Sep 12, 2012 | Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
The family of a 39-year-old man with schizophrenia who died after a struggle with Greenville police has sued the city, six police officers and Chief Terri Wilfong, alleging wrongful death “for use of excessive force by deploying multiple Tasers over an extended time and improper physical restraint technique,” according to federal court records.
The suit filed in U.S. District Court alleges wrongful death against officers who were called to the Augusta Street home of Andrew Torres in August 2012 to carry out a probate judge’s order sought by his family to take Torres to the hospital. It also alleges that Torres’ constitutional rights were violated and that Wilfong “failed to promulgate adequate policies and failed to supervise her subordinates who use unconstitutional levels of force in taking mentally ill citizens into protective custody.”
Defendants deny the allegations. According to police, Torres refused to cooperate and scuffled with officers at the time of the incident.
The Greenville County Coroner report indicates that Torres died of cardiac arrhythmia as a result of the use of Tasers, the physical strain of tussling with police, and having an enlarged heart.
The case has been ordered into mediation to be completed by February 4 of next year. The suit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.
South Carolina Wrongful Death Attorneys
If the unthinkable happens in your life, call the experienced wrongful death attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP. Our seasoned litigators have over 75 years combined trial experience. Our team of personal injury attorneys include former insurance defense lawyers, a former Registered Nurse (RN), and former criminal prosecutor. We can investigate all aspects of a serious 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. We have offices in Charlotte and throughout South Carolina. We would be honored to have an opportunity to help you and your family get through this most difficult time in your lives.
Sep 10, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Abraham Turner, the director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce has been the center of the media’s headlines since the scandal’s began in 2011, when Nikki Haley appointed Turner to the force as General. However recently, the headlines have changes, as Turner was involved in a motorcycle crash that has the news talking about something different…for once!
What is strange about this particular incident is that the facts are still being whittled away. It is unclear when the accident occurred, if any other people or vehicles were involved in the accident, and if Turner himself was responsible or not.
The details are still unclear, and not surprisingly, the agency has decided ” not to comment” at this time. All we know is from an email by SCDEW Chief of Staff that states ““General Turner was wearing a helmet and personal protective equipment therefore (sic) his injuries, while serious, were not life-threatening,” and that “the important thing he needs now is time to rest and heal.”
Turner has reported to only have minor injuries, but as for the rest, it is still a motorcycle mystery.
Sep 7, 2012 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
According to the Allstate Insurance Company’s List of Cities with the Best Drivers, Columbia alarmingly ranks 134 out of 195 Cities. The report was released this week and ranks the country’s biggest cities based on the frequency of car collisions in Allstate claims data.
The S.C. Department of Public Safety has reported that so far in 2012, 40 people have died while travelling down rural Lexington County roads, and another 34 fatalities are attributed to the Richland County roads. In comparison to the national average, Columbia drivers are 16.5 percent more likely to be involved in a crash.
Columbia Car Accident Attorneys
If you or a loved one have been injured or killed in any type of car accident in the Columbia area, you need an experienced accident attorney like those at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower to help you get the justice you deserve. Call us at 877-374-5999, or use this form, to speak with an attorney who can help you evaluate your claim and get you the best possible recovery. Whether it is planes, trains, or automobiles, the attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower are ready, willing, and able to take your case!
Sep 6, 2012 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Wal-Mart Stores East, L.P., and a security firm in a case arising out of the death of a woman who attempted to steal two pairs of jeans but then died in a crash when store security continued to pursue her after leaving the store parking lot.
In June of 2006, Alice Hancock drove to a Lancaster Wal-Mart with her sister in the passenger seat. The two women went into the store, put two pairs of jeans into their bags, and left the store “undetected,” as they so thought. Apparently, the store security manager, Mr. Jones, was told to do whatever was necessary to obtain the license plate number of the suspected thieves, even after they left the parking lot.
The issue was that the instructions given to Jones were in violation of Wal-Mart’s store personnel policy for addressing shoplifters. According to court records, employees are prohibited from pursuing fleeing shoplifters that are in a moving vehicle. This did not stop Jones, however, as he then pursued the two shoplifters by vehicle. The chase lasted about two miles when Hancock crashed her car and was subsequently pronounced dead on scene.
Concluding the case, and despite the policy violation, the court decided 2-1 in favor of Wal-Mart and the security firm.
Lancaster Accident Attorneys
If the unthinkable happens in your life, call the experienced wrongful death attorneys of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP. Our seasoned litigators have over 75 years combined trial experience. Our team of personal injury attorneys include former insurance defense lawyers, a former Registered Nurse (RN), and former criminal prosecutor. We can investigate all aspects of a serious 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. We have offices in Charlotte and throughout South Carolina. We would be honored to have an opportunity to help you and your family get through this most difficult time in your lives.
Aug 30, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A Lancaster man was involved in a motorcycle accident last Saturday has since been pronounced dead. Thomas Russell Harris, age 21 of Indian Land lost his life when his Honda motorcycle struck a culvert pipe of U.S. 521.
Apparently, Harris was riding his motorcycle when it ran off the right side of the roadway and struck the culvert pipe, which carries water from one side of the road to the other.
Confusingly, when the police report was released, Harris was claimed to be a resident of Mint Hill, North Carolina. The correction was not made until the Lancaster County Coroner was notified many days later of the mix up. The correction has since been made that Harris was in fact a resident of Lancaster County.
Lancaster Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident in the Lancaster, Rock Hill, or Fort Mill area, carefully compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. Then call us for a private consultation about your case. For more information about our firm, please visit www.rjrlaw.com or call us directly at 803-548-4444.
