West Virginia Reports Rise in Claims Awarded Against State

Monetary claims awarded against the state of West Virginia more than doubled in the past year.

The state Court of Claims says in its 2011 annual report that it approved $8.4 million worth of awards, compared to $3.8 million during the previous year.

The awards include a $5.9 million payment from the state Division of Corrections to the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority to cover the costs of housing state inmates.

An effort by the Division of Highways to reduce outstanding claims against it also contributed to the increase. Claims awarded against the DOH jumped from 116 to 466 during the period. Most of the awards were for pothole damage. Court of Claims clerk Cheryle Hall said that some of the DOH claims date back to 1998.

Most claims are in the hundreds of dollars, with several under $10.