medical Mistakes and Nursing Home Abuse 
Bill has successfully represented people who were seriously injured or killed from improper medical, surgical and other procedures performed in hospitals, clinics and labs. Also, he has represented clients whose disease was not diagnosed in a timely fashion as well as clients who were diagnosed with an incorrect disease and sustained injuries from unnecessary treatments. Additionally, he has successfully represented victims of nursing home neglect and abuse as well as their family members and their estates.

Chemical Exposure
Bill has represented persons exposed to and suffering from diseases associated with exposure to toxic substances, such as silica, asbestos, Benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons and chemicals. In these cases, Bill has successfully recovered for victims suffering from certain types of leukemia or lung cancer that are directly related to the exposure to toxic chemicals. Many widows and families have received not only lost medical expenses and lost wages, but precedent setting recoveries.

States Admitted to Practice
          West Virginia
          Virginia
          Pennsylvania  

Courts Admitted to Practice
          West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
          Virginia Supreme Court
          Pennsylvania Supreme Court
          United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
          United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
          United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
          United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia 

Education
          West Virginia University
                    Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1987
                              West Virginia University Law Review - Lead Articles Editor 

                    Bachelor of Science - 1982
                              Business Administration - Emphasis in management, economics and finance 

Professional Association’s and Memberships
          The America Trial Lawyers Association - Top 100 Trial Lawyers, West Virginia
          West Virginia Association for Justice
          American Association for Justice
          Kanawha County Bar Association
          West Virginia State Bar
          Virginia State Bar
          Pennsylvania State Bar

William K. Schwartz  

The American Trial Lawyers Association selected Bill Schwartz as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in West Virginia. This selection recognized his dedication to representing injured workers and families for many years.

Bill earned his Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University where he was selected to serve on the Moot Court Board, judging student competitions and papers, as well as coaching the Regional Champion Mock Trial team in the National Trial Competition. He earned his bachelor's degree from St. John’s University in New York City, where he received both academic and athletic scholarships while winning medals at the Big East and competing in National Track and Field Championships. He has shown not only success, but passion in his pursuits and this has carried over into his representation of clients.


Bill has practiced law in West Virginia since 1988. He has developed into one of the leading lawyers in the State who represent victims of toxic and chemical exposure, particularly claims of asbestos exposure. He has personally prepared, tried to verdict or negotiated individual settlements for nearly one hundred victims of mesothelioma in the State of West Virginia. Each case received individual treatment from Bill and his staff. He has obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients and successfully argued before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Bill also participated in and delivered closing arguments at consolidated trials resulting in precedent setting verdicts against DuPont and Union Carbide. Prior to that he obtained a then record verdict for a mesothelioma victim in West Virginia. He also obtained the first verdict on behalf of a mesothelioma victim against his employer in West Virginia. These and other cases he resolved received local and national media attention. News coverage of these and other cases can be viewed on the firm’s website.


Bill has been a speaker across the country at seminars for lawyers representing victims of mesothelioma and other toxic exposure cases. He has also lectured on law at West Virginia State University. Lawyers in West Virginia and across the country regularly seek his advice and assistance in preparing their own cases for trial. He often comments on behalf of victims rights to the news media and appears at the legislature to advocate for fair legislation for the injured and their families. Bill and his assistants have created a large database and files of documents and other evidence for toxic tort cases in West Virginia. He and his staff have proven time and again that they can prosecute a case to resolution quickly and successfully for a mesothelioma or other asbestos-related cancer victims.


Bill is admitted to practice law in West Virginia, Kentucky, The District of Columbia, The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He is a member of both the West Virginia and American Associations for Justice, as well as the West Virginia State Bar. He lives in Charleston, with his wife and their children, and continues to advocate for the rights of victims in the courts, the media and the legislature. If you have questions you can contact him or his staff through the firm’s website or call the office directly.

Bar Admissions:

West Virginia
Kentucky
District of Columbia
U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit

Education:

Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia
J.D.
Honors: Moot Court Board
Honors: Mock Trial Team, Regional Champions, National Trial Competition
Honors: Winner, W&L Client Counseling Competition

St. John’s University, New York, New York
B.A.
Honors: Academic and Athletic Scholarships
Honors: Medalist, Big East Track and Field Championships
Honors: Student Athlete Scholarship for Graduate Studies

Professional Associations and Memberships:

West Virginia Association for Justice
Member

American Association for Justice
Member

West Virginia State Bar
Member

Kentucky Bar Association
Member

The District Of Columbia Bar
Member