Princeton, West Virginia Personal Injury and Employment Law Attorney

Kathryn (Kay) Reed Bayless is the founder and principal attorney at the Bayless Law Firm, PLLC, a Princeton law firm serving Charleston and southern West Virginia in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, social security disability and employment law.

Ms. Bayless began her legal career as Senior Law Clerk to U.S. District Judge William M. Kidd and later went on to become the first woman to open a private law practice in Princeton. In her over 35 years of legal practice, she has represented thousands of individuals, providing sound legal advice and counsel, and litigation representation when necessary.

Kay Bayless is the 2010 recipient of the Wiedeman and Wysocki service award from the American Association for Justice and was named Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2010 by the West Virginia Association for justice. She has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as a top trial attorney in West Virginia and has been named a “Super Lawyer” for seven consecutive years and a “Best Lawyer in West Virginia” for eight years running.

Kay is active in the legal community and is a frequent presenter and lecturer at legal seminars. She is also active in the broader Princeton community at large, serving on boards and supporting senior citizen organizations, the Salvation Army, and local athletic teams.

Education:

J.D., West Virginia University College of Law (1979)
B. S. (Business Administration), West Virginia University (1976)
B.S. (Chemistry), Concord University (1972)

Admissions:

Professional Associations/Memberships:

West Virginia State Bar (Member, Board of Governors, 1996-99, 2011-2014)
West Virginia Association for Justice (Member, Board of Governors)
American Association for Justice (Member, Board of Governors, 2005-2011)
The National Trial Lawyers (Membership by invitation only)
Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference (Permanent Member since 1983)
Academy of Trial Advocacy
Public Justice Foundation
West Virginia Bar Foundation
West Virginia Employment Lawyers Association
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives

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Verdicts &
Settlements

Confidential settlement

Medical negligence. Patient died when physician delayed in referring patient to another facility and in failing to consult when problems developed after knee replacement surgery.

Confidential Settlements

Automobile accidents. Hundreds of personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents, several involving death claims; many involving serious injury.

Confidential Settlement

Sexual assault/harassment. Underground coal miners assaulted by co-workers who spray-painted, greased their genital areas with industrial grease guns, duct-taped the miners’ hands and ankles, suspended the miners hanging by their ankles from the mine roof and were otherwise assaulted, all with knowledge imputable to the mine owner.

Confidential Settlement

Sex discrimination. An agent claimed that State Farm engaged in sex discrimination during her employment.

Confidential Settlement

Medical negligence. Mother of two young children died as result of birth control medication prescribed negligently.

Confidential Settlement

Products liability. A defective hood manufactured by General Motors came lose and penetrated windshield during car accident, blinding the driver.

$511,630.69 Verdict

Breach of contract. A former employee brought a breach of contract action against a local hospital.

$250,000.00 Settlement

Dental malpractice. Dentist negligently performed apicoectomy after failed root canal; injury to trigeminal nerve.

Confidential Settlement

Insurance Bad Faith. State Farm refused to pay homeowner's insurance claim resulting from fire loss.

$275,000.00 Settlement

Race discrimination. Local college engaged in racial and other discriminatory practices towards a male coach.

Confidential Settlement

Medical malpractice. Doctor and hospital's negligent treatment of diabetic patient, failure to diagnose.

$2,222,847.87 Verdict

Medical negligence. Physician failed to timely diagnose and treat blood clots forming after casting a fractured metatarsal.

Confidential Settlement

Auto accident. Employee at Marcellus shale drilling site, working many hours without adequate time off or rest, fell asleep while returning to his motel and crashed into a mother and daughter who received serious personal injuries.

$5,350,000.00 Verdict

Sexual assault. Physician (endocrinologist) sexually assaulted a patient.

Confidential Settlement

Race discrimination. Case settled on the eve of trial with Norfolk and Southern Railway for over seventy brakemen in race discrimination case. It was the largest known settlement at the time in West Virginia in a race discrimination case.

Confidential Settlement

Medical malpractice. Doctor's failure to diagnose breast cancer resulting in death to patient.

$300,000.00 Settlement

Disability discrimination. Local college engaged in discriminatory practices involving a mobility-impaired professor. College also agreed to make changes to campus structures to improve accessibility for those with physical disabilities.

Princeton, West Virginia Personal Injury and Employment Law Attorney

Education:

Admissions:

Professional Associations/Memberships:

Practice Areas

Verdicts & Settlements

Practice
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Verdicts &
Settlements