Charles Michael Bee, tireless advocate for people with brain injury, passes away at 76

Charles Michael “Mike” Bee, a former member of the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) Board of Directors and a tireless advocate for people with brain injuries, passed away on March 1, 2026, at the age of 76.

Mike was widely known for his decades of work in personal injury litigation, with a particular focus on traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury cases. As a partner at Hill, Peterson, Carper, Bee, and Deitzler in Charleston, West Virginia, he was a leading voice on the legal and funding challenges facing people with brain injury and their families. He spoke at venues across the United States, helping attorneys, advocates, and families better understand the resources available to brain injury survivors.

Beyond the courtroom, Mike devoted himself to the broader brain injury community. He served as a past president and board member of the Brain Injury Association of West Virginia, served on the BIAA Board of Directors, and served on the board of directors of the American Association for Justice’s Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group. He also shared his expertise as an adjunct professor in the professional certification programs at the University of Florida.

Mike was admitted to the West Virginia bar in 1976 and was also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, among many other courts throughout the United States. He was a member of the American Association for Justice and the West Virginia Association for Justice.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held on March 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Saint Agnes Catholic Church, 4807 Staunton Avenue, Charleston, West Virginia.