Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Police Investigate Columbia Hit and Run Crash That Killed Child Pedestrian
According to South Carolina law, it is a crime to leave the scene of an accident without presenting your identifying information to the driver of the other vehicle and, if necessary, making sure that everyone injured in the accident gets medical assistance. Why would someone Even if there are no injuries, a driver who… Read More »
South Carolina’s DUI Laws Are Full of Loopholes, but You Can Still Collect Damages in a Civil Lawsuit After a DUI Accident
In criminal court, the jury must decide that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before the judge can hand down a sentence. In civil court, no one can go to jail or prison for losing a case, there is usually no jury, the standard of evidence is lower, and winning or losing… Read More »
Teen Injured in February Crash Files Lawsuit Against Drunk Driver
2020 has shown the ugly and hateful sides of human nature like no other year in recent memory, but if you are looking for hope about people’s generosity and willingness to help others, a look at the results of crowdfunding campaigns can renew your optimism. Friends and strangers alike contribute what they can to… Read More »
Not Every Drunk Driving Accident Is a Case of Dram Shop Liability
The passage of drunk driving laws in the 1980s greatly reduced the number of traffic fatalities, but the risk of getting hit in a DUI collision still remains. Even today, alcohol is a factor in a disproportionate number of car accidents that involve serious injuries or fatalities. If you get injured by a drunk… Read More »
Can a Mobile Phone App Prevent Distracted Driving?
If it is possible to make any generalizations about Americans below the age of forty, it is that they use mobile phones for virtually all activities practical and recreational and that they worry, for good reason, about money. As stable jobs with retirement benefits become scarce and gigs proliferate, any phone app that enables… Read More »
Inside the Biggest Seatbelt and Airbag Safety Recall in History
The value of most of the fancy safety features lies in their snob appeal, not in how much safer they make you. Sure, rear-facing cameras are useful, but anyone who has passed the road test and earns a driver’s license has demonstrated the ability to avoid backing into moving vehicles and stationary objects simply… Read More »
Driver Faces Reckless Homicide Charges for Summerville Crash That Killed Three
The mental image that most people outside the legal profession have of the court system is of the criminal court. In criminal trials, there is a jury, and the decision is a choice between “guilty” and “not guilty.” The evidence must indicate the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury finds the… Read More »
Richland County Veteran Loses Leg in Motorcycle Crash with Drunk Driver
Most of us do not have Everette Scott’s optimism. Many people regard the anniversaries of traumatic events with dread, but Scott has taken it as a reason to celebrate the fact that he is still alive. He is thankful to have survived the accident on September 22, 2019, which led to the amputation of… Read More »
How Effective Is Emma’s Law at Preventing DUI Car Accidents?
Whenever you see a law with a person’s first name in its title, it means that somewhere there is a family that will miss their child for the rest of their lives, even as the law protects other children from suffering a similar fate to theirs. For example, the Amber alert is named after… Read More »
Lexington County Man Dies in Collision with Car Occupied by Four Men Fleeing from Law Enforcement
High-speed police chases have formed the climactic scenes of plenty of action movies; the flashing lights and noisy sirens are plenty interesting to watch on a screen from the safety of your home. When a car speeds past you, followed by the sound of police cars approaching, it is much scarier. The danger is… Read More »