Preliminary Approval Granted for $520 Million Settlement with Santee Cooper and Dominion Energy
A preliminary settlement has been approved by special state Judge Jean Toal in the class action lawsuit against Santee Cooper and SCANA. The $520 million settlement would be among the largest cash settlements in South Carolina history. James L. Ward, partner at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, served among class counsel for the plaintiffs.…
Read MoreLyft Losing Its Reputation as The Safer Alternative to Uber
Over the past few years, rideshare company Uber has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Dozens of cases and allegations of sexual assault have been dogging the company for a while, with users of the service coming forward with claims of being groped, harassed and raped by drivers. Chief among their complaints were…
Read MoreCoaching Abuse and Youth Athletes: What You Should Know
Sports coaches – especially the ones who work with our children – are supposed to be motivators, teachers and sometimes even amateur psychologists. When those coaches fail in their responsibilities and instead expose our children to psychological or physical abuse, they need to be held accountable for their actions. A recent article in Sports Illustrated…
Read MoreBeer Distributors in South Carolina to Help Combat Human Trafficking
South Carolina beer distributor employees drive thousands of miles back and forth across the state every week, picking up and delivering beer to and from stores, bars and restaurants. The South Carolina Beer Wholesalers Association will now put those thousands of miles to even better use – to help search for victims of human trafficking.…
Read MoreWhy Are So Many Girls and Young Women Being Subjected to Unnecessary Pelvic Exams?
When women reach a certain age, their doctors will start recommending tests – like a mammogram, for example – to ensure that those women are healthy. Most women won’t need a mammogram before the age of 40, though there are always exceptions to that rule. Another test is the manual pelvic exam, which is usually…
Read MoreFDA Issues Flavored Vape Pod Ban – But It’s Limited
In September 2019, as report after report of Juul and vaping-related injuries rolled in throughout the United States, President Trump and his top health officials announced they would be taking “very, very strong” action against the vaping epidemic, including a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. On January 2, 2020, the FDA published the details of this…
Read MoreThe Zantac Recall – Your Questions Answered
Over the past few months, you may have noticed several news pieces mentioning recalls of some of the popular heartburn medication ranitidine, also known as Zantac. The culprit in these recalls is a concern of low levels of NDMA, a probable human carcinogen. Nationwide pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Rite Aid have all pulled…
Read MoreNew Legislation to Allow Military Personnel to File Medical Malpractice Claims
Service members and their families have been fighting for decades to overturn the Feres Doctrine, a 70-year-old court ruling that blocks members of the military and their families from suing the government for injuries like medical malpractice and wrongful death. However, all this is poised to change with recent federal legislation. The 2020 National Defense Authorization…
Read More2019 Sees Increase in Human & Sex Trafficking Reports in South Carolina
Although at first glance the headline “increase in human trafficking reports” may seem disheartening, it actually highlights the success of statewide efforts in 2019 to raise awareness of human trafficking – resulting in a high volume of reports of suspected trafficking and many arrests. Attorney General Alan Wilson recently released the South Carolina 2019 Human…
Read More“Grey’s Anatomy” Episode Causes Surge in Calls to Sexual Assault Hotline
In March, the long-running medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” ran an episode focused on sexual assault. A new study shows the episode had a substantial impact on viewers, increasing public awareness of the issue on both social media and through an increased number of calls to a sexual assault hotline. The episode, titled “Silent All These…
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