Disability
Digest
June 2018 888-497-9061 |DisabilityDenials.com
A T T O R N E Y S A T L A W , L L P
Fleet of Floating Vehicles and Food From the Grill Summer at the Lake
At the office this season, we’re staying busy and working hard with our great team of attorneys. One big effort we’ve been focusing on is educating other professionals about what disability law is and how it can help clients who think they are out of options. I recently gave a presentation at the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and shared some of my knowledge with my colleagues. When people ask what I do for a living, I share a case I worked on some time ago for a client named Mike. The case demonstrates the importance of disability law and how we can benefit from more awareness about it. It opens up possibilities for people who think they are out of options, like Mike. If you’d like to read more about Mike the Mechanic, take a look at his story on Page 2. Finally, thank you to all of our scholarship applicants. It was incredible to learn about the dedicated, hardworking students who applied — there are some talented folks out there! We’ve received so many excellent applications that it has been difficult to narrow it down to only two people. We will make our selection and share the news with you soon. Enjoy your summer, and maybe we’ll see you at the lake. -Marc Whitehead
pancakes, eggs, and bacon. My family is all in favor, as long as they get to eat it.
For my family, summertime means trying to spend as much time at the lake as possible. We have a house on Lake Livingston, and when it comes time to plan a summer vacation, I’m always rooting for a staycation, because you can’t really beat summer at the lake. Since my girls were little, we’ve made going to the lake a family ritual. We splash around in the lake and enjoy biking in the neighborhood. I have the makings of a fleet of floating vehicles — a power boat, jet skis, and, newest to the collection, a sailboat that I’m still trying to learn to sail. It’s a work in progress, so I’ll let you know if I get the hang of it by the end of the summer. We also have a nice outdoor grill, and I enjoy grilling meals on it, but my favorite might be grilling on our outdoor griddle. I’ll make breakfast outside with
This year, our group may be a little smaller. My daughter, who is in college for speech therapy, will spend her summer as an intern, working with children with speech impediments. She will be busy helping others and pursuing her career. Two of my other girls are going to camps, so at least for a couple of weekends, it may just be my wife and me at the lake house, taking in the scenery and the calm found in the outdoors. One of the great things about Texas is the decent weather year-round. We often go to the lake even in winter. We may not get in the water, but we still find plenty to do. When fall comes and it starts to get dark earlier, we sit outside around the firepit, talking into the night.
A N ational D isability L aw F irm • SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CLAIMS • LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIMS
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VETERANS’ DISABILITY BENEFITS
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ERISA & EMPLOYEE BENEFIT CLAIMS
• PHARMACEUTICAL & MEDICAL DEVICE LITIGATION
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What Can We Do for Mike?
We once worked with a client named Mike.* From the late ‘70s through the early ‘80s, Mike worked as an airplane mechanic in the military. One day, he was working on a plane when he fell and injured his back. He went to the hospital, where he was treated, and returned to work. Despite his injury, he went on to serve many more years in the military. After his service, Mike found a job working for United Airlines and worked with them for 30 years. One Sunday, Mike was at home with his family. He was playing with his granddaughter, and as he picked her up, his back gave way — a couple discs were blown. Mike couldn’t return to work the next day and found himself in a dire situation. What could Mike do? At first, the answer was nothing. He went to see a personal injury lawyer, who told him, “There’s nothing you can do.” The lawyer told him that since it was a Sunday afternoon, and he wasn’t at work when the injury happened, he didn’t have any legal avenues. At this point, Mike’s situation looked grim. He was out of work with no hope in sight. Then, Mike’s case came to our firm. Unlike previous counsel, we knew Mike had options. There were, in fact, three legal options for Mike. Because Mike had been in the military, he could pursue a veterans disability claim. If he could prove his injury was connected to his time in the service, he could be covered by veterans disability compensation. Mike could also file a long-term disability insurance claim because of the policy he has as part of his employee benefits package he has through United Airlines. Thirdly, Mike was eligible to file for Social Security Disability because of his long work history. Together, we found the best plan for Mike and returned his sense of hope. It can feel hopeless when you don’t think there’s anything else to cover you. Mike’s case illustrates how empowering it is when people know all their options. We share this story to highlight the importance of having lawyers who are aware and knowledgeable in cases like this. If you are suffering from a disabling condition and can no longer work, call Marc Whitehead & Associates today to learn about your options. Why Knowing All the Legal Options Can Change Your Life
Find Out How to Fit the Pieces Together So your Social Security Disability application was denied, but you know that you’re suffering and your claim is legitimate and justifiable — that’s why you filed it. But to win your claim, you have to prove it to other people, too. The hard reality is that fewer than one-third of all claimants not represented by an attorney are successful. When you add a qualified attorney to the equation? That success rate doubles. What if you had a Social Security Disability lawyer’s knowledge at your fingertips, a free resource to help you learn what you need to do to win your case? Well, now you do. Board certified Social Security Disability lawyer Marc Whitehead has written a book on this exact topic to help you learn how to fight the government’s denial and win your Social Security claim. This summer, for the first time ever, we’ve put our e-book of “Social Security Disability Puzzle” to print, just for you.
