Friday, March 27, 2020

Six Joye Law Firm Attorneys Included in 2020 Best Lawyers in America®

bestlawyers 2020 badgeThe South Carolina injury law firm is proud to have six attorneys recognized by their legal peers

We are pleased to announce that six attorneys in Joye Law Firm’s North Charleston office have been selected for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, reflecting the strength and depth of our legal team.

The Best Lawyers’ recognition includes firm honor and individual Lawyer of the Year accolades for two of our attorneys who received the highest peer review feedback within a specific practice area in Charleston. Only one attorney is recognized as Lawyer of the Year for each specialty and location.

Senior Partner, Mark C. Joye was honored by Best Lawyers as the 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs for Charleston.

Managing Partner, Attorney Ken Harrell was awarded 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in the category of Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs for Charleston.

Joye Law Firm is top listed by Best Lawyers for the law firm’s work in Personal Injury Litigation – plaintiffs in North Charleston. The top-listed honor is given to the law firm that has the most listed lawyers in a particular practice area in a geographic area. The four attorneys at Joye Law Firm recognized for their work representing plaintiffs in personal injury litigation in Charleston are Patrick L. Jennings, Sydney Lynn, Christopher McCool and Mark Joye.

Our law firm is also top listed by Best Lawyers in Charleston in the practice area of Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants with four attorneys included. Those recognized include Matthew W. Jackson, who heads Joye Law’s Workers’ Compensation Department, as well as Patrick Jennings, Ken Harrell and Mark Joye.

For more than 50 years, Joye Law Firm has prided itself on delivering the best possible representation to South Carolinians struggling to recover from serious injuries. In addition to the Best Lawyers’ recognition, many of our attorneys have been listed as South Carolina Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Joye Law Firm has been listed with an AV rating by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell legal directory. An AV rating is the highest rating for legal skill and ethics.

Joye Law Firm was founded in 1968 by the renowned trial lawyer, Attorney Reese Joye. Since that time, the firm has developed a national reputation for legal ethics and skill and has secured more than half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients. We have helped thousands of people in South Carolina overcome serious injuries and move forward with their lives. Read testimonials from our former clients and reach out to us if may assist you. We care about our clients and we think our passion for justice shows.

Best Lawyers publishes lists of top-rated lawyers in more than 70 countries and is the oldest and most respected lawyer-ranking service in the world. Founded in 1981, Best Lawyers seeks to highlight the accomplishments of those in the legal profession. Recognition by Best Lawyers in America is based entirely on peer review.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Fired While on Workers’ Compensation: Can It Happen To Me in S.C.?

Sometimes an unscrupulous employer will decide that the easiest way to limit the cost of a  workers’ compensation claim is to fire the injured worker. Anyone on workers’ compensation who finds themselves in this situation should contact a workers’ comp attorney right away.

It is against the law in South Carolina to fire an employee simply because the injured worker has opened a workers’ compensation claim. This is illegal retaliation. But South Carolina is an “employment-at-will” state and the law leans heavily in employers’ favor. There are several ways you can legally lose your job while on workers’ comp.

An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer at Joye Law Firm can dig into the circumstances of your termination and protect your rights if you have been illegally fired. You may be entitled to be reinstated if you were improperly dismissed. Our workers’ compensation attorneys at Joye Law Firm are committed to fighting for injured workers.

Losing Your Job While on Workers’ Comp

Workers’ compensation is an insurance program that provides paid medical care and financial benefits for employees who are injured on the job. With few exceptions, an injured worker in South Carolina can receive paid medical treatment and receive weekly checks while out of work to cover a portion of lost wages, regardless of who is responsible for the injury.

The objective of workers’ compensation is to help the employee recover so that he or she may return to their job duties. Under workers’ compensation rules, the worker’s treating doctor can eventually declare the worker has recovered sufficiently to return to work.

South Carolina law recognizes certain business reasons for a business to dismiss an employee.

