South Carolina Lawyer Blog

A South Carolina health care group has received an $11.25 million grant from the Duke Endowment to improve patient care through data collection. The group, Health Sciences South Carolina, is a statewide biomedical research collaborative composed of several hospital systems and three universities.

Dr. Iain Sanderson, Health Sciences' chief medical informatics officer, said, "Our goal is to enable an explosion of public health research."

The grant will allow the organization to centralize and analyze information from studies across their hospitals. Researchers hope to analyze the information for clues into the effectiveness of different physician interventions.

A previous $25 million grant from Duke Endowment allowed the group to set up an electronic health record system. The system allows physicians to keep track of patients as they moved across different points of care. Previous studies have shown that lack of communication and timely information has been a key cause of medical errors.

South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, has struggled with how to provide effective care with minimal errors. Health Sciences has attempted to reduce medical errors through clinical research and their Healthcare Quality Trust, which identifies causes and solutions to preventable hospital infections.

The new grant allows health care providers to continue and expand their research, potentially pinpointing areas where patient safety is at risk.

Contact The Louthian Law Firm

If you or someone you care about has been injured by the carelessness of a medical professional, you should speak with an experienced South Carolina medical malpractice attorney like the ones at the Louthian Law Firm as soon as possible. Our attorneys can help you evaluate your case; protect your legal right to the courts; and stand by your side throughout the legal process.

For a free consultation, call the Columbia SC Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Louthian Law Firm today. Toll free: (866) 454-1200. Locally: (803) 454-1200. You can also fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

A random test found salmonella in bagged salads sold in South Carolina. The company responsible, Taylor Farms Retail, Inc, is recalling 3,265 affected bags marketed under the brands Fresh Selections, HEB, Marketside, and Taylor Farms.

If you have a bagged salad under any of those brands with a sell-by date of Oct. 18 to 21, throw it away or return it to your supermarket.

The salmonella was found by Washington State's Department of Agriculture. Washington conducts tests on produce and other products sold in within its state no matter the origin. In this case, Taylor Farms Retail is based out of California and has also sold salad products in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Puerto Rico.

Salmonella poisoning can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within one to three days of infection. Salmonella can be destroyed by freezing, ultraviolet radiation and heat of 140°F for half an hour. None of these steps are typically taken with salads, making them especially prone to causing infections in humans.

Salmonella is usually found in polluted water, especially water that contains animal excrement from farm animals, birds or reptiles. In the past, watering plants destined for bagged salads with contaminated water has resulted in infections and large recalls. Salmonella can also be transmitted by humans with unwashed hands.

In the US, about 40,000 people annually report salmonella infections, but infection rates are thought to be as much as 30 times greater. The infection is not considered dangerous except for young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Between 1990 and 2006, a six-year span, there were 1,316 Salmonella-related deaths.

For more information about the bagged salad recall, call 1-877-323-7374.

About The Louthian Law Firm

The Louthian Law Firm, P.A., of Columbia, S.C., is a South Carolina personal injury law firm that has been obtaining fair compensation for defective product victims since 1959. The firm was founded by Herbert Louthian, who has more than 50 years of trial experience and is licensed to practice in all courts in South Carolina. The Louthian Law Firm represents truck accident victims and their families throughout South Carolina in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, including those in the communities of Columbia, Charleston, Florence, Greenville, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach and Rock Hill.

For a free, confidential case evaluation, contact the firm by phone at (866) 410-5656 or through its online form.

AAA Carolinas has singled out three South Carolina towns for excellence in traffic safety. Hanahan, Mount Pleasant, and Cameron have received the 2011 Traffic Safe Community of the Year award for their respective population size. The awards are given based on innovation in education and social media efforts, crash statistics, number of law enforcement officers per capita, their traffic safety program, and the presence of a special traffic division.

Mount Pleasant won the award for the third year in a row in the largest population category. Because traffic accidents are the number one cause of teen deaths in South Carolina, Mount Pleasant's youth outreach efforts were especially lauded. This year and last year they were applauded for their middle, elementary, and high school education projects on topics like pedestrian, bicycle, and driver safety.

