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SCLAWYERSWEEKLY.COM VOLUME 20 NUMBER 20 ■

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‘EPIC’ COLLABORATION

Attendees gather at the National Association of Legal Support Professionals annual meeting in Charlotte . Photo/NALS

South Carolina, North Carolina NALS chapters meet in Charlotte ■ BY TERI SAYLOR

elight looks good on paralegals and legal support professionals, especially when they wear it to an event, decades in the making. When the South Carolina and North Carolina chapters of the National Association of Legal Support Professionals hosted the 95-year-old organization’s annual legal education conference last month at the Sonesta Executive Park in Charlotte, it was the first time anyone can remember that NALS has ever convened in North Carolina. Legal Staff Professionals of South Carolina led the efforts, supplying a large contingent of members for

the conference planning committee. More than 20 members of the South Carolina Chapter attended the three-day event that kicked off on Sept. 15. “To have the NALS education conference in Charlotte was epic for our South Carolina Chapter, said Katherine Helms, a litigation paralegal at the Samuels Reynolds Law Firm in Columbia and LSPSC president. “Many of our South Carolina members participated in planning, fundraising, and selling sponsorships, and it was a great way to showcase how eager and welcoming our chapter members are.” LSPSC Greenville Chapter member Terri Coker, a paralegal with

Bannister, Wyatt and Stalvey, received the NALS national Mentorship Award. Established in 1929 by Eula Mae Jett, NALS was incorporated as the National Association of Legal Secretaries in 1949 and renamed the National Association for Legal Support Professionals in 2021. For over 90 years, NALS has offered continuing legal education, certifications, and networking to legal support professionals across the country. NALS members represent every area of this industry from paralegals and legal assistants to legal administrators and office managers. NALS has S e e CO L L A B O R AT I O N P a g e 7 ►

Court rules against Ford in groundbreaking case ■ BY DAVID BAUGHER A district court has affirmed that a woman whose husband killed himself more than a year after a devastating car accident will indeed recover a seven-figure judgement against the automaker while another part of the groundbreaking liability suit heads back for a new trial. “The sole question is going to be whether this jury agrees with the last jury that the suicide was causally connected and what

amount of damages would be awarded,” said Ronnie Crosby of Parker Law Group. Crosby represents Crystal Wickersham, the widow of John Wickersham, Jr., a pharmacist who lost an eye and suffered extensive facial injuries after his Ford Escape struck a curb on a rain-slicked road, went airborne and crashed into a tree. The 2011 accident left the driver with the need for multiple surgeries and continuing pain, the medications from which ren-

OCTOBER 10, 2022 ■ $8.50

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dered him unable to do his job. Worries about medical bills came to a head the following year as his Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act insurance ended. “The very month that his COBRA ran out from work is when he committed suicide,” Crosby said. Wickersham’s wife sued Ford alleging that a defective airbag deployed at the wrong time causSee Ford Page 7 ►

SCLW adds to editorial staff with new hire South Carolina Lawyers Weekly has expanded its editorial team. Haviland Stewart has joined South Carolina Lawyers Weekly as a staff writer. A native of northern California, Stewart has a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications with an emphasis in journalism and media from the University of Portland. She was on the dean’s list all for years in college, Haviland and was also a Stewart Chickasaw Nation Scholarship recipient during her college tenure. Stewart won several writing awards in college, including form the Pinnacle Awards and Columbia University Scholastic Press Association for profile writing, as well as from the College Media Association for breaking news coverage and arts and entertainment writing. While working for the University of Portland’s newspaper, The Beacon, Stewart served as editor of its Living section, where she developed creative workshops for her college peers aimed at improving staff writing and interviewing skills. She most recently was an editorial intern at Portland Magazine, where she wrote stories, created and edited editorial sections and spearheaded a companywide content migration, while also designing and distributing weekly emails. “Haviland brings energy and passion to South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s editorial team,” said Jason Thomas, interim editor of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly. “She has a creative mind that will help us reach new heights from a digital and social media perspective. “Haviland’s reporting and writing skills will only bolster South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s reputation as the go-to publication and website serving the Palmetto State’s legal industry.” Stewart, who lives in Charlotte, can be reached via email at hstewart@nclawyersweekly.com. Reach Thomas at jthomas@scbiznews.com Staff report

INSIDE VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS

Teen plaintiffs settle for $10M in UTV rollover

$1.5M settlement given for worker injured in dog attack

Restaurant trip and fall leads to nearly $2M settlement

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