Blog – Page 31 – The Nye Law Group, P.C.

What Makes a Truck Accident in South Carolina So Dangerous?

Posted on August 16, 2018November 13, 2023 by productionnye

Every traffic accident has the potential to be extremely dangerous. Whether a car, a bus, or a pedestrian is involved in the crash, the chance of sustaining a severe injury still exists. However, there is one type of traffic accident that can be a bit more dangerous than others. Being involved in a traffic accident with a truck can have devastating consequences.

The sheer size of a truck can make a collision with one much more dangerous than any other types of accident. A truck can weigh up to 30 times more than a standard car. This means that the impact can have an immense amount of force behind it. The potential for a severe accident is significantly increased based on the size of the truck alone.

How Truck Accidents Happen

The capability of a truck’s brakes can also be a significant factor in what causes problems in a truck accident. A standard car can stop relatively quickly compared to a truck. The braking distance that trucks require to stop safely is up to 40 times greater than that of a car in the best conditions. This number does not account for other factors both within and outside the control of the truck driver. Poorly maintained brakes can increase the amount of stopping distance that a truck needs. A wet road can also make the stopping distance required of a large truck much longer.

While there are federal laws that regulate how long a truck driver may operate a vehicle at one time, many drivers often exceed that limit. While a truck driver is allowed to drive for 11 hours at a time, there are always drivers who will exceed that amount before taking a break. This can lead to dangerous truck driver fatigue. If the truck driver is too tired, they will not be as alert. A fatigued driver can quickly become unsafe to other drivers on the road when their likelihood to cause an accident is increased.

South Carolina Accidents Involving a Truck

In 2016, 76 people were killed in accidents involving a truck tractor. Another 1,582 people were injured in accidents involving trucks. While the number of fatalities was down slightly from 2015, the number of injuries did increase. Overall, there were 1,020 traffic fatalities in the state of South Carolina in 2016. While truck accidents are not the most significant proportion of this total amount of deaths, 7.5 percent is still is a considerable amount.

South Carolina Lawyers for Truck Accidents

If you or a loved one is overwhelmed by the damages accrued in the aftermath of a truck accident, you do not have to take on this difficult situation alone. At The NYE Law Group, our experienced attorneys can help you to figure out if you are eligible for compensation after your truck accident. This compensation can help with the emotional, physical, and financial damages you suffered after your accident. Contact our firm today for a free case evaluation to determine your next steps.

Sexual Harassment in Georgia Workplaces

Posted on August 4, 2018April 6, 2023 by productionnye

Under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, sexual harassment is deemed illegal in the United States. Title VII of this law protects several types of American employees from harassment, from private and public employees to labor organizations and more.

It is essential to define what sexual harassment means. All kinds of conduct can be sexual harassment, whether it is verbal or physical. The behavior must be related to the sex of the worker or be of a sexual nature. The conduct must also be severe or pervasive and create an unhealthy working environment.

The conduct at hand can be inappropriate touching, making sexual jokes, making obscene gestures at someone, displaying obscene content to coworkers, spreading rumors about someone’s sexuality, asking someone for sexual favors, or any number of other acts that are sexual.

Any effect this has on an individual’s work performance can be considered creating a hostile work environment. Individuals who are victims of this kind of conduct can have their work performance negatively impacted, be denied a promotion, or even fired. This has happened to women in Georgia and throughout the United States.

While it is illegal under federal law, there are no specific laws in Georgia that concern sexual harassment. However, that does not mean that individuals who suffered from the consequences of being sexually harassed in the workplace cannot take action. Victims can utilize tort claims for the assault, battery, and emotional distress they suffered as a result of their harassment. There are also laws that apply to employers being accountable for the damages sustained by the victim.

How Does This Affect Women in Georgia and Across the Country?

The impact of sexual harassment is not limited to the effect it has on a victim’s job performance and career. The career impact alone is vast. Millions of dollars of wages and nearly 1 million hours of unpaid leave can hurt the victims of sexual harassment.

