Moncks Corner Legal Issues Blog

Can sucking on a penny fool a breathalyzer?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in dui/dwi on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

Many wild stories get passed around on college campuses in South Carolina and throughout the country. One of them is that sucking on a penny can disguise alcohol on your breath and fool a breathalyzer. However, this is nothing more than an urban legend that will not help you in the event a police officer pulls you over on suspicion that you are driving while drunk.

The How Stuff Works website explains the theory behind a penny fooling a breathalyzer. Supposedly, a person can suck or chew on a penny and mask his or her saliva content due to the zinc and copper content of the coin. This allegedly causes a breathalyzer to inaccurately read the alcohol content level on your breath and produce a lower result. Some versions of this story suggest that a breathalyzer will generate no readings at all.

Returning to work after a job-related injury

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in workers' compensation on Sunday, May 5, 2019.

Workplace injuries happen in countless ways and impact workers across various fields. Some injuries result in temporary difficulties, while others lead to permanent hardships. In some cases, workers are able to return to their previous position after they have recovered from an injury, while others may be able to continue working for the same company in a different capacity. There are a number of issues you may need to be aware of if you plan on returning to work following a workplace accident.

First of all, it is pivotal for you to do everything in your power to recover from an accident. Workers’ compensation benefits may play an important role in this regard, and you may have other legal options to look into. In some cases, injured workers are not able to resume working in the same position, but they may return to work in a different field. Workers’ comp can also help with job training and other needs that injured workers have following an on-the-job incident and can play a central role in someone’s ability to start working once again.

Will AI threaten or improve the safety of construction workers?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

As a South Carolina construction worker, you understand how important it is for employers to properly implement safety measures. Safety should be a top priority in an industry that is inherently risky. One new concern for many is how the implementation of robotics, artificial intelligence and other forms of automation will affect the safety and well-being of workers.

If you are a construction worker, you may worry that at some point, a robot or some form of AI could take your job. When polled, around 30% expressed concerns about their job security, but almost 50% expressed concerns about how safe it would be to work near machines and automated equipment.

Defining negligent entrustment

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in personal injury on Monday, April 29, 2019.

If you have been involved in a car accident in Monck's Corner were the negligence and recklessness of the driver responsible for the collision was on full display, then your frustrations may inevitably prompt the question of who would allow such a driver access to a vehicle in the first place. Many have come to members of our team here at George B. Bishop, Jr., P.A. questioning whether liability can be extended in their car accident cases to those who entrusted their vehicles to reckless drivers. You may be happy to learn that thanks to the legal principle of negligent entrustment, you can.

The logic behind the theory of negligent entrustment is that a vehicle owner should know better than to loan their vehicle to a driver whose driving skills they know are lacking. Indeed, in establishing the state's standard for applying negligent entrustment to car accident cases, South Carolina Appellate Courts have adopted the philosophy set forth in Section 360 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts, whose citation implies a "duty on part of lending car owner to not entrust her car to another, when owner knows or has reason to know borrower is likely to use car in manner involving an unreasonable risk of physical harm, because of borrower's youth, inexperience, intoxication, incompetence, or otherwise."

What college students should know about drinking and driving

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in dui/dwi on Friday, April 12, 2019.

As a college student in South Carolina, you should know that there are serious consequences for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This applies to those students who are already over 21 as well as those who are beneath the legal drinking age. We here at George B. Bishop, Jr. PA Attorney at Law want you to understand why you need to refrain from driving after you have had any alcohol.

According to The New York Times, when people die in motor vehicle crashes, alcohol is found to be a factor in half of those deaths. This should be reason enough to abstain completely from alcohol if you plan to get behind the wheel of an automobile. Conversely, if you do plan to drink, be sure that you have a trusted designated driver who will abstain completely and deliver you home safely.

Do you need help beyond your medical needs after a work accident?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

Suffering an injury at work is much more than just an inconvenience for South Carolina workers. A work accident can result in physical pain and injuries, but it can also lead to additional complications that can affect you long term. You may find that you actually need help beyond just getting medical care – you might also need help getting back to work.

You know the purpose of workers' compensation insurance is to provide care and support for people who suffered injuries in job-related accidents or became ill because of their jobs. The benefits you may be able to claim include coverage of your medical expenses and recovery of a portion of the wages you lost. If you need it, you can also seek rehabilitation support, which will help you re-enter the workforce after an extensive recovery.

The many potential injuries from a car accident

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

Few things can bring your day to a halt like a car accident. Even a fender bender often means canceling your plans to deal with insurance companies and repairs until your vehicle is back on the road. You may have to bum rides, rent a car or rearrange your schedule in the meantime. It can be very frustrating, especially when the accident resulted from the other driver's negligence.

On the other hand, if your accident includes injuries, your life may be on hold indefinitely. The more serious the injury, the more time you may need to recover. While it is everyone's hope to escape a motor vehicle accident with only scrapes and bruises, you may be among the many who suffer serious or even catastrophic injuries.

Handing drunk driving charges as a celebrity

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in dui/dwi on Friday, March 22, 2019.

Any time someone is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, they may face a number of roadblocks as they try to move forward in life. Losing driving privileges, paying fines and even spending time in prison are just some of the consequences associated with DUI charges. For some, however, these allegations can deal an especially devastating blow. For example, celebrities may have an especially hard time when charged with driving drunk because of the high level of attention they receive.

In the digital age, information spreads rapidly, especially unflattering information and gossip. News of a celebrity being charged with drunk driving can spread very fast across social media platforms and news outlets, and it may disrupt a celebrity’s life even more. Even those who are local celebrities may come under fire for DUI charges and their lives may unravel in various ways. For example, someone who is running for local office may have to cancel their campaign in the wake of DUI charges, while another person may have to step down or lose popularity after these allegations surface.

What happens if you drive drunk?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in dui/dwi on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

You should realize that South Carolina takes driving under the influence very seriously. If you are pulled over under the suspicion of drunk driving, you can expect to go through some field tests and be asked to take a blood alcohol content test. Whether you pass or fail depends largely on how much you have drank and the level of alcohol remaining in your system. Sometimes, you may not feel affected by the alcohol but your level will be above the legally allowed amount.

The Charlotte Observer explains that for most driver,s the legal BAC limit is 0.08 percent. However, if you have a commercial license, the limit is 0.04 percent, and if you are underage, the limit is 0.02 percent. The amount you can drink and be under the legal limit varies due to many factors, so you should never assume you are safe to drive after consuming any alcoholic beverage.

Falls on construction sites still a major problem

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.

Construction is an important job, but it is one that comes with a few risks and hazards for the men and women who work in this industry. Keeping South Carolina construction workers as safe as possible should be a priority for all employers and site managers, but unfortunately, many ignore the prevalence of falls on job sites. Falls from heights are one of the leading reasons for construction site injuries and the leading cause of fatalities.

Sadly, many falls are the result of preventable issues, and employers bear the responsibility of making sure workers have what they need to be as safe as possible. If you work in construction, you will find it beneficial to know what you can do to stay safe. You will also find it helpful to know what to do in case of a worksite accident.