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Justice MONTHLY
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
The Call No Parent Should Ever Have to Get
This Holiday, Let’s Make Sure Everyone Gets Home Safe
Every year, especially around the holidays, I’m reminded of how devastating impaired driving can be. In my work, I’ve sat across from families whose lives were changed forever because someone decided to get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t have. One mother here in Georgia lost her son to a drunk driver, and I’ll never forget the way she described it. She said it was like Russian roulette. Nobody who makes that choice thinks they’re going to be the one to pull the trigger, but when a life is lost, there’s no reset button. We all know the risks of drunk driving. We’ve seen the public service announcements, the crash-site memorials, and the tearful news interviews. Most of us would never dream of doing it ourselves. But here’s the part that still surprises people when they hear it: Texting while driving is statistically more dangerous than drinking and driving. That’s right. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting behind the wheel is six times more deadly than driving drunk. Think about that. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for about five seconds. Five seconds might not sound like much until you’re traveling at 55 miles per hour. At that speed, five seconds is the length of an entire football field. Imagine closing your eyes and driving straight across it. Would you ever do that?
Of course not. And yet, every time someone glances down at their phone while driving, that’s exactly what’s happening.
I think about a fellow trial lawyer whose young daughter, a college freshman, was walking home one day when a driver ran her down. He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t on drugs. He was simply texting. Her life ended before it even had a chance to truly begin. That story has stayed with me, and I share it often because it drives home a painful truth: Impairment doesn’t always come from a bottle. Distractions can be just as lethal . The hard reality is that while drunk driving has slowly declined among younger people, phone use behind the wheel has skyrocketed. We’ve swapped one danger for another. And as much as I’d love to say things are improving, I see the opposite in my work. Teenagers may not be drinking as much as generations before, but they’re glued to their screens, often in situations where a moment’s distraction can mean life or death. As a parent, I know these conversations with teenagers aren’t easy. I remember being young myself, more worried about getting in trouble than about making the safe choice. Many kids would rather risk driving impaired or hopping into a car with someone who is than call their parents for help. That’s why I encourage families to establish a simple rule: no matter the circumstance, no matter the time of night, if you need a safe ride home, call. No lectures, no judgment in the moment. Just safety. The alternative is far worse. So, during this National Impaired Driving Prevention Month (December), I’m asking you to do two things. First, recommit to never driving impaired, whether that means alcohol, drugs, or your phone. Second, have an honest talk with your kids. Give them the confidence to choose safety over pride. Remind them that no message, no shortcut, and no drink is worth a life. —William F. “Trey” Underwood III
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The Empathy Effect
Unlock Stronger Bonds With These 3 Tools
Emotional Empathy: Feeling With Others This kind of empathy tugs at your heartstrings when someone you love is hurting. Emotional empathy lets you actually feel what another person feels. It’s powerful, but it can also be overwhelming. To strengthen emotional empathy, put distractions away during conversations, make eye contact, and be present. When we give people our full attention, our emotional receptors are activated. If you feel emotionally overloaded, though, it’s okay to take a breather. Boundaries are a healthy part of empathy, too. Compassionate Empathy: Acting on Understanding Compassionate empathy goes beyond understanding and feeling; it’s about doing something helpful. For example, if your
Empathy quite literally holds our relationships together. It helps us connect, understand, and support one another. But did you know empathy isn’t just one thing? It comes in three distinct forms, each playing a unique role in how we relate to others. Cognitive Empathy: Understanding the Mind Cognitive empathy involves mentally stepping into someone else’s shoes to understand their thoughts. For example, if your friend is ranting about a frustrating day at work, cognitive empathy helps you understand and relate. If you want to build this skill, practice active listening. Instead of planning your response while someone’s talking, focus entirely on their words. Then, reflect on what you’ve heard. Phrases like “It sounds like you’re feeling ...” can go a long way.
partner is anxious about an upcoming presentation, you can show compassionate empathy by noticing and offering to run through their slides with them. To show compassionate empathy, ask yourself, “How can I lighten their load right now?” Even small gestures like texting to offer help can build trust and deepen connections. When all three types of empathy are present, relationships thrive. You understand, feel, and act, and while not every situation calls for all three, being aware of each type can make you a better friend, partner, parent, or teammate.
The Small Click That Saves Thousands of Lives Why Every 50 Minutes a Life Is Lost Without a Seat Belt
November 14 is National Seat Belt Day, and while most drivers in Georgia understand the importance of buckling up, the numbers remind us why this small action makes a life-or-death difference. Nationwide, daytime seat belt use among front-seat passengers reached 91.2% in 2024, yet thousands of lives are still cut short. In 2023 alone, more than 10,000 people killed in crashes were not restrained. Tragically, someone dies every 50 minutes in America because they weren’t wearing a seat belt. Know Georgia’s seat belt laws. Georgia enforces primary seat belt laws , meaning officers can stop a driver just for not wearing one. The law is clear:
• “I’m in a pickup truck, I’ll be safer.” Not true at all. In fact, 61% of pickup occupants killed in 2023 were unbuckled, compared to 47% in passenger cars.
• “I don’t need a seat belt if I’m just going a short distance.” Most deadly crashes occur close to home at under 40 mph.
• “The back seat is safe enough.” In reality, unbelted back-seat passengers can slam into front-seat occupants during a crash, causing devastating injuries. Buckle up the right way. A seat belt only protects you if it’s worn correctly. The lap belt should stay across your hips, not your stomach, and the shoulder strap should run across your chest, not behind your back or under your arm. This positioning allows your strongest bones to absorb the force of impact, giving you the best chance of walking away from a collision. A simple step that saves lives. At our firm, we’ve seen firsthand how devastating crashes can be when seat belts are ignored. Buckling up is quick, easy, and, most importantly, the single most effective way to reduce your risk of death or serious injury. This Nov. 14, make the pledge: every trip, every seat, every time.
