On Monday, May 2, a tow truck driver refused to a help a disabled customer who was stranded on Interstate 26 in Asheville.

Motorist, 25 year old Cassy McWade says she was in a car accident, and as her regular mechanic was not available her family called Ken Shupe of Shupee Max Towing in Traveler’s Rest.

McWade has psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and early-stage Crohns, which made it especially hard for her not having a restroom nearby. She is legally disabled and says Shupe was told about this before he arrived and in addition the handicapped placard was hanging on her mirror when Shupe arrived.

However, when he arrived and saw a Bernie Sanders sticker on the car he refused to tow her saying he has had payment problems with two customers who supported Sanders. He then left the scene and McWade had to wait more than an hour and a half for another tow truck to arrive.

Shupe says he did not know she was disabled but even if he had, he would have not towed her car, but would have waited until another company arrived to tow her.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

Many people in South Carolina are complaining about the state of the roads, which they say are crumbling, and the bridges are deteriorating.

An accident happens every three hours on the South Carolina section of the Interstate 85 and the state of the roads is increasing the cost of transporting goods, with blown out tires and accidents and causing traffic jams. It is estimated that the traffic congestion costs the state $2.6 billion and in Greenville alone, some $260 million.

The potholes cause blown out tires and collisions. The loose debris on the road causes broken windshields and the time of the average commute is doubled.

South Carolina is the eighth most dangerous state to drive in in the country with around half of its roads rated as being in a bad condition and nearly 1,000 bridges currently suffering from structural problems. What is more, during 2015, traffic fatalities were up by 15 percent and nearly 1,000 people were killed on the roads in the state.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

Off road driving is one of the most adventurous and rewarding hobbies there is, but for those who practice it, it needs you to really understand your vehicle including four wheel drive and how it performs off road as well as a thorough understanding of the terrain.

To drive off road, four wheel drive is essential and there are three main types of four-wheel drive systems. The first is permanent four wheel drive which uses something called a differential to divide the drive to each of the wheels and also in a flexible way so that when turning corners each wheel takes a slightly different route.

The second type is a manually selectable four wheel drive and the third is an automatic selectable four wheel drive. Both of these systems have the same principle in that the drive is permanently allocated to one axle, which is usually the rear and then the other axle can be connected as required. The idea is for the vehicle to move into four wheel drive only when needed and drivers should check their handbooks to see how to select it as some vehicles can be changed while moving and others have to be stationary.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

Driving in heavy fog is the most dangerous natural driving hazard there is, and fog is responsible for several accidents. If you have to drive in fog the safest thing to do is to stop driving, move off the road and wait for the fog to lift, but sometimes this is simply not practical.

If you have to drive in fog you must reduce your speed dramatically and turn on your headlights. Think about how far you can see ahead and try not to let your speed creep up, even if you think you are becoming used to the restricted vision. Make sure that your headlights are always on dip as high beam reflects off the fog and reduces visibility even more. If you have fog lights turn them on but don’t use your emergency flashers as these can distract other drivers.

When driving in fog you have to do everything you can to ensure you can see and be seen. Try not to stop in a roadway as that is almost certain to lead to your vehicle being rear ended. If you do have to stop then pull right off the roadway.

When driving, use the right edge of the road as a guide, rather than the center line and don’t keep hitting the brakes as that will make drivers behind you nervous and they may try and pass you putting their life and yours in danger. Keep your windscreen defrosted and use your wipers to improve your vision.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

In South Carolina there are now more and more dash cams which at one time were only seen in law enforcement vehicles. They are being used more frequently to stop traffic cases from turning into law suits and to help fight insurance claims. Increasing numbers of motorists are using dash cams to protect themselves from false accusations, and this is especially true in the trucking industry.

Rick Todd, who is the president of the South Carolina Trucking Association, said truckers have used dash cams for years and he believes their use is growing dramatically. He says not only are they useful for after an accident but also help in terms of risk management and monitoring driver behavior. He says that after an accident when insurance companies or lawyers say their driver was at fault the dash cam can often prove the opposite. In addition they can check if drivers are texting while driving or driving in an unsafe manner.