They include:

  • Inability to operate without a key position filled. If the injured employee performed a job essential to the business’s operations, the owner may replace him or her instead of letting the business suffer. If there is not another suitable position for the returning worker, the employer is not required to retain them.
  • The returning worker is no longer capable of performing the job.
  • There’s no position available that accommodates the worker’s injury-related disability or medically prescribed work restrictions, including light-duty work or a permanent position.
  • The cost of refitting a workspace to accommodate the employee’s temporary or permanent disabilities would be an unreasonable financial hardship on the employer.
  • The employer decides that the worker’s job performance does not meet established standards.

However, a business that fires an injured worker for filing a workers’ comp claim may try to defend its action by citing one of the business reasons for not retaining an injured worker who has filed for benefits or is on workers’ compensation leave. If you are facing this situation, it’s helpful to have one of our experienced workers’ comp attorneys review the facts and discuss your rights as an injured worker.

If you are let go from employment because you are physically unable to perform your job, you should continue to receive workers’ comp disability benefits until your treating physician reports that your status has changed.

How We Fight Wrongful Termination Over Workers’ Comp Claims in SC

In South Carolina, the employer may in theory end the employment relationship without giving a reason. However, public policy exceptions to at-will employment make it illegal for an employer to fire an employee if doing so breaks the law. This includes firing someone for seeking workers’ compensation.

You may seek reinstatement if you have been fired based on having filed for workers’ compensation in South Carolina. Whether you want to get your job back, negotiate a settlement or pursue a lawsuit, a lawyer from Joye Law Firm can help you assert your legal rights.

We would investigate why you were let go from your job to determine whether the employer’s stated reason was valid. In addition to interviewing multiple parties at your workplace to determine the sequence of events leading to your dismissal, we would seek a court order for access to certain records, such as:

  • Job descriptions
  • Organizational charts and employee headcounts
  • Employee handbooks
  • Records of pay raises
  • Records of disciplinary actions
  • Performance reviews.

We would obtain your medical records to establish your fitness for work, if that is an issue, and could help you obtain additional assessments if necessary to strengthen your claim.

It is important for you to keep all documentation you have related to your injury and your employment status, particularly correspondence (mail or email) between you and your employer, human resources or others at your workplace.

We would investigate your employer’s claims and seek any available evidence that rebuts their assertions and builds a solid case for you. Sometimes our investigation itself causes an employer to rethink their position and come up with a solution that keeps our client on the job.

Settling Your Workers’ Compensation Claim

It is easy to understand that you might not want to return to a job if you knew your employer wanted to fire you.

In such a case, we could work to settle and close your workers’ compensation claim. This is a negotiated agreement that results in a lump-sum payment in lieu of continuing benefit checks. Its terms must be approved by the S.C. Workers’ Compensation Commission.

In South Carolina, there are three types of settlement:

  • A Form 16A agreement, which continues to pay for any further medical treatment recommended by the treating physician and allows one year to file a change-of-condition claim and obtain additional medical benefits.
  • A so-called “clincher” agreement, which typically ends all benefits.
  • An indemnity-only clincher, which provides for ongoing medical treatment.

We would thoroughly review your claim and discuss options with you. As you approach “maximum medical improvement,” your costs and losses related to your work injury and appropriate workers’ comp benefits would be apparent. Negotiating a settlement that satisfies your costs and losses to the fullest extent allowed under S.C. workers’ compensation regulations could allow you to put this chapter behind you so you can move on with your financial stability ensured.

Contact Our SC Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

You have a legal right to workers’ compensation benefits if injured on the job and to return to work if and when you recover. If your employer terminates your employment or seeks to end benefits, contact Joye Law Firm for a free consultation with one of our workers’ compensation attorneys.

Our firm has offices in North Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Clinton, and we represent work injury victims throughout South Carolina, including Horry County, Richland County, Laurens County and Lexington County. Please call us at 877-936-9707 or fill out this online case evaluation form now.

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Monday, March 9, 2020

Brian Center Nursing Care Fails to Help Resident with Extreme Weight Loss

Brian Center Nursing Home has been cited for allegedly neglecting a resident who rapidly lost weight. The facility did not provide adequate nutrition and failed to determine the cause of this resident’s weight loss.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

This resident was admitted with depression, dementia, and type 2 diabetes six years prior to the abuse described in this report. In three months and 17 days, the resident lost 36 pounds, which was 18% of their body weight at that time. The resident weighed 200 pounds on July 10, quickly decreasing in weight until they weighed 164 pounds on October 24.

