Sep 25, 2012 | Child Accidents, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Taser International Inc. has been ordered to pay $10 million to the Charlotte family of a teenager who died after being shocked by a Charlotte police officer.
The jury in a federal court retured the verdict for the wrongful death of 17-year-old Darryl Turner, the teen who collapsed and died on the floor of a Food Lion store in northeast Charlotte in March 2008. The teen was arguing with his manager when the policeman used the taser on the teen, striking him in the chest. The teenager went into cardiac arrest.
Lawyers representing the family of the deceased teenager convinced jury members that the manufacturer knew, but failed to warn customers that the product could cause heart problems if administered near the heart. The attorneys for Taser International, on the other hand, were not as convincing when they argued that the teen had heart problems that contributed to his death.
Charlotte Wrongful Death Attorneys
A “taser” is a weapon that shoots dart-like electrodes that are attached with twine at a victim, causing electrical current to stun the individual into submission. Although this alternative to deadly weapons has gained popularity over the years, serious injury and death cases have been reported from the use of tasers by law enforcement officers.
The Wrongful Death Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower understand the delicate and complex nature of wrongful death lawsuits. If you have lost a family member and believe you might have a wrongful death claim, our seasoned litigators can be there to assist you every step of the way. We can conduct a thorough and complete investigation and hold all parties accountable for your loss. Call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free. Hire the wrongful death attorneys with whom you and your loved ones can invest the most confidence.
Sep 24, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Car Accidents, Child Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Last Thursday, a University of South Carolina sophomore was killed in a single-car collision off of Interstate 26, near Interstate 95.
According to the Coroner’s report, the 19-year-old student dies of blunt force trauma to the head, due to the impact of the crash. S.C. Highway Patrol investigators stated that the teenager was traveling eastbound, around mile marker 164, when her 1998 Mazda ran off the side of the road, subsequently striking a tree and catching on fire.
Interstate 26 had one lane shut down for upwards to five hours after the accident. This accident is currently still under investigation.
The Rock Hill Head Injury Attorneys
Closed head or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain as a result of an accident or trauma. Nevertheless, injury victims who suffer serious brain trauma seldom fully recover and are often left with permanent injuries that will change their lives forever. And, even if they do recover, there are months, if not years, of painful and difficult rehabilitation. The medical treatment and bills are tremendous. And the toll on the entire family can be formidable
If you, or a loved one has suffered from any sort of traumatic brain injury due to a serious accident or trauma, please contact the head and brain injury attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP. Please call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free. We are ready, willing, and able to hear your side of the story, and fight for the justice you and your family deserve.
Sep 19, 2012 | Bus Accidents, Car Accidents, Child Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Police are searching for the driver that is responsible for running a school bus full of students off a road near Lancaster Wednesday morning.
The suspect was driving a white, four-door Chevy car. The driver forced the bus off Highway 521 into a telephone pole and then fled the scene.
24 Andrew Jackson Middle School students were on board that day. Luckily, no one was injured.
Rock Hill Bus Accident Attorneys
Since 2001, almost 1,400 people have died in school transportation related crashes. Of the 363,839 crashes that occurred between the years 2001-2010, 1,236 were classified as school related transportation crashes. Every day, millions of parents across the United States trust a school bus driver with their child’s safety. However, with motor vehicle travel being the most common mode of transportation in the country, accidents are bound to happen to even the most careful drivers.
Whether it’s the ride to school, work, or play, the Bus Accident Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower understand that even most cautious drivers can be involved in a serious accident. When you or someone you love has been involved in a serious accident, our seasoned litigators can be there to assist you on your path to recovery. We can investigate all aspects of the accident and hold all parties accountable for your loss. Call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free. Hire the best bus accident attorneys with whom you and your loved ones can invest the most confidence.
Sep 18, 2012 | Car Accidents, Child Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A South Carolina resident, son, schoolmate, and friend lost his life when he was leaving his father’s gravesite.The son was apparently speeding after the visit in his 1998 Mercedes convertible, when he lost control and drove off the right side of the road. His convertible incidentally hit a drain pipe, flipping the car over on the 15-year-old driver.
It was reported that the teen died on impact around 8:00 p.m. two Fridays ago. The victim was the only person in the vehicle at the time of collision. A friend was however, driving behind him. Speed has subsequently been listed as a contributing factor according to the coroner’s report.
