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GEORGETOWN OFFICE 121 Screven Street Georgetown, SC 29440 • Medical Malpractice • Car Accidents • Personal Injury • Truck Accidents • Wrongful Death
• Worker’s Comp. • Darm Shop Liability • Nursing Home Abuse • Hospital Negligence • Jail Misconduct CHARLESTON OFFICE 635 East Bay Street, Suite F Charleston, SC 29403
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 EVANSMOORELAW.COM · (843) 995-5000 Partners in Justice Behind the Scenes at Evans Moore Law
The two of us graduated from law school in 2008 as strangers — young attorneys with no idea where our careers were headed. Fourteen years later, we are in our eighth year in business as Evans Moore Law, proud to have built a partnership that’s made to last. Along the way, we’ve secured millions of dollars for our clients and have helped make our local communities a safer place to live and work. We came from very different backgrounds. James is the third James B. Moore in his family to become an attorney; it seems that the law was in his blood. (His father works at the firm here with us today.) He grew up listening to stories about different cases at the breakfast table and developed an early fascination with legal matters. An empathetic streak ultimately led him to personal injury law, where he realized he could make a direct impact in the lives of people who had been wronged. On the other side, Scott never planned to become an attorney — not even when he was in his first year of law school. He comes from a military background and saw his education as a stepping stone to a law enforcement career. That all changed after an internship with a judge. At the time, many cases regarding a train crash were working their way through the courts, and the train company was using every tactic they could to stall the proceedings and suppress evidence. Until then, Scott had assumed that when someone was hurt, they received the payment they were entitled to. Seeing how CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE! EvansMooreLaw.com has a new look. Visit today to learn more about our prior results, access new and improved resources, and stay up to date with our blog!
the system really worked for the first time inspired him to fight for injured people. After graduation, we were both hired by judges and then joined the same Georgetown legal group two years later. Our meeting was a stroke of good luck, and we quickly discovered we worked well together as a team. We opened Evans Moore Law in 2015 and since then have won victories for clients all over South Carolina who endured injuries from car accidents, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, civil rights violations, and sexual misconduct. A lot has changed since we first met. James is married and a father to a 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, while Scott has a 5-year-old daughter. But much has also stayed the same. James still loves hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors. And though he has now spent most of his life in South Carolina, Scott stays true to his Southern California roots with a passion for hip hop music and low-rider cars. We’ve also lost none of our enthusiasm for the law, growing more passionate with each passing year. James loves connecting with clients and embarking on a constant learning journey with each new case and expert witness. Scott’s favorite part of the job is still taking insurance companies to task for the harm people suffer. But most of all, we care about fighting for what’s right. Our jobs give us the unusual privilege of stopping those who try to thwart justice. We can’t undo what our clients have endured, but we can help them secure the compensation, dignity, and justice they deserve. We consider it both a duty and an honor.
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Why We Should Live for Today Never a Dull Moment
We can’t change the past, nor can we predict or guarantee the future. In the end, all we have is the present, yet most of us live our lives ignoring its many possibilities. It’s easy to tune out the life around you, especially if you do many of the same things every day. Taking care of the kids, commuting, working, and running errands can blur together. Just as bad, when life isn’t going the way we want, it’s easy to fantasize about how things “should” be or how they once were. When we live busy or stressful lives, worrying or planning can also make us feel more in control.
But how do you even get started? The process requires a different way of thinking called mindfulness. Mindfulness is about focusing on what is happening in the present moment — not that work deadline, the movie you just watched, what’s for dinner, or the kids’ extracurricular schedule. It takes practice, and many people use meditation or breathing to help. When mindful, we concentrate on what others say and become more fully present. We also start to notice the small things we usually overlook: the cool breeze on our skin, the sound of the birds, the feel of a sweater, or the sight of our loved ones smiling. Our lives become fuller. And our stress decreases because we’re not clinging to things beyond our command.
The problem with these strategies is that they don’t change anything. They help us discount the only thing we can control: what we do now. Life can pass you by that way if you’re not careful. The solution is to exist in the present moment as much as possible and enjoy the good things around us while we have them. Studies show that living this way makes people happier, healthier, and more likely to form strong relationships.
No one ever stops worrying entirely, and some planning is necessary to live a successful life. But too much can leave us with no energy or time to enjoy it. John Lennon once sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Start living in the present so you don’t blink and miss yours.
Grateful for Georgetown Celebrating Our 7th Annual Turkey Giveaway Evans Moore Law is nothing without our community. The people of Georgetown are our clients, and we Everyone at the firm loves getting out from behind the desk and
meeting our community members in a casual setting. We share dozens of heartwarming moments each year with friends and strangers alike, and there’s nothing quite like the smiles on their faces when they know they can share a Thanksgiving meal with loved ones. Their relief and gratitude mean we get back at least as much as we give. We look forward to seeing new faces and old this year to provide those in need a brighter Thanksgiving. We aim to provide as many as 300 turkeys to Georgetown residents this November. And we hope the giveaway will only continue to grow, as it has every year until now.
wouldn’t have a business without them. But they’re also our friends, family, and neighbors. Since they have given us so much, we want to return whatever we can. That’s why we’re proud to host our 7th Annual Turkey Giveaway on Nov. 21. The firm began the turkey giveaway in 2016 after flooding in October impacted many local families. It was so well received that we decided to make it an annual tradition on the Monday before Thanksgiving. That first year, we gave away approximately 50 turkeys to families in need. By 2021, that number had increased to more than 250 turkeys — helping more than 250 Georgetown families put Thanksgiving dinner on the table.