The resident’s record showed a continuous decrease in weight over these three months, during which the nursing home’s only intervention was to switch the resident from a solid diet to pureed, thin liquids. The nursing home’s Certified Dietary Manager told the state investigator that the resident did not meet the facility’s threshold for “significant” weight loss until three months and three days since they began losing weight.

Just a few days later, the resident was admitted to the hospital due to symptoms of lethargy. After the first day in the hospital, the emergency room (ER) physician reported the facility for alleged abuse to the hospital’s social services, who proceeded to call the state ombudsman. The physician alleged that the nursing home had failed to care for the condition that caused the resident to be admitted to the hospital.

An ombudsman is an advocate certified by the state to visit long term care facilities and ensure that residents are being treated fairly and receiving quality care. These ombudsmen can be staff or volunteer, but all are able to take complaints and work with residents and their families to resolve any issues they may face in a nursing home.

The nursing home’s record did not have any documentation that pertained to the ER physician’s alleged neglect. One of the nursing home’s Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) stated in an interview with the investigator that the resident had been admitted to the emergency room for lethargy.

The survey team working to compile this report asked for the facility’s full investigative report about the neglect that the ER physician had alleged, but both the Director of Nursing and the Administrator said they were unfamiliar with the issue. The survey team did find that hospital social services notified the state ombudsman and that the facility’s marketing director received a call with this notification. The Director of Nursing and the Administrator were unable to produce “any documentation” about the ER physician’s allegation, including the timeline for these events.

A nursing home is tasked with maintaining each resident’s health and, as much as it is able, to prevent further decline. This means that nursing staff, dietitians, and each resident’s physician work together to create individualized care plans that promote good health for each resident. This nursing home failed to have a plan in place to react to the resident’s rapid weight loss, as the threshold for severe weight loss was hit when they had already lost more than 10% of their original body weight—a significant drop in weight.

In addition to the neglect associated with the resident’s weight loss, the facility also administered doses of an antibiotic beyond what was ordered by a physician and for longer than was ordered. This did not cause additional harm to the resident, but this pattern of incorrect administration for multiple residents shows a poor level of care in this nursing home.

The nursing home was cited for violating three things in this report regarding this resident:

  1. Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
  2. Report of suspected abuse, neglect, or theft in a timely manner and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
  3. Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident’s health.
  4. Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

This is our third blog post about this nursing home. Previous posts have addressed the facility’s failure to respond to resident-to-resident abuse and a resident’s pattern of dangerous falls.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, we will provide a free, confidential case evaluation with no obligation to hire us. With nearly 250 years of shared experience, Joye Law Firm attorneys are consistently recognized by clients and peers at the highest level of professional excellence. We make sure to fight hard for our clients and are honest with them every step of the way.

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Resident Verbally Abused at Broad Creek Care Center

Broad Creek Care Center in Hilton Head Island, SC, has been cited for abuse after a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) yelled at a resident. The CNA was seen yelling and pointing their finger at the resident. The facility has a clear policy against verbal abuse, which is defined in the policy as “the use of oral, written, or gestured language that includes disparaging and derogatory terms to a resident.”

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

The CNA was escorted out of the building and put on administrative leave, but they chose not to attend a follow-up meeting surrounding the incident. The Administrator, however, agreed that the CNA had violated the nursing home’s verbal abuse policy. The state agency never received a two-hour report from the facility, and a five-day report sent to the state agency was late. The Administrator also agreed that the report was sent in late.

Even though this incident was witnessed by another staff member, the nursing home Administrator did not believe it constituted abuse; this is inconsistent with their admission that the CNA violated the facility’s policy. The Administrator and the Director of Nursing had no record of a two-hour incident report because they did not classify this action as abuse. The facility said they had a 24-hour report from the Director of Nursing, but could not find a physical copy.

The resident did report that a CNA yelled at them while pointing in the resident’s face. This act of aggression would look like verbal abuse to a bystander, but the facility did not investigate the alleged abuse thoroughly. The citation report did not share the resident’s perspective or feelings surrounding the incident, but verbal abuse can be very harmful to those who live in nursing homes.

Nursing home facilities promise residents and their loved ones that the residents will be safe, protected, and given quality care. Nursing home residents are extremely vulnerable; their purpose for being in a nursing home is to receive medical care that could not be provided elsewhere. They are inherently dependent, relying completely on nursing home staff for daily living and any medical issues that may arise.

Working with nursing home residents does take perseverance and a desire to care for vulnerable adults. However, abuse and neglect are never acceptable responses to the stress of this work. Insulting, scolding, or threatening a resident is not to be tolerated. In this case, the resident was able to report the incident, but verbal abuse may not always be reported by a resident, family member, or another staff member.

Verbal abuse also has extensive consequences. This CNA’s comments were not disclosed in the citation report, so there is no way to know what was said or how the resident might feel about these statements. The symptoms of verbal abuse could be withdrawal or depression, decreased self-esteem, changes in personality or mood, agitation, insomnia, or increased fear and anxiety. This type of abuse can be addressed by family members who see changes in their loved ones. Knowing the signs of abuse can allow family members to protect those who are in nursing homes.

Nursing home residents also benefit when family members are able to visit regularly. Visiting at different times of the week also encourages nursing home staff to take care of residents throughout the week. Getting to know the nursing home staff can also be helpful in promoting quality care for a loved one.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, we will provide a free, confidential case evaluation with no obligation to hire us. With nearly 250 years of shared experience, Joye Law Firm attorneys are consistently recognized by clients and peers at the highest level of professional excellence. We make sure to fight hard for our clients and are honest with them every step of the way.

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Resident Tips Another Resident out of Wheelchair, Causing Hip Injury

Springdale Healthcare Center in Camden, SC, has been cited for failing to prevent resident-to-resident abuse and failing to report the incident of abuse in a timely manner.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) stated that there was an altercation between two residents. One resident got out of bed and sat in their roommate’s wheelchair. The roommate saw this and began yelling at the resident sitting in the wheelchair, saying “This is my wheelchair. Get out.” The roommate lifted the wheelchair, causing the other resident to slide to the floor.

Once the resident had slid out of their wheelchair, another LPN who was assigned to the resident heard something pop. The LPN recommended that the resident go to the hospital, but the Director of Nursing did not respond to the notification at 5:30 am. The LPN continued to reach out, then contacted the Unit Manager at 6:00 am. The LPN did not get a response and stopped their efforts to call a supervisor, citing the fact that they were busy doing paperwork.

The LPN’s actions kept a resident with a likely serious injury from the care they needed. This LPN may have seen the injury as minor, but stated in the interview with the state investigator writing this report that the resident should receive care at a hospital. There are two clear possible reasons for this delay: the LPN did not prioritize the resident’s care because of their indifference to the resident’s welfare or the LPN was under a large amount of pressure to complete paperwork and saw no other alternative. Both of these reasons reflect poorly on the facility itself. Nursing homes must fulfill their obligation to work for residents’ health and well being as well as enable nursing staff to care for residents when needed, not overwork them.

The injured resident complained of right hip discomfort, and the facility made arrangements to relocate them to another room. The roommate was placed on 30-minute checks and given a psychiatric consultation five days following the incident. In a statement collected by the facility, the roommate said that they had woken up when they heard a noise in the room and saw the other resident going through their things. When the other resident sat in the wheelchair, the roommate stated that they walked over, took the handles, and “dumped” the other resident on the floor.

The incident occurred at 5:30 am, but was not reported until 8:30 am to the nursing home administrator. This should have happened much earlier, as the injured resident was waiting on care for a hip injury. The injured resident’s medical doctor and the responsible representatives for each party were notified after the Administrator. It is unclear when the resident was taken to the hospital, but the resident came back to the facility after they were admitted for their hip injury.

The roommate was interviewed by the state investigators compiling the citation report, but they did not remember the incident. They stated that they felt safe and were comfortable with the staff. The injured resident did not remember the incident either, but remembered that they moved to a private room because their previous roommate was noisy and loud.

In this instance, the nursing home did take the correct action by separating the residents, checking on the roommate who caused a resident’s injury, and getting the injured resident to the hospital. However, the facility failed to do so in a timely manner. Delaying resident care and the notification of a resident’s family can have serious consequences. A resident’s health could be jeopardized by delayed care, and important decisions could be made without the input of a resident’s representative as is sometimes necessary.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, we will provide a free, confidential case evaluation with no obligation to hire us. With nearly 250 years of shared experience, Joye Law Firm attorneys are consistently recognized by clients and peers at the highest level of professional excellence. We make sure to fight hard for our clients and are honest with them every step of the way.

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Citation Reveals Nursing Home’s Failure to Report Resident Injuries

Dr. Ronald E McNair Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has been cited for the physical abuse of a resident. A family member shared with the investigator compiling this citation report that a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) had kicked the resident, causing the resident to develop medical problems.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

The first documentation of this abuse was from a physician’s note, which stated that the resident was wincing in pain after being kick in the left tibia-fibula area by a CNA in the facility. The incident was not reported to the state within two hours, and the five-day investigation was not completed until two-and-a-half months later. There was no explanation for the nursing home’s delay in reporting the incident, a violation of state policy.

Five months after a CNA kicked this resident, a nurse saw a large hematoma on the resident’s left arm, a collection of blood just beneath the skin. A hematoma could be taken care of by the body like a bruise but sometimes needs additional care to be resolved. A hematoma is not a minor injury, but often caused by a fall or severe trauma to the affected area of the body. Two months later the bruising spread to the resident’s left temple, around the entire right eye, and to the right cheek area.

Just one month later, a nurse saw a bluish tint to the resident’s interior thumb and redness on another part of the hand. The resident had not complained of pain, but an x-ray revealed that they had sustained an acute oblique fourth metacarpal shaft fracture. This injury was reported the day after the x-ray, but this was still a day later than is required by the state. Nursing homes need to report incidents such as this injury within two hours. The five-day report was also late. The facility did not give reasons as to why the reports for this injury were late.

A few weeks after the facility found a fracture in the resident’s hand, the resident had a bruise on the right side of their face, beneath the eye and near their nose. Two months following this observation, the resident was involved in a resident-to-resident altercation. Many of the injuries this resident suffered in a few months were not reported to the state.

Likewise, the altercation with another resident was not reported. This resident had been abused by a CNA once, but showed continued signs of abuse or injury. The fracture in their hand was documented and treated, but the facility did not investigate the cause of this injury. The cause for such injuries could have been repeated falls or physical abuse, which are both cause for serious concern.

Multiple cases of reporting delays or complete omissions are documented in this particular citation. All of these were reportable incidents, which should have all been reported, investigated, and submitted in a timely manner.

  • A resident was reviewed for neglect, which had been reported by a family member. This and another resident’s alleged neglect were not reported to the state within two hours as is required. One report was submitted after six days, and the other after nine days. This does not appear to be a nursing home facility that cares for its residents’ well being.
  • One resident was sexually abused by another resident, but no two-hour report was filed as a part of the investigation. Both residents were separated after the incident, but were not able to be interviewed due to their inability to communicate and remember the incident clearly.
  • The facility received results for a resident’s x-ray, which showed a fracture in their right hip. The nursing home reported this injury more than a month later.
  • Yet another resident suffered an injury of unknown origin in this facility. The resident had fallen and complained of joint pain, leading the facility to conduct an x-ray. This scan revealed a dislocated shoulder. The facility never investigated or reported this incident.

Dr. Ronald E McNair Nursing & Rehabilitation Center failed to care for residents in multiple scenarios over a series of months. This lack of care for residents is not only poor management and organization, but a failure to prioritize patient health. Injuries that result from a fall or physical abuse can cause serious health issues or a decreased quality of life. Injuries such as those described here are often the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. Failing to report incidents in a timely manner keeps state authorities and families from holding the nursing home accountable.

Don’t wait. Get help for nursing home abuse today.

If you suspect nursing home abuse, we will provide a free, confidential case evaluation with no obligation to hire us. With nearly 250 years of shared experience, Joye Law Firm attorneys are consistently recognized by clients and peers at the highest level of professional excellence. We make sure to fight hard for our clients and are honest with them every step of the way.

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Monday, March 2, 2020

Hands-Free Act Soon To Tackle Distracted Driving in South Carolina

South Carolina lawmakers propose to fight distracted driving with the Hands-Free Act, which would make it illegal to hold a cell phone, computer or other wireless device while driving in South Carolina. Cell phones are a common source of distraction for motorists in Charleston and throughout the Palmetto State and the cause of many fender benders and more serious accidents.

Specifically, the Hands-Free Act would make it illegal for drivers in South Carolina to hold a cell phone or other electronic device such as a tablet or pad that “stores audio or video data files to be retrieved on demand”, or to watch a video or movie while operating a vehicle.

Car Accidents Caused by Texting

Texting while driving is already illegal in South Carolina. But police officers have said the current $25 fine is too little to be a deterrent, and the law is essentially unenforceable because drivers who are pulled over can claim they were using their phones to navigate or to make a call — both of which are legal, The State newspaper reported.

The legislation proposes to increase the fine for distracted driving from $25 to $100 for the first offense and up to $400 for a second offense. Two points would come off an offender’s driver’s license upon a first conviction and four points would be assessed for a second offense.

In testimony before a Senate panel, speakers from transportation safety agencies, trucking and biking groups and South Carolinians whose loved ones have been killed in distracted driving incidents hailed the bill as a step forward.

Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan told Senators about his Deputy Chelsea Cockrell, who was working as a crossing guard when a distracted driver sped through the school zone and hit her at 40 miles per hour, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying. “It’s a miracle — God was definitely with her — that she didn’t sustain any major injuries,” Boan said.

Transportation Committee Chairman Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, told The State in Columbia in January that he supports the measure. Grooms predicted that the legislation has a good chance of approval this year.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 21 states have hands-free laws. All are primary enforcement laws, meaning police may cite a driver for using a handheld cellphone without any other traffic offense taking place. South Carolina’s law would be a primary enforcement law, as well.

Dangers of Texting while Driving in South Carolina

Distracted driving refers to any type of non-driving activity that a motorist engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the task of driving.

According to the South Carolina Department of Insurance, phone use while driving is known to shift a driver’s attention more than any other form of distraction in a car. Writing, reading and/or sending a text message requires visual, manual and cognitive attention.

Texting draws a driver’s attention away from the road for at least 5 seconds. That means if you are going 55 mph, texting is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) says distracted driving caused at least 3,166 deaths in more than 1 million car accidents in 2017. One in every four car accidents is caused by distracted driving, the NHTSA says. More than 390,000 injuries happen each year in accidents involving distracted driving.

The possibility of having an accident when a driver engages in distracted driving activities is much greater than when a driver has his or her full focus on the road.

The National Safety Council estimates that 94% of teens are well informed about the dangers of texting and driving. But 34% of teen drivers surveyed by the NHTSA admitted to using their phones behind the wheel. This happens despite the fact that it’s against the law to text and drive in 48 states, South Carolina included.

Meanwhile, South Carolina ranks among the top 10 state for having the worst drivers, according to the NHTSA. The state ranks 5th in careless driving and 11th in speeding. South Carolina ranks in the top five in the nation for fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, and 982 people died in traffic accidents on our state roads in 2017. That equates to one death every nine hours.

Contact a Texting and Driving Accident Lawyer in South Carolina

Despite current law and multiple public awareness campaigns, South Carolina drivers continue to use cellphones behind the wheel and to text while driving. Our attorneys at Joye Law Firm have seen the harm caused by distracted drivers. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, evidence that the other driver was sending or reading a text at the time of the accident could help establish that the distracted driver should be held liable for your medical bills and related losses.

Our texting and driving car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm investigate car accidents to determine who was at fault and who should be legally compelled to compensate our injured clients. We move quickly to obtain cellphone records when evidence such as lack of braking, slowing or swerving to avoid a collision indicates the likelihood of distracted driving.

If you think the South Carolina car accident that left you or a loved one injured was caused by a distracted driver, our personal injury lawyers at Joye Law Firm want to hear from you. We have offices in Myrtle Beach, Clinton, Columbia and Charleston. Our distracted driving attorneys are ready to handle your case anywhere in South Carolina.

You can reach us at (888) 324-3100 or fill out an online consultation form today. An initial consultation is free, and we do not charge legal fees unless we recover money for you. Call now.

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