Recent News – Smith & Griffith Legal Blog

Safety tips for preventing heat stroke at outdoor worksites Heat and humidity are part of life in South Carolina. Unfortunately, this means that outdoor workers in the state have a heightened risk for heat stroke, a serious and potentially fatal condition. Heat strokes can strike workers even in weather that only reaches the high 80s.…

Companies finally focusing on motorcycle safety Motorcycle safety is becoming a hot industry, according to some experts. A number of companies are developing new technologies that could help prevent motorcycle accidents in South Carolina and elsewhere. While automobile safety has been big business for decades, relatively few advancements have been made in motorcycle safety over…

What safety hazards beset the Fourth of July weekend Those in South Carolina who plan to travel during the Fourth of July holiday period will want to be more safety-conscious than usual. According to Esurance and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, July 4 sees the highest number of fatal car crashes of all the…

Drugs leading to more fatal car crashes, says GHSA The Governors Highway Safety Association has released a report on drugged driving that may be of interest to drivers in South Carolina. After analyzing fatal car crash data in 2016, the association found that 44 percent of fatally injured drivers who were tested for drugs tested…

Falling in the workplace can be deadly The adage, ‘Watch where you’re going” certainly applies to all South Carolina workers, especially those who may be employed in the construction trades. Workers who don’t pay attention to where they’re going could end up dead as a result of a slip, fall or trip. Falling can be…

The use of permanent absence of voltage testers Workers in South Carolina who are electricians or who work with electricity may use permanent electrical safety devices. This is used when performing an absence of voltage test and helps increase the likelihood that people will only be exposed to zero voltage. After years of its successful…

Keeping sanitation workers safe Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2016, collectors of refuse and recyclable material had the fifth highest fatal injury rates among employees in civilian occupations. Their fatality risk was 10 times greater than that of most other workers. Seven sanitation workers died in the first 10 days…

Common injuries caused by truck accidents Many South Carolina drivers are afraid of getting into a collision with a commercial truck. That’s because large trucks can cause catastrophic injuries when they smash into cars. In fact, the vast majority of fatalities that result from such accidents are occupants of passenger vehicles. Victims who survive truck…

Tesla CEO upset with news coverage of self-driving car crash Many people in South Carolina are distrustful of self-driving vehicles. Considering that there have recently been several accidents involving autonomous technology, it’s hard not to be. In May, the driver of a Tesla Model S collided with a Utah fire truck even though the Autopilot…

FMCSA reports increase in fatal truck crashes in 2016 Unfortunately, large truck accidents are all too frequent in South Carolina. Drivers who have become wary around commercial trucks and buses should know about a report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that reveals an increase in fatal large truck accidents from 2015 to 2016.…