South Carolina Personal Injury Blog - Myrtle Beach

Local Law Firm Donates Nintendo Wii in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Will Parker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:16:47 GMT

My name is Will Parker and I am the managing attorney for the Myrtle Beach location of the Mike Kelly Law Group. Earlier this morning, we donated a Nintendo Wii to Active Day Grand Strand. The facility, which assists with disabled youth and the elderly, was extremely receptive and appreciative. It eas wonderful watching the smiles on the faces of the facilities' members. I would like to thank the local media, including WMBF and WBTW with covering the story and for conducting an on-air interview with me. Additionally, I would like to thank Injuryboard for planning the coordinated donation. This clearly demonstrates how such a donation, in the aggregate, can have such a positive effect on our local communities. If you are interested, please check out WMBF and WBTW online or on their news programming for more details. I look forward to future coordinated efforts. Kudos to Injuryboard...great job!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Parker

Myrtle Beach Affected by the Confederate Flag Debate - ACC Backs Out

Will Parker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:59:44 GMT

The Atlantic Coast Conference recently revoked its agreement to play the league baseball tournament in Myrtle Beach. The previous agreement required the tournament to be held in Myrtle Beach from 2011 until 2013. The main reason for the ACC backing out of the agreement centers on the issue of the Confederate flag.

This flag, which many still consider to be a symbol of South Carolina heritage, can be seen flying on South Carolina House grounds. The NAACP has threatened a boycott until someone takes the appropriate steps to have the flag removed.

The ACC never attained approval for the tournament in Myrtle Beach from the South Carolina chapter of the NAACP, which is at the forefront of the flag removal debate. The NAACP has said that it will fight from having any sporting events held in South Carolina until the flag is removed.

The revenue that would have been generated in Myrtle Beach during these tournaments will now benefit North Carolina. Although South Carolina’s neighbor may have engaged in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy as well, it is obviously considered to be much more advanced in the racial and political arena.

The ACC commissioner, John Swofford, said that it would be difficult for any other tournament to be held in South Carolina in the future. Lonnie Randolph, South Carolina’s NAACP president has said, “I am certain Swofford learned that it is ok by South Carolina legislative standards to proudly insult an entire state population by waving a flag that instead should be displayed in a museum.” Swofford stated that by allowing the flag to stay on house grounds it would be sending an incorrect message that the ACC is not truly representing equality and human rights.

The NAACP has said that that South Carolina should find a way to be proud of its heritage and respectful of its citizens, which can only be accomplished when the Confederate flag is removed from State House grounds. The ACC is backing this decision.

This debate has been long standing. Not only are the businesses of Myrtle Beach affected by the boycott, but also the people of South Carolina. The lost revenue could have helped to bring many local businesses out of their slumps and bring additional vacationers to the area in the future. The flag is a symbol of the past, not the present nor the future. Retiring it to the museum may be the best idea in order to demonstrate the progress that this state has undergone since that time. The last thing this area and/or state needs is more lost revenue!

For the full story on the controversy, click on: http://www.thestate.com/sports/story/886047.html?storylink=pd.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Parker

Lack of Sufficient Lifeguards on Duty Leads to the Drowning of a Three-Year-Old Boy

Will Parker — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:37:29 GMT

The dog days of summer have most families yearning for a backyard pool or a great summer vacation by the water. Amusement parks and water parks are popular destinations for families that are seeking quality time with their loved ones. The parks are supposed to provide a safe atmosphere for all to enjoy. The most recent drowning at the largest indoor water park in the United States proves that not all precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of those within these parks.

A three-year-old Michigan boy, Hassan Itani, died at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio on Sunday afternoon. He was found face down in a children’s pool that was estimated to be between 3-4 feet deep. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after he was pulled from the water. The mother claimed that she lost sight of her son for only a few moments before he was found. She verified that he did not know how to swim.