In his book, Mr. Whitehead cuts through the red tape and breaks down the Social Security Disability process. He answers the many questions you will likely have and walks you through what information you need and the factors that the administration uses to deny a claim. This is your road map to a successful outcome for your disability case. Call our office today to claim your free print copy of “Social Security Disability Puzzle.”
*Name has been changed to protect the innocent.
What’s in A Hobby?
In fact, hobbies have a lot of benefits. They can be a healthy escape and can be very beneficial to mental health, according to Dr. Beth Howlett. And some hobbies — like reading and exercise — can even boost your career success, according to the Washington Post. Plus, unusual hobbies, like beekeeping or playing a funky instrument, make for great conversation starters. There are also plenty of affordable hobbies that “trick” you into staying active, like geocaching or Ultimate Frisbee. Consider something outside of your comfort zone, with a welcoming community that’s happy to show newcomers the ropes. Never be afraid to stop people who are doing something that looks fun and ask them what’s going on. That’s how you learn! Dr. Kurtz sums it up best: “Maybe there’s something you’ve always wanted to do,” or “maybe something you used to love but stopped doing.” Her advice? Take that thing and run with it. “Just don’t follow that phrase with, ‘Ah, well. Maybe someday — when the kids leave the house or when I retire.’” Because we all know what that means!
A hobby? Who’s got time for that? Well, you do — at least according to psychologist and professor Jaime Kurtz. “We habitually waste time, creating the illusion of busyness. Facebook, email, Netflix — pick your poison,” she writes in Psychology Today. Back in 1957, Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote a book called “Parkinson’s Law.” It was all about time management and workflow, and it centered around one idea: The more time you have to do something, the longer it will take. If you have something you do two nights a week, odds are your chores will be done those nights so you can get to the hobby. The rest of the week? Not so much. Besides the obvious — turning off the screens — there are other tricks to managing your time for hobbies. One great way? Just schedule hobby time into your planner or calendar. Set a reminder on your phone, and when the time comes, just go do it, no excuses. Another trick, if you know you won’t get to it later, is to do your chores early in the morning. That way, when you come home from work, they’re all done, and you have time to work on your hobbies. Oh, and bonus — you come home to a clean house!
Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings Ingredients inspired by foodnetwork.com
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1 lime, halved
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4 pounds chicken wings
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Chopped cilantro for garnish
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1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 F.
2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown.
3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl.
4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro.
Puzzle Time!
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Inside This issue 1. Summertime in Texas
How Mike the Mechanic Got the Help He Needed Putting the Social Security Puzzle Together What’s in a Hobby? Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings
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3 Fathers Who Risked It All for Their Kids
3 Awesome Dads Fathers Who Put Their Lives on the Line for Their Kids
punching it in the face. When the bear finally released Gabriel, Greg threw rocks until it fled. His son was hurt, but made a full recovery in the hospital over the coming weeks.
This Father’s Day, thousands of dads will receive a “No. 1 Dad” mug to sip coffee out of at the office. But the following dads took that “No. 1” to a new level. BRIAN MUNN GAVE HIS SON A LIVER TRANSPLANT. When doctors discovered that baby Caleb Munn had a rare disease called biliary atresia, they told his parents that he was unlikely to survive past age 2 without a liver transplant. Luckily, his father was a perfect match, and he eagerly donated part of his liver in March of 2015 to save his son’s life. GREG ALEXANDER BATTLED A BEAR FOR HIS SON’S LIFE. While camping in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg Alexander was startled awake at dawn by the screams of his 16-year-old son, Gabriel. He rushed out of his hammock to see a black bear dragging his son away by the head. Without hesitation, he kicked the beast in the side, and when that didn’t work, he leapt onto its back and started
ARTUR MAGOMEDOV SAVED HIS DAUGHTERS FROM ISIS.
Artur Magomedov was devastated to discover that his wife had taken his 3- and 10-year-old daughters from their home in Dagestan under the cover of night, flown to Turkey, and crossed into Syria to join ISIS. But he resolved to get his kids back. After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived in Tabqa to embrace his two daughters. To leave the caliphate — under penalty of death — they hitched a ride to the border one night and crawled along a railway line until they were within 70 meters of the border. Then they ran under fire from Turkish border guards until they could scramble into tall grasses. After some help from the Russian consulate in Istanbul, they made it back home, together again and safe.
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