Vehicle collisions are, by far, the leading cause of civilian PTSD in South Carolina. Extremely stressful situations trigger a chemical imbalance in the brain. The amygdala (emotional responses to stimuli) gets bigger, and the cerebral cortex (logical responses) gets smaller. This imbalance causes symptoms like anger, hypervigilance, depression, and flashbacks. Only the proper balance…
The leading causes of accidental death in South Carolina, which are outlined below, are usually not “accidents.” Instead, negligence, or a lack of care, usually causes these incidents. People accidentally leave the lights on. They don’t accidentally speed excessively or drive drunk and cause fatal car wrecks. They also don’t accidentally fall off unsafe…
A woman is dead after her SUV crossed the centerline and smacked into an oncoming dump truck. The wreck happened near the 1600 block of Amick’s Ferry Road. The SUV driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and the dump truck driver wasn’t hurt. Few other details were available. Wrong-Way Crashes At first blush,…
Observers believe that driver fatigue may have caused a serious crash that killed one person and injured two others, including a 3-year-old child. Troopers said a 2005 Toyota Sedan crossed the centerline, left the road, and smacked into a tree on an isolated stretch of Gum Tree Road. The 25-year-old driver was injured and…
The annual economic costs of elderly falls exceeds $50 billion. Many of these costs are associated with nursing home falls, where about 60 percent of residents fall each year. Many of these victims are repeat fallers, so their injuries are often more severe. These victims also have pre-existing conditions that make them more susceptible…
Most sexual assaults happen in publicly accessible places. One in three women say they were sexually assaulted in an apartment complex, hotel, parking lot, shopping mall, or other such location. Criminal courts punish sexual assault offenders. Civil courts compensate the victims of these offenses, so they have an easier time moving on with their…
Few details were available after a garbage truck ran over a pedestrian, killing the victim almost instantly. The crash happened near S. Towers and W. Benson streets in Anderson. Furthermore, the Anderson Police Chief said the trash truck vehicle is the property of Anderson County. Procedural Issues Substantial compensation is often available in commercial…
The landmark Hurt Report concluded that about a third of the fatal motorcycle wrecks in the United States are left-turn wrecks. Typically, a tortfeasor (negligent driver) is waiting to make an unprotected left turn against traffic, usually at a red light or while leaving a private residence or business. The tortfeasor doesn’t see an…
A 17-year-old girl was killed when she missed a turn and her vehicle tumbled down an embankment as a deputy sheriff was in hot pursuit. According to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy saw the girl’s car and another car parked in the side lot of a Dollar General store after hours. The…
Falls are the leading cause of ER admissions in the United States. Every year, emergency responders rush over three million fall victims to hospital emergency rooms. These victims usually sustain broken bones, head injuries and other serious wounds that are often permanent or fatal. Typically, health insurance plans do not cover injury-related expenses. With…