Take a look at our newsletter this month.
OCTOBER 2018
916.962.2896 | TRAVISBLACKLAW.COM
MY JOURNEY FROM POLICE OFFICER TO INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR TO ATTORNEY
B efore I became a lawyer, I was a to retire, but when I did, I had no idea what I wanted to do. The first thought that came to mind was to go into law school. I already had a bachelor’s in liberal arts and criminal science, which benefited me as a police officer, but I didn’t know what I could do with it outside of law enforcement. When I decided to go to law school, I did it with the idea that I’d become a district attorney because, with my police career, I knew criminal law and it felt like I could move right into that subject with no trouble. While I was in law school, I went to work for Allstate Insurance Company as a claims adjuster for a short period of time. I left there and worked for Mercury Insurance Company as part of their fraud special investigation unit (SIU). Progressive Insurance wanted to start their own SIU in California and hired me to help get it up and running. I ended up being in charge of six states: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Hawaii. I enjoyed my work there. My team and I were fighting fraud and catching a lot of bad guys. This line of work was an area insurance companies knew little about. My unit members were pioneers in fraud prevention and investigation. What I was able to achieve with my team was groundbreaking. My unit was the best- police officer in Southern California. I was hurt on duty and was forced
performing unit in the company. We did so well that we ended up putting on training for the rest of the company throughout the United States. All great things must come to an end, though. At one point, the company reorganized, and suddenly I found myself in charge of North California and Oregon. There wasn’t any challenge anymore. That was when I decided to pursue my goal of being a district attorney. That decision was changed quickly, though, because of an 85-year-old woman in my church!
“When I decided to go to law school, I did it with the idea that I’d become a district attorney because I knew criminal law and it felt like I could move right into that subject with no trouble.”
This woman had been seriously injured in an automobile accident, and our minister
CONTINUED ON PG. 2 ...
CALL NOW! 916.962.2896 • 1
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
... CONTINUED FROM COVER
asked me to help her out. I learned that the insurance company of the other person involved had really taken advantage of her. Even though she had life-threatening injuries, they took advantage of her and settled her case for $500! She passed away from her injuries before I could do anything about it. I remember just thinking, “That’s crazy. How could an insurance company do that to a person?” I realized that insurance companies aren’t there to help and to be fair; they are there to make money. So I decided to change my idea of becoming a district attorney, and instead, I’ve specialized in helping injured clients for over 25 years. I learned that when a person has been injured in an accident, they are often scared and hurt. They may not have medical insurance and may not know where they are going to get the medical treatment they need. They have no one to turn to for help. That’s what my firm offers: the help that people need to get through this terrible event. Working both as a police officer and with insurance companies has helped me a lot in my current profession. I was in law enforcement for 13 years, and it gave me the background that I continuously
rely on to this day. I use that knowledge all the time – I understand what’s going to happen step-by-step in automobile accident investigations, and I can interpret police reports without external help. In fact, I get calls weekly from other attorneys asking me to interpret police and accident reports! Working with insurance companies has provided me the knowledge of how they operate, which very few attorneys understand, and that helps me when I’m working on a difficult case. I can look at things from the other side and know how and what an insurance company is thinking. I reverse the roles and see where they’re coming from, and that helps me understand where I need to go. Everything I’ve done and learned has helped me reach this point in my life. Not only does it give me the understanding I need to be a personal injury lawyer, but it helps me do the best work I can for my clients.
-Travis Black
KELSEY DEPAOLI ATTORNEY AT LAW
balance here. Sometimes you have to work on the weekends, and it’s not an 8–5 job, but if something important comes up, they’ll understand if you can’t come in.”
Through the six years she’s been here, Kelsey has worked side-by-side with Travis Black. She looks up to Travis as a mentor and fantastic attorney. “Travis has been doing this for years. He has so much experience under his belt with his unique background. With his background as a police officer and an insurance claims manager, he has so much to share. It’s been exceptional to work with him.” Working with Travis has had other positive effects, as well. “We balance each other out,” Kelsey explains. “I like to think of myself as the calm to his storm. Travis has a straightforward way of approaching a situation, which some clients really need. I like to approach things from a gentle perspective, which helps when clients need some additional help and guidance.” In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending quality time with her husband. “We’re outdoorsy people — anything that gets us outdoors is something we enjoy.” Along with traveling to Lake Tahoe when ever they can, they travel to different countries. “I’d say our No. 1 hobby is traveling,” Kelsey says thoughtfully. “My husband and I have gone to seven different countries, and any chance we get, we’re off on another exploration.” So far, she’s been to Greece, Australia, Fiji, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, and Italy. “My favorite country would have to be Italy because you get the food, wine, and beaches.”
