Among people under 44, violence, either intentional or unintentional, is the leading cause of death. Intentional (malicious) causes include murder and assault. Unintentional (non-malicious) causes include car wrecks, falls, and drug overdoses. Unintentional deaths aren’t accidental. People don’t accidentally overdose on prescription drugs, at least in most cases. Generally, a doctor wrote the prescription,…
Children spend about a third of their lives under the protection of a teacher, priest, coach, or other non-parent adult. Sometimes, these adults negligently allow injury, Other times, they intentionally cause injury. Negligence is basically a lack of care. People are responsible for their mistakes, if these mistakes cause injury. An intentional tort is…
A recent report concluded that Columbia was one of the most dangerous cities in South Carolina. The most at-risk areas were Belmont, St. Andrews Terrace Road, Fairwold, the city center, Lorrick Avenue, Colonial Drive and Old Manor Road/Melo Drive. Violent crimes are difficult to successfully prosecute. Investigators often have very little evidence to work…
Each year, traumatic brain injuries account for hundreds of thousands of hospital stays. Countless other TBI victims don’t get the treatment they need when they need it. Initial TBI symptoms include soreness and disorientation. Accident shock has these same symptoms. Shock usually goes away on its own, whereas brain injuries are usually permanent. So,…
The average economic cost of a catastrophic (life-threatening) injury is over $150,000. Medical bills and lost wages make up the bulk of this amount. This figure doesn’t include noneconomic losses, such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in life, and pain and suffering. This figure also doesn’t include lost future earning potential. As outlined…
The estimated lifetime cost of a sexual assault, mostly lost wages and medical bills, is over $100,000. The lifetime pain and suffering these incidents cause is almost incalculable. Victims need and deserve compensation for these losses. They also need and deserve justice for their injuries, a justice that criminal courts often cannot provide. A…
Violence and injuries are the leading cause of death for people under 44. These tragic incidents usually aren’t “accidents.” Instead, negligence, or a lack of care, usually causes wrongful death. Financial compensation cannot possibly fill the emotional void that a wrongful death leaves. Quite frankly, however, it helps. Compensation enables survivors to move on…
Most pedestrian accidents happen outside marked crosswalks. Since the tortfeasor (negligent driver) is traveling at or near top speed at the moment of impact, pedestrian injuries are extremely serious. At impact speeds under 30mph, the pedestrian fatality rate is under 10 percent. The death rate catapults to 90 percent at speeds above 50mph. Driver…
Basically, negligence is a lack of care. Since nursing home employees take care of physically frail people, the duty of care is very high. Usually, owners have a duty of reasonable care. Like the Good Samaritan went out of his way to help an injured traveler, they must go out of their way to…
Sexual assault usually isn’t a random crime. Almost 90 percent of sexual assault victims knew their attackers. All sexual assaults cause serious physical and emotional injuries. Acquantaince rape injuries are usually worse, because of the betrayal of trust element. That’s especially true in Boy Scout, Catholic Church, or other organizational sexual assault matetrs. Usually,…