In addition to product liability suits, Dan has been the lead counsel on a number of class action lawsuits seeking compensation for those clients who have been ripped off by greedy corporations. In 2017, the utility companies SCANA and Santee Cooper abandoned their plans to construct two new nuclear power plants in Fairfield County, South Carolina. As part of the team representing SCANA ratepayers, a settlement with $2 billion in future rate credits and $146 million in rebates was secured. Likewise, Santee Cooper refunded $520 million dollars to its ratepayers. Dan also represented Fairfield County in its lawsuit over the failed nuclear plants and helped secure a $100 million dollar payment to the County.
His litigation has also led to highway improvements from which everyone benefits, such as a case where he examined a stretch of Interstate 20 between Aiken and Columbia. After studying weather, engineering and traffic data, he determined that faulty paving was to blame for many serious auto accidents. The road was repaired as a result, compensating prior victims and preventing future injuries.
For the past 9 years, Dan has been honored by the South Carolina Bar to lead its "Personal Injuries Essentials" continuing legal education program. The program is intended to introduce new lawyers to the practice of personal injury law.
Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and rhetoric in communications at the University of Virginia. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was on the editorial board of the South Carolina Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif and Wig and Robe.
Following law school, Dan clerked for two years for South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal. The experience gave him a well-rounded perspective on many areas of the law.
Dan lives in Aiken, South Carolina with a daughter at the Savannah College of Art & Design and a son at Clemson University (even though Dan is a lifelong Gamecock).
Call: 803.359.6195
Email: [email protected]
Best Lawyers in America, 2021-present
Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs
Lawyer of the Year, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiffs, 2024
Aiken Bar Association
South Carolina Bar
South Carolina Association for Justice: Board Member, Elections
Chair Member, Editorial Board, South Carolina Law Review
University of South Carolina, J.D., 1998
University of Virginia, B.A., 1995
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dan has always been motivated to help victims unfamiliar or intimidated by the overwhelming nature of our legal system. Dan believes that every wrong ought to be righted, and by holding wrongdoers accountable, in addition to compensating the victim, getting justice in the legal system can prevent future harm and protect others. This motivation led Dan to focus his practice on product liability litigation, where a defective product can tragically impact the victim, their family, and loved ones. Also, by holding product manufacturers financially responsible for their mistakes and poor choices, this litigation creates financial incentives for companies to prevent future tragedies to other families.
The clearest example of Dan's devotion in this area involved exploding plastic gasoline containers. Dan represented over 80 individuals injured when their plastic gasoline container exploded, covering them and those in the area in flaming gasoline, with deadly or catastrophic results. A simple safety device, costing only a few pennies could have prevented all of those explosions, but the manufacturers chose to not include the safety device so as to increase their profit margins. Dan, along with his partners Kirk Morgan and Chuck Slaughter, and a handful of like minded lawyers, eventually oversaw the country's largest gas can manufacturer and Walmart payout over $163 million in compensation while convincing the federal government to mandate the simple safety device in all plastic gas cans, thus preventing any future explosions.
We prioritize our clients' needs, understanding that each case is unique. Our team of seasoned attorneys is committed to delivering tailored solutions, ensuring you receive the attention and representation you deserve. Our comprehensive expertise allows us to handle a wide range of legal matters effectively.
Total years of experience between partners
The attorneys of Walker, Slaughter & Haltiwanger have been part of verdicts and settlements reaching
We have in-depth knowledge of the complex litigation world surrounding burn injuries, automotive accidents, dog bites, workplace accidents and many other areas of personal injury.