Falsely Accused and Condemned
THE SALEM TOMATO TRIALS
Surely, you've heard about the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts, but did you hear how the people of Salem, New Jersey, put tomatoes on trial in the 1800s, believing that they were poisonous? It sounds like a fictional movie plot, but it really happened! Even back in the 16th century, people were very suspicious of tomatoes. As if enough confusion didn’t already surround the tomato — is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Deemed a fruit but treated as a vegetable, the tomato is a bit
their toxicity. But, there’s always one who goes against the grain. Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson, a farmer and historian, refused to believe that the tomato was harmful and ate them on a regular basis. In fact, he even hosted tomato competitions, granting a prize to the person who could grow the largest tomatoes. People thought he was simply mad.
To prove his point and redeem his reputation, he showed up at the Salem tomato trial with a giant basket of tomatoes, frantically eating them in front of the crowd. He ate the entire basket full and stood before everyone, as healthy as can be, hoping to coax the crowd into dropping the “charges” on the healthy fruit. When he maintained his health days, weeks, and even months later, tomatoes were no longer regarded as evil and poisonous.
of a contradiction. To make matters worse, in the 1800s, it was discovered the stems and leaves of tomatoes contained tomatine, a toxin. Within the fruit itself, a small amount of the toxin exists in a much lower concentration. However, people feared being poisoned if they were to consume any part of a tomato. Today, we know there isn’t nearly enough of the toxin to create a problem for us.
Today, the tomato is actually the fourth most popular “vegetable”; after all, how could we live without
In 1820, wary of the poisonous red fruit, tomatoes were put on trial in the town courthouse, made to answer for
salsa and marinara sauce?
How to Handle a Hospital Lien STEP 1: CALL KEVIN!
Imagine you’re injured in a car accident and taken to the hospital. The doctors help you, even though you don't have insurance or any way to pay for your treatment. Then, after you get home, a scary letter comes in the mail: The hospital is filing a lien against you! The letter basically says, “If you win any money in court for your accident, we’ll take a big chunk.”
car, or other possessions if you don’t pay them. They only have access to money you might win in your personal injury case.
HOW CAN YOU FIGHT IT? Like we said, hospital liens are totally legal. But sometimes with the help of a good lawyer, you can negotiate them down. For example, the hospital may have made a mistake or might be asking for too much. Our team will make sure their lien is valid, look into your insurance situation, and negotiate for you if we can.
This is an intimidating situation, but you shouldn’t panic! Keep reading to find out why.
WHAT IS A HOSPITAL LIEN? Here’s the simple way to think about a lien: It’s the hospital’s method of collecting their debt. The way the hospital sees it, you owe them for your treatment — so they can take the money they’re owed out of your car crash settlement. It’s totally legal for hospitals and nursing homes to file liens here in Georgia. The good news is that a hospital lien doesn’t attach to any of your assets outside of your personal injury case. That means the hospital can’t seize your house,
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO FIRST? If you get one of those scary letters in the mail, the first thing you should do is call Kevin and the rest of our team here at Kevin Patrick Law. We’ll take the entire situation off your plate and deal with the bills and liens while you focus on your treatment, your work, your family, and getting better. Hopefully, you never end up on the wrong side of a hospital lien. But if you know someone in that situation, refer them to us for help.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404.566.8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cellphone is 404.409.3160.)
2 • KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404.566.5880
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