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July 2021
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Victory! How I Helped My Client Beat a Shady Insurance Company
right then. They also discouraged him from hiring a lawyer, claiming the lawyer would just end up costing him money without helping him.
Luckily, Jose was skeptical. Instead of settling, he hired me, and I told the insurance company to stand down. It’s a good thing I did because it took six months for us to find out the real extent of Jose’s injuries. During that time, he also got another bill for his hospital visit from a separate physician’s group that cost almost the same amount as his ER bill. If he had rushed to settle, the insurance company would have got away without paying for that bill or his full treatment! We ended up filing a lawsuit on the claim. I learned through the discovery process that the other driver was texting, and we won Jose the full policy limits from the insurance company. He got his $32,000 in medical bills paid for and $10,000 extra for his pain and suffering. After months of treatment, his neck and back felt much better and he went back to work painting houses. This was a nice victory, but there’s a moral to the story. If you or someone you love is in a car wreck this summer, make sure to reach out to us before giving any recorded statements to insurance companies. As you can see, they can’t be trusted. Too often, those companies twist my clients’ words and use them against them in court. To make sure that doesn’t happen, call me right away after the crash and encourage your friends and family to do the same. I’ll handle the insurance company and make sure you, like Jose, get the compensation you deserve without being undermined by shady tactics.
I f there’s one thing that has gotten back to normal this summer, it’s traffic. My office building overlooks the Central Expressway, and every time I glance out my window, it’s jam-packed. More often than not, my phone calls are interrupted by screeching tires and sirens. Sometimes I hear an actual collision outside my window! Every honk and scream puts me a little bit on edge because I’ve seen the awful outcome of Texas car crashes. A big part of my law practice is helping collision victims and making sure they get the compensation they deserve after a wreck. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, drinking and driving was one of the biggest causes of these crashes, but now, research shows far more are the fault of distracted drivers. Cellphone use is the big culprit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3,000 people die in crashes involving distracted drivers every year. These personal injury cases are always an uphill battle. Insurance companies will use all kinds of underhanded tactics to keep people from getting the money they deserve. Three years ago, I helped a client successfully fight back against one of those companies that was trying to take advantage of him after a wreck. It all started when my client, Jose, was sitting at a yield sign. A car approached behind him and rear-ended his vehicle. The driver of the other car was texting, but Jose didn’t know that at the time. He gave his statement to the insurance company, and that’s when they made their move. The company used a tactic called the “swoop-and-settle approach” to try and swindle Jose. They promised to pay his ER bill and property damage, plus $500 for pain and suffering, if he settled
Have a great summer and don’t forget to buckle up!
-Patrick R. Kelly
WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER US YOUR LAW FIRM. While we specialize in bodily injury cases, we are happy to refer you to a firm that can help you with any legal issue that may arise. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. We look forward to helping you.
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Business Tricks That Will Improve Your Personal Life 3
When you’re constantly in the “zone” at work, you’re not always thinking about what’s best for your personal life. While many business owners prioritize balance, what will truly benefit both your home and work life? Check out these three tricks. 1: Start your day with a plan. We know what you’re thinking: Writing out your plan is more work than just doing it. The key is to plan whenever you can. If you jot down things you want to accomplish the following day as they come up, all you’ll need to do is spend a few minutes organizing your list the next morning.
Whether your reminder is an alarm at the same time every day or even another habit (“I’ll exercise before I take my morning shower”), make sure it’s part of any new process you implement. 3: Remember, work is flexible — your personal life isn’t. Bryan G. Dyson, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, once told his staff, “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them — work, family, health, friends, and spirit — and you are keeping all of these in the air.” In his metaphor, work is a rubber ball. “If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same.”
Pro Tip: Remember to include time to unwind and relax!
2: Develop new and improved processes. While certain activities can’t be replaced with shortcuts (like spending time with family), consider ways to make your current processes more efficient and beneficial. For example, you can’t lose weight if you don’t change your diet and exercise. Adjusting your habits might seem difficult, but there’s actually a straightforward method. According to “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, every new habit has a simple formula behind it: motivation, ability, and prompt.
We hope these tips help you protect the “glass balls” in your life!
an employee, was working for them in the early 1900s. The company used enamel to line the inside of its refrigerators in a process that involved introducing molten enamel to water, a hardening reaction that had a high potential for disaster. And disaster struck in November 1906 when, in the course of Adams’ normal duties, the holding tank full of molten enamel exploded while he operated it at close distance — at the instruction of his foreman who was overseeing the operation. It’s a miracle that Adams wasn’t killed, although he lived in severe pain for the rest of his life. His employer attempted to dodge all responsibility, and Adams was forced into the courts to get some kind of justice. As you can imagine, the judicial system took note of the incident and, after examining everything in detail, came to some groundbreaking conclusions, at least for the day. The chief one was that Adams’ injury could not have been foreseen by an average person, because although he had experience, he lacked understanding of the materials he was working with — an understanding that his employer had not provided. Molten enamel has similar properties to lava, and an exploding tank full of the stuff is not a hazard anyone should have to deal with in the workplace. The shockwaves of Adams’ near-fatal injury have reverberated for over a century now and provide valuable precedence when it comes to the duty employers have to their employees, whether that person has experience or not, which is why even today, when we attend ongoing, yearly safety training, we benefit from the hard lessons learned in Adams v. Grand Rapids Refrigerator .