Despite the awards, Tom Crosby, president of AAA Carolinas, points out that South Carolina has a long way to go to improve traffic safety. "South Carolina continues to have a disproportionate number of fatalities at 1.6 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, according to preliminary data for last year. Traditionally, this rate is among the highest in the nation."

A recent study showing that South Carolina has the highest fatality rates on rural roads prompted Crosby to call them "killing grounds."

The Louthian Law Firm, P.A., South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers, has been helping car accident victims obtain fair compensation for their injuries since 1959. We provide each of our clients with individual attention.

If you believe you or someone you care about was hurt by a car, truck or motorcycle accident in South Carolina, contact the Louthian Law Firm today. Call us toll free at (866) 454-1200 or locally at (803) 454-1200. You can also contact our South Carolina personal injury lawyers online for a free evaluation of your case.

Six of the seven traffic fatalities in South Carolina on the weekend of October 14th were of pedestrians and motorcyclists according to the Department of Public Safety. From six p.m. Friday to midnight Sunday, four motorcyclists and two pedestrians died on non-Interstate roads, and one other person died on the interstate.

South Carolina's traffic fatality rates are higher than this time last year. To date, 658 people have died so far in 2011 while 647 died in 2010. Of the fatalities in 2011, approximately 29% have involved pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists. About 94% of those deaths were pedestrians and motorcyclists in near-equal parts. Though South Carolina's pedestrian death rate declined in 2009, as quoted by the NHTSA, the state is ranked as one of the "Top Five" worst states of per capita deaths to pedestrians.

The deadliest county for traffic accidents in South Carolina remains Greenville. From 2008 to 2011, with 186 deaths, Greenville has experienced the most traffic fatalities. It has been the top offender every year except 2009, where it had the second highest number of deaths. Greenville is the most populated county in South Carolina.

The Louthian Law Firm, P.A., South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers, has been helping car accident victims obtain fair compensation for their injuries since 1959. We provide each of our clients with individual attention.

If you believe you or someone you care about was hurt by a car, truck or motorcycle accident in South Carolina, contact the Louthian Law Firm today. Call us toll free at (866) 454-1200 or locally at (803) 454-1200. You can also contact our South Carolina personal injury lawyers online for a free evaluation of your case.

A recent survey of U.S. physicians found that the majority (52%) believed the current level of care their patients receive is sufficient. However, media outlets and policy makers have focused on the minority (28%) who believe they are personally over-treating patients.

The report, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, tries to argue that the fear of malpractice suits is a driver for high health care costs.

The report cites that 42% of surveyed physicians believe that patients in their practice are receiving too much care. An analysis of the figures, however, shows that only 28% believe they personally are treating patients too aggressively. An overlapping 29% believe that others-- in their personal opinion--are giving too much care. The 29% figure doesn't show a trend of over-care, but rather focuses on perception, not fact.

The report also hones in on malpractice as a large driver of over-treatment. A majority of respondents (76%) cited malpractice as the primary cause of defensive medicine. Second, at 52%, was doctor concern about quality. Again, these questions were of perception. Studies have shown that physician fear of malpractice suits is highly disproportionate to actual rate of payouts to patients. Traditionally, the American Medical Association and other lobbying groups have pushed for malpractice caps and reform as a means to lessen physician anxiety and decrease over-practice. Studies have concluded that, despite an overall decrease in payouts, physicians appear to have grown more nervous.

The survey also sampled only 627 physicians or less than 1% of the nearly 1 million physicians active in 2009. The survey size is too small to be representative of true trends in health care. The report provides a specific snapshot of certain perceptions for a certain segment, but attempts to generalize the findings exist on shaky ground.

The Louthian Law Firm, P.A., South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyers, has been helping South Carolina medical malpractice and personal injury victims obtain fair compensation for their injuries since 1959. We provide each of our clients with individual attention.

If you believe you or someone you care about was hurt by medical malpractice in South Carolina, contact the Louthian Law Firm today. Call us toll free at (866) 454-1200 or locally at (803) 454-1200. You can also contact our South Carolina personal injury lawyers online for a free evaluation of your case.

After three years of steady decline, the number of people dying in traffic accidents has increased in South Carolina. The Department of Public Safety said that 593 people have died between January and September 2011, a twenty person increase from this time last year.

