Button Law - August 2019

AUG 2019

HOT-BUTTON ISSUES

4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701 www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216

WHYWE DOWHAT WE DO

Recently, while reading Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why,” I was prompted to shed more light on why we do what we do at The Button Law Firm. Sinek’s message encouraged me to put words to what we stand for, and, as it turns out, I found a lot of joy in the process. I got together with my team and, over a series of conversations, created five core values that define The Button Law Firm and guide what we do. Here’s what we came up with. 1. Family and Team Drive Us When it comes down to it, every decision we make and action we take is for our families. Our team here is an extension of our family, and our families and our team are part of the community. When you look at it this way, our purpose emanates from our strong belief in building relationships within our community. 2. Make a Difference This value can be seen on three levels. First is making a difference in people’s lives, which starts at an individual level but also has an impact on that person’s loved ones. Second is on a community level because as we take on cases, we are working to make our community safer by upholding regulations and rules meant to keep people safe. By holding negligent daycares accountable, for example, we make things better for our entire community. Third is on a statewide level and beyond. When it comes to the law, each case we represent is focused on improving the law in our state and upholding the rights of people. Getting a good ruling in appellate court, for example, can have a statewide impact. This also serves as a standard for other lawyers. 3. Believe in Better We believe that each of our clients deserves better, and it’s what we want to invoke from our community. If someone can’t walk because of a car accident, we will find them the right treatment or specialist to help them walk again. If we encounter someone struggling with the emotional aspects of their case, we will connect them to a therapist who will help them work through it. We believe in better for our clients and community. It’s why we attend every seminar and learning opportunity we can. We want to learn, so we can constantly do better and be better.

4. Be Facilitators of Education Knowledge is power, so one of the most powerful actions we can take is to share what we know with others. If we know the dangers of daycare and how to choose a safe one, we’re going to share that with our clients, our fellow attorneys, and our community. It’s why we’ve developed our guides and materials and offer them for free; it’s why we host seminars and workshops for our co-counsels and community. Even if you don’t have a law degree, you deserve access to this powerful information. 5. Make Everything We Do Simple and Easy to Navigate Concerning our website, referral process, and more, we want every experience with our firm to be simple and easy. It’s why we developed a client handbook and a referral attorney handbook. Every decision we make can be traced back to these five core values. They determine the decisions we make, the cases we take on, and the people we work with. I’m excited to see where they take us and to keep building the foundation of The Button Law Firm. Thanks for being part of this!

–Russell Button

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FAST-FOOD NEGLIGENCE

CAUSES A NASTY BREAK AND 2 SURGERIES

Late in the summer of 2017, a fast-food restaurant was short-staffed, and management was involved in one heated argument after another. In the chaotic environment, no one paid attention to a serious leak coming from the HVAC unit near the front door. The floor was all tile and extremely slippery when moist. WHAT HAPPENED On this particular day, the leak was coming down like rain. No one mopped it. No one put up warning signs. And no one alerted the customers. A teenager, Jared*, came in to pick up his last check before heading off to college. He was the first in his family to attend college and was excited to pursue his dreams. When he walked in the entry doors, he missed the slippery area. However, on his way out, Jared was not as lucky and slipped, while a witness stood nearby and looked on. He fell, and his outstretched arm snapped. HOW THE BUTTON LAW FIRM HELPED After connecting with one of our colleagues, Jared was referred to us. We walked him

through the specific aspects of the case, reaffirming that any business that allows members of the public to come in must keep their premises safe for all. This was about helping someone who had the motivation to get his life back, and Jared didn’t take no for an answer. When the defense decided not to offer a penny for Jared’s injuries and suffering, we filed a lawsuit. The case ultimately resolved after mediation. In the end, Jared got closure from this traumatic event and moved on with his life. He is still a close friend of the firm and is pursuing his bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University. He even plans to apply to law school after earning his undergraduate degree. As a result of the settlement, we became mentors to Jared. We helped him create a budget and set up a bank account and a savings account.

REFERRING CASES TO THE BUTTON LAW FIRM Sometimes cases are referred to us by past clients. Others are referred to us from fellow lawyers. Jared’s case was referred to us by a friend of ours in Chicago, Scott DeSalvo. Thank you, Scott, for thinking of us and being a hero to someone in need.

*Name has been changed.

We can’t wait to see what he does next.

BUTTON LAW FIRM HIGHLIGHT REEL

Chris, Jerry, and Russell

My birthday!

Hiking at Red Rocks in Denver

www.buttonlawfirm.com

V I P P E RK : T I M ' S I N S URANC E POL I CY R E V I EW

When you are a member of our VIP Program, you will benefit from our attorneys, Russell and Ashley, reviewing your automobile insurance policy. We will guide you on what we think you should change on your policy to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected in the event of a motor vehicle accident. This month we reviewed Tim’s insurance policy. Continue reading to see our suggestions to make sure that him and his family are protected in the event of a car wreck.

