Attorney Paul R. Cranston
Highest Rated “Top 100” and AV Preeminent® Trial Lawyer
Paul R. Cranston is a founding partner and trial attorney at Cranston & Edwards PLLC – a practice exclusively dedicated to practicing civil litigation on behalf of injured victims and families who have lost a loved one due to the negligent or intentional acts of another. He is a Nationally Ranked Top 10 personal injury attorney by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys for excellence in the field of Personal Injury, and is recognized as one of the “Top 100” trial lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers – a distinction bestowed on only the finest attorneys who exhibit a superior degree of skill, knowledge, and success for their clients. Paul also has an “AV Preeminent®” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register, indicating the highest possible level of professional excellence in legal knowledge, ethics, analytical capabilities, judgment, communication ability, and legal experience. This prestigious rating is awarded based on reviews by judges, clients and other members of the bar.
Paul Cranston Named Martindale-Hubbell’s
Client Champion 2020 Award Winner
Paul Cranston has achieved the exclusive distinction of being recognized as Client Champion 2020 from the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register. This gold-level designation recognizes Paul’s receipt of numerous excellent five-star client reviews for service excellence – a distinction earned by fewer than 1% of attorneys nationwide.
Experience
Attorney Paul R. Cranston has extensive experience handling personal injury and wrongful death cases for clients throughout north central West Virginia. For over 30 years, he has worked tirelessly to successfully secure the maximum possible financial recovery and compensation for injured individuals and their families. He has helped numerous clients with cases ranging from automobile and workplace accidents, premises liability claims, defective products, medical malpractice, and nursing home abuse and neglect to fires, explosions, and falls, to secure substantial recoveries, with many in excess of one million dollars. He is a fierce advocate of victims injured in coal mining accidents and has successfully represented families of miners killed in the Sago Mine Disaster and other tragic, high-profile incidents.
Education
West Virginia University College of Law – Morgantown, WV
- Juris Doctor – 1989 with Honors
- Named to The Order of Barristers
- Moot Court Board Member
- West Virginia University College of Law Representative in the prestigious National Moot Court Competition
West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV
- Business (Accounting Specialty)
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting – 1986
Admissions
West Virginia State Bar
- Member in Good Standing Since 1989
Professional Associations & Memberships
- West Virginia State Bar Association
- West Virginia Association for Justice
Awards & Recognition
- National Trial Lawyers: Top 100
- AV Preeminent® Rating – Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
- Client Champion 2020 – Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Rating Award
Litigation Experience & Prior Affiliations
1995 – Present
Cranston & Edwards, PLLC – Morgantown, WV
Paul Cranston has represented injured people and their families for over 31 years. In 1995, he co-founded his current practice, Cranston & Edwards PLLC, where he continues to assist those who have been seriously hurt, as well as family members of wrongful death victims, with securing substantial compensation for losses caused by all types of reckless behavior, wrongful conduct, and negligent acts. He is committed to obtaining optimal results for each of his clients.
1988 – 1991
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC – Morgantown, WV
In 1988, during the summer of his second year of law school, Mr. Cranston began working with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as a law clerk. Upon graduation from law school in 1989, he provided civil defense legal services as an associate attorney for this firm. Paul represented multiple national insurance carriers in connection with his defense litigation work. This experience provided invaluable experience as he gained extensive insight into how personal injury cases are handled from this inside perspective.
While pursuing his Juris Doctor degree, Mr. Cranston worked as a law clerk for Justice Franklin D. Cleckley. He provided legal assistance with a wide range of private civil and criminal cases.
Attorney Cranston and his wife, Bobbi, reside in Morgantown with their two children, Alexandra and Andrew. Paul has been a strong advocate for youth sports in the local region, where he served as a baseball, basketball, and soccer coach. He also served on the boards of Cheat Lake Baseball, Cheat Lake Basketball, and West Virginia United Soccer Club. Paul enjoys spending his free time participating in many family activities and remains an avid sports fan.