South Carolina Lawyer Blog

September 29, 2014

Why We’re Groovin’ On Groove

by Louthian Law Firm

groove As we’ve reminded you several times (see this blog, and this one, and this), distracted driving is a major problem on our roads, causing the deaths of an estimated 15 people every day. And yet, news reports and statistics show that people continue to use their cellphones to stay constantly in touch, even while they’re behind the wheel of their vehicle. Awareness is not the issue . . . behavior is the issue. Obviously, it’s going to take more than verbal warnings to end texting and driving, and one Colorado-based tech company is doing just that.

September 26, 2014

Micromanaging Your Health

by Louthian Law Firm

dentist-teeth

I know some members of the Big Blue Nation (i.e., U.K. basketball devotees) who are such rabid fans that they are probably maniacally brushing with Crest in hopes that their gums will turn blue before the start of basketball season – and before Procter & Gamble removes the little blue microbeads from all of their products in the wake of scrutiny by environmentalists and concerned dental practitioners.

Many cosmetic products contain microbeads, tiny pellets of high-density plastic, either as abrasive additives or just for looks. The same plastic used in manufacturing garbage cans, grocery bags and knee replacements is also used in facial cleansers and exfoliant washes, chewing gum, and, yes, toothpaste.

September 12, 2014

Want To Get A Teen’s Attention? Partner With A Rock Band.

by Louthian Law Firm

Columbia Teen Driver Accidents

As you may know, my son and I have a shared interest in rock music and playing the guitar. There’s even a little video about it on the Louthian Law website.

So I was especially interested when I read about a novel approach to educating teens about the dangers of distracted driving – a music video contest. It was highlighted in a publication by the Governors Highway Safety Association titled “Distracted & Dangerous: Helping States Keep Teens Focused on the Road.”

September 10, 2014

Top Ten Tips For Parents Of Teen Drivers

by Louthian Law Firm

Teenage Drivers Permit Columbia, SC

Would you allow your teenager to participate in an activity in which he or she has a one in 1,500 chance of dying? Those are the odds they face when behind the wheel of a car, according to one advocate for teen safety.

Tim Hollister of Hartford, Connecticut, is an environmental lawyer. As important as his vocation is, even more paramount is his mission to save others from experiencing the sorrow his family has faced since the 2006 wreck that killed his 17-year-old son Reid. Hollister parlayed his grief into action, serving on a Connecticut task force that crafted the state’s overhaul of its Graduated Drivers License law, transforming it into one of the strongest in the country. He spent years studying the whys and wherefores of teen driving, writing a blog called From Reid’s Dad and speaking around the country on the topic of teen driving safety. Just this week Tim Hollister was honored at the annual meeting of the Governors Highway Safety Association with the Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award for a notable achievement in the field of highway safety

August 19, 2014

A Refresher In School Bus Safety

by Louthian Law Firm

A peculiar accident on an Eastern Kentucky school bus has left the bus attendant hospitalized in critical condition and transportation authorities conducting an investigation. With school children recently returning to class and the big yellow buses resuming their routes, it’s a good time for everyone – students, parents and school district employees alike – to review the rules for safe school bus transportation.

The accident occurred August 14, around 4:00 p.m. A school bus had picked up students at an elementary school and was en route to a middle school for more students. A clipboard stored under the dashboard fell onto the stairs at the front exit of the bus, prompting the bus monitor to leave her seat and step into the stairwell to retrieve the clipboard. The driver briefly took his eyes off the road to watch the attendant, but it was long enough to cause the bus to veer out of the lane. When the driver realized they were headed for some mailboxes, he jerked the bus to the left, causing the monitor to lose her balance and fall against the closed doors. The doors opened and the attendant fell on to the road and rolled into a ditch, unconscious. She was airlifted to a hospital and remains in critical condition.