Many individuals who are harassed also suffer from stress reactions that can take a toll on them. Their physical health can be significantly impacted by headaches, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, weight fluctuation, nausea, and other conditions. It can also lead to a belief among women that it is dangerous to assert themselves in the workplace. Doing so could lead to harassment from their coworkers. Men are enabled to believe that female workers are no more than sex objects when this dynamic comes into play in the workplace.

How Can a Lawyer Help You with Your Sexual Harassment Case?

It can be essential to work with a lawyer if you are considering filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against your employer. Our attorneys at The Nye Law Group will help you to gather the essential evidence we will need to prove that you have been sexually harassed under Georgia and federal law. We can help you receive damages for lost wages, medical bills, and even punitive damages in some cases. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Motorcycle Fatalities in North Carolina

Posted on August 3, 2018November 13, 2023 by productionnye

A motorcyclist is especially vulnerable to the dangers of the road. There is an appeal to the way you can zoom down the highway, feeling the rush of the wind against your body. However, this leaves you open to uniquely bad injuries in the event of an accident. There is nothing to protect you from the impact of another vehicle. Your body will take the force of the impact, and there is a good chance of being thrown from your motorcycle or making direct contact with the road.

In North Carolina, motorcycle deaths are no longer on the rise. In 2016, the fatalities resulting from motorcycle accidents decreased by 7.4 percent. However, people are still killed in accidents involving motorcycles every year. 154 of 2016’s motorcycle crashes were fatal. Overall, nearly 4,000 accidents involving motorcycles occurred in North Carolina in 2016. The number of accidents far exceeds those of some other types of vehicles. There are more motorcycle accidents than pedestrian accidents, bus accidents, and many other types of accidents.

Laws for Motorcyclists in North Carolina

In recent years, it is true that North Carolina is seeing a decrease in motorcycle accidents. In 2017, lawmakers attempted to pass a law that would make helmets optional for motorcyclists older than 21 years of age. Lawmakers argued that a helmet would not adequately protect a motorcyclist in the event of an accident, and they should not be required.

A study found that helmet use for motorcyclists could still reduce the risk of head injuries by more than 70 percent. When Florida passed a similar law, allowing looser rules about motorcyclist wearing helmets, the number of deaths increased by a significant amount.

The higher rate at which motorcyclists die in the event of an accident could also be an issue when looking to adjust laws about motorcycle helmets. Data shows that motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die if they are in an accident than someone driving a car. There are also statistics to support the high costs of medical care for victims of motorcycle accidents. Twenty-five percent of those who are injured in a motorcycle accident accrued medical expenses greater than $100,000.

Opponents of the bill also pointed out that North Carolina’s motorcycle helmet laws save a great deal of economic cost for the state. $1,627 is saved per motorcyclist simply because the state requires them to wear helmets while operating a motorcycle.

The bill was eventually pulled from the state House of Representatives’ calendar and was not made into North Carolina law.

Have You Been Involved in a North Carolina Motorcycle Accident?

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a motorcycle accident, do not let the medical bills continue to negatively impact your life. You may be eligible to bring a claim against the negligent party in your accident. Contact The Nye Law Group today to see what your options are. Our free case evaluation can help you decide what to do next.

Boating Accidents Becoming Increasingly Common in South Carolina

Posted on July 28, 2018November 13, 2023 by productionnye

Every year, hundreds of people are killed in boat accidents across the United States. In 2017, 658 Americans were killed in boat accidents. Another 2,629 people were injured as a result of boat accidents. This number has increased more 9 percent since 2016. In South Carolina, officials are currently observing similar trends to those of the entire country.

Local news outlets have observed the increasing amount of boat accidents in recent years. Between 2015 and 2016, the number of fatal boat accidents per 100,000 boats increased from 3.4 to 4.4. While this increase is still below the national statistics, the increasing number of fatalities and injuries are cause for concern.

What are the Common Causes of Boat Accidents?

