COLUMBIA Injury Law Blog

Johnson v. Alexander, Opinion No. 5208 On March 19, 2014, the South Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion in a legal malpractice action, Amber Johnson v. Stanley E. Alexander, Mario S. Inglese, and Charles Feeley.  The Court of Appeal reversed a trial court order on summary judgment finding that attorney Stanley Alexander committed legal malpractice in… Read More

By: Robert F. Goings According to a study by AAA in August 2013, the most dangerous county in South Carolina for most motorcycle collisions and most injurious motorcycle crashes was Horry County.  Myrtle Beach is located in Horry County, which hosts several biker weeks.  Horry County ranked second in both categories in 2011 and third in… Read More

S.C. Business Courts – Now Open for Business State-Wide The South Carolina Supreme Court on January 3, 2014 expanded the Business Court to cover all counties in South Carolina.  Here is the Order of Chief Justice Toal that explains how the business court program works: The Supreme Court of South Carolina In re: Business Court Pilot Program… Read More

In South Carolina, mediation is mandatory in many counties in state court as a part of the pre-trial process. The federal court in South Carolina frequently orders parties to conduct mediation as part of a scheduling order. Mediation is a non-binding process designed to facilitate a settlement Why mediation? Because it works in reaching a settlement, and works… Read More

By: Robert F. Goings South Carolina law has established a civil cause of action known as “civil conspiracy.”  Civil conspiracy can be alleged in certain injury or business litigation cases.  The law of civil conspiracy has evolved over the years in South Carolina, and in sometimes, this claim can prove particularly useful to a plaintiff… Read More

By: Robert F. Goings Trucking Accidents: Driver Fatigue and Log Book Violations in South Carolina Owners and drivers of 18-wheelers and other over-the-road commercial vehicles must comply with Federal hours of service laws: No more than 11 hours driving following 10 consecutive hours off duty. No more than 14 total hours driving and working after starting… Read More

By: Robert F. Goings What Causes Truck Accidents in South Carolina? National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data has confirmed that driver error is the leading cause of large truck accidents.  Driver-related factors contributed to 31 percent of fatal truck accidents. In fact, the NTSB found that fatigue and overwork were responsible for up to 40 percent of… Read More

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) has provided statistics about motorcycle crashes, including injuries and fatalities involving motorcycles in South Carolina.  Here is some of the facts from recent years: South Carolina Motorcycle Crashes There were 1,819 motorcycle crashes in 2010. Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 10% of total traffic related fatalities in 2010,… Read More

By: Robert F. Goings Workers Compensation Brain Injury Cases in South Carolina A Workers Compensation claim involving a brain injury can be one of the most challenging to prove under the S.C. Workers Compensation laws.  A brain injury can occur from a serious accident, a blunt force striking the head, or from occupational harms such as the… Read More

Eighteen Wheeler Truck Accident Statistics By: Robert F. Goings In 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its 2012 Annual Report which includes data regarding the number of people injured or killed in accidents involving large trucks. The NHTSA defines large trucks as vehicles with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds.… Read More