Bert Louthian has been practicing law in Columbia with his father, Herb, since 1985. After receiving his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina, Bert launched his legal career in his father’s firm. With 80 years of legal experience between them, Louthian Law, P.A. remains Family-Owned and Family-Focused.
Bert’s commitment to family extends beyond his immediate family, including wife and three children, to include an ongoing dedication to the families of Columbia and all of South Carolina.
Bert understands that when life goes wrong – when you or someone you love gets hurt or suffers a loss, it can feel like nothing will ever be right or fair again. He gets up and goes to work every day to prove that feeling wrong – and does everything in his power to make things right again.
An example of Bert’s commitment to families across South Carolina includes one of his most devastating cases in Graniteville, S.C. In 2005, a train accident resulted in nine deaths and heavy property damage. His client was a young truck driver who had arrived with a load at Avondale Mills just after closing time late one afternoon. The driver pulled his truck across the street, which was near a parked Norfolk Southern train at a rail spur, and went to sleep in the cab. His plan was to make his delivery the next morning. That night, another Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials, including liquid chlorine, went onto the spur as the result of an improperly aligned railroad switch. That train slammed into a parked train, causing a chlorine tank car to rupture, releasing 60 tons of gas and killing the young truck driver. Bert was able to help secure a financial recovery for the man’s estate and provide for his family after his death.
The key to winning those cases, he says, is doing exhaustive forensics work, which involves getting the proper experts and working to recreate, as closely as possible, the scene and the circumstances at the time of the accident.
Bert has successfully litigated many other types of cases involving personal injuries and wrongful death, including automobile accidents, medical malpractice, dangerous consumer products, disability & social security claims.
“The work we do for our clients is demanding,” he says, “but when somebody has really been hurt or they’ve lost somebody they love and you’re able to at least provide them some recovery for that, it’s a good feeling.”
When he’s not practicing law Bert enjoys crossfit, cycling, stand-up paddle surfing and kiteboarding.
