Simon Law Firm's online newsletter for March 2018
www.christophersimon.com
404-259-7635
March 2018
T he R eason B ehind C hristopher S imon ’ s S uper L awyer S tatus A TOP ATTORNEY FOR 7 YEARS RUNNING
W hen you’re embroiled in complex litigation and trying to retrieve the compensation your clients need in order to climb out of their desperate circumstances, it’s easy to lose your personal connection to the case. Attorneys do so much for a case in the abstract, between piles and piles of paperwork and back-and-forth communications. But for Chris Simon, personal injury law is just that — personal. He strives to connect with the story of every one of his clients, to better understand their needs and options. He’s on the ground, speaking directly to
his clients, coaching them through the labyrinthine litigation process, and forging genuine relationships in order to serve them better. This approach, coupled with more than 20 years of personal injury experience, is why Chris Simon has been awarded the prestigious Super Lawyer title for the seventh year in a row! Each year, the Super Lawyers group combs through hundreds of attorneys to select those with the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. To be a Super Lawyer is to
CHRISSIMONHAS BEENAWARDED THEPRESTIGIOUS SUPERLAWYER TITLEFORTHE SEVENTHYEARIN AROW!
be at the height of your field, providing exemplary service and expert litigation to the community. We’re proud to count our own Chris Simon among this panel of top performers. But, of course, none of us at Simon Law Firm are in the business to win awards — we’re here to help injured folks get back on their feet and return to their normal lives. We’re thrilled and honored by the Super Lawyer
designation, but when it comes down to it, we believe our firm’s dedication to its clients should speak for itself. If you or someone you love has been injured, you want to ensure you have the best of the best in your corner. Give Chris Simon a call at 404-259-7635 and take the first step toward retrieving the compensation you deserve! –Christopher Simon
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C lient B usiness S houtout !
Do you have a business you want to promote? Write a short article and email it in, and we will revise it for you and let our clients know what you do! Meet Mark Goodkin, AFLAC Coordinator Extraordinaire, in his own words!
In the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that I am a special projects coordinator for Aflac Insurance. This means that not only do I serve my own clients, but I also assist with the training, development, and support for the members of our district team. In addition to assisting my clients and supporting our field agents, my family and I own a number of Aflac policies. As anyone who has been around a while can tell you, bad things can happen. For the second time in seven years, one of us has been in a serious car accident. This time, it was my wife, as she was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer just before turning into the driveway of our home. Fortunately, we knew from experience who to call to help us navigate the wilderness of medical, insurance, and legal stuff that inevitably follows a wreck like this. (Thank you, Chris, Alicia, and the rest of the Simon Law Firm crew for all that you do!) Even though we know Chris has the legal end of things covered, there is always a tough period of healing and a huge dip in income that can run for six months or more. Aflac has a unique system that determines howmuch they will pay us after a serious injury. Aflac plans are often referred to
as either supplemental or voluntary, and the cash benefits are paid directly to you, the policy holder. Most use their Aflac money to pay their daily living and other expenses not covered by health insurance, such as rent, mortgage, utilities, food, childcare, phone bill, car payments, etc. In my presentations to potential clients, I usually have to point this out, because although close to 100 percent of Americans know about the Aflac Duck, almost zero percent know what we actually do until they speak with somebody like me. Nevertheless, I can share with you the results of my own car wreck seven years ago this month. Once again, Chris and his teamwere terrific when they represented me in dealing with the aforementioned legal, medical, and insurance stuff! But, as is the case with such situations, negotiations usually take anywhere from six months to five years to resolve. And even though my case was finalized toward the quicker end of the range, it still left me with little or no income for the better part of three months. As you can imagine, it was a very scary time for us — if I couldn’t work for almost three months, how would I be able to pay my bills? Well, that’s where Aflac came in! that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday. Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two.
As a result of my accident plan, hospital plan, and short-term disability plan, Aflac paid me over $6,000. I was thus able to pay my bills during the three months without having to totally deplete what little savings I had (IRA, 401(k), etc.). Since Aflac had my bills and daily living expenses covered, and the Simon Law Firmwas taking care of the other stuff, I was able to relax, and concentrate on getting better and healing my wounds even quicker than the doctors had predicted! Give me a call if you want to discuss the options!
Mark Goodkin, SPC Aflac, HD Border District 678-575-5066 mark_goodkin@us.aflac.com
G reen D ominates S t . P atrick ’ s D ay for a R eason WHY GREEN IS THE COLOR OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.”
Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
What caused the shift from blue to green is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized
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WORD SEARCH
YOURDINNERTABLEMIGHTBE THE KEY TO A HAPPIER FAMILY The family dinner is a staple of years gone by. These days, the only time you see a family sit together and break bread seems to be at Thanksgiving. This is a shame, because regular family dinners are incredibly important! It’s a time to bond with your loved ones that can have a positive impact on your kids’ lives. A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that kids who regularly partake in family meals are less likely to experience depression or engage in drug use. Furthermore, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University determined that kids who eat family meals five to seven times a week bring home better report cards. Be Flexible About Mealtimes Dinner doesn’t have to be at 6 p.m. on the dot. If Kamala has a karate tournament in the evening or Peter needs to stay late at school for art club, why not break out the healthy snacks and make dinner happen a little later or earlier? Plus, the meal you share as a family doesn’t have to be at dinnertime. If there’s time in the mornings, sit down for breakfast. If you have the opportunity on weekends or during a school break, grab lunch together. Call All Hands on Deck Mom or Dad shouldn’t be expected to cook by themselves for every meal. This is family time, after all, so call in the kids! Make sure their tasks are age-appropriate — leave sautéing vegetables to the high schooler and let your first-grader set out the cups instead. This is the perfect opportunity to teach kids valuable kitchen skills and to take some of the burden off your plate. Plus, if your kids are picky eaters, inviting them to be part of the cooking process can make themmore inclined to try the finished product. Don’t Stress Yourself Out It’s okay if you’re too busy on a Monday to cook dinner. There’s always Tuesday. Or you can take a trip to your favorite family restaurant. Family meals should be fun, and that can’t happen if you’re stressed. Don’t feel pressured to make each meal perfect or to prepare a three-course dinner every night. Chicken and rice can get the job done as long as you’re all sitting around the table as a family. Even when schedules are busy, you can make family dinners fit into your agenda with these tips.
E U G O J X R R W Z R S O S S C N N A A J I A E W A C E B H N P I X S M H B I W O L O T A B K R L U C K M W N O R M E M L E P R E C H A U N C L G M R Q N S O C P G L O R H L F U O O I W X E Z S I E B E O O O C J F V X G D L S Q F W P O U K S V V Z M C L O U D T M K I D D W A O C B Q D P D A W E M J Q A O M G J D L V D E D A I Q O L N B R W O B N I A R N L L B R B C E Z O E K Y C I K I F Q L L F E U S V B H M R O T S J P Y M N S A B O A P Z A E Z
BLOOM CLOUD DANCE FLOWER GREEN
GROW LAMB LEPRECHAUN
MADNESS MARCH RAINBOW RAINCLOUD SHAMROCK
SPRING STORM
BLOOM CLOUD DANCE FLOWER GREEN
LION LUCK
COLCANNON When you think of St. Patrick’s Day cuisine, corned beef and green beer are probably the GROW LAMB LEPRECHAUN
3 pounds potatoes LION LUCK MADNESS MARCH RAINBOW RAINCLOUD SHAMROCK SPRING STORM
first things that come to mind. This year, consider adding colcannon to your March 17 menu. It’s basically mashed potatoes on steroids, and it’s utterly delicious.
INGREDIENTS
• • • •
•
1 pound cooked bacon, chopped into small pieces 4 scallions, finely chopped
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
• • •
No matter how hectic your schedule may be, making family meals a priority is always worth the investment. Who’s in the mood for meatloaf?
1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
Parsley, for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS 1. Steam potatoes for 30 minutes. Peel skins and mash flesh thoroughly. 2. Chop 1 stick of butter into small cubes and add to warm potatoes. Once melted, slowly add milk, stirring constantly. 3. Boil cabbage in water. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to tenderize. 4. Add cabbage, bacon, and scallions to mashed potatoes, gently stirring to combine. 5. Serve garnished with parsley and a pat of butter.
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i M r . S imon A warded S uper L awyer D esignation for 7 th Y ear R unning 1 M eet M ark G oodkin , AFLAC C oordinator E xtraordinaire ! S t . P atrick ’ s D ay vs . the C olor G reen 2 S t . P atrick ’ s D ay C uisine W hat E very P arent N eeds to K now A bout F amily D inners 3 D o Y ou K now the O rigin of I nternational W omen ’ s D ay ? 4 International Women’s Day, celebrated March 8, is a worldwide event that celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while also calling for gender equality. This day is not affiliated with any one group, but it brings together governments, women’s organizations, corporations, and charities. It’s difficult to say when International Women’s Day began. Its roots can be traced back to 1908, when 15,000 women marched through New York City, demanding voting rights, better pay, and shorter working hours. A year later, the first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on Feb. 28. Then, in 1910, Clara Zetkin, leader of the Social Democratic Party in Germany, suggested the idea of an International Women’s Day.
THE HISTORY OF
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
A conference of more than 100 women from 17 countries agreed with Zetkin, and in 1911, on March 19, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. More than 1 million women and men attended rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, and hold public office. In 1913, the day of celebration was changed to March 8, and in 1975, the United Nations officially recognized the holiday. In 1996, the United Nations commenced the adoption of an annual theme, the first of which was “Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future.” In each subsequent year, a new theme was chosen to give the holiday more direction. Recent themes include “Empower Rural Women — End Poverty and Hunger” and “A Promise Is a Promise — Time for Action to End Violence Against Women.”
women around the world. Because of the recent Hollywood film industry scandals, and because the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report found that gender parity is at least 200 years away, this year’s theme was “Press for Progress.” Events were held in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and in cities all across the United States. The world has witnessed significant change and a shift in attitude in regard to women’s equality. However, we still have a long way to go. Those who celebrate International Women’s Day strive to make sure girls’ futures are bright, equal, safe, and rewarding.
Those who celebrate International Women’s Day aim to achieve full gender equality for
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