Poor Safety Meets Molten Enamel Nothing Cold About These Refrigerators
If you don’t know what enamel is, you’ve probably seen it around: It’s the colorful, protective coating that covers tiles and all kinds of fancy cookware. But how does it get on to things? For that, you need heat — enough to melt enamel into a workable, molten-hot liquid. It’s dangerous stuff to work with, which means facilities need to provide extensive training, personal protective equipment, and proper maintenance.
The Grand Rapids Refrigerator Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, had not met its duty in any of those three areas when Harry Adams,
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TAKE A BREAK
IN-PERSON, REMOTE, OR HYBRID WORKPLACES WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF WORK?
After more than a year of working remotely, the initial excitement of being able to work in your sweats probably wore off long ago. But this stint of remote work has shown many upsides: Productivity has increased. Eliminating the daily commute has been good for the environment, and workers are spending more time with their families, pursuing hobbies, or exercising. Having a more flexible work schedule has also meant there’s a better work-life balance for many working parents. But for all the benefits, there are plenty of downsides, too. Many have struggled to set boundaries as the line between work and home has blurred, leading to overwork and burnout. Others complain about myriad distractions they face while working from home, especially those who don’t have a dedicated workspace and are also trying to help their children with virtual schooling. That’s not to mention potential tech issues, loneliness or alienation from coworkers, and increased barriers to effective collaboration. Yet, nearly half of those currently working remotely say they want to continue to do so 1–4 days per week even once it’s safe to fully return to the office. That’s led many employers to consider a hybrid model that incorporates remote and in- person work options. Publications like The New York Times and Forbes are touting a hybrid model as the way of the future. But what exactly would this look like?
THE BEST TEXAS-STYLE SMOKED BRISKET
Inspired by AllRecipes.com
Impress guests at your next barbecue with this perfectly smoked brisket. Plus, you’ll have plenty of leftovers!
• Wood chips • 1/4 cup paprika Ingredients
• 1/4 cup chili powder • 1/4 cup garlic powder • 1/4 cup onion powder • 1/4 cup salt • 1/4 cup pepper • 10 lbs brisket
A productive hybrid work model wouldn’t simply mean workers come into the office a few set days a week. The smart approach, says Forbes writer Anna Convery-Pelletier, is to have employees come into the office for collaborative tasks and stay at home to work independently on tasks that require sustained focus and deep thinking. In-person meetings are especially good for “brainstorming sessions, introducing new projects, or team-building exercises,” Convery-Pelletier says. This focus on in-person collaboration may also mean that the office will look different when you return. Some businesses are opting to redesign their physical space to accommodate this kind of collaborative in-person work and eliminate costly individual work spaces now replicated at home. Whatever the future of work holds, many workers will be happy to safely return to their workplaces and see their coworkers in person again, whether full time or just a handful of days a month.
• 1/4 cup white sugar • 1/4 cup ground cumin • 1/4 cup cayenne pepper • 1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
1. In a bowl, soak wood chips in water overnight. 2. In a large bowl, mix paprika, white sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Rub spice mixture on the brisket and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. Preheat smoker to 230 F. Drain wood chips and place them in the smoker. 5. Smoke brisket until it has an internal temperature of 165 F. 6. Remove brisket and wrap it in aluminum foil. 7. Smoke brisket further until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 F.
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214-682-7132 Prk-Law.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Patrick Wins a Victory for a Car Crash Victim
1
Make Your Work-Life Balance Easy Poor Safety Meets Molten Enamel
2
The Best Texas-Style Smoked Brisket Is a Hybrid Model the Future of Work?
3
Jury Pools and Fair Trials
4
Are ‘Tainted’ Jury Pools a Historic Problem? How Do You Get a Fair Trial by Your Peers?
B ack in April, the largest legal case of the year wrapped up with a police officer receiving multiple convictions after his actions resulted in the death of a civilian. Heavily publicized from beginning to end, the trial highlighted the difficulties the internet era exacerbates with information, bias, and trial in the court of public opinion. Attorneys had trouble finding appropriate jurors in a pool tainted by media coverage and preconceived notions. But was this really a new dilemma or merely the newest spin on a very old tale? The American justice system is founded on the concept of offering people fair trials by their peers; this usually means the jury will consist of a reasonably diverse assortment of people representative of the community. Of course, that could mean different things,
Elizabeth Kelly of St. John’s University points out that the same men who drafted the Constitution also ran the largest newspapers at the time. Media bias has always been part of the mix. It became even more pronounced in the live-coverage TV era, as the murder trial of O.J. Simpson exemplified. Just as people had strong opinions going in, they had strong opinions coming out, and not much has changed in the 25 years since — including people’s opinions on the guilt or innocence of the party on trial. But one thing can change: the beliefs of a juror, even one who comes in with preconceived notions. It can be easy to think we know everything the jury does, but following a case in the headlines as we go about our week isn’t the same thing as being in court all day, day after day, going through the nitty-gritty details of a crime with professional, experienced attorneys. The general public just doesn’t have all the information despite what the media provides. Prejudiced or not, if jurors come in wanting to serve justice, then they can be up to the task if they are willing to focus on the facts and evidence at hand. That’s ultimately what Breheny and Kelly found back in 1995 — and despite the advent of the internet, there’s no reason to think jurors can’t do the same today.
and attorneys are given leeway in selecting jurors for that reason.
The media has often run antithetical to this principle, so we’ve never really had an American jury formed outside of media influence. After all, a 1995 examination of jury bias by sociologists Brian Breheny and
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