South Carolina car accidents can all-too-often leave victims suffering severe injuries, or even worse, claim their lives. As of early March, 91 people had already lost their lives in South Carolina car crashes. In some cases, a fatal car accident is caused by drivers engaging in reckless behavior like texting while driving. One state senator appears determined to promote legislation intended to enact harsher penalties for those who text and drive and then cause a fatal accident.

The South Carolina senator is championing a bill that was originally introduced several years previously, but has failed for various reasons the past three years. Senators seem to be having trouble working out details of a law that would have sufficient ‘teeth’ to it, without erring on the side of being overly harsh. Senator Shane Massey does believe that some type of ban on texting while driving is absolutely essential

South Carolina actually numbers among the few states that have not yet enacted some type of prohibition on texting while driving. At least 39 states have already put this type of law into effect. The bill being promoted by Senator Massey would impose misdemeanor penalties on drivers who are found to engage in distracted driving. The relatively minor penalties would increase significantly, to up to a $10,000 fine and 10 years in prison, if a distracted driver caused a deadly car accident.

Those in our state who have already lost loved ones to those who engage in reckless behavior like texting while driving may wish to help champion this legislation. Others may decide to seek information on filing a wrongful death lawsuit following a relative’s death. This can often help cover some of the financial hardships associated with an unexpected death caused by a car accident attributed to a party’s negligence, and may help gain additional justice for the person whose life has been tragically cut short.

Source: ABC 6 WJBF-TV, “South Carolina Texting While Driving Law Hits a Red Light,” Courtney Elledge, March 3, 2013

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Steven M. Krause

Steven Krause is a personal injury, auto accident, and workers’ compensation lawyer who practices in Anderson, SC. He graduated form the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law and has been practicing law for 40 years now. Steven Krause believes in fighting for the injured. Learn more about his experience here.