Boating accident lawyer While every boating accident is unique, several factors appear in many boat accidents. According to statistics, some types of vessels are involved in far more fatal crashes than others. In 2017, the most dangerous kind of vessel was an open motorboat. These were responsible for 305 deaths and 1,367 injuries in 2017. Kayaks and canoes were the second and third most deadly and were responsible for 138 deaths.

There are also contributing factors that directly led to the accident that are often seen in an incident involving a boat. The number one contributing factor to boat accidents is operator inattention. While this caused 620 accidents, it only led to 45 fatalities and 381 injuries. The greatest number of deaths can be contributed to a boat operator who is under the influence of alcohol. While this is the fifth cause of boat accidents, it caused a total of 102 fatalities. Two hundred twenty-seven people were also injured in accidents caused by alcohol use.

Negligent operation of a boat was responsible for many other accidents in 2017. The second and third most common causes of accidents were improper lookout and operator inexperience, leading to a combined 907 accidents. Excessive speed and navigation rules violations also caused several hundred accidents last year.

Not every accident is due to negligence though. Sometimes, the causes of an accident are entirely outside the control of anyone involved. Machinery failure was responsible for 305 accidents, but only nine people were killed in these situations. Weather caused 40 fatalities last year while dangerous waters and force from waves or wakes were the ninth and tenth most common cause of accidents in 2017.

While negligence is not the cause of every boating accident, the causes that are outside of the operator’s control are often less deadly and less frequent.

Get Help for Your Injuries from A Boat Accident

Were you the victim of a boat accident caused by operator negligence? You may be entitled to compensation to help you deal with your medical bills and lost wages that resulted from that accident. Contact The Nye Law Group to learn how you can start to recover from your boat accident. Our experienced attorneys can offer you a free case evaluation to help you decide on your next steps.

Burn Injuries Sustained in Georgia

Posted on July 25, 2018November 13, 2023 by productionnye

Thousands of people are injured in fires or explosions every year. Many of these injuries will occur in the workplace, and they can happen because the fire safety standards of the workplace were not up to par with what they should be. For those who are affected by fire-related injuries, the injuries can be emotionally, physically, and financially catastrophic.

The Impact of Burn Injuries on Georgians

In a 2011 study, it was found that 15 percent of the nearly 4,000 burn victims admitted to a Georgia hospital sustained their burns while they were at work. Overall, hundreds of Georgians are hospitalized every year because of these kinds of accidents.

Nationwide, 486,000 people sustained burn injuries that required medical treatment in 2016, encompassing both major and minor injuries that were treated at different kinds of facilities such as a small clinic or a hospital burn center. As the numbers show, this problem is prevalent in Georgia and across the nation.

The Effects of a Burn Injury on a Person

If someone is the victim of a serious burn, it can be hard to return to their normal life after the accident. One of the major effects can be coping with the changes in their appearance after they suffer from a burn. If an injury is severe enough, it can be hard for someone to hide the effects of it. People may be upset about their differing appearance and physical ability, be nervous about how other people may react to scars, or they may feel like they need to be with someone when they go out in public rather than facing the world alone.

The changes that take place on a victim’s body can take up to two years to finalize into how they will look for the rest of their lives. Once scars begin to form, a person may suffer from stiffness as well as pain from the body’s healing process. As the scars start to mature, the skin will start to soften.

People may also experience issues related to their burns years after the healing process is complete. Inner body structures like cartilage can be damaged when someone is burned, possibly causing ears and noses to look permanently different. Skin grafts do not always work with follicles, so some people may be unable to regrow hair in places where they were burned. If a burn is severe enough, some people may have to have their fingers, toes, or entire limbs amputated. Even after the healing process is complete, a burn victim may have issues for years to come.

Get Help for Your Accident That Caused You Burn Injuries

At Nye Law Group, we can help you after your burn accident. If you were injured in a workplace or other location that did not have its fire safety code up to the appropriate standards, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced attorneys have worked on burn injury cases throughout the state of Georgia. Call us today to start working on your case.

Links:

¡Hablamos Español!

912-200-5230

Category: Blog