Dangerous Highways in Columbia, SC

South Carolina’s latest yearly count of motor vehicle accidents reported nearly 1,000 fatalities and more than 60,500 nonfatal injuries in traffic accidents. Both fatalities and nonfatal injuries declined slightly from the prior year, according to the SC Department of Public Safety (SCDPS).

“Almost no area of South Carolina was immune from traffic collisions in 2017,” the SCDPS says. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety said that every county experienced at least one fatal traffic collision during the year and seven counties had at least 40 traffic fatalities during 2017. Richland County had 52 traffic fatalities in 2017 and 50 in 2018.

Most car, truck and motorcycle accidents happen on U.S. primary and secondary roads. Secondary routes accounted for the largest percentage of fatal collisions. Meanwhile, more than 10 percent of collisions occurred on interstates in South Carolina.

Primary roads are generally divided, limited-access highways within the interstate highway system or under state management, and are distinguished by the presence of interchanges. Secondary roads are main arteries that have one or more lanes of traffic in each direction. They may or may not be divided, and usually have at-grade intersections with many other roads and driveways.

The SCDPS doesn’t identify specific U.S. and S.C. highways where crashes happened, but recent surveys of car accidents have spotlighted dangerous highways around Columbia and Richland County and throughout South Carolina.

Dangerous Highways Around Columbia and Richland County

The SC Department of Public Safety’s Traffic Crash Facts report says 16,428 traffic collisions occurred on interstate highways in South Carolina during 2017. Based on their shares of 96 fatalities and 3,533 injuries in accidents, the most dangerous were:

1. Interstate 26 – runs from near Landrum in Spartanburg County through Columbia to Charleston
2. I-20 – enters South Carolina near Augusta, Georgia, passes through Columbia and ends in Florence
3. I-85 – enters South Carolina south of Charlotte, N.C., before crossing the Upstate through Spartanburg and Greenville
4. I-95 – runs through Dillon, Florence, Santee, Walterboro and Hardeeville
5. I-77 – runs from the North Carolina state line near Rock Hill south to an interchange with I-26 near Columbia
6. I-385 – links the Greenville area with I-26 southeast to Columbia
7. I-126 – a spur route of I-26 almost entirely within the city limits of Columbia
8. I-526 – a spur route of I-26 serving as a bypass of US 17 North around Charleston
9. I-585 – a spur route connecting to the I-85 Business loop around Spartanburg
10. I-520 – an I-20 spur creating a loop around Augusta, Ga., and North Augusta, S.C.

A recent survey ranked several major freeways that run through South Carolina as being among the country’s 25 most dangerous highways. Those listed are I-20, I-95 and I-85 in the Top 15, U.S. 17 which passes through Myrtle Beach at No. 20 and U.S. 1, which goes through Camden, Columbia and Aiken, at No. 24.

The survey’s rankings were based on the number of fatalities on highways caused by crashes in moving traffic, overturned vehicles, pedestrians being hit and drivers hitting trees.

South Carolina Highways Among ‘Most Dangerous’

For a report published in March 2019 titled States With the Most Dangerous Roads, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the number of motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents in 2018 in states across the country using National Safety Council accident statistics and U.S. Census population estimates.

In its ranking of U.S. states, 24/7 Wall St. said South Carolina ranked No. 2 for most dangerous roads behind Mississippi.

The rate of motor vehicle fatalities across the country varies from fewer than 5 per 100,000 in one state to more than 20 per 100,000 in several others, 24/7 Wall St. said. Overall, the country’s rate is about 12 per 100,000 population. The difference in the likelihood of dying from a car crash depends on a variety of factors, including seat belt use, speed limits, drunk driving rates, and weather.

The survey found in S.C.:

• 1,034 motor vehicle fatalities in 2018 (10th most)
• 50% of those killed were not wearing seat belts (17th highest)
• 60% of fatal crashes were on rural roads (23rd highest).

In April, 24/7 Wall St. reported its Worst Cities to Drive in Every State and chose Florence in South Carolina. “The components of the index — which include average commute time, gas prices, and accident rates — were selected to capture an area’s safety, convenience, and cost of driving,” the report said.

In Florence, the survey found:

• 8 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people

• 23.1-minute average commute time (state average: 24.6 minutes)
• 92.1% of commuters drive to work (state: 91.3%)
• 275.5 car thefts per 100,000 people in 2017.

Talk to Our Columbia Car Accident Lawyers

A serious car, truck or motorcycle accident can happen on any road anywhere in Columbia or elsewhere in South Carolina at any time. At Joye Law Firm, our Columbia car accident attorneys represent people who are injured in accidents or lose loved ones due to others’ negligent disregard for safety.

Contact our auto accident lawyers in Columbia, North Charleston, Myrtle Beach or Clinton, SC, for a free consultation about your options for pursuing compensation from a careless or reckless driver who injured you in a traffic accident. We will be straightforward with you about whether we believe you have a valid legal claim. If we believe we can help, we will offer to handle your car accident case on a contingency fee basis. We do not receive a legal fee unless we recover money for you.

Reach out to Joye Law today. We can come to where you are in South Carolina to meet.