Although lifeguards were on duty at the time of the accident, none could say that they knew the toddler was in any distress prior to his drowning. Unfortunately for Kalahari Resorts, a 173,000 square foot recreation facility, this is not its first reported problem. The resort faced disciplinary actions by the state at least five times since it opened in 2005.

As recent as last May the inspectors were told that the park had fewer lifeguards than what should be required. It was also reported that “many rides were operated in a careless and unsafe manner.” For the full story on the drowning at Kalahari, please click on the following link: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/03/2009-08-03_boy_3_drowns_at_kalahari_resorts_water_park.html.

This is certainly not the first fatality of 2009 in water parks throughout the United States. One other publicized incident occurred at the Wet ‘N’ Wild Waterworld in Texas. A 14-year-old boy, Eric Saldana, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool. He was visiting the water park on a field trip, but did not know how to swim. The boy was unable to be revived at a local hospital.

Accidents occurring at amusement parks are fairly common. Many of the injuries sustained are serious, if not fatal. For a detailed list of past accidents, as well as an accruing list of accidents in 2009, consult http://www.rideaccidents.com/ or

http://www.amusementsafety.org/.

It is easy to see that the two similarities in both of these tragedies are the lack of swimming knowledge and the understaffing at water parks. Parents should take the time to teach their children the basics of swimming at a very young age. A few hours of water instruction every week could end up saving lives down the road.

Furthermore, states need to ensure that amusement parks and water parks are complying with their recommendations. It’s pointless for safety inspections to be performed if the inspectors do not return to make certain that the appropriate changes have been made. A fine or a list of repairs is not sufficient. Amusement parks have a duty to their customers to make every attempt to prevent a tragedy from occurring. A young boy may be alive today had Kalahari Resorts complied with inspectors in the past.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Parker

How to File an Insurance Claim as a Result of the Myrtle Beach Fire

Will Parker — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:10:44 GMT

I thought it may be helpful to provide some basic tips regarding the claims process in light of the recent fires in Horry County. The Sun News reported this morning that insurance companies have started sending their catastrophe teams and adjusters to Horry County, and some are setting up spots where fire victims can go to file claims, according to Allison Love with the S.C. Insurance News Service.

First, the adjusters have to be allowed access to the damaged properties. Once they are allowed to begin assessment, the adjusters will begin with the most severely damaged properties. Residents who have been evacuated may begin the claims process. Additional tips and information can be found at www.scinsnews.com. Below is a list of numbers to report claims for most major insurance companies:

Allstate Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-54-STORM (1-800-547-8676)

Builders Mutual Insurance Company: Claims #- 1-800-809-4861

Companion Property & Casualty Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-845-2724, option 2 or fax at (803) 419-8063

GEICO: Claims # 1-800-841-3000

General Casualty Insurance Company: Claims: 1-800-334-0241

GMAC Insurance: Claims # - 1-800-468-3466 Grange Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-445-3030

Harleysville Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-892-8877

Johnson & Johnson Inc Managing general Agent: Claims #: 1-800-487-7565 Ext. 3029

Nationwide Insurance: Claims # - 1-800-421-3535

Progressive Insurance: Claims # - 1-800-274-4499

PURE High Value Homeowners Insurance Claims Hotline: 888-813-PURE (7873) or e-mail claims@purehnw.com or fax claims to 914-328-3883.

South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company: Claims Hotline: 1-800-799-7500

South Carolina Wind & Hail Underwriting Association: Claims #: Call your insurance broker/agent

The Seibels Bruce Group, Inc.: Catawba Insurance Company Claims: 1-800-525-8835

Southern Mutual Insurance Company: Claims #: 1-800-226-1919

Southern Mutual Church Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-922-5332

State Farm: Claims #: Contact your agent or 1-800-SF-CLAIM State Auto Insurance: Claims #: 1-800-766-1853 or e-mail claims@stateauto.com

USAA: Claims #: 1-800-531-8222

Universal North America Insurance Company: Claims #: 866-999-0898

Utica National Insurance Group: Claims #: (Fax) 315-266-4121 or 1-800-274-1914 ext. 2772

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Will Parker