Author Archives: Jay Butchko
South Carolina Court Awards $350,000 to Widow of Pedestrian Struck by Car that Skidded on Icy Road
South Carolina is more famous for its sunny summers than for its snowy winters, but when the temperatures get down to the 30s, it is possible for the roads to become icy even when there is no snow falling. Local governments have strategies for protecting people from the dangers of driving on ice. Depending… Read More »
Lessons Plaintiffs Can Learn from Vanessa Bryant’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against the Parties Responsible for the Helicopter Crash That Claimed the Lives of Kobe and Gigi
Most people who file wrongful death lawsuits do so in order to recover damages for the financial losses they suffered when a family member of whom they depended on financially died an untimely death. Why, then, is Vanessa Bryant suing the helicopter company that operated the flight during which her husband Kobe and 13-year-old… Read More »
Widow Sues Driver Who Killed Motorcyclist in Sun City Boulevard Collision
Motorcyclists do not cause more accidents than the drivers of cars do. The difference is that motorcycles offer much less protection to their riders than cars do, so a motorcyclist is at a much higher risk of serious injury or death than a car driver in an accident where a car and a motorcycle… Read More »
Family of Saluda County Man Struck by 18-Wheeler Receives $975,000 from Trucker’s Insurance Company
If a car makes a turn and settles in a lane on the new road, and another car comes along and hits it, a shouting match might ensue between the drivers. They might go to the emergency room to be examined and make sure that they are not seriously injured. The worst consequences of… Read More »
Trucking Company Faces Lawsuits After Driver Crashes into Road Work Site, Killing Two Department of Transportation Employees
People who are fed up with their stressful jobs often say that they wish that they had gone to truck driving school, but driving a truck involves every bit as much vigilance and responsibility as the office job that is trying your patience. Truck drivers must inspect and maintain their trucks before and after… Read More »
Horry County Man Sues Restaurant Where Driver Got Drunk Before Fatal Crash
According to South Carolina law, if you are injured in a car accident, you can sue the driver that caused the accident. If the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your case against him or her is especially persuasive. The debate over how much legal responsibility bystanders have to prevent people… Read More »
Car Collides Head-On with Semi Truck on U.S. Highway 221 in South Carolina
A collision between a car and a truck is almost always bad news for the occupants of the car. Trucks are so big that the impact of a crash involving a truck can affect multiple vehicles. When you hear about pile-ups of ten or more cars on the highway, they almost always involve a… Read More »
Preteen Riding in Back Seat Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash in Lexington County
On the evening of June 2, 2020, a 1999 Honda Passport ran off the left side of Bub Shumpert Road in Lexington County, near the intersection of Hartley Quarter Road. The SUV collided with a tree and flipped over. The driver and the front seat passenger, who were wearing seatbelts, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and… Read More »
Comparative Negligence and South Carolina Car Accident Lawsuits
No one is perfect, and the law accepts and acknowledges this. In family law, you will not lose custody of your children just because your children are sometimes noisy in public or because you let them watch more screen time than the American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends. In a criminal trial, the prosecution… Read More »
Expert Witness Testimony in South Carolina Personal Injury Cases
Somewhere on the Internet today, a website is claiming that your least favorite vegetable cures cancer. Why don’t doctors just tell patients to eat eggplant, cauliflower, or kale instead of referring them for surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, then? It is because the recommended treatments are constantly being reviewed; researchers and practitioners publish case reports… Read More »