Kelsey Depaoli is one of our amazing attorneys at Travis G Black & Associates. She’s been with us for over six years and will be with us for many to come. “It’s been really great working here,” Kelsey says. “It’s really been a unique experience.” The atmosphere we foster is a place where both our employees and our clients are comfortable. “We treat everyone like family here,” Kelsey says. “Everyone respects one another, and we’re all loyal to our firm and each other. The work environment is flexible and understanding, too. Everyone understands that people have a life outside of work — there’s a great work-life
2 • WWW.TRAVISBLACKLAW.COM • PROUDLY SERVING CALIFORNIA’S PEOPLE
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
WHY THERE ARE KIDS ON YOUR PORCH ASKING FOR CANDY
As Halloween looms and you load up your grocery cart with candy, you may ask yourself, “Why do I provide these spooky gremlins with a sugar high every Oct. 31, anyway?” Well, when your doorbell starts ringing around 6 p.m. this All Hallows’ Eve, you can thank the Celts for this tradition of candy and costumes.
Halloween itself is a kind of mishmash of four different cultural festivals of old: two Roman fêtes, which commemorated the dead and the goddess of fruit and trees (not at the same time); the Celtic Samuin or Samhain, a new year’s party thrown at the end of our summer; and the Catholic All Saint’s Day, designed to replace Samuin and divorce it from its pagan origins. Long before there were young’uns on your porch dressed as Thanos with candy-filled pillowcases in hand, the Celts believed that Samuin marked an overlapping of the realms of the living and the dead. To trick the spirits leaking into our world, young men donned flowing white costumes and black masks — a great disguise when ghosts were about. The Catholic Church was never a big fan of these pagan traditions, so they renamed it “All Saints’ Day” and gussied it up in religious garb. By the 11th century, people were dressing up as saints, angels, and the occasional demon instead of spirits. Eventually, costumed children started tearing through town begging for food and money and singing a song or prayer in return — a practice called “souling.” But when did they start dressing up as Minions? Starting in the 19th century, souling turned to “guising,” which gave way to trick-or-treating in mid-20th-century America, and the costumes diversified. So put on some clown makeup and a big smile, scoop up a handful of sweets, and scare the living daylights out of ‘em — ‘tis the season! SPICED PUMPKIN SEED CRUNCH
INSPIRED BY NATURE
INGREDIENTS • 1 large egg white • 1 teaspoon light agave syrup • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds • 1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, agave, salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated. 4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine
CALL NOW! 916.962.2896 • 3
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1839 Iron Point Rd. #160 Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: 916.962.2896 travisblacklaw.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE My Journey Becoming a Personal Injury Lawyer PAGE 1 Meet Our Associates! PAGE 2 The Surprising Origins of Trick-or-Treating PAGE 3 Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch PAGE 3 Enjoy Your October Local Events! PAGE 4
SACRAMENTO AND FOLSOM
LOCAL EVENTS JUST FOR YOU!
Eager to get out of the house this month? Here are a few events that you’ll be excited to attend!
IMPROV TASTE TEST WHERE: Comedy Spot Training Center, 915 T Street, Sacramento WHEN: Every Wednesday, Oct. 3–31, 7–8 p.m. PDT Improv isn’t all about comedy; it can impact your daily life. Improv can help you roll with the punches if you’re ever in a situation where you have to think on your feet, For $6 at the door, you’ll get a great taste of improv. Enjoy some basic methods and play improv games with other curious and enthusiastic improvisers. If you enjoy the weekly classes, then you’re welcome to join Sacramento Comedy Spots’ monthly Improv 101 class. Visit their website at saccomedyspot.com/taste-test to find out more. 2ND ANNUAL CRUSH WINE RUN WHERE: Lake Natoma American River Bike Trail, 145 Parkshore Drive in Folsom WHEN: Oct. 20, 8–11 a.m. PDT If you’re looking for a 3K, 5K, and 10K walk or run to take part in this month, look no further. Open to anyone who wants to participate, runners, walkers, and joggers can register at 7:30. Participants can
expect to receive a T-shirt, finisher medal, race bib, commemorative wine glass, and wine tasting coupons. There will also be live music, food trucks, and prizes for your enjoyment! You can learn more by visiting their website at crushrun.com.
BLACK FRIDAY NIGHTS WHERE: Pioneer Village, 196 Wool Street in Folsom WHEN: First Friday of every month, 5–8 p.m. PDT
Have you ever wanted to watch a historic forge at work? Now you can at the Folsom Pioneer Village. Watch a demonstration and take advantage of the opportunity to hammer on the forge (with supervision). A regular ticket costs $10, while a premium is $20 and allows you the chance to interact with the forge. Both tickets provide access to the village after hours and some appetizing treats. For more information, check out their website: folsomhistoricalsociety.org.
4 • WWW.TRAVISBLACKLAW.COM • PROUDLY SERVING CALIFORNIA’S PEOPLE
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online