Moncks Corner Legal Issues Blog

How to identify the signs of a brain injury

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in workers' compensation on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Whether you work at a construction site, in a warehouse or at the office, you run the risk of receiving a traumatic brain injury while on the job. Within all industries across the United States, there are occasions where workers may slip-and-fall, trip over objects, fall from heights or have objects dropped on their heads. Traumatic brain injuries occur when a sudden bump or jolt to the head causes the brain to hit against the hard bony skull. This can cause the brain to bleed and swell, as well as damage brain cells, causing a number of different problems.

The signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries may vary depending on what area of the brain was injured, as well as how severe the damage is. Mild brain injuries may cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, confusion, blurred vision and mood changes. They may also affect your memory and your ability to focus. Moderate to severe cases of brain injuries may cause the following:

Will you wind up in a South Carolina jail this summer?

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

Whether you just successfully completed your maiden voyage (i.e. freshman) year of college or you anticipate heading back this fall to earn the final credits toward your degree from a South Carolina university, like most college students in the U.S., you're likely enjoying some down time this summer. Perhaps you have plans to go the beach. In fact, you might even have a job lined up in a beach town. After all, every penny you earn helps pay tuition.

If you're 21 or older, summer time activities might include imbibing alcohol. There isn't anything necessarily wrong with that but numerous issues should cause you to act with caution. Getting a DUI on summer break can have lasting, negative effects on your college career. The reasons you have for drinking alcohol might influence your choices, especially at social gatherings. That's why it's a good idea to have a support network in place, in case you need a ride or a legal problem arises.

Will a DUI conviction hamper your career?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in dui/dwi on Monday, June 24, 2019.

The school year has come to a close in South Carolina and you are one year closer to earning that post-graduate professional degree that will allow you to pursue the career you have always dreamed about. But before you spend too much partying this summer and driving home after drinking, remember that if you wind up getting convicted of DUI, your professional career could be over before it ever begins.

FindLaw explains that the Board that gives you your professional license may well not do so when it discovers that conviction on your record.

How does a court determine what is drug paraphernalia?

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA posted in drug crimes on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

The problem with determining what is considered drug paraphernalia is that many objects used to manipulate and cultivate controlled substances can also be used for legitimate reasons. If you find yourself caught up in a suspected paraphernalia case, you should know that South Carolina law provides many different ways that a court can evaluate whether an object is truly drug paraphernalia.

One of the factors a judge will consider is whether the object was found in relation to any controlled substance. A judge might find greater reason to rule that the object is paraphernalia if it was discovered close to a substance like heroin or marijuana. An object that is found with residue of a controlled substance inside it is also more likely to signal to a court that it was intended as drug paraphernalia.

Summer hazards for motorcyclists

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Monday, June 3, 2019.

The unofficial start of summer means people will begin making plans for their vacations. You may already be seeing an influx of travelers visiting the beautiful South Carolina lakes or heading to the shore. In addition to seeing more cars and trucks on the road, you may notice they are going faster, and their drivers are paying less attention. These are all hallmarks of summer traffic.

As hazardous as it is to drive in the summer, if you are on a motorcycle, you have even more to worry about. Because your vehicle is smaller than most others, it is harder for other drivers to see you. You are exposed to injury since you are not protected by your vehicle. Adding this vulnerability to the hazards of summer places you in danger whenever you go out on your motorcycle.

Unaddressed anger issues could lead to assault charges

On behalf of George Bishop of George B. Bishop, Jr. PA on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Anger is a common emotion people express. You have undoubtedly found yourself feeling angry from time to time and may even feel confused as to why others are not angry over something you find infuriating. In fact, others may question your anger often.

In such cases, there could be some concern as to whether you may have an anger management problem. Friends or family may have broached this topic with you before, but you may have just brushed it off as them being overly sensitive. However, anger issues can cause serious problems if left unaddressed, like resulting in charges for assault.

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."