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First Vaping-Related Death Confirmed in S.C.

A South Carolina woman from the Upstate has become the state’s first casualty in a nationwide epidemic of e-cigarette vaping deaths.

The victim was a woman over 65 with underlying health conditions, Dr. Anna-Kathryn Burch of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control told The Greenville News. A DHEC news release says the woman had been “recently diagnosed with a vaping-related injury” known as e-cigarette, or vaping, associated lung injury (EVALI).

As of early December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2,291 cases of EVALI had been diagnosed nationwide, including 48 vaping-related deaths. Other deaths were still under investigation.

The CDC has previously said that most patients suspected of suffering from EVALI report a history of using vaping products containing THC. The CDC has identified inhalation of Vitamin E acetate, an additive used in the production of vaping products, as a possible common factor in reported EVALI cases.

THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana.Vitamin E acetate is used as an additive in the production of vaping products because it resembles THC oil. E-cigarettes also contain nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco.

What Does Vaping Do to Your Lungs?

Patients associated with EVALI report such symptoms as:

•  Cough, shortness of breath or chest pain
  •    Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea
  •    Fever, chills or weight loss.

A small study published in 2016 found that use of nicotine-containing vaping products triggers lung inflammation and lung tissue damage normally associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema.

Research published in January 2018 found that mice exposed to e-cigarette vapor displayed DNA damage in the lungs, bladder and heart, which could increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, and lung problems.

These studies focused on nicotine in e-cigarettes. The health risks of inhaling a vaporized version of Vitamin E acetate are a concern that was never considered prior to the current EVALI outbreak.

Vitamin E acetate is sticky, like honey, and clings to lung tissue. Researchers do not know exactly how it harms the lungs, but the CDC is considering conducting additional studies to try to understand that.

E-Cigarette Dangers and ‘Popcorn Lung’

The CDC has also said that, while there is a focus on Vitamin E as the culprit in quick-acting vaping-related lung disease, other chemicals in e-cigarettes and their side effects may be just as dangerous.

One such chemical is diacetyl, a flavor enhancer added to “e-juice” liquid by some e-cigarette companies. Diacetyl is better known as the buttery-flavored chemical in foods like popcorn, caramel and dairy products. More than a decade ago, diacetyl in microwave popcorn was linked to deaths and hundreds of cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and irreversible lung disease also known as “popcorn lung.”

Bronchiolitis obliterans causes scarring of the tiny air sacs in the lungs resulting in the thickening and narrowing of the airways, according to the American Lung Association. “It’s a serious lung disease that causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, similar to the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”

SC Lawmakers Work to Curb Youth Vaping

Charleston City Paper explains that South Carolina legislators are expected to consider several approaches to regulating e-cigarettes and vaping when they convene in 2020.

In 2019, legislators toughened the 2006 Youth Access to Tobacco Prevention Act. They defined vaping as a nicotine alternative, prohibited minors from entering retail establishments that sell primarily nicotine products, required schools to prohibit vaping on campus and at school events, and strengthened language about internet sales.

S.C. Rep. Beth Bernstein wants to regulate who sells vaping products and how the products are vetted as genuine. Two other bills related to vaping are being pushed by lobbyists funded by e-cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc., says Charleston City Paper. One would raise the nicotine product purchase age to 21. The other would prevent local governments from banning tobacco use. The latter bill, known as the “pre-emption bill,” passed the House in the last session.

Matthew Carpenter, a tobacco use cessation expert at the Medical University of South Carolina, agrees with raising the purchase age to 21 and also suggests:

• Licensing the sale of e-cigarette and vaping products
• Restricting flavors that could be enticing to young people
• Taxing alternative nicotine products like South Carolina already taxes tobacco.

Juul announced in October it would halt sales of its non-tobacco and non-menthol flavored vaping liquids and stop marketing to youths. The previous month, the Food and Drug Administration had sent a warning letter to Juul Labs, stating that the manufacturer had illegally marketed its products as less harmful than tobacco cigarettes and its representatives had made misleading statements about the products.

In November, Juul said it would halt U.S. sales of its best-selling, mint-flavored electronic cigarettes.

A leading manufacturer of e-cigarette products, Juul Labs has been named in lawsuits filed by adults and underage Juul users who claim they became addicted to nicotine through the company’s products.

Contact Our South Carolina Defective Products Lawyers

If you or your child has become ill or been otherwise harmed, including becoming addicted to nicotine, from using e-cigarettes and other vaping products, the South Carolina product liability attorneys at Joye Law Firm would like to speak to you.

E-cigarettes and vaping have been illegally marketed by Juul as a safer, non-addictive alternative to smoking standard tobacco cigarettes. Under product liability law, manufacturers may be compelled to compensate consumers who used their product and were harmed if the manufacturer knew or should have known is was harmful and failed to adequately warn consumers.

Under South Carolina product liability law, a defective products lawsuit can be brought against a manufacturer, wholesaler and the retailer that sold the faulty item.

Joye Law Firm can help you evaluate the evidence you have to support a potential product liability lawsuit, identify all possible liable parties, and fight to ensure that you receive the full amount of compensation you deserve.

