Sea Pines trolley company sued after crash causes serious injuries, lawsuit says

A passenger on a Sea Pines trolley that crashed into a tree last month has filed a lawsuit, claiming she suffered "catastrophic injuries," according to court documents.

Pavlina Fink, represented by Hilton Head Island attorney William Jenkins, filed the suit Tuesday against Sea Pines Plantation Trolley Company, LLC.

The complaint, found on the Beaufort County 14th Judicial Circuit's electronic public index, accuses the company of negligence and was filed in the court of common pleas.

The accident happened around 4:25 p.m. May 11 on Lighthouse Road, according to a S.C. Highway Patrol report. Four people, including the 68-year-old driver, were taken to the hospital with injuries. The report classified the incident as a "medical-related" crash.

Fink, a Hilton Head resident, was in the hospital for three days after the crash, according to her husband, Bill.

"That poor woman was bruised on every part of her body," Bill Fink said Thursday morning. "Her arms, legs, not to mention that dislocated hip."

The complaint mentioned those injuries and others, including "deep cuts in her chin, a cracked front tooth, (and) rib pain ... ."

Bill Fink said his almost-4-year-old daughter was also on the trolley and suffered a broken leg and concussion, which led to a seizure. He said he held his daughter in the back of the ambulance as it transported her to a Savannah hospital.

"To see my daughter's beautiful smile has been difficult," he said, explaining the crash knocked out her front teeth. "To watch a child have to limp around and to have to go through pain and agony ... . She almost died in the crash. She had a major seizure when we got to the Talmadge Bridge. ... That was the scariest moment of my life."

Sea Pines declined to talk to a reporter, instead sending a statement via email.

"As a policy, Sea Pines (Community Service Associates)" — which oversees the trolley and other services in the gated community — "does not comment on pending or current litigation," read the statement, sent by spokesperson Kelsey Donnelly. "We are actively working with the authorities investigating the May 11 trolley accident and will modify existing safety measures as needed."

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Judd Jones said Thursday that he did not have more specific information about the medical condition that factored into the crash. He said no charges had been filed and didn't anticipate any because the incident was medical related.

Jenkins said he wants to examine medical records to learn more about why the driver was hospitalized.

"We really don't have any word on what, exactly, that (medical-related crash) is referring to," he said.

In terms of damages, he said he and his client have not asked for a specific monetary amount because they're still determining the family's medical expenses.

It could take a year or more to reach trial, Jenkins said.

"You're always willing to listen to a settlement offer," he said. "You never say no to a possible settlement, but a lot of stuff has to take place between now and then to make that kind of projection."

This story was originally published June 21, 2018 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Sea Pines trolley company sued after crash causes serious injuries, lawsuit says."