Court grants benefits to family of Horry deputy who died after 2013 Windsor Green fire
The family of an Horry County Sheriffs deputy who died after working a large structure fire in Carolina Forest should receive his death benefits, according to a recent ruling from the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
Timothy Causey, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, died in May 2013, about two months into a hospital stay that followed his working security for three 12-hour shifts while crews battled a blaze in the Windsor Green community.
The S.C. Worker’s Compensation Commission initially granted Causey’s family his death benefits, but an appellate panel reversed that decision, finding that Causey’s sole cause of death was H1N1, also known as swine flu. There was insufficient evidence that any smoke inhalation as a result of being in close proximity to the fire contributed to his death, the panel ruled.
The appeals court reversed that denial Wednesday, stating in its opinion that the panel failed to consider strong circumstantial evidence that the heavy smoke likely increased his chances of acquiring the swine flu, increased its severity and disrupted Causey’s ability to fight it off.
Fran Humphries, an attorney for the family, told The Post & Courier that the ruling ““brings his wife, Donna, and his children a great sense of validation for the sacrifice Timothy made in the service of the community he loved.”
The fire, which started on March 16, 2013, destroyed 26 condominium buildings and displaced 190 people.
Donna Causey noted that her husband returned from shifts working security around the fire with watery, red eyes, coughing and a black discharge on the tissue where he blew his nose, according to court filings. He was eventually airlifted to Medical University of South Carolina and diagnosed with the swine flu.
His death certificate noted a smoke inhalation injury, and local and national law enforcement organizations have recognized Deputy Causey as having died in the line of duty.
The fire caused an estimated $11.6 million in property damage, according to previous Sun News reporting.
Another fire occurred in the same Windsor Green community in 2018, and victims of that fire received a $10 million settlement after suing the owners of the complex for not making necessary improvements following the 2013 incident.
