Apr 11, 2013 | Child Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Salisbury’s Fire Department have just released a statement in regards to the accident that claimed the life
of a toddler early Thursday morning.
Accordingly, the firefighters report that there had been some sort of electrical issue with the victim’s portable fan that subsequently sparked an electrical fire that resulted in the fatality.
The Fire Chief stated that the Fire Department received a call from a local neighbor a little before 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning, stating that the flames were growing rapidly and engulfing the back and sides of the home.
The victims lived in a small, one-story home in a quiet neighborhood on Davis Street, that was sadly destroyed by the once small fire.
The neighbor reports that she saw two adults and two children escape the fire unscathed. However, the sense of security was quickly ruffled when the two-year-old boy did not come out of the home with the parents.
An officer quickly entered the home, through the front door where smoke and flames were everywhere. He managed to find his way to the back of the home into the child’s bedroom, where he found the toddler in his bed sleeping.
When he went to pick the child up and carry him to safety, he realized that the child was unresponsive.
In the officer’s heroic attempt, there was nothing more he could do to rescue the young boy.
The boy’s teenage sister was injured when she had to break a window and climb out to safety. The father and the officer were also injured and both later treated for smoke inhalation.
All the can be stated for certain is that the fire began in the parent’s bedroom, where they were using the portable fan to cool themselves as they rested.
The investigation of the fire still remains underway.
As we all know and appreciate, small children are the most vulnerable among us, and great care must be taken to protect their safety. Accidents can happen quickly if proper steps are not taken by those in charge of their welfare. Despite our best intentions, however, needless accidents still happen, and injuries will occur. Hopefully, the injuries will be minor.
However, if your child is seriously injured, you need to know what to do first and what to expect. The experienced child injury attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP are standing by to help. For more information on your options, call us at 877-374-5999 for a private consultation to evaluate your case.
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 5, 2013 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
According to traffic reports from Virgina and North Carolina, Easter weekend turned grim for over 100 people. Accordingly, there was dense fog on Interstate 77 near th
e boarder of Virginia and North Carolina. Many people had been travelling to see their families over the holiday weekend, and got caught up in the traffic.
Subsequently, as the traffic got worse, so did the fog that was consuming visibility for nearly 10 miles. Travellers were forced to slow down below the speed limit, which contributed to the congested traffic.
News reports specifically state that the 95-car pile up began around 1:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday that involved over 125 people. The weather was the ultimate source of the tremendous accident.
Accordingly, a thick fog essentially blanketed the south-bound lanes on Interstate 77, at the base of Fancy Gap Mountain. The location is a mere 6 miles from the North Carolina boarder. It is safe to assume that there were both Virginians and North Carolinians involved in the accident, and likely other state citizens as well.
The initial accident that led to this disaster only involved eight vehicles. Thereafter, 16 other accidents occurred. The cars just continued to pile up, one after another until there were 95 vehicles involved in the accident.
This is one of the three largest accidents that Interstate 77 has seen since it was initially graded.
The News reports that this specific stretch of the Interstate is notorious for it’s dense fog. Thus, it is not ironic that in 2010, this very same stretch of the interstate was bombarded with accidents when a similar incident occurred involving 75 vehicles. In that accident, many were injured but only two people lost their lives.
Similarly, in this exact same location in the year 2000, a 65 car-pileup occurred, resulting in two deaths as well.
Lastly, in the accident at bar, only three people were killed, but over 30 were injured. The injuries are both major and minor, as the EMTs had their hands full checking each and every car and victim. Some were rushed immediately to the nearest hospital, while others were just “checked out” and then sent home.
Interstate 77 was subsequently closed for the rest of the day and well into Monday morning.
It stands to reason that since there is nothing that can be done to prevent fog from clouding up driver’s visibility, drivers should take extra precaution when travelling this particular stretch. Always turn your lights on when visibility is low, and slow down if there is inclement weather. Use your blinkers and be respectful of other drivers on the road. Lastly, take into account that there are more drivers on the roadways during the holidays and thus, a greater chance for an accident to occur. Be smart. Be safe.
Any type of serious injury can bring harm to the victim and his/her loved ones. One may have an action to recover damages for injuries sustained during an accident. Contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower,LLP to consult with one of our personal injury attorneys. Our personal injury attorneys understand the emotional and financial hardships facing persons injured in an accident and want to help you or someone you might know. We are licensed in both North and South Carolina, where you can contact us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Apr 4, 2013 | Pedestrian Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Police in Kannapolis say a wheelchair-bound woman was 
killed on Sunday night after being hit by a teen driving a sports car while she attempted to cross the street.
