South Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog

Charleston water accident lawyers at Howell and Christmas know that recreational water sports and activities can lead to catastrophic injuries. One needs to look no further than August of 2009 when two women were killed while parasailing on the Carolina coast.

As part of its investigation into an August 2009 parasail accident that killed two women, the U.S. Coast Guard may submit recommendations for the first regulations of the parasailing industry.

In the fatal accident, two women were parasailing at Ocean Isle Beach, NC when the line connecting their parasail to the boat snapped and wind sent them into the ocean before hitting the Ocean Isle fishing pier. The Medical Examiner’s Office says the women died of blunt trauma that either happened on the initial impact of the water or after being thrown against the pier.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating all of the parasailing equipment associated with th Ocean Isle tragedy.

Continue reading " Fatal Carolina Parasailing Accident Prompts Coast Guard to Consider Regulations on Industry " »

South Carolina accident lawyers at Howell and Christmas want you to know that a medical helicopter that crashed and killed three crew members, lacked several important safety features.

After dropping a patient off at a Charleston hospital, the helicopter was flying northeast towards Conway when it crashed in Georgetown County. The helicopter flew through two thunderstorms but officials have not determined whether the conditions were a factor in the fatal crash.

Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said that the helicopter did not have night-vision equipment or a system to warn the crew that it was flying too close to obstacles on the ground. The NTSB believes these features could prevent many accidents and encourages medical helicopter programs to adopt them. After any serious accident, Charleston injury attorneys suggest that those hurt obtain copies of all reports created by state and federal agencies that investigate the crash.

Source: AP-“NTSB: Medical Helicopter Lacked Safety Features”- October 8, 2009

Charleston accident attorneys at Howell and Christmas are concerned about the increasingly serious problem of distracted driving which has become especially prevalent with the new technological advances of the past decade. Of the 50,000 lives claimed in motor vehicle accidents every year, about 6,000 of them are caused by distracted driving. There are an additional 515,000 drivers and passengers injured each year due to distracted drivers. Distractions such as talking on the cell phone, text messaging, drinking, eating, and playing with the radio, can all be very dangerous and jeopardize the safety of the driver and others.

The first Distracted Driving Summit was held recently in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Government officials, automobile industry experts and lawmakers are calling for swift action to help save lives and keep our nation’s roadways safe.

In a recent traffic culture survey conducted by the American Automobile Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, almost 100% of drivers agreed that cell phone use while driving is a threat, however a large percentage of those same drivers admitted to continually using hand-held devises while operating a motor vehicle. The survey also revealed that 80% of young drivers, ages 16 to 24, admitted to distracted driving. Members of the summit were alarmed to learn that, according to the survey, many teenagers actually perceive driving itself to be the distraction that gets in the way of their need to continue to communicate with their friends, via cell phone or text messaging, while driving.

Continue reading " Distracted Drivers a Factor in South Carolina Automobile Accidents " »

A motorcyclist was killed in April of 2009 by a former Brunswick Community College math instructor who was driving while impaired. The victim was 31-year-old Stanley Torr Barnes, a chef from the Triad area, who was in Wilmington for work. During the recent sentencing at New Hanover County Superior Court, the driver, Jason Albert Smith, 32, of Southport, received the forgiveness he was hoping for.

I’lla Barnes, the mother of the victim, called Smith’s actions “a stupid, irresponsible mistake,” but later told him that she forgave him. She also showed pictures of her son and talked about his volunteer work and willingness to help others. She told Smith that they wouldn’t be properly honoring their son if they didn’t give him their forgiveness.

Under a plea agreement, Smith pleaded guilty to one count each of felony death and hit and run resulting in serious bodily injury or death. He was sentenced by Supreme Court Judge W. Allen Cobb Jr. to 120 days in jail with 25-27 months suspended and three years of probation. He lost his driver’s license, was fined $1000 and must do 50 hours of community service. Smith also lost his job as a result of the incident. The victim’s family also plans to seek financial compensation in a civil lawsuit.

Source: Star News Online-“Mother of man killed by drunk driver offers forgiveness at sentencing”-Sept. 15, 20009

As our Charleston accident lawyers at Howell and Christmas know, injuries and dangers from a hit and run accident can be catastrophic. Just recently, after receiving a call about an automobile hit and run accident with no injuries, police in Conway, South Carolina arrived at the scene to find one person ejected from the vehicle and another trapped underneath it. The accident took place at Fifth Avenue and Elm Street.

Conway police say that a vehicle had flipped after it hit a utility pole and the collided with an oak tree. There was only one vehicle at the scene and police are investigating the possibility that the accident was a hit and run.

One person who was injured in the car accident was airlifted from the scene to New Hanover Medical Center and the other was taken to the Conway Medical Center. They were later both flown to the Medical University of South Carolina for further treatment. The accident remains under investigation and so far there have been no charges filed.

Source: WMBF News- “Police investigating possible hit and run in Conway”- Sept. 14, 2009.

As Charleston job injury attorneys know, shipping yards are very dangerous places for all employees who work there. This is especially true for Mexican workers. Shipbreaking is a very dangerous business and many workers are injured or killed on the job. According to the OSHA, shipbreaking is nearly twice as dangerous as construction work and is one of the jobs where someone is most likely to sustain an injury. Workers are also at a high risk for lead poisoning, since old vessels are loaded with lead paint. Shipyards do not allow workers to smoke or eat on the job as a way to limit lead ingestion through the mouth.

