Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Lidar Made Austin Russell a Billionaire, but Can It Prevent Car Accidents?
Perhaps you have heard the news that Austin Russell has just become a billionaire at age 25 after selling his laser technology startup. Russell has spent his whole life studying lasers; instead of attending high school or college, he went straight from middle school to graduate study of laser technology, and he has gotten… Read More »
Do Dram Shop Laws Apply When a Sober Driver Hits a Drunk Pedestrian?
South Carolina’s dram shop liability laws make it possible to sue an establishment that serves alcohol for damages when a person who drank alcohol at that establishment gets injured in an accident or causes an accident that injures someone else. For example, suppose that Alex gets drunk at Bill’s Bar and Grill and then… Read More »
South Carolina Man Undergoes Five Surgeries After Hit and Run Moped Accident
Opossums are gross. Cats give you the creeps, as you are a dog person. Deer are a nuisance in your yard and on the road. Despite your personal feelings about them, you would swerve or brake to avoid hitting any of these creatures if they crossed your path while you were driving, even if… Read More »
Police Investigate Columbia Hit and Run Crash That Killed Child Pedestrian
According to South Carolina law, it is a crime to leave the scene of an accident without presenting your identifying information to the driver of the other vehicle and, if necessary, making sure that everyone injured in the accident gets medical assistance. Why would someone Even if there are no injuries, a driver who… Read More »
South Carolina’s DUI Laws Are Full of Loopholes, but You Can Still Collect Damages in a Civil Lawsuit After a DUI Accident
In criminal court, the jury must decide that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before the judge can hand down a sentence. In civil court, no one can go to jail or prison for losing a case, there is usually no jury, the standard of evidence is lower, and winning or losing… Read More »
Teen Injured in February Crash Files Lawsuit Against Drunk Driver
2020 has shown the ugly and hateful sides of human nature like no other year in recent memory, but if you are looking for hope about people’s generosity and willingness to help others, a look at the results of crowdfunding campaigns can renew your optimism. Friends and strangers alike contribute what they can to… Read More »
Not Every Drunk Driving Accident Is a Case of Dram Shop Liability
The passage of drunk driving laws in the 1980s greatly reduced the number of traffic fatalities, but the risk of getting hit in a DUI collision still remains. Even today, alcohol is a factor in a disproportionate number of car accidents that involve serious injuries or fatalities. If you get injured by a drunk… Read More »
Can a Mobile Phone App Prevent Distracted Driving?
If it is possible to make any generalizations about Americans below the age of forty, it is that they use mobile phones for virtually all activities practical and recreational and that they worry, for good reason, about money. As stable jobs with retirement benefits become scarce and gigs proliferate, any phone app that enables… Read More »
Inside the Biggest Seatbelt and Airbag Safety Recall in History
The value of most of the fancy safety features lies in their snob appeal, not in how much safer they make you. Sure, rear-facing cameras are useful, but anyone who has passed the road test and earns a driver’s license has demonstrated the ability to avoid backing into moving vehicles and stationary objects simply… Read More »
Driver Faces Reckless Homicide Charges for Summerville Crash That Killed Three
The mental image that most people outside the legal profession have of the court system is of the criminal court. In criminal trials, there is a jury, and the decision is a choice between “guilty” and “not guilty.” The evidence must indicate the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury finds the… Read More »