January 2014 Archives

Russell Mace Settles Multi-Million Dollar Wrongful Death Case

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Our leading South Carolina personal injury lawyer, Russell Mace, has negotiated another large settlement.  Mr. Mace represented a couple whose three-year-old child tragically drowned while in a vacation home in Florida.  The vacation home was required to install an alarm at each entry-way to the pool.  Prior to the couple arriving, staff reported that the alarm was not working properly.  Despite these reports, maintenance never repaired the alarm before the couple arrived.  The alarm never sounded when the child went through the home’s sliding glass door to the pool.  Mr. Mace was able to settle the case with the leasing company and homeowner’s for $2 million.  The Sun News has described this settlement as “one of the largest settlements in a South Carolina-related case for 2013.”  

Of course, no amount of money will ever mend the heartache and loss of the couple.  Mr. Mace correctly described this case as a tragedy “because it could have been prevented with proper maintenance.”  However, Mr. Mace is confident that this settlement will act as a deterrent for similar cases of negligence. 

Mr. Mace aggressively represents his clients and fights for their best interests.  He has over fifteen years of experience in civil litigation and has been voted as one of the 100 best trial attorneys nationwide.  He has a high degree of knowledge about all stages of civil litigation.  If you need a personal injury lawyer or wrongful death lawyer in South Carolina, contact our office at (843) 839-2900 for a free consultation or contact us online.       

Cops Involved in Massive Insurance Fraud Scheme

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According to the indictment, taxpayers were swindled out of millions of dollars.  Many of those charged claimed to be suffering from mental illnesses due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The indictment was based on a two-year investigation by federal and state authorities.  An official in charge of determining eligibility for Social Security disability, Thomas Hale, has also been charged for aiding in the fraud.

In fraud cases, a major sentencing factor is the amount of loss involved.  Some of the individuals may be charged in conspiracies and held responsible for the losses in their case as well as the losses in their co-defendants’ cases.  The United States Sentencing Guidelines is extremely important in determining an individual’s exposure at sentencing.  The Guidelines is a lengthy document and can be difficult to understand.  It is used in order to prepare your presentence investigation report.  This report includes an individual’s charges, the offense conduct, criminal history, any applicable enhancements for the charged offense(s) and a suggested sentencing range (obtained from the Guidelines).  The report is supplied to the judge at sentencing after objections are made and the judge usually relies on it heavily when sentencing a defendant.  Given the importance of the Guidelines in the sentencing phase, an individual charged in a fraud case should be sure to retain counsel that is readily familiar with the Guidelines.

We have attorneys licensed in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that are very experienced in the federal arena.  Our criminal defense attorneys are dedicated to their clients and make it a personal goal to provide their clients with the best defense possible.  We believe that is exactly what our clients deserve.  We keep our clients fully informed through every stage of the process.  If you need to speak with a federal fraud defense attorney, contact The Mace Firm for a free consultation at 1-800-948-7425.