A. Victor Rawl, Jr., of Gordon & Rees LLP, of Charleston, for Appellant. William Camden Lewis, of Richardson, Thomas, Haltiwanger, Moore & Lewis, of Columbia; and Christopher James Moore, of Richardson Thomas, LLC, of Florence, both for Respondent Jessica Bennett. Ian Andrew Taylor, of Morris Law Firm, of Surfside; Robert Morris Hadden, of Hadden Law Firm, LLC, of Mount Pleasant; Joseph Clay Hopkins, of Charleston; and Jeffrey D. Morris, of Myrtle Beach, all for Respondent Thuy N. Gasser.

In these two consolidated appeals, Appellant ACS Primary Care Physicians-Southeast P.C. (Provider) seeks review of the circuit court's orders denying Provider's respective motions to compel arbitration. Provider argues that Respondents, Jessica Bennett and Thuy N. Gasser (collectively, Insureds), are estopped to avoid the application of the arbitration provisions in Provider's respective contracts with Insureds' health insurer because Insureds seek to enforce the contracts based on their status as third-party beneficiaries. Provider also argues that the arbitration of Insureds' claims must be on a bilateral basis because Provider's contracts with Insureds' insurer do not authorize class arbitration.

Kimberly Truluck Thomason, Devon Marc Puriefoy, and Howard Walton Anderson, III, all of Truluck Thomason, LLC, of Greenville, for Appellant-Respondent. Gregory Jacobs English and James Edward Cox, Jr., both of Wyche, PA, of Greenville, for Respondent-Appellant.

This cross-appeal involves several directed verdicts in a case about the sale of a business. The primary appellant disputes the directed verdicts extinguishing its counterclaims; arguing a reasonable jury could have found in its favor and that the circuit court erred in limiting evidence of damages. The cross-appellant argues the circuit court erred in denying pre-judgment interest and costs.

Clayton B. McCullough and Ross A. Appel, of McCullough Khan, LLC; James L. Ward, Jr., of McGowan Hood Felder & Phillips; and Susan Ranee Saunders, of Motley Rice, LLC, all of Mount Pleasant, all for Appellant. Gray Thomas Culbreath and Eleanor Lasseigne Jones, both of Gallivan, White & Boyd, PA; and James Atkinson Bruorton, IV, Timothy James Wood Muller, and David G. Jennings, all of Rosen Hagood, LLC, of Charleston, all for Respondent. Bryan Eric Shytle, of Columbia, for Amicus Curiae Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Snee Farm Lakes Homeowner's Association, Inc., appeals the circuit court's order granting summary judgment in favor of the Commission of Public Works for the Town of Mount Pleasant, arguing the circuit court erred by (1) applying the incorrect legal framework in evaluating the lawfulness of municipal utility rates and (2) applying the incorrect standard in ruling on a motion for summary judgment.

Anthony W. Livoti, Wesley Brian Sawyer, and Cordes Baxter Kennedy, all of Murphy & Grantland, PA, of Columbia; John R. Owen and James R. Jebo, both of Richmond, VA, all for Appellant. Ashley Bruce Nance, of Parker Law Group, LLP, of Hampton; Linward Curtis Edwards, II, of Law Office of Linward C. Edwards II, of Florence; and Kathleen Chewning Barnes, of Barnes Law Firm, LLC, of Hampton, all for Respondent.

Florence Concrete Products, Inc. appeals a circuit court order granting Thomas Rodriquis Nelson's motion for summary judgment, arguing the circuit court erred in finding: (1) the transportation of oversize or overweight (OSOW) loads by a federally authorized motor carrier is so inherently dangerous that anyone who hires the independent contractor motor carrier is directly liable for the motor carrier's subsequent negligence; (2) an independent contractor's unilateral decision to operate an OSOW load before daylight, in violation of an OSOW permit and South Carolina law, is a risk inherent in the movement of an OSOW; (3) Florence Concrete had notice of an inherent risk where there is no evidence that Nesbitt Transportation previously operated OSOW loads outside of legally permissible times.

E. Charles Grose, Jr., of Grose Law Firm, of Greenwood, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and Senior Assistant Attorney General Mark Reynolds Farthing, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Appellate Defender Lara Mary Caudy, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Melody Jane Brown, and Senior Assistant Attorney General W. Edgar Salter, III, all of Columbia, for Respondent.

Nathaniel D. Rowland (Appellant) appeals his convictions and sentences for murder, kidnapping, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Appellant argues the trial court erred by: (1) denying Appellant's motion to suppress evidence obtained as a product of the traffic stop because law enforcement did not have probable cause that a traffic violation had occurred or reasonable suspicion that the occupants of the car were engaged in criminal activity; (2) admitting expert testimony from the State's questioned document examiner that it was "probable" the person who wrote the inscription on the back of an envelope found in Appellant's car was the same person whose handwriting appears on Appellant's personnel records obtained from previous employers; and (3) admitting testimony from the State's expert DNA analyst concerning Appellant's inclusion in a mixture of DNA found on a multitool, cuttings from a roll of paper towels, and a sample from a pair of pants.