August 18, 2014

Asbestos In The Best Interest Of Whom?

by Louthian Law Firm

I was appalled to read an August 12 AP news report about asbestos production in India being hailed as a form of social welfare, a way to save lives and elevate the living standards of some of the world’s poorest people. India is already the world’s biggest importer of asbestos, which they say provides 300,000 jobs. Guess who the world’s biggest exporter is? Russia.

Are they completely overlooking the fact that asbestos has been linked to deadly diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, sometimes developing 20 to 40 years after exposure? Or that dozens of countries — including Japan, Argentina and all European Union nations — have banned it entirely, and others, like the U.S., have severely curbed its use?

August 18, 2014

Time for Shots

by Louthian Law Firm

If you’re young and single, you may think I’m talking about those little glasses of vodka or whiskey meant to be downed in one quick swallow. If you’re a parent of school-aged children, you know I’m talking about back-to-school vaccinations, which are not nearly so enticing.

Way back in 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the authority of the states to enforce compulsory vaccination laws (Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11). Childhood immunizations protect children from diseases which can have serious complications:

Measles – About one out of 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 gets pneumonia. For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die.

August 5, 2014

Beware The UFO In Your Car

by Louthian Law Firm

When we think injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident, we generally think of those caused by the impact from an outside force – another car or truck, or a tree or highway sign. We’re not surprised that some injuries are a result of a hard blow with a portion of the vehicle itself – the steering wheel, windshield, or even airbags. But what frequently causes injury to occupants of a wrecked vehicle are flying objects. They’re not exactly “unidentified” flying objects, because we all know what they are – cell phones, purses, laptops, groceries, golf clubs – anything that is loose in the passenger compartment. We’ll call them “unsecured flying objects.”

The Physics of a Car Crash

A car crash may be thought of as having two phases: a first is the collision between the vehicle and other objects; then there is a second collision between the occupants and the vehicle itself or other objects inside the vehicle. It’s a double whammy.

July 24, 2014

Remington Rifles Recalled

by Louthian Law Firm

Whether you’re a deer hunter looking forward to this autumn’s harvest or someone who enjoys indoor target shooting, if you own a Remington rifle you’ll want to check out whether it is included in the recent recall.

On April 11, the Remington Arms Company issued a voluntary nationwide recall of their Model 700 and Model Seven rifles equipped with the X-Mark Pro trigger that was manufactured between May 2006 and April 9, 2014. Their website gives detailed instructions for determining whether your gun is one of those recalled because it can accidentally discharge.

If you have one of the recalled Remington rifles, you’re certainly not alone. The Model 700 bolt-action rifles have been popular because of their accuracy and “smooth trigger,” with more than 5 million of them sold since 1962. The X-Mark Pro trigger on the recalled rifles can discharge when small amounts of rust, debris, or even a small jolt can cause the trigger connector to become misaligned. In some cases, rifles have discharged as the safety was moved to the off position to unload the gun or when the bolt was opened, closed or even just touched.

July 11, 2014

Think Before You Ink

by Louthian Law Firm

SC Tattoo Lawsuits
Statistics from the Pew Research Center compiled from a December 2013 poll show that 14% of all Americans (45 million) have at least one tattoo; 36% of adults age 18-25 have at least one tattoo; and 40% of adults 26-40 have at least one. Tats aren’t just for rebels or seamen any more. No longer is sporting a colorful tattoo a sign that one is a risk taker. And yet, there are definitely risks involved in getting inked. We’re not talking about the risk that you might someday regret having that romance indelibly memorialized on your bicep – we’re talking about the risk of serious infection, bloodborne diseases and allergic reactions.

Contaminated Ink

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), contaminated inks have caused serious infections in a number of states. Of particular concern is a bacterial organism called non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), which can cause infections of skin, joints, lungs, and other organs, as well as eye problems. These infections can be difficult to diagnose and can require treatment lasting six months or longer with a combination of antibiotics. Severe abscesses can require extensive and multiple surgical debridements.