Check out our March newsletter!
MARCH 2020
HARMONSON HEADLINES
YOUR GUIDE TO PERSONAL INJURY IN THE BORDERLAND
WE WOULDN’T BE WHERE WE ARE WITHOUT Rosie!
T his month, I want to do something a little
casework or to make formal requests. On top of that, she puts the checks together when cases settle. When you get down to it, Rosie plays a role in just about every part of the process. Of course, working at Harmonson Law Firm is just a small part of Rosie’s life. When she’s not at the office, there’s a good chance Rosie is with her family, and she comes from a big one — her parents had 16 kids! Today, Rosie is a mother of four grown kids. Two of them are off on their own with growing families of their own, and the other two are still a little closer to home. Her youngest son, who’s 19, recently graduated from high school and will soon attend South Plains College in Lubbock. Her youngest daughter, who’s 21, attends New Mexico State University and has even helped around the firm working as a file clerk. Rosie loves to go camping and have cookouts, and she enjoys dancing. But most of her time is just spent with her kids and grandkids. For Rosie, it doesn’t get better than family. Here are the two things I love most about Rosie. Rosie treats our clients like royalty and makes life in the trenches of the law firm a wonderful place. Rosie also is unwavering in her faith which shines through in everything she does, whether it is for the firm, for our clients, or her family.
different. I want to share a little about one of the members of our team: Rosie!
Many of our clients are familiar with Rosie Caldwell, our chief paralegal with our firm. Rosie has been with us for five years — her first two years were part time before she joined us full time for the last three years. Ever since day one, she has been an incredible part of the team, and we would not be the law firm we are today without her! Rosie’s career in law goes back to 1976. Since then, she’s worked with a number of
attorneys and law firms in and around El Paso, giving her a very distinguished career. I can’t say enough about how good she is with clients, and I’m glad she found her way to our firm. Rosie does so much for our clients and the firm at large. It’s really hard to define her role in just a few words because she does so much every day. She spends a lot of time on the phone with clients, adjusters, and medical providers and works hard to make sure we have all the information we need to work on a case. That way, we can get the results our clients have come to expect. Another big part of Rosie’s role is requesting and compiling medical records, which can be important for car accident and medical malpractice cases. She also helps drafts many of the legal documents we use in
Thank you for all you do Rosie!
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TOP 3 REAS INSURANCE COMPANIES DEN
One of the greatest things about March Madness is that you don’t have to be a huge college basketball fan to get in on the fun. Kids of all ages can fill out brackets — or have a parent fill one out for them — and watch their picks duke it out on the court. While healthy competition among family members can be fun all on its own, check out the following tips if you’re looking to go the extra mile and reap as much fun from March Madness as you can. Turn each game into an event. Not every kid may like watching basketball, but if they fill out a bracket, then they might gain at least a passing interest in who will win each game. To elevate their interest, turn each March Madness matchup into a little party. It doesn’t have to be fancy; make fun snacks to eat while you watch or bet pieces of candy on who will have the most points to create great family bonding opportunities. MARCH MADNESS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
A car accident can inflict substantial suffering, but so can navigating the claims process after a wreck. There are a number of pitfalls a claimant can encounter when dealing with auto insurance companies. In some cases, an insurance company can outright deny your claim, leaving you with high medical bills, lost income, and financial hardships. Here are the top three reasons an insurance company might impede your rights to fair compensation:
1. LAPSES IN COVERAGE
If the motorist who hit you hasn’t paid their premiums or is uninsured, the at-fault party’s former insurance company is not responsible for your claims. While this is an unfortunate situation, car accident victims have options in Texas. Since Texas requires that drivers carry uninsured motorist protection on their policies, an attorney can help with filing claims with your own insurance company when the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance.
2. DELAYS IN PROVIDING INFORMATION TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY
In the aftermath of a car accident, many motorists are overwhelmed. They might also be seriously injured. These scenarios make it difficult to provide all necessary information to insurance companies to settle claims. Additionally, some insurance companies make the process of supplying information exceedingly difficult in an attempt to get the party filing the claim will give up. After a period of time, an unresolved claim might be closed by an adjuster too, which further delays receiving settlements. SUDO KU
Reward the winners with prizes. Offer prizes to each round winner as well as the overall bracket winner to get the whole family involved. Small prize ideas for each round can
include a homemade dinner of the winner’s choice, a week’s supply of their favorite snack, or a coupon for getting out of a chore. Whoever wins the whole
tournament (or makes it the furthest with their bracket) deserves a bigger reward. Offer them the chance to see a movie of their choice in theaters or to eat a meal at their favorite restaurant. Create a learning opportunity. Learning math or geography might not sound like your child’s idea of fun, but it can be when they learn it through the lens of March Madness. See if your kids would be interested in understanding the inner workings of the ranking system or studying where some of the qualifying colleges are located on a map of the United States. They may find it so interesting that they don’t even realize they’re learning valuable skills.