Appellate Defender Kathrine Haggard Hudgins, of Columbia, for Petitioner. Senior Assistant Attorney General Mark Reynolds Farthing, of Columbia, for Respondent.

In this action for post-conviction relief (PCR), Francisco R. Rodriguez argues the PCR court erred in finding he suffered no prejudice from plea counsel's failure to advise him that entering an Alford plea would result in mandatory deportation and a permanent ban on reentry into the United States.

Gerald Malloy, of Malloy Law Firm, of Hartsville; and Preston F. McDaniel, of McDaniel Law Firm, of Columbia, for Appellant. Johnnie W. Baxley, III, of Willson Jones Carter & Baxley, P.A., of North Charleston; and John Gabriel Coggiola, of Marc Brown Law Firm, LLC, of Columbia, both for Respondents.

In this workers' compensation action against Darlington County, Employer, and the South Carolina Association of Counties, Carrier, Michael K. Crowley appeals the order of the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission (the Commission), arguing the Commission erred in (1) failing to award total and permanent disability based on loss of use of his back, (2) failing to award total and permanent disability based on loss of earning capacity; (3) admitting a medical opinion and evaluation report, and (4) in making certain findings of fact that were legal conclusions rather than factual findings.

Appellate Defender Joanna Katherine Delany, of Columbia, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson and William Joseph Maye, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Michael Christian Barclay appeals his conviction for murder and sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Barclay argues the trial court erred in (1) failing to dismiss his charge based on a due process violation, (2) instructing the jury on accomplice liability, (3) refusing to instruct the jury on voluntary manslaughter, and (4) failing to instruct the jury that it could draw an adverse inference against the State based on the destruction of certain evidence.

Christopher Todd Brumback and Spencer Davis Langley, both of Brumback & Langley, LLC, of Greenville, for Appellant. Attorney General Alan McCrory Wilson, Deputy Attorney General Donald J. Zelenka, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Melody Jane Brown, and Julianna E. Battenfield, all of Columbia, for Respondent.

In this criminal proceeding, Devin Z.E. Ruttle, was convicted of murder and unlawful carrying of a handgun at the trial court. On appeal, Ruttle alleges juror bias concealment and abuse of discretion for the trial court's denial of his motion for a new trial on this basis. Ruttle also alleges that the trial court erred in its denial of immunity under the Protection of Persons and Property Act and that the implied malice charge provided to the jury was reversible error when evidence was presented Ruttle acted in self-defense.

Ellis Reed-Hill Lesemann and Benjamin Houston Joyce, both of Lesemann & Associates LLC, of Charleston, for Appellant. John T. Crawford, Jr. and Francis James Warmoth, both of Kenison Dudley & Crawford, LLC, of Greenville, for Respondent.

Crescent Homes SC, LLC appeals the master-in-equity's determination that a right of first refusal was unenforceable. Crescent Homes asserts there is no pending bona fide offer to purchase the property and thus, the master erred in finding a justiciable controversy. It also contends the master improperly refused to consider evidence of the conduct of the parties. It further maintains the master erred in finding the right of first refusal created an unreasonable restraint on alienation of interest in land based on finding it lacked specific terms. Additionally, it argues the master should have addressed whether the right of first refusal violates the rule against perpetuities and if it determined it did violate it, reformed the provision.

Kenneth Ray Raynor, of Raynor Law Firm, PLLC, of Charlotte, NC, for Appellant. Kirby Darr Shealy, III, of Adams and Reese LLP; and Luke M. Allen, both of Columbia, for Respondent.

Andrew F. Lindemann, of Lindemann Law Firm, P.A., of Columbia, for Appellant-Respondent. Jenkins McMillan Mann and Shaun C. Blake, both of Rogers Lewis Jackson & Mann, LLC, of Columbia, for Respondent-Appellant.

This is a cross-appeal involving the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Richland County appeals the circuit court's finding that it violated FOIA and the decision awarding Wendy Brawley attorney's fees and costs. Brawley appeals the circuit court's decision that her request for an injunction was barred by a prior order dismissing the injunctive claim from her complaint.

Dwight Christopher Moore, of Moore Law Firm, LLC, of Sumter; Neil Edward Alger, of Parker Law Group, LLP, of Ridgeland; and John Elliott Parker, Jr., of Parker Law Group, LLP, of Hampton, all for Appellant. Thomas Bacot Pritchard, of Vernis & Bowling of Columbia, LLC, of Charleston, for Respondent.

In this appeal, the estate of a deceased worker argues the circuit court erred in ruling that a tort action related to the worker's death could not proceed. The Estate argues the case involves the principle sometimes known as "dual persona doctrine," by which the employer may be liable in tort for an employee's injuries.