Daniel Scott Haltiwanger

RPWB member Daniel Scott Haltiwanger helps people who have been harmed in accidents and by dangerous products, work that enables him to fight for positive change on behalf of consumers everywhere.

In one such instance, Haltiwanger examined a stretch of Interstate 20 in South Carolina between Aiken and Columbia. By poring through weather, engineering and traffic data, he determined that a faulty repaving job was to blame for many serious wrecks. The road was then repaired to prevent future injuries.

Similarly, he represented dozens of plaintiffs whose SUVs had rolled over following tire malfunctions amid the Ford/Firestone recall of the early 2000s. Litigation prompted both companies to change the design of their products.

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Haltiwanger graduated from the University of Virginia in 1995 with a degree in International Relations & Rhetoric in Communications. He then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he was on the editorial board of the Law Review and also was a member of the Order of the Coif.

Following law school, Haltiwanger clerked for the Honorable Jean Toal during a pivotal two-year period of her career when she became chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. That experience provided him with well-rounded, practical experience in many areas of the law.

He was hired as an associate for Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole where he worked under Terry Richardson. In 2002, Haltiwanger followed Richardson to RPWB. A year later, he litigated and maintained much of the Barnwell office’s caseload as other attorneys served the needs of those who were killed, injured or displaced by the Graniteville train crash.

Haltiwanger met his wife at the company holiday party. They have two children and live in Aiken. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing for red drum in the tidal creeks and rivers near Edisto Island.

Representative Cases

The Electrocution of Manuel Salazar

In 2003, 24-year-old construction worker Manuel Salazar was standing next to a crane at the Lake Murray dam in South Carolina when the crane made contact with power lines. Salazar was electrocuted, causing the loss of both of his arms and legs. Haltiwanger represented him, twice arguing successfully that Salazar could bring a personal injury lawsuit rather than just a worker’s compensation claim. The case was settled for a confidential amount of money, and is thought to be the largest personal injury settlement in South Carolina history. Salazar has shown such incredible determination and spirit in his recovery that Nike to outfit him with computerized legs. He is married, has three children and started a business. For more about Manuel’s story, click here (?v=VSybUD-5yNM)

Exploding Gas Cans & Other Burn Injuries

Haltiwanger has represented many people who were burned by defective products, including gas cans, deep fryers and gas grills. This includes more than 50 people who were hurt or killed by exploding gas cans. One group of clients received more than $60 million from Blitz U.S.A, Inc., and Walmart as a part of a settlement in the Blitz U.S.A., Inc. bankruptcy.

Poisoned Family Land

Haltiwanger represented a family in Williston, South Carolina who was forced from their home by pollution from a neighboring refrigerator manufacturer. Heavy metals and other substances poisoned the family’s well. The company entered into a confidential settlement with the property owners, whose family had owned the property for generations, and the land was eventually cleaned up as part of a Superfund project.

Truck wrecks

RPWB has a strong reputation for litigating truck wrecks against drivers, vehicle owners, insurance companies and vehicle manufacturers. Haltiwanger has represented individuals who were killed or suffered severe injuries in truck accidents, including vehicle defect cases involving unguarded sidesaddle fuel tanks and those injured by trucks with insufficient roof support.

Medical Device Litigation

Haltiwanger helps patients who have received defective medical devices, most notably hip implants and transvaginal mesh. Defective hip implants include the brands:  DePuy ASR, DePuy Pinnacle, Stryker Rejuvenate & ABG II, Biomet MZA Magnum, Zimmer Durom and Wright Conserve. Defective transvaginal mesh products were manufactured by Boston Scientific, Ethicon, American Medical Systems, C.R. Bard, Inc., and Coloplast Corporation.