Most accidents involved the deaths of a person in a vehicle, but nearly 28% or 160 deaths were of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists involved in vehicle accidents. Greenville County leads the state in the number of traffic fatalities. Agency representatives blamed good weather for leading SC residents to abandon their cars and walk or ride their motorcycles.

Tom Crosby, vice president for AAA of the Carolinas, however, believes the state's approach to traffic safety is at fault. Crosby points to South Carolina's history of easing driving rules and its recent refusal to limit cell phone use and texting for drivers.

“I’m not surprised when fatalities rise in South Carolina. The state has a certain appetite for traffic lawlessness under the false guise of personal liberty,” Cosby said in an interview with The State. He added, “That’s a big reason why South Carolina has some of the highest road deaths per mile in the country.”

The car accident lawyers of Louthian Law Firm have represented the rights of accident victims and other injured South Carolinians since 1959. We’re committed to providing personalized service to you while aggressively going after wrongdoers. And because we know how financially devastating an accident can be, we never charge you a dime until your case is won.

For a free evaluation of your case, call us today at Toll free: (866) 454-1200 or Locally: (803) 454-1200. or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

A recent report shows that South Carolina had the highest rate of traffic fatalities on rural roads in the United States, ranking significantly above heavily rural states like Texas or Florida.

TRIP, the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that produced the report, found that there were 4.7 deaths per 100 million miles of travel in 2009 in South Carolina. During 2009, 791 people died on South Carolina's rural roads.

On why rural roads are particularly dangerous, the report says, "Inadequate roadway safety design, longer emergency vehicle response times and the higher speeds traveled on rural roads compared to urban roads are factors in the higher traffic fatality rate found on rural, non-Interstate routes."

Most rural crashes in the United States involve a vehicle going off-road. Head-on collisions occurred 87% more often on rural than urban roads in the U.S. in 2009. These statistics hold particular importance to South Carolina where, among 64,920 miles of roadways, about 84% are rural.

The report also found that 14% of South Carolina bridges were deficient.

Shortly after the report's release, South Carolina's Department of Transportation released a summary of future and ongoing road projects. The agency stated, "[W]e have experienced a down trend in overall fatalities over the past four years. The Department will continue to move forward with proven safety initiatives to address the issue of traffic fatalities."

On the importance of continuing to invest in infrastructure, Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, said on his blog, “[C]ontinued federal investments in rural communities will create construction jobs and ensure that farmers and ranchers have the roads, rail lines, and ports they need to move their products to market."

At the Louthian Law Firm in Columbia, SC, we have represented the rights of accident victims and other injured South Carolinians since 1959. We’re committed to providing personalized service to you while aggressively going after wrongdoers. Because we know how financially devastating an accident can be, we never charge you a dime until your case is won.

For a free evaluation of your case, call us today at (866) 454-1200 or (803) 454-1200. You can also fill out our confidential online case evaluation form.

Forty-five hospitals in South Carolina intend to sign an agreement to end elective C-sections before the 39th week of pregnancy. Pregnancies are normally 40 weeks long. Some experts believe that a good national average for caesareans is 4.5 percent. The United States had 31 percent, or one in three deliveries via C-section, in 2007.

The rate of elective C-sections as opposed to caesareans for medical reasons appears relatively low. A 2006 survey by the Childbirth Connection found that only one of 1,600 surveyed first-time mothers elected to have a caesarean for no medical reason. Childbirth Connection argues that the increasing rate of C-section deliveries is not due to a mother's desire, but instead from a medical and hospital culture that favors quicker births.

In South Carolina, 8 percent, or 2,500 of Medicaid-paid pregnancies, use elective C-section, according to an Associated Press article.

Hospitals expect taxpayers to save money with the new agreement. Early births via C-section can result in newborns that are not fully developed, with a resulting increase in the cost of medical care.

At the Louthian Law Firm, we've been handling personal injury cases in South Carolina since 1959. We have extensive experience in all areas of personal injury law and we're committed to putting that experience to work for you, while offering the personal service and understanding that families in crisis need.

To schedule a free case evaluation, call the Louthian Law Firm today at (866) 454-1200 or (803) 454-1200. You can also contact us online.