March 17, 2017
When you think of someone becoming a whistleblower, you may think of famous cases like Deep Throat and Watergate in the 70’s, Mark Whitacre and the price-fixing case that made national headlines in 1992, the fraud investigator who discovered Bernie Madoff’s crimes, and other headline-news events. Being a whistleblower on fraud doesn’t usually end up on the six o’clock news, however. Often, it looks more like everyday American citizens who stumble upon fraud being perpetrated against the state or federal government. When these citizens bring this information to the light, they become qui tam (KEE-tam) whistleblowers. Many whistleblowers work for the institutions or people they discover are committing fraud. If you have discovered that your employer is defrauding the United States government, you may wonder whether or not it’s safe to bring your suspicions or knowledge to light. Here are some tips for protecting yourself when becoming a qui tam […]
March 7, 2017
When you’ve been injured by a defective product, it may be hard to know where to turn. Should you simply try to return the product for the money you initially paid for it, taking on the cost of medical care for your injuries by yourself? Should you sue? In South Carolina, those who have been injured or made ill due to defective products they purchased have the ability to bring a products liability claim to court. Let’s take a look at the basics of defective product liability in South Carolina, what you’ll need to do to prove your claim, and what steps you should take in the event of injury or illness in this situation.
February 28, 2017
Although work environments are much safer than in years past, work injuries still happen. Approximately 35,000 claims are filed each year in South Carolina for work related injuries or illnesses. South Carolina’s Workers Compensation law can cover the costs of medical care and provided compensation for time off work required for recovery after an on-the-job illness or injury. Additionally, if the injury results in permanent disability, you may also be entitled to additional benefits for that disability If your workers compensation claim was denied, you may be wondering what to do next. Should you take your boss or company to court to attempt to recover the costs of medical care and time spent off work? Today, we’ll walk through the basics of why a claim might be denied, and what steps you should take to ensure your individual rights are respected.
February 20, 2017
Whether you’ve been the victim of a dog bite, your car has been damaged (or you’ve sustained injury) as a result of a vehicular collision involving a car, motorcycle, or tractor trailer, you or a family member has suffered due to medical malpractice, or any other personal injury matters, you may find yourself looking to hire a personal injury lawyer in South Carolina. Trying to decide how to get started on hiring an attorney to represent you in a court of law can be intimidating. We’d like to help make it easier by giving you a few tips on what to do when you’re preparing to meet with a personal injury attorney for the first time.
February 14, 2017
Last week, we took a look at the numbers of totally uninsured drivers on the road in South Carolina and what that could mean for you in the case of a collision in which an uninsured driver was at fault. One thing we just barely touched on in that post was the possibility of a car wreck where the at-fault driver leaves the scene without exchanging information. Since the driver in these cases isn’t always located and therefore it’s impossible to know whether or not they had insurance, you’ll need to take a few different steps in order to get the compensation you deserve. What should you do if you’re the victim of a hit-and-run vehicle collision? Read on to find out.
February 7, 2017
Car insurance is an essential aspect of vehicle ownership. Proof of insurance is one of the first things you’ll be asked for if you’re pulled over by a police officer, and we may take for granted that in case of an automobile collision that we’ll be able to exchange insurance information with the other party. Unfortunately, not everyone has liability automobile insurance. We’ve spoken before about the rate of underinsured drivers in South Carolina and how to protect yourself, but there’s one problem that could be even worse — drivers with no insurance at all.
February 3, 2017
We tend to think of military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in terms of military service in combat — that the disorder is caused by being under direct fire, subject to IEDs and their long-term effects, or just the day-to-day stress of combat possibilities. While we’ve spoken before about how PTSD can occur even when you are not in direct combat during military service, there’s one cause of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that can be hidden for years or even decades — military sexual trauma. Today, we’d like to take a look at this tragically common occurrance and what you can do if you’re a survivor.
January 27, 2017
This is a subject near and dear to just about everyone’s heart — our pets and companion or service animals. Whether you have a highly-trained service animal or a household pet that you adopted for the joy and companionship that a devoted pet can bring, it can be heartbreaking to see them injured or killed as a result of another person’s actions or negligence. Are you able to receive compensation after the injury or death of a pet due to a car accident, deliberate action on the part of another individual, or other negligence? Today, we’ll take a look at the answer.
January 20, 2017
For those who have served our country in the military, even if they did not directly see combat, suffering from military Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) may seem all too likely, if not inevitable. The two disorders carry many similarities in symptoms, such as irritability, depression, hypersensitivity, memory loss, dizziness, and an increased liklihood of dealing with drug or alcohol addiction. Due to these similarities, misdiagnosis has been rampant. This has led to serious issues in ensuring military veterans and current servicemembers are able to access the correct treatment and disability that need. One recent study, however, suggests that it may soon be far easier for medical professionals to accurately diagnose traumatic brain injury and PTSD. What does this mean for servicemembers dealing with service-connected PTSD or TBI? Let’s take a look.