The shipbreaking yards in Brownsville, Texas are located about three miles from the Mexico border. Many of their workers are from Mexico, as each of these shipbreaking yards provides about 800 jobs to the regional economy. Workers are exposed to asbestos, lead, PCBs and other toxic chemicals found in the old ships they dismantle.

However, for Mexican workers it pays to put their health at risk. In Mexico, shipyard workers earn about $50 a week, but only 35 miles away at the Port of Brownsville, they can earn $280 a week. Workers must have proper immigration papers and green cards, but about half live across the border and commute under various labor programs. Although the average salary for a shipyard worker is less that $17,000 a year and offer virtually no benefits, these jobs are coveted in the struggling region of the Rio Grande Valley.

Continue reading " Charleston Worker’s Compensation Lawyers: Shipping Yards Risky Work for Mexican Laborers " »

Charleston tractor trailer accident lawyers at Howell and Christmas want to raise awareness about truck accidents and injuries. One man is dead after his Ford Ranger was struck by a semi truck in Middletown, South Carolina. The driver of the semi truck failed to stop at a stop sign and hit the car driven by Jerry Ondersma of Middletown, causing it to flip several times. According to Middletown police, the accident took place at Manchester Avenue and North Clinton Street.

A passenger in the Ford Ranger, Gordon Ondersma, was ejected from the vehicle after the impact. He was pronounced dead on the scene by the Butler County Coroner’s Office. Jerry Ondersma suffered serious injuries and is being treated at the Atrium Hospital.

The driver of the semi truck was James Franklin of New Ellenton, South Carolina. Police are still investigating the accident.

Source: WCPO- “One Dead After Middletown Truck Collision”- Sept. 16, 2009.

The accident and injury attorneys at Howell and Christmas know that brain injuries can be the most devastating and least recognized disability that anyone can experience. More is being learned about these injuries because so many of our troops at war are unfortunately sustaining these injuries.

Brain injuries have quickly become one of the most common injuries of the war. An estimated 20% of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is caused by the impact of improvised explosive devices.

According to medics of the Fort Drum-based 10th Mountain Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, there has been an increase in cases of TBI in the past eight months.

Continue reading " Brain Injury Awareness in South Carolina: High Number of Brain Injuries Among Soldiers " »

The national program, ThinkFirst, is a brain and spinal cord injury prevention program. It is a school-based program that goes to elementary, middle, and high schools to talk to children about ways to prevent brain and spinal cord injuries. The program covers topics such as motor vehicle safety, bike safety, water safety and pedestrian safety to avoid accidents and injuries.

The organization, which was started in 2003 at Children’s Hospital, is funded by community partners like Kohl’s Department Store. ThinkFirst programs educate young people about their personal vulnerability and the importance of making smart decisions. The organization’s message to youth is that they can have a fun-filled, exciting life, without hurting themselves if they simply think first.

The organization’s efforts seem to be paying off, as Children’s Hospital reported half as many potentially life altering or life threatening injuries in 2009 as in 2005. This goes to show the significant role that education plays in keeping children informed and safe so that they grow up to be healthy and successful adults.

Source: CBS 42- “Trauma Injuries Steadily Declining at Children’s Hospital”- Sept. 17, 2009

A 23-year-old woman was killed in a South Carolina automobile accident that occurred along Interstate 26 in Berkeley County. Amanda Gunter of Goose Creek, was a passenger in a Toyota Camry that crashed near the eastbound 192 mile marker just before midnight. She was not wearing her seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle.

According to the Berkeley County Cornoner’s Office, she was taken to Medical University Hospital, where she soon died from car accident injuries.

Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Bob Beres said Gunter’s husband, Edmond Gunter, 24, was driving the car when he it went off the side of the road. He was able to steer the vehicle back onto the road, but lost control and the car flipped.

A van driven by 45-year-old Johnny Wilson Smith Jr. of North Charleston, crashed into the overturned car. A passenger in Smith’s van, who was injured in the automobile accident, was taken to the Trident Medical Center, and the Gunter’s 1-year-old child was transported to Medical University Hospital for treatment of injuries. Highway Patrol is still investigating the accident.

Source: Post & Courier-“Woman dies after Interstate 26 crash”- Sept. 19, 2009.

Have a brain injury in South Carolina? South Carolina brain injury lawyers know the details of our state's personal injury laws. Howell and Christmas brain accident attorneys know that traumatic brain injuries can occur from a variety of different things and can range in seriousness from the mild, which are commonly known as concussions, to the severe. Brain injuries can disrupt the way the brain normally functions and should be taken very seriously and handled with precaution. Sometimes the symptoms of a brain injury show up almost immediately, but in other cases, symptoms may take up to three or four days to appear or worsen with time. This might signify a more serious injury that requires immediate medical attention.

According to Dr. Beth Slomine of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, there are many simple precautions that one can take to dramatically reduce their chances of having a brain injury. One should always use seatbelts, airbags, and child restraints while driving in the car, and should also avoid the use of cell phones or other distractions while driving. It is important to wear helmets and other protective gear while participating in sports and physical activities.

If an injury to the head does occur, Dr. Slomine says it is extremely important to seek medical attention if you lose consciousness, are confused, or have physical symptoms, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lethargy, weakness, numbness, or visual difficulties.

Continue reading " Signs and Symptoms of Brain Injury " »