Apr 11, 2013 | Personal Injury, Uncategorized
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that a passenger was ejected from a van after it flipped last Thursday at around 6:45 a.m. This took place between the Sharon School Road and Old Mountain Road exits.
It has been reported that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, flying from the road, and striking a guardrail. The woman then attempted to correct the van’s path, which caused the vehicle to flip over. The injured were flown to Carolinas Medical Center.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, whether a vehicle collision or any other accident that resulted in injuries, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP. We have over 75 years of combined experience, and have handled many personal injury cases. For a consultation, call us at our Charlotte, North Carolina office at 704-499-9000.
Apr 10, 2013 | Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Charlotte, North Carolina firefighters fought an apartment fire, and after it was finally brought under control, almost 30 units were either damaged or destroyed. The fire took place at the Sun Valley Apartment complex off Arrowood Road in southeast Charlotte around 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday. When emergency crews arrived on the scene they spotted a large cloud of smoke; however, they could not detect where the flames were coming from.
Two residents were taken to the hospital with burns, while other residents ran from their homes. Some were resting outside of the building sitting on their packed suitcases. At this point, all they could do was watch the apartment buildings burn while firefighters pulled back as the situation became too dangerous. Falling debris could be seen as the walls and the roof fell into ruin.
After the conflagration, when the fire was brought under control, it was discovered that close to 30 units were destroyed or damaged. Rescue groups arrived on the scene to help the newly homeless residents. There is no word as to how the fire started, but a couple people were injured as a result.
While it has not been discovered how this particular fire started, if it is determined to be the negligence of someone, the people who were injured may have a claim for personal injuries. For a consultation of the rights you have after such a terrible event, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP at our Charlotte, North Carolina office at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999. We handle accident victims everyday, and welcome the opportunity to help you and your loved ones.
Apr 9, 2013 | Homicide Defense, Uncategorized
Homicide investigators in Lexington County, South Carolina report that they have charged a suspect with murder after discovering the body of a man, who had disappeared earlier in the month. He was buried in defendant’s back yard. A 26-year-old man is being charged with murder and financial fraud among other crimes.
The mother of the missing person told deputies that the man went missing on February 25, 2013. They report that the man was killed that day by a stab to the eye and neck, in addition to a fractured skull.
The man suspected of the murder allegedly took the victims car apart, and buried the body in the back yard. Another man, 40-year-old West Columbia man, was charged with accessory after the fact, manufacturing methamphetamine, and possession of marijuana. The alleged murderer is also being charged with financial fraud for selling the victim’s automobile parts.
This is a terrible result to a disastrous situation. Taking someone’s life is the worst thing a person can do criminally. However, at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP we believe that even murderers are entitled to a proper defense. If you or a loved one has been charged with such a crime, call our office in Fort Mill, South Carolina at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999. We would be happy to assist you.
Apr 9, 2013 | Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A wall of dirt collapsed at a Lincoln County, North Carolina construction site this past weekend that resulted in the death of two children. The children were apparently playing in a hole on the property when a man noticed a wall of dirt collapse on them. Emergency Management Personnel were called, and the rescue began.
The emergency personnel worked at the site for hours, and the rescue mission became a recovery mission by 9:30 p.m. Neighbors in the area were huddled around the scene in hopes of seeing a child arising from the dirt mound. The earth was so impacted, that a structural engineer was brought on the scene to assist the emergency people.
The bodies had still not been identified by 10:00 p.m., and there were still many questions to resolve, including whether building permits were issued. Charlotte and Huntersville fire units also came to the scene to assist the local authorities with the search. The children are believed to be deceased. If a building permit had not been issued, this may result in the negligence of those who were building.
This accident is a parent’s worst nightmare; kids are playing and all of a sudden a dirt mound falls on them. Multiple questions go through the minds of the parents and other loved ones. A major question being, who is responsible for this? At Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP, we can help to punish those who are responsible for a wrongful death, or personal injury. We are here to help you with the terrible consequences of someone else’s stupidity. Please give us a call at 803-374-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999. We will try to get you the compensation you deserve.
Apr 9, 2013 | DUI & DWI, Felony DUI, Uncategorized
Columbia, South Carolina Highway Patrol charged a Columbia Police officer with DUI after troopers say he was found asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle while parked at a traffic light. This took place around 2:00 a.m. when officers came across the vehicle on Leesburg Road. The driver was sound asleep.
The officers were called to the scene, and after some time were eventually able to wake the man up, and get him out of his car. They found that he was an off-duty, Columbia police officer. He was charged with DUI, and will be suspended without pay during the investigation.
There are certain crimes that do not affect people from all walks of life. Not everybody will burglarize a house, or steal a car; however, we have found that people in every profession has been known to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated. There is no problem with light drinking here and there, if you don’t suffer from substance abuse. However, it is wrong to put other people in peril by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after alcohol consumption.
One of the major duties of a police officer is to keep the roads safe from drunk drivers. More accidents occur each year in the State of South Carolina, and one of the major factors contributing to such accidents is intoxicated drivers. It is the job of the police officers within the state to keep these people off the roads. But, when the officer makes the decision to drink without a plan for a ride home, they are exposed to a potential DUI charge. Alcohol works to lower the inhibitions of the person consuming, and even if your job depends on sober driving, the more intoxicated you get, the more likely you are to get behind the wheel of your car.
At Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP, we understand that anyone can potentially get a DUI, and we are here to help you through the process. If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI or Felony DUI, call us at our Baxter Village location in Fort Mill, South Carolina at 803-548-4444, or toll free at 877-374-5999.
Apr 8, 2013 | DUI & DWI, Felony DUI, Uncategorized
A car accident in Sumter County, South Carolina has resulted in charges being filed against a woman, who state troopers report was driving under the influence. The fatal accident occurred around 4:00 a.m., when the 25-year-old woman was traveling south on US 521, and veered off the right side of the road smashing into a tree.
Two of the passengers were rushed to Tuomey Hospital with injuries; a third passenger, due to the severity of her injuries, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was not wearing her seatbelt. The driver faces multiple charges for driving under suspension, improper tags, operating a vehicle while uninsured, and felony DUI resulting in death.
In South Carolina, a felony driving under the influence charge can cause lasting damage for all parties and families involved, and can result in both civil suits as well as criminal charges. In South Carolina, a person will be charged with a felony for driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, if while operating the vehicle under the influence, the person causes great bodily injury or death to a person other than himself including a passenger, pedestrian, and/or another driver.
Great bodily injury is characterized by South Carolina courts as bodily injury, which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious or permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. And, if the person dies from related complications within three years of the DUI-related injury, the driver may be implicated in the death. Further, there are mandatory prison sentences and fines.
Penalties for great bodily injury are as follows: minimum of 30 days to a max of 15 years imprisonment, plus a mandatory fine of $5000, not to exceed $10,100, and a mandatory drivers’ license suspension. The penalties increase if one is convicted for causing the death of another. They are as follows: minimum sentence of at least 1 year in prison with a maximum 25 years imprisonment, and a minimum mandatory fine of not less than $10,100, nor more than $25,100. Further, a license suspension will be enforced for DUI resulting in death as well.
Therefore, if you or a loved one has been charged with a felony DUI, it is unbelievably important for you to retain competent counsel as soon as possible. For a consultation, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that a passenger was ejected from a van after it flipped last Thursday at around 6:45 a.m. This took place between the Sharon School Road and Old Mountain Road exits.