South Carolina Wrongful Death Attorneys
In the State of South Carolina, teenagers are allowed to get their driver’s licenses after obtaining a learners permit on their 15th birthday, in conjunction with completing a driver’s education course. After three months, the teens are then given their restricted licenses, that allow them to drive alone during certain hours. However, these hours maybe extended if the teen has school or work that they can justify going to after the time in question.
If you or your child has been involved in a serious car accident, please contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP to evaluate your claim. It is often times difficult to ascertain who exactly is at fault, and with the proper car accident attorney by your side, we can help you do just that, and recover the damages you deserve.
Sep 17, 2012 | Child Accidents, Uncategorized
In the recent South Carolina Supreme Court case, Graves v. CAS, the Court took the opportunity to clarify the law regarding expert testimony and design defect claims.
In this case, parents claim that the failure of a neonatal monitor to alarm caused the death of their infant child. The monitor was designed to alarm if the heartbeat of the child became too slow as a way of preventing death due to SIDS or infant apnea. The plaintiffs claimed, and had the expert testimony of a neonatologist to support the notion, that they would have been able to resuscitate the child had the alarm sounded.
However, the controversy was the basis of their claimed design defect. In South Carolina, plaintiffs to prove a design defect claim must show that the design was defective and that there is an alternative design that would have prevented the injury. Since a neonatal monitor is a complicated product that jury members are unlikely to understand, expert testimony is required for such a design defect claim to survive summary judgment.
The expert testimony in this case went principally to the nature of the software, and that testimony would have been acceptable, but the experts in “reasoning to the best inference” (which is by itself acceptable) failed to exclude the possibility that the alarm actually did go off. The experts assumed that since the plaintiffs said the alarm did not go off, the alarm couldn’t have gone off because no one would have been able to sleep through the alarm and the parents would not have let their baby die.
This is a worrying result as sleeping through alarms presumably isn’t the purview of computer experts and is presumably something that juries can easily understand.
Read the full opinion below the break.
South Carolina Child Injury Attorneys
If your child has been injured or killed, you need the help of experienced child injury attorneys. In this difficult time in your life, you can trust the attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower to get you the recovery your family deserves. Call 877-374-5999.
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Sep 17, 2012 | Car Accidents, Child Accidents, Personal Injury, Trucking/Tractor-Trailer Accidents, Uncategorized
A truck driver traveling on I-80 on July 16 witnessed a terrible wreck when a pickup truck pushed a minivan off of the road, and then hit another car, pushing it into the median.
Noticing that the car victims were already receiving assistance from several bystanders, the truck driver turned his attention to severely crumpled the minivan. A man and a woman were frantically trying help their three children, who were still trapped inside, out of the minivan.
The truck driver, who was a first responder and former paramedic and EMT, was able to describe the emergency to the 911 operator based on his medical expertise. He then went to work trying to extract each child from the vehicle, starting with the most accessible child, a 5-year-old boy who was on the second row seat of the minivan. He instructed bystanders to lay him on the ground in accordance with spinal injury precautions.
Emergency personnel began to arrive and offer further assistance as the next two children were carefully extracted from the vehicle.
According to the truck driver this was the worst motor vehicle accident he had ever seen, and noted that the injuries ranged from a broken pelvis to broken legs, hips, arms and jaws, to fractured skulls and internal bleeding. For his efforts that day, he has received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch.
South Carolina Car Accident Attorneys
Transportation is a must when it comes to meeting the every day needs of a family. However, the importance of taking the right safety precautions in the event of an accident cannot be overstated. Recent studies by the NHTSA show that car crashes are ranked number one in causes of child fatalities in the U.S. In fact an average of 3 children age 14 and younger were killed and 469 were injured every day in the United States in motor vehicle crashes. Using the right safety seats, seat belts, and restraints can make a difference of life or death for your child in the unfortunate event of a serious accident.
The Accident Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower understand that even the most careful of individuals and family members can be involved in a serious car accident. When you or someone you love has been involved in a serious accident, our seasoned litigators can be there to ensure that you and your family gets the best protection. We can investigate all aspects of the accident and hold all parties accountable for your loss. Call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free. Hire the best accident attorneys with whom your family can invest the most confidence!
