The South Carolina Supreme Court on Single Party Collateral Source Payments
By Kyle H. Cooper
The South Carolina Supreme Court, released an opinion on March 19, 2025, clarifying what types of payments are, and are not, considered collateral sources. In Gipson v. Coffey & McKenzie, P.A., Op. No. 28270 (March 19, 2025), the Court held...
The South Carolina Supreme Court on Single Party Collateral Source Payments
By Kyle H. Cooper
April 2, 2025The South Carolina Supreme Court, released an opinion on March 19, 2025, clarifying what types of payments are, and are not, considered collateral sources. In Gipson v. Coffey & McKenzie, P.A., Op. No. 28270 (March 19, 2025), the Court held...
The defense lawyer is in the evaluation business because every case ultimately comes down to value—what it’s worth today, what it could be worth if it goes the distance, and how to position it for the best possible outcome. Clients—whether...
In the crowded world of insurance defense, differentiation isn’t easy. Many firms claim to provide aggressive representation, strategic thinking, or cost-effective solutions—but those phrases are table stakes, not true differentiators. At Collins & Lacy, our difference is our people. While...
Be the Hero: The Role of the Defense Lawyer in a World of Complacency
By Christian Stegmaier
February 12, 2025With the sheer volume of cases most defense lawyers handle, it’s easy for many of them—almost inevitable—to become complacent. The legal profession, particularly in insurance defense, is a numbers game. Carriers assign cases, firms staff them, and lawyers work through...
From Parlay to Policy: South Carolina’s Online Sports Betting Debate
By Andrew T. Smith
February 4, 2025It is Sunday night, February 9, 2025. You are at your weird co-worker’s house along with 30 other people, most of whom you have never met. While you are bored with this year’s rematch of the Kansas City Chiefs and...
The Eras Effect: Exploring the New Economic Realities Created by Taylor Swift’s Record-Breaking Tour
By Christian Stegmaier
November 5, 2024Introduction It’s no exaggeration: The Taylor Swift Eras Tour has arguably shaped a new economic reality, fueled by a perfect storm of consumer psychology, where desires, social influences, and attitudes seemingly detached from traditional rationality converge to create something unprecedented...
In a recent unpublished decision from the Court of Appeals, a defendant successfully argued that once counsel appears in the case, all papers must be served upon counsel. In Mayers v. Henthorn, Op. No. 2023-UP-177 (S.C. Ct. App. May 11,...
Court Rules Principal Can be Subject to Liability in Independent Contractor Relationship
By Kelsey Brudvig
June 21, 2023Are you a company that utilizes independent contractors in your operations? The South Carolina Supreme Court now says you may be held liable in the negligent selection of your independent contractor. On June 21, 2023, the South Carolina Supreme Court...
In a recent unpublished decision from the Court of Appeals, a defendant successfully argued that once counsel appears in the case, all papers must be served upon counsel. In Mayers v. Henthorn, Op. No. 2023-UP-177 (S.C. Ct. App. May 11,...
Collins & Lacy President Christian Stegmaier was recently interviewed about liquor liability claims in South Carolina for the below article by Jennifer Mandato, originally published in Law360. --- June 6, 2024 As the South Carolina General Assembly returned to session...
The Rise, Fall, and Potential Resurgence of WeWork: Navigating the Co-Working Sector Landscape as a Whole in the Future
By Christian Stegmaier
November 9, 2023WeWork, the once-high-flying co-working company that was once valued at $47 billion, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, marking a dramatic end to a chapter in one of Silicon Valley's once most promising (and curious) startups. The company's fall...
In a recent unpublished decision from the Court of Appeals, a defendant successfully argued that once counsel appears in the case, all papers must be served upon counsel. In Mayers v. Henthorn, Op. No. 2023-UP-177 (S.C. Ct. App. May 11,...
ADA Compliance for Restaurant Websites: How to Make Your PDFs Accessible to All
By Christian Stegmaier
May 22, 2023How to make your restaurant website accessible to individual with disabilities. The importance of ADA compliance in the digital space has grown in recent years, as more and more people rely on the internet for information and services. For restaurant...
The Third Space: A New Frontier for Bias-Related Claims in Retail & Hospitality
By Christian Stegmaier
May 15, 2023What Is Third Space? The term "Third Space" refers to a hybrid space that combines elements of the first two spaces (home and work) to create a third space that is neither home nor work but is a place where...
As law enforcement in the 2020's focuses on the rise in drug trafficking and other offenses, criminal organizations have increasingly turned to retail crime to generate illicit profits by using internet-based tools to steal merchandise, sell stolen goods, and move...
In a recent unpublished decision from the Court of Appeals, a defendant successfully argued that once counsel appears in the case, all papers must be served upon counsel. In Mayers v. Henthorn, Op. No. 2023-UP-177 (S.C. Ct. App. May 11,...
Court Rules Principal Can be Subject to Liability in Independent Contractor Relationship
By Kelsey Brudvig
June 21, 2023Are you a company that utilizes independent contractors in your operations? The South Carolina Supreme Court now says you may be held liable in the negligent selection of your independent contractor. On June 21, 2023, the South Carolina Supreme Court...
Pursuit of Summary Judgment in Vicarious Liability Claims Premised Upon Intentional Act of an Employee Criminal In Nature
By Christian Stegmaier
December 4, 2019Here’s the scenario: An employee commits an intentional act that is criminal in nature while on the clock. A third party is injured by this act. The employer is sued based on a theory of vicarious liability. The act was...
Attorneys here at Collins & Lacy act as defense counsel. That means we represent individuals and businesses who have been sued. More often than you may think, we have a hard time finding a person who is being sued. Last...
Court holds plaintiffs must prove three types of commonality Liability of a successor entity under South Carolina’s “mere continuation” rule continues to require commonality of ownership. However, the door may have been opened for successor liability in the absence of...
South Carolina Supreme Court Rules on Automobile Insurance Policy Question
By Kelsey Brudvig
August 8, 2018South Carolina law does not require punitive damages be apportioned pro rata between bodily injury and property damage in a split limits automobile insurance policy. In Government Employees Insurance Company v. Poole, 2018 WL 3300235, (S.C., 2018), the South Carolina...
Insurer's failure to advise policyholder of its interest in allocated damages results in coverage for general verdict. The South Carolina Supreme Court has concluded that: (1) an insurance company’s reservation of rights letter was insufficient and the insured had therefore...
Insurer Held to Have Duty to Defend Allegations that Patients’ Medical Records Were Accessible Via Google Search
By Joel Collins
June 14, 2016The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an insurer had a duty to defend an insured against class action allegations that the insured posted confidential medical records on the Internet. Two patients at Glen Falls Hospital discovered that...
With the holidays upcoming, everyone is certain to have a favorite tradition. From wrapping presents to the tunes of Bing Crosby’s Christmas album, to waking up on January 1st feeling like your brain lost a fight with King Kong, the...
In a recent unpublished decision from the Court of Appeals, a defendant successfully argued that once counsel appears in the case, all papers must be served upon counsel. In Mayers v. Henthorn, Op. No. 2023-UP-177 (S.C. Ct. App. May 11,...
Small Talk with Big Consequences: The Supreme Court of South Carolina Reverses a Greenville Man’s Conviction Based on Asking Questions
By Michael Bunda
May 31, 2024“The facts of this case are appalling and tempt us to eschew restraint.” — Justice Few Two Greenville County deputies tased, tackled, and arrested Thomas Jones because he asked two questions. In July 2018, Jones’ friend had been pulled over...