Call Joye Law Firm or fill out our online case evaluation form to set up a free discussion of your case. We have offices in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Clinton, and Columbia, but our defective products attorneys are ready to take care of your case anywhere in South Carolina.

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South Carolina Roads: Rated The Worst in America.

A state-by-state survey of road conditions says South Carolina roads are bumpy, pocked by potholes and among the most dangerous in the nation.

According to ConsumerAffairs, “South Carolina has the worst roads in the U.S., followed by Louisiana, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Delaware. Residents of these states said the roads have potholes, illegible street signs and regular heavy congestion.”

In addition to a variety of federal statistics, the ConsumerAffairs roads survey considered such factors as:

• Motor vehicle accident fatalities on roads per mile
• Percentage of roads in poor, fair and good condition
• Amount the state spends per mile of road

The survey found that 18% of South Carolina roads are in “poor” condition and 35% are “good” roads.

“A respondent in Fort Mill said the streets are ‘not adequate to handle the volume of traffic,’” ConsumerAffairs said. “One respondent called Lancaster ‘pothole city,’ and another in Little River reported cracks and missing pavement.

In a report about the survey, WCNC TV in Charlotte, N.C., says the South Carolina Department of Transportation “noted that the survey released by Consumer Affairs references all public roads in the state. SCDOT owns and maintains about two-thirds of public highways in the state.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the source ConsumerAffairs used, says there were 924 fatal motor vehicle accidents in South Carolina in 2017 and 988 deaths. IIHS says South Carolina had the highest fatality based on miles travelled in the nation that year.

South Carolina Working to Improve Roads Reputation

ConsumerAffairs notes in the report that South Carolina had increased taxes on gasoline by 4%, which has generated more than $149 million to pay for state road improvements, including resurfacing projects.

This year is the third year of six annual 2-cent gas tax increases. The increase will generate an additional $70 million a year for the state’s roads, The State in Columbia said in June as this year’s increase was about to go into effect.

Officials with SCDOT told WIS TV 10 that over $1 billion in road improvements are in the works.

South Carolina Transportation Secretary Christy Hall told The State in June that the state had $11 billion worth of pavement needs as a result of 30 years’ worth of backlogged maintenance. Since 1987, South Carolina has had one of the lowest fuel taxes in the U.S.

With the fuel tax hike in 2017, SCDOT began a 10-year plan to improve the state’s highways, with an emphasis on repaving roads. The plan includes doubling the percentage of good roads by:

• Rebuilding and repaving roads
• Preserving and maintaining good roads
• Improving 1,000 miles of the “worst-of-the-worst” rural roads where the highest numbers of fatalities occur
• Replacing a significant number of deficient bridges
• Improving the state’s interstate system.

The South Carolina 2017 Traffic Collision Fact Book says the roadway conditions were the primary contributing factor in one fatal accident in 2017 and three in 2016. Roadway conditions were the primary contributing factor in 963 nonfatal car accidents in South Carolina in 2017 and 1,031 in 2016.

How Can Poor Roads Conditions Cause Car Accidents?

Bad road conditions can cause car accidents. If the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway or a highway contractor can be shown to have neglected its responsibilities and caused your accident as a result, then you may be able to file an accident claim. Typical roadway hazards include:

• Potholes. Holes in the road often form when water seeps into cracks, freezes and expands, which breaks up pavement or asphalt, causing it to collapse. A car that hits a pothole or other broken pavement can blow a tire or suffer other damage that throws it off course and into a collision or may prevent it from stopping in time to avoid a crash.
• Standing water. Cars can hydroplane and crash if they hit standing water on a roadway. Pooled water on the road can also freeze during the winter to create a hazard. Standing water on a road may be caused by poorly designed drainage systems or clogged drains that are not maintained, or faulty roadway design.
• Obscured or missing signage. Governmental bodies are responsible for maintenance that keeps trees, shrubs and other flora from blocking road signs and limiting visibility. They must also replace fallen, stolen or otherwise missing or illegible stop signs, yield signs, and railroad crossing signs.
• Malfunctioning traffic signals. Governmental agencies must repair malfunctioning stoplights and railroad crossing signals and gates as soon as possible. Police officers should direct traffic at intersections without functioning lights. Railroad officials should be warned of malfunctioning gates, and trains should stop to dispatch signalmen to improperly guarded crossings.
• Obscured or missing lane markers. Faded white and yellow lane markers should be repainted after repaving in a timely manner. Lane markings are particularly important to safety in curves and no-passing zones.
• Work zones. A highway work zone exposes workers and drivers to hazards if the zone is not properly designed and signaled. A work zone must segregate traffic from workers and have signage and/or flaggers positioned to ensure that drivers are advised in time to slow down.

Contact a South Carolina Car Accident Attorney

If you have been injured in a car or truck accident that was caused by poor road conditions, you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. The car accident attorneys of Joye Law Firm can discuss a claim with you at no charge.

Joye Law Firm has offices in Charleston, Columbia, Clinton and Myrtle Beach, and serves clients from across South Carolina. Contact us today or complete our free, no-obligation accident questionnaire.

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