Many truck fleet owners now install dash cams throughout their fleets and use them for safety coaching and in the end, preventing accidents. The videos are shown back to the drivers to improve their habits and lead to a decrease in the number of accidents.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

On Saturday, August 15, a trailer came loose from a truck and killed a man in Pickins County.

Brian Keith, aged 48 had just finished an alcohol rehab program at Home with a Heart when the truck came down Saco Lowell Road in Easley and the trailer smashed directly into Keith who was killed outright.

According to the Coroner, this was the first accident of its type in Pickens County but accidents of this nature are common across the state of South Carolina and five people have died and 313 have been injured since 2010 due to accidents when there is what is known as a “separation of units”.

There have been 553 accidents in South Carolina of this nature since 2010 and 59 since January this year and according to the Highway Patrol it is usually caused by human error, with operators not using two safety chains or using the wrong size of ball for the trailer hitch or not using the locking pin.

Across the nation as a whole, between 1975 and 2013, over 17,000 people have been killed in 1.3 million accidents when a passenger vehicle was towing a trailer which then came loose.

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If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

On Monday, July 27, those traveling on Interstate 85 were showered with money.

According to authorities, they received 911 calls from drivers on the Interstate between Interstate 385 and Pelham Road saying that an armored truck was travelling on the Interstate and one of its doors had opened and cash was flying out of the back of the truck. Deputies from Greenville County Sheriff’s office went to the scene along with troopers to collect up the cash and try to control the situation.

There were several accidents and other traffic problems as people stopped on the interstate to look for cash and deputies asked people not to do that. They reminded that those who took money may be charged with either petty larceny or grand larceny and that the charge would depend on the amount of money they collected.

By early afternoon, all of the cash had been collected by authorities and the road returned to normal.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

The latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 104,000 people were injured in truck crashes in 2012 which is up 18% on 2011. The number of fatalities also increased, by 4% up from 3,781 in 2011 to 3,921 in 2012.

Of the injuries, 73% were not in the truck, they were in another vehicle which was involved in the accident and 3% were bystanders or pedestrians or cyclists. When looking at the fatalities it is a similar picture with 73% being occupants of other vehicles and 10% being cyclists or pedestrians.

So when it comes to truck crashes, drivers and passengers in other vehicles are nearly three times as likely to be injured than those in the truck and four times more likely to be killed.

When the collisions result in a fatality it was often as another vehicle rear ended the truck which shows how important it is to keep a good distance away from any truck in front, as the consequences are often deadly in a rear end truck collision.

If you have been the victim of an accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.

Road trips are one of the most popular vacation choices in the United States, particularly during the summer months. American families love to load up the vehicles and head out on the open road to any one of the country’s myriad tourist destinations and to enjoy the scenery along the way. But road trips can often be marred by accidents and other mishaps that are caused by everything from poor driving conditions to traffic congestion to a simple lack of route planning.

The following are some tips for keeping you and your family safe on your next road trip.

• Ensure proper vehicle maintenance before leaving – Having a properly maintained vehicle can be the difference between an enjoyable and relaxing road trip and one that ends in disaster. Make sure to check fluid levels, headlight, taillight, and turn signal functionality, wiper blade quality, and tire pressure before hitting the road.
• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle – Some of the items that experts recommend having in an emergency kit in your vehicle include a first aid kit, flares, a flashlight, jumper cables, tire replacement tools, and some nonperishable food items.
• Be alert for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles – On long road trips, it can be easy to develop “tunnel vision” in which a driver’s loses awareness of his or her periphery. Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists are far more vulnerable than those in cars and drivers need to maintain awareness of them.

If you have been the victim of a negligent accident, contact our law offices immediately at (864) 280-7660 today or contact us online. We will be able to review your case and inspect the tire to see if it has been subject to a recall Especially in the case that said accident resulted in serious injury or death, you may be entitled to monetary compensation.