SOLUTION ON PG. 4
2 • www.ClarkHarmonsonAttorney.com
NS CLAIMS
Would you let the insurance company track your driving? In 2019, the New York Times reported on the “safest driver in Los Angeles”: Deborra Sarei, an LA resident who participated in an experiment sponsored by USAA and the City of Los Angeles to promote safer driving. But how do you determine one person is the safest? The answer was an app on her smartphone. Sarei let the app track her daily driving, including her speed, braking, acceleration, and cornering. It could even track distractions tied to the phone, such as texting or making/ taking phone calls. Essentially, if Sarei was driving, she was being tracked. She says she did everything by the book and became an extra careful driver, monitoring her driving behavior far more than she did before being tracked. Sarei was part of a group of 11,500 other drivers who all had opted to share their location data with the mobile app. The experiment was part of a contest sponsored by USAA and promoted by LA’s mayor, Eric Garcetti. Whoever was dubbed “safest driving in Los Angeles” also received a $20,000 prize. USAA already offers discounts to policy owners who sign up for the mobile tracking app and use it according to USAA’s terms of service. Policyholders can see up to 20% discounts on their premium. Other insurance companies offer similar discounts in exchange for tracking data. They say the tracking is meant to promote safer driving and that users will not be penalized with higher premiums if they drive poorly; they just won’t receive a discount on their policy. INSURERS OFFER DISCOUNTS TO TRACK YOU Are You Willing to Trade Privacy for a Lower Premium?
3. DISPUTES OVER LIABILITY
Disputed liability is a common reason for insurance companies to
deny a claim. If an insurance company can demonstrate doubt over who is at fault for an accident, they will most likely deny a claim. This is another reason why consulting with a personal injury attorney before communicating with an insurance company is beneficial. An attorney can help you demonstrate the facts of your case and protect your rights to a fair settlement. There are a few ways that injured parties can avoid the pitfalls of denied claims associated with preexisting conditions. First, victims should know that they have rights to compensation if a car accident aggravated an existing condition. Second, general medical authorizations that give adjusters unfettered access to medical records should not be signed. If you feel like your medical history, or any of the above, could affect your rights to fair compensation, we recommend speaking with an attorney as soon as possible.
This article comes direct from the blog at clarkharmonsonattorney.com/blog. Be sure to visit the blog for more insight from Clark!
GREEN VELVET CHEESECAKE BARS
INSPIRED BY ABOUTAMOM.COM
This St. Paddy’s Day, try taking a festive spin on a classic staple. If you have red velvet lovers in your family, they’re sure to love this equally decadent treat.
INGREDIENTS
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2/3 cup sugar
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1 cup graham cracker crumbs
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3 eggs
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1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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1 stick butter, melted
Some states prohibit insurers from offering policies based on driving habits. In California, however, there is talk of changing those restrictions to make it easier for insurers to charge based on driving habits. Right now, these are opt-in programs, so you don’t have to worry about being tracked by your insurer. Are you willing to share your driving habits with your insurer? Some people question how the data may be used and how they are being tracked. It all comes down to a question of privacy. If you’re willing to let go of your privacy, you might see a small discount on your premiums. If not, nothing changes, at least, for now.
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Green sprinkles, optional
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1 oz green food coloring (gel works best)
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3 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350 F, and line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine crumbs, butter, and food coloring. Press into the baking pan. 3. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together.
4. Add eggs one at a time and stir in vanilla. 5. Pour mixture over the packed crumbs. 6. Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is set. 7. Let cool completely before adding sprinkles and slicing.
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5505 North Mesa St. Suite 3 • El Paso, TX 79912 WWW.CLARKHARMONSONATTORNEY.COM 915.584.8777
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Where Would We Be Without Rosie?
March Madness Fun for the Whole Family
Here’s Why Insurance Companies Will Deny Your Claim
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Green Velvet Cheesecake Bars
Would You Let the Insurance Company Track Your Driving?
4
Stay Stateside With These Little- Known St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations
STAYING STATESIDE FOR ST. PADDY’S? Celebrate With These Little-Known Festivities
There’s no place quite like Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day. What was once a purely religious holiday to honor the legend of St. Patrick chasing all the snakes out of the country has turned into a global celebration. But if a trip to Ireland isn’t in the budget, check out these three little-known stateside destinations that are just as festive. Thanks to the clever thinking of some Irish friends meeting for a pint at a bar on one of the shortest streets in the world, Bridge Street in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the First Ever 17th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade will travel 98 feet once again this year. Don’t assume the turnout isn’t robust just because the distance is staggeringly low. The parade lasts Short and Sweet in Arkansas
for hours, drawing thousands of people to watch celebrities, musicians, bands, floats, and Miss Arkansas glide by. The event also features a Blarney stone kissing contest and a parade king and queen.
A Little Luck in America’s Heartland
O’Neill, Nebraska, is home to the world’s largest shamrock and more unique St. Patrick’s Day traditions. This Irish community doubles down on its heritage every March with a traditional parade, music, and Irish dancing. But the town also hosts a popular dodgeball tournament and donkey basketball. What could be better than pummeling your opponents in dodgeball and outpacing the competition while riding a donkey in the school gymnasium? Perhaps enjoying a pint or two with your teammates afterward. And O’Neill is just the spot to do it. You may not be able to fly to Ireland, but you can visit a little piece of it right in the U.S. Head to Dublin, Ohio, this St. Patrick’s Day for a traditional celebration sure to put a wee bit o’ pep in your step. Partake in a traditional Irish breakfast or enjoy a parade complete with bagpipers and Irish dancers. Boasting one of the largest celebrations in the U.S., Dublin is an affordable alternative for those looking to celebrate the Irish way. Ohio’s Little Piece of Ireland
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