Evans Moore Law does many local events to give back to the community each year, but this is one of the most meaningful. We welcome any opportunity to invest in each other because we’re stronger together. Most of all, we look forward to the opportunity to repay all we’ve received.
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TAKE A BREAK!
Sports Concussions Can Have Permanent Effects DROPPING THE BALL ON CHILDREN’S SAFETY Most parents now realize that football is dangerous. But they expect school officials and athletic trainers to have their children’s best interests at heart and look after them when they’re out on the field. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and the consequences can be tragic. While all sports pose risks, high school football is the most likely to result in a concussion, accounting for 44% of all cases. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and occurs when a blow to the head jolts a person’s brain. The brain can move around the skull, causing bruising, bleeding, or nerve damage. A person with a concussion will often become confused, disoriented, and forgetful. They also frequently experience nausea, sensitivity to light, severe headaches, and a lack of coordination, among other symptoms. Concussions also have emotional effects, sometimes causing mood swings, irritability, or depression. Thankfully, most concussions resolve with time and rest, but repeated concussions and failure to seek treatment can cause permanent brain damage. That was the case for one middle school football player named Logan Wood. In 2016, 14-year-old Logan was playing a middle school football game when he sustained a concussion. Instead of receiving adequate assessment and treatment, officials allowed him to continue playing. Experts later determined that Logan suffered at least two but possibly as many as seven concussions during the game, resulting in post-concussive syndrome. Unfortunately, the middle school’s insurance company denied liability and did not even agree to cover Logan’s medical bills, so Evans Moore Law represented Logan in court, where a jury awarded him $850,000 for his injuries. The jury found the school negligent by not requiring a designated athletic trainer for the visiting team. Further, the trainer responsible for assessing players failed to do so, virtually ignoring the away team. While the verdict will help Logan pay for ongoing medical care, he is disqualified from the military career he intended to pursue and will face lifelong effects of his injuries. Cases like Logan’s remind us that people often find it challenging to recognize when they have a concussion and advocate for themselves — especially children. Knowing the symptoms is crucial to assess when someone else may have a concussion and seek medical assistance. That’s particularly true for parents watching their children on the sidelines of any sport. We should be able to trust athletic trainers to take care of our kids, but we are often our children’s best defense.
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NEW LAW PROTECTS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Poisoned at Camp Lejeune
From Aug. 1, 1953, to Dec. 31, 1987, the water at Camp Lejeune — a United States Marine Corps base near Jacksonville, North Carolina — was contaminated with toxic chemicals. It’s estimated that more than 1 million people have been affected by the dangerous chemicals contaminating the water. Recently, the Senate passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022, which allows victims and their families to seek legal compensation for the harm they’ve experienced due to the contaminated water. Evans Moore is honored to advocate on behalf of the military men and women, families, and civilians who worked and lived on base. If you know someone who suffered an injury or illness due to the toxic chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s drinking water, please let them and their family know we are here to help.
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GEORGETOWN OFFICE 121 Screven Street Georgetown, SC 29440 (843) 995-5000
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SOLUTION TO SUDOKU
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3. 2. 1. The Origins of James and Scott’s Partnership Taking Each Moment as It Comes Our 7th Annual Turkey Giveaway The Dangers of Sports Concussions New Law Protects Veterans and Families
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When Surgeons Leave Objects Inside Patients
What’s Left Behind THE DANGERS OF RETAINED MEDICAL OBJECTS
We all know that mistakes occur, but when our lives are on the line, we expect doctors to do everything they can to keep us safe. So, it makes sense that unintended retention of a foreign object (URFO) inside a patient after surgery is considered a “never event,” or one that should happen 0% of the time. Their entirely preventable nature makes the frequency of URFOs even more shocking. Most official estimates suggest foreign objects are retained in every 1 in 100 to 1 in 5,000 surgeries. But a 2008 study in the medical journal Annals of Surgery suggested the incidence is as common as 12.5% of surgeries. A 2015 study argued that foreign objects are left behind almost 40 times a week. Accurately tracking URFOs is difficult because most surgeons and hospitals avoid self-reporting errors, but the incidence is far more frequent than “never.” Medical teams use hundreds of instruments throughout a surgery. Many are placed inside a patient’s body to assist with the procedure. Problems occur when doctors fail to remove all of the objects before stitching up a patient. Sponges, gauze, and cotton swabs used to soak up blood are the most common objects left behind. But URFOs also include larger objects like clamps, retractors, pins, and scissors.
Since pain is normal after surgery, many people don’t immediately realize something is wrong. Problems can also take months or even years to develop. But URFOs can be deadly. Soft objects like sponges often accumulate bacteria and cause dangerous infections. Meanwhile, metal objects can puncture organs. URFO symptoms include pain that doesn’t resolve after several weeks, difficulty eating or breathing, constipation or bloody stools, a discolored incision site, and an overall decline
in health following surgery. Some patients even report “feeling something” inside their bodies. If you suspect a URFO, seek immediate care from a new doctor — not the one who performed your surgery. And just as importantly, don’t delay in seeking legal representation. URFO cases can cause thousands in medical bills in addition to pain and suffering. Evans Moore has extensive
experience with medical malpractice cases concerning retained objects, and we can help victims receive the compensation they deserve.
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