The Next Hot Birthday Party Theme Is … Lawyers?
HOW ONE TODDLER’S LAWYER-THEMED BIRTHDAY WENT VIRAL
This month, our team came across an old but heartwarming story: In 2015, a mom named L’erin Dobra threw her son Grayson an unusual birthday party that made his year. The theme wasn’t pirates, firefighters, Mickey Mouse, or “Frozen.” Grayson was obsessed with something else entirely — a local personal injury lawyer! “Before Grayson Dobra could walk or talk, he made it clear that his family couldn't bother him when a Morris Bart commercial was on TV,” wrote the "Today Show," which picked up the story after a local news outlet ran it and took the internet by storm. “Bart is a personal injury lawyer in New Orleans and Grayson’s favorite person in the world.” Apparently, 1-year-old Grayson’s passion for personal injury law started when he saw a Morris Bart commercial on TV. He
loved it so much that he started to chant, “Bart! Bart! Bart!” whenever the lawyer’s face appeared. Then, his parents started pulling the commercial up for him on YouTube any time he needed more Bart in his life. Bliss! The hilarity culminated on Jan. 25, 2015, when L’erin surprised 2-year-old Grayson with a birthday cake decorated with the lawyer’s likeness. The rest of the family gave the toddler Morris Bart-inspired birthday gifts, including a T-shirt and a life-size cardboard cutout. The theme was a hit! Bart himself even sent over an autographed photo, key chains, a New Orleans Pelicans shirt with his logo on the back and an invitation to come visit his office. According to the "Today Show," the invitation inspired L’erin to make a deal with her son: “The day he outgrows his
pull-ups is the day he can meet his idol.” By now, he has likely achieved his dream. Rediscovering this story made our whole team chuckle, and Kevin says Morris Bart is the kind of household name he aspires to be! If you ever decide to throw your toddler a Kevin Patrick-themed birthday party, just let us know and we’ll make sure Kevin shows up.
Drowned by Beer: The 1814 London Beer Flood
Drowning from beer became a real and dangerous cause of death in 1814, when the iron rings on massive vats of beer snapped loose. This bizarre, tragic event claimed the lives of eight people. Here's the story about the time a tsunami of hot, fermenting beer came pouring down on densely populated streets of London. AN ‘ACT OF GOD,’ LONDON COURTS PROCLAIMED. In St. Giles, London, the Horse Shoe Brewery stood at the corner of Great Russell Street and Tottenham Court Road — which is nearly in the exact middle of London. They had 22-foot-high wooden fermentation tanks installed on the premises, held together by massive iron rings. These vats held over 3,500 barrels of brown porter ale, which is a beer similar to stout. During one busy afternoon on Oct. 17, 1814, an iron ring around the tank snapped. An hour later, the whole tank broke open, releasing hot, fermenting ale with such incredible force that the back wall of the brewery collapsed. It also crashed open several more vats, releasing nearly 320,000 gallons of beer into the area. It created a 15-foot wave of beer and debris. The flood swept through the St. Giles Rookery, a densely populated London slum
filled with cheap housing inhabited by prostitutes, criminals, and the destitute. Eight people — Irish mourners in a basement, a mother and her child, and a teenage barmaid — were killed. Despite the dangers, some people scooped up as much liquid as they could in whatever containers they could find. Consequently, a ninth death was reported days later due to alcohol poisoning. WERE THERE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BREWERY? The streets of St. Giles smelled like beer for many months afterward. The flood cost the brewery over £23,000 pounds (£1.25 million pounds today), but they were able to reclaim the excise duty paid on the beer and were granted £7,250 (£400,000 today) as compensation for the barrels of lost beer, which saved them from bankruptcy. But what about the deaths? Although the brewery was taken to court, the London courts ruled the flood was an “Act of God,” and the eight victims had lost their lives "casually, accidentally, and by misfortune.” Nobody was held responsible. We’re not so certain the Horse Shoe Brewery would’ve been as lucky in American courts! Thanks for joining us in remembering this very strange historical event, and we’ll see you next month.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404.566.8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cell phone is 404.409.3160.)
2 • KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404.566.5880
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker