South Carolina State Troopers Report Fewer Summer Traffic Fatalities

State troopers reported a reduction in summer traffic fatalities and 2012 highway deaths in South Carolina are also down to 613 from 647 in mid-October of 2011.

2012-10-18

October 18, 2012 (Press-News.org) South Carolina State Troopers Report Fewer Summer Traffic Fatalities

Personal injuries and wrongful deaths resulting from car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents are a tragic fact of life in South Carolina. However, some good news was recently announced by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, which released traffic wreck figures for the high-travel 100 days of summer.

State troopers reported a reduction in summer traffic fatalities, a time of the year when many families hit the road for vacations and activities. Overall 2012 traffic fatalities in South Carolina are also down to 613 from 647 in mid-October of 2011.

A Highway Patrol Corporal who announced these positive figures cautioned against getting complacent given the prominent role that driver error plays in serious and fatal car accidents. Year to year, the most likely causes of highway deaths are drunk driving, speeding and driving excessively fast for given conditions.

The upcoming holiday season remains one of the most dangerous times of the year, with increased intoxication, earlier sunsets and the potential for roads to become slippery with ice and snow, especially on inland highways away from Charleston. Whatever the season, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety emphasizes the importance of using seat belts, as 235 of the 613 traffic fatalities so far this year involved motorists and passengers who were not wearing restraints.

Of course, the overall figure also includes bicyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists who do not have the safety advantages that a car, truck or van provides. The severe forces exerted in motor vehicles accidents put terrible strains on the human body, all too easily leading to broken bones, head trauma or spinal injuries. When that happens, a thorough review of the circumstances by a personal injury lawyer can help injury victims make sense of what happened and begin to explore their legal options.

When a car or truck accident leads to a wrongful death, the law allows the estate to pursue compensation for financial losses and certain survivors to seek damages for loss of society, consortium, love and comfort due to the loss of a loved one.

While reductions in accident rates are a meaningful step for society, they mean little to the parent or spouse who first hears about a fatal car wreck from a state trooper on their doorstep. A car accident attorney can provide significant relief to those who are reeling from an unexpected tragedy by coordinating the legal and financial details of a civil lawsuit against a negligent driver.

Article provided by Pierce, Herns, Sloan & McLeod, LLC
Visit us at www.phsm.net

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New York Court: Viewing Child Pornography Not the Same as Possession

2012-10-18

New York Court: Viewing Child Pornography Not the Same as Possession Possessing child pornography is a serious crime in New York. However, in the age of the Internet, it is sometimes unclear what "possession" really means. Is it enough to simply visit a webpage that contains illicit material? Or does a person need to take affirmative steps to download or otherwise save the prohibited images? The New York Court of Appeals recently addressed this issue, holding that simply visiting a webpage that contains child pornography is not enough to support a conviction. The ...

Tennessee Motor-Vehicle Accident Numbers on the Rise This Year

2012-10-18

Tennessee Motor-Vehicle Accident Numbers on the Rise This Year It only takes a few minutes of online searching to discover information about recent Tennessee motor-vehicle accidents: -A 16-year-old teenage girl from Seymour and one of her pastors died in a fiery head-on collision while riding home in a van from a Gatlinburg church retreat. -A 60-year-old Bradley County woman died when her car hit another that was traveling toward her the wrong way in the wrong lane after dark with the headlights off. The other driver is being investigated for possible drug use. ...

Social Security Disability Insurance: Worth Fighting For

2012-10-18

Social Security Disability Insurance: Worth Fighting For People know that money is deducted from their paychecks and sent to the federal government for Social Security, and most assume this means they will receive monthly retirement benefits in their golden years. What many are not aware of is that the Social Security program is even a broader safety net than that cast by retirement benefits. The law provides for monthly disability insurance benefits for workers if they become disabled from working before retirement age. According to the Social Security Administration, ...

Defense Attorney Mark O'Brien Obtains Lighter Sentence in Sex Crime Case

2012-10-18

To ensure that a criminal defense case has the greatest possible outcome, defendants should entrust a team of expert lawyers with the tools and experience required for complex criminal matters. In Tampa, Florida, the attorneys at O'Brien Hatfield, P.A., go out of their way for clients. This dynamic duo has a history of high-profile successes. For example, defense attorney Mark O'Brien was recently able to reduce the potential sentence for a defendant in a newsworthy case involving accusations of child pornography and rape. Specifically, a former assistant cruise director ...

Philadelphia Attorney Dean Weitzman To Discuss The Impact Of Social Media On Litigation in Pennsylvania

2012-10-18

On Friday, October 19, Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Dean Weitzman of Silvers, Langsam & Weitzman, P.C., - also known as My Philly Lawyer - will present a continuing education seminar to the Pennsylvania Association of Paralegals (PAP) on the influence of social media on litigation and trial strategy. As social media - such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and G+, among others - have seemingly become a part of everyday life, their impact on the courtroom cannot be overlooked. Particularly in Philadelphia personal injury lawsuits, statements made on social media ...

The Interplay of Divorce and a Family's Religious Beliefs

2012-10-18

The high-profile split of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has brought to the forefront an issue that most couples might not consider when thinking of divorce: how religious beliefs and dogma might influence the dissolution of a marriage. No one knows for sure if the split of "Tom-Kat" is a direct result of Tom's steadfast belief in the teachings of Scientology, but the issue of whether differing faiths could "make or break" a marriage is an important one that bears further scrutiny. What Role Does Religion Play in a Marriage? Traditionally, ...

Battery Fire "Sparks" Debate About Automobile Safety

2012-10-18

General Motors offered to buy back Chevrolet Volt vehicles after a defect investigation was opened into the car's battery. The National Highway Safety Administration opened the investigation after two Volt batteries caught on fire following crash simulations. The first battery caught on fire three weeks following a simulation. The second battery caught on fire only a week later. In yet another simulated crash, a battery emitted smoke and a spark. There is currently no explanation for the battery fires. To appease customer concerns, GM offered free loaner vehicles ...

NYC: Safe for Reckless Drivers, Dangerous for Pedestrians?

2012-10-18

It may not be surprising to learn that bicycle and pedestrian accidents in New York City are commonplace, but the statistics are upsetting. While pedestrians account for approximately 11.4 percent of traffic deaths in the United States, that percentage jumps to 49.6 percent in New York. Bicycle statistics are not much better; bicyclists account for 6.1 percent of all traffic deaths in New York City, three times the U.S. average. (See the data in this 2012 road safety study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.) New York, of course, has many ...

Traumatic Brain Injuries and Maritime Workers

2012-10-18

An estimated 1.7 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A traumatic brain injury can occur from any type of trauma to the head, and some of the most common causes are auto accidents, falls and being struck by objects. Maritime workers who often work under dangerous conditions with heavy equipment may be at increased risk for traumatic brain injuries from falls, falling objects and other hazards of work at sea. Injuries at Sea Maritime workers work on many different types of ...

4t Networks Partners with Semaphore Co for Flat-Fee Disaster Recovery Assessments

2012-10-18

Cloud hosting company 4t Networks is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Semaphore Co to provide customers with flat-fee Disaster Recovery assessments. Though disaster can happen to anyone at any time, with causes ranging from human error, a virus, hackers, or even natural disaster like hurricanes, many companies are not properly prepared with a viable disaster recovery plan. While no one expects disaster to actually strike, preparing yourself beforehand is much easier than dealing with the repercussions that can arise afterwards without a Disaster Recovery ...