• Drivers and front-seat passengers must always buckle up.
• Children and teens ages 8 to 17 must wear seat belts in every seat.
Georgia has one of the strongest compliance rates in the nation at 92%, but every percentage point matters when lives are at stake.
Myths that put drivers at risk. Too many people still cling to misconceptions that put them in danger:
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In the Blink of an Eye One Mistake in the Woods Can Change Everything
• Mistaken identity in low light or dense woods, when a hunter tragically fires at another person, thinking they’re game. • Faulty or poorly maintained equipment , like misfiring guns, unstable stands, or broken harnesses. Stay safe in the field. The reassuring truth is that most hunting accidents can be prevented. A few simple precautions, like keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction, wearing reflective clothing, inspecting equipment before every trip, and using a safety harness, can mean the difference between a successful hunt and a devastating emergency. Taking a hunter safety course also provides essential skills that could save a life. When negligence leads to legal action. Unfortunately, not all hunters take safety seriously. When recklessness, poor judgment, or neglected equipment causes an injury, the
As the leaves turn and hunting season kicks off across Georgia, thousands head into the woods in search of game. For many, it’s a beloved ritual, but the tradition comes with a stark reality: Hunting accidents happen far more often than people realize. Every year in the U.S., about 1,000 hunting injuries are reported, and nearly 100 of them are fatal. Even more startling, 80% are caused by human error. One careless moment, one overlooked detail, and lives can change forever. The most common hunting dangers: Some risks appear again and again in accident reports. Among the most frequent dangers are: • Accidental discharges that occur when a firearm goes off after being dropped, mishandled, or left unsecured. • Falls from tree stands that can shatter bones or cause head injuries, even from what seems like a “short” height.
consequences extend far beyond the woods. In Georgia, victims of hunting accidents may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, in heartbreaking cases, wrongful death. But these claims can be complex, often involving conflicting witness accounts, disputed insurance coverage, and questions of fault. Protect your rights. If you or a loved one has been injured in a hunting accident, don’t try to navigate the legal process on your own. Our experienced attorneys know how to uncover the facts, hold negligent parties responsible, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact our firm today, because no one should pay the price for another hunter’s mistake.
Extra-Crispy Ranch Chicken Cutlets
We Value You! At the Law Offices of William F. Underwood, III, P.C., the trust we build with our clients is our most valuable asset. To show our appreciation, we would like to thank our clients who have referred others to us since our September/October newsletter:
Ingredients • Olive oil • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 3/4 cup flour • 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1 oz ranch seasoning, store-bought (1 packet) or homemade • Cooking spray
Jerome Reynolds Freda McCoy Alexis Sears Otha Hopkins Brenda Holmes
Fabian Zaire Shidequah Evans Latoya Gardner
Marie Wilson Michael Davis
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil and set aside. 2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. 3. Set out three shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the second bowl. Mix panko, Parmesan, and ranch seasoning mix in the third bowl. 4. For coating, dip seasoned chicken breasts in flour, coating both sides. Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and, finally, the panko mixture. 5. Place each coated chicken breast in the prepared baking dish. 6. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. 7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 F and is golden brown.
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Don’t Play Russian Roulette With Any Life PAGE 1
Boost Your Emotional Intelligence With These 3 Empathy Skills
One Habit That Can Save Your Life in a Crash PAGE 2
Hunting Season Safety: Prevent Tragedy Before It Strikes
Extra-Crispy Ranch Chicken Cutlets PAGE 3
History’s Forgotten Music Machine PAGE 4
RECEIVERS AND RHAPSODIES The Birth of Streaming Sound
We celebrate the late Steve Jobs of Apple and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek as innovators in the world of music streaming, but the true pioneer of how most of us enjoy tunes in 2025 is a man who died nearly a century ago. A lawyer by trade, Thaddeus Cahill (1867–1934) spent his free time as an innovator, a hobby that eventually led him to revolutionize sound. In 1897, he received a patent for the Telharmonium, a 200-ton organ created to turn telephones into what could be considered the world’s first iPods. Looking more like a NASA control board than a musical instrument, the Telharmonium used electromagnetic impulses to create sounds similar to those of modern synthesizers and transmit them over telephone networks, essentially making the “hold music” of its time. Although bulky, the invention captured the hearts of music aficionados, including Mark Twain, who famously said, “I couldn’t possibly leave the world until I have heard this again and again.”
The instrument made its public debut in 1906 with the opening of Telharmonic Hall in New York City. Guests could grab one of the phone receivers placed throughout the venue and listen to the synthesized music Telharmonium operators were performing on the floor below. Soon, phone users embraced Cahill’s technology at theaters, eateries, hotels, and homes nationwide. Unfortunately, the system proved glitchy, the organ’s electronic tones interrupted ordinary phone users mid-conversation, and AT&T decided not to invest in Cahill’s impractical invention to expand its reach. That inconvenience, coupled with high manufacturing costs (each Telharmonium cost $200,000, a fortune then) and operational demands (it required 2–4 musicians to play), eventually led to declining popularity and the closing of Telharmonic Hall by 1920. Sadly, no surviving audio recordings of the Telharmonium are believed to exist, and its last known version was dismantled and scrapped in the early 1960s.
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