According to police, the accident happened at the intersection of North Cannon Boulevard and Solutions Works Drive around 6:30 p.m. Sunday night.
The woman was a 60-year-old resident of Britthaven of Kannapolis, an assisted living facility. Officers told WBTV that she died on the scene from her injuries.
No charges have been filed against the driver.
Officers say neither speed nor alcohol is suspected as contributors to this accident.
Losing a loved one is hard for any family. A wrongful death action can secure the compensation needed to family’s who have lost a loved one who intended to provide care for them. Contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP to consult with one of our personal injury attorneys. Our personal injury attorneys also handle many types of personal injury cases in North and South Carolina. We are licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina, where you can contact us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Apr 2, 2013 | Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A 59-year-old South Carolina man was tending to his broken down pick-up truck on the side of an Aiken County highway, when a drunk driver lost control of his car and skidded off the road, slamming into the pick-up truck. The pick-up truck was forced into the man who was checking under the hood, and he later died from his injuries.
The 21-year-old driver was charged with Felony DUI, and if convicted, he could face up to $25,000 in fines and up to 25 years in prison. This accident is an example of what can happen if someone gets behind the wheel of a car after consuming too much alcohol. The result is the wrongful death of an innocent South Carolina citizen.
In South Carolina, wrongful death occurs when as a result of negligence, or misconduct (such as DUI) of another person. A wrongful death can be caused by a car wreck, a workplace accident, defective product, or medical malpractice. South Carolina has a wrongful death statute that allows the family of a person killed to seek contribution for their loved one’s death from the careless people who caused it.
This law can get complicated, and this is why it is so important to seek competent attorneys who are experienced in the realm of the South Carolina Wrongful Death Statute. If you have lost a loved one as a result of the negligence or misconduct of another driver, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP for a consultation. You can call our Baxter Village office located in Fort Mill, South Carolina at 803-374-4444, or 877-548-5999.
Mar 31, 2013 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Sadly, a man who had dedicated his life to the health and well-being of children has lost his life in a tragic All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV or 4-wheeler) accident. He was an Indian Land Elementary physical education teacher, and he died early in October after suffering serious injuries in an ATV accident that occurred a few days prior to the man’s death.
The man was loved and honored by all of his students and colleagues, and was on his 17th year of teaching at the time of the incident. He was also the wrestling coach at the local high school, Indian Land High, where students remembered him as the first teacher in the building, and the last one to leave that afternoon.
The details of the accident are still a bit hazy; however, it was reported that the teacher had been riding his ATV through the back roads of Van Wyck where he lived, when he was thrown from the machine.
EMS workers reported that the teacher suffered a severe head injury at the time of the accident; something that is typical with ATV accidents, as there is no machinery around the body of the driver for extra protection.
By the time EMS arrived on scene after a neighbor phoned the local police department, the teacher had to be immediately taken by helicopter to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for surgery.
Surgery was performed, but the accident was too severe and the trauma to the brain had already done its damage.
The beloved teacher was pronounced dead that Tuesday afternoon.There are no more details available to give rise to the source or cause of the accident. It is unclear why the teacher was thrown from the ATV, and how he was injured when he was.
When people think of personal injuries and serious accidents, typically, the first thought that crosses their minds is ” someone must of been involved in a car or motorcycle accident.” However, with technology increasing everyday, and new fun “toys” being released into the market, personal injuries due to some sort of unconventional machine seem to be ever increasing.
Specifically, since the release of All Terrain Vehicles ( also called ATVs or commonly “4-wheelers), people are becoming involved in multiple accidents due to this dangerous vehicles. To drive a 4-wheeler, the laws state in both North and South Carolina that one must first obtain a driver’s license. However, because of the ATV departure from a regular vehicle, more and more people are driving this equipment without the proper experience or safety precautions surrounding them for protection.
If you, or someone you know has been involved in any sort of serious accident due to a 4-wheeler, contact the personal injury attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP. With attorneys licensed in both North and South Carolina, those accidents that occur over the border may still warrant representation. Call us today for a free consultation at 803-548-4444, or toll free at 877-374-5999.
