David F. Nelson
Contact David F. Nelson
214 Capitol St.
Charleston, WV 25301
Tel: 304-346-5500
Direct: 304-720-5518
Fax: 304-346-5515
Email: dnelson@handl.com
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Bringing years of experience and a distinguished career, David F. Nelson joined Hendrickson & Long, PLLC in 2013. David’s busy career as a WV civil litigation attorney has earned him impressive ratings as AV Preeminent in the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings and notable recognition listed in Best Lawyers in America© for work in his primary practice areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, and personal injury.
David received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia in 1987 and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from William & Mary Law School in 1991. He gained his first legal experience working for an insurance defense firm before leaving to become a principal in a new firm, where he began to focus his practice in more complex insurance defense and insurance coverage litigation.
In the past decade David has added complex business litigation in state and federal courts to his repertoire, including successful representation of individuals with injuries or deaths caused by large motor carriers, such as Amazon, or their regional trucking company contractors and sub-contractors. He also has represented companies suffering large commercial losses caused by negligent mining or drilling practices, or by insurance carriers who have wrongfully denied their insureds the coverage benefits for which they had paid. Since 2019, David has successfully recovered client damages or fees in excess $34 million, and served as insurance coverage counsel for sexual assault victims represented by H&L who have recovered more than $100 million in fees since 2021 most of which was recovered from contested insurance policies. David is currently part of H&L practice teams working to recover damages for the wrongful termination of energy supply contracts, and a family who suffered devastating losses as a result of a motor vehicle accident.
David comes by his competitive nature naturally. As a former college soccer player (his wife, Kim, was also a college soccer athlete), David can be found on or near the soccer field or the tennis courts. He not only loves playing sports, but also donating his time as a volunteer coach. While he started at the youth, travel, and middle school levels, since 2004 (with two years off from 2021 to 2022) he has been an assistant coach for the boys’ soccer team at George Washington High School, where he has helped the team to a record eight (8) West Virginia state championships. He also serves on numerous boards that promote healthy sport and active lifestyles in Southern West Virginia.
David and his wife, Kim, volunteer their time through service projects at their church and in the community. With their three having grown and left the “nest,” other than soccer season, David and Kim now look forward to having some time to travel and visit with friends and family.
EDUCATION
- J.D., William & Mary Law School, 1991
- B.A., Randolph-Macon College, 1987
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
- United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
AFFILIATIONS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Member, West Virginia State Bar, 1991-present
- Member, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
- Member, Kanawha County Bar Association
- Member, Defense Research Institute