Case Name: Dane Louis HUPMAN, Plaintiff, v. ERSKINE COLLEGE; Dr. Charles H. Carlisle; Jerry Wilton Hall; Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolfe, Architects; Holman Construction Company, Inc.; Webb Electric Company; ITT Hoffman Specialty, a Division of ITT Fluid Handling, a division of International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation; and James M. Pleasant Company, Defendants
Court: Supreme Court of South Carolina
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Decision Date: 1984-03-20
Citations: 281 S.C. 43
Docket Number: 22059
Parties: Dane Louis HUPMAN, Plaintiff, v. ERSKINE COLLEGE; Dr. Charles H. Carlisle; Jerry Wilton Hall; Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolfe, Architects; Holman Construction Company, Inc.; Webb Electric Company; ITT Hoffman Specialty, a Division of ITT Fluid Handling, a division of International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation; and James M. Pleasant Company, Defendants.
Judges: Lewis, C. J., and Gregory, A. J., concur.
Reporter: South Carolina Reports
Volume: 281
Pages: 43–47

Head Matter:
22059
Dane Louis HUPMAN, Plaintiff, v. ERSKINE COLLEGE; Dr. Charles H. Carlisle; Jerry Wilton Hall; Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolfe, Architects; Holman Construction Company, Inc.; Webb Electric Company; ITT Hoffman Specialty, a Division of ITT Fluid Handling, a division of International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation; and James M. Pleasant Company, Defendants.
(314 S. E. (2d) 314)
Supreme Court
J. Kendall Few, Greenville, for plaintiff.
James D. Brice and John P. Britton, of Rainey, Britton, Gibbes and Clarkson, Greenville, for defendants Dr. Charles H. Carlisle, et al.
Joseph E. Major, of Leatherwood, Walker, Todd and Mann, Greenville, for defendant Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle & Wolfe.
William M. Grant, Jr., of Haynesworth, Perry, Bryant, Marion and Johnstone, Greenville, for defendant ITT Hoffman.
Theron C. Cochran, Greenville, for defendant James M. Pleasant Co.
Michael D. Glenn, of McIntosh, Threlkeld, Glenn and Sherard, Anderson, for defendant Webb Electric Co.
Cary C. Doyle, Anderson, for defendant Holman Construction.
Heard Jan. 9, 1984.
Decided March 20, 1984.

Opinion:
Littlejohn, Justice:
This case comes before us as a certified question from the United States District Court, District of South Carolina, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 46.
The question presented is as follows:
Does the abrogation of the doctrine of charitable immunity announced in Fitzer v. Greater Greenville, S. C. Young Men's Christian Association, 277 S. C. 1, 282 S. E. (2d) 230 (1981) apply retroactively?
This case arises from an injury to a student at Erskine College, who was severely burned in a shower on November 21, 1980.
Suit was filed March 14, 1982. One defendant, Erskine College, has raised the defense of charitable immunity. This defense was abolished in its entirety ten months after the plaintiffs injury. Fitzer, supra.
This Court has consistently ruled that the abrogation of immunities defenses is to be applied prospectively only. See e.g., Douglass v. Florence General Hospital, 273 S. C. 716, 259 S. E. (2d) 117 (1979) and Hyder v. Jones, 271 S. C. 85, 245 S. E. (2d) 123 (1978). See also, 15 Am. Jur. (2d) Charities § 194 (1976). Prospective application is required when liability is created where formerly none existed.
We hold that the abrogation of the doctrine of charitable immunity announced in Fitzer v. Greater Greenville, S. C., YMCA, 277 S. C. 1, 282 S. E. (2d) 230 (1981) applies prospectively only.
The foregoing is the order of this Court.
Lewis, C. J., and Gregory, A. J., concur.