Tim has the following coverage in Liability and Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist: $100,000 in Bodily Injury per person injured $300,000 in total coverage for every car wreck $50,000 in Property Damage $2,500 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

We personally suggest he upgrades his policy limits to $1,000,000; $500,000 at the least.

What’s The Importance Of UM, UIM and PIP Insurance? To start off, make sure you understand what UM, UIM and PIP stand for. Here’s a quick explanation: UM stands for Uninsured Motorist

UIM stands for Underinsured Motorist PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection

Do y o u w a n t t o e n s u r e y o u r f am i l y i s s a f e i n t h e e v e n t o f a w r e c k ? S e n d u s y o u r i n s u r a n c e p o l i c y a n d w e w i l l r e v i e w i t f o r y o u t o ma k e s u r e y o u a r e c o v e r e d ! What Can The Button Law Firm Do To Help? If you have recently been in a car accident, please feel free to download our free consumer guides on car wrecks from our website. We created these to make sure you and your family are informed about your rights. If you have any other questions after checking out our legal library on car wrecks, give us a call at 214-888-2216. We'd love to answer any for you! UM and UIM is beneficial in the event that you and your family are hit and the driver responsible for the wreck doesn’t have enough liability to cover you and your family’s expenses. Or worse - they don’t have any insurance at all. This is where PIP comes into place. Make Sure You Have It Most people opt out because they say "I'll never need it." However, all of my clients that have come in my door immediately start calling their insurance agent and requesting that UM/UIM be added or increased. You should not be any different. This can protect you when you get hit by an uninsured driver or a minimum policy driver. The importance of having this won't seem that big of a deal until you or a loved one is faced with these circumstances and are left to figure things out on your own. Taking these precautionary steps and covering your back is not only a smart thing to do but should be your priority. We have seen some unbelievable cases that could have had a different outcome if they had UM/UIM coverage. It is always easy to say "I drive safe," or "I have never been in a wreck so I don't need it." Well we all hope that continues for all of these people's statements, but the truth of the matter is, it's not always about how you drive, and accidents happen daily. Protect yourself and try not to fall into the unfortunate statistics. Get UM/UIM; you will be glad you got it.

THE BUT TON L AW F I RM ' S F RE E V I P P ROGRAM

Free Notary Service Tired of waiting in long lines or calling around to find a notary? Now, you have instant access to a notary at our office. Just call us at on the VIP Hotline or email us at our special VIP email to make sure our notary is available.

Automatic Entry Into BLF Contests Who doesn’t like free stuff? Our exclusive VIP members receive automatic entry into our contests and free admission to all BLF events.

Free Insurance Policy Reviews Are you covered? How much coverage do you have? Far too often, people are paying for insurance that doesn’t protect them or their family. We put a stop to that by reviewing all of our VIP Members’ insurance policies and answering any questions they have.

Free 15 Minute Legal Consultations You now have a lawyer for life. Why call a lawyer referral company when you can get VIP treatment? We want to hear your story and help you find the help you need. If it is a legal matter outside of what we can help you with, we will introduce you to a lawyer in our dedicated referral network.

AND Premium Access To Our Child Safety Program!

w w w . B u t t o n L a w V I P . c o m

THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN A DAYCARE CASE Why the Department of Family and Protective Services Gets Involved

After the unimaginable happened and your child was neglected at daycare, you took the responsible and necessary measures and filed an incident report at the daycare center. Now, you’re surprised to find the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) reaching out to schedule a meeting about the incident. Should you be concerned? THE STATE’S ROLE IN A DAYCARE CASE First of all, know that DFPS is simply following protocol in this situation and you are not under investigation. In Texas, it’s required that a daycare injury is reported to the State. DFPS is trying to collect as much evidence and information as possible from you and from the daycare. Based on those conversations, any available videos, and documents, DFPS will come up with an investigative report that seeks to address all perspectives and details of the incident. This may take anywhere from 15–45 days. You will be sent a letter once it’s concluded, and you can then request to receive all of the investigation materials. Hold onto all of this, as it will be pertinent in any daycare case that follows. WHEN TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY We often get asked by parents if they even need a daycare attorney after they receive a call from the DFPS. If you are receiving a call from DFPS, that means that the police have already been called, an incident report has been filled out, your child is in the process of receiving medical treatment, and the investigation is going deeper.

The simplest way we can answer the question of when to hire an attorney is with this: the earlier, the better. Calling us earlier rather than later is advantageous because we can send preservation letters to the

daycare and anyone involved with your child’s injury. We can get the incident report and reserve all videos and documentation. We can also get witness statements as

soon as possible. Time is of the essence in a daycare case.

For more guidance, turn to our FREE guide, “A Five Step Guide For Parents Dealing With A Daycare Injury.” You can download it instantly, along with our other free guides, at ButtonLawFirm. com/reports.

TAKEAWAYS FROM MY YEAR: BIRTHDAY REVIEW

Last month, I celebrated my birthday with family and friends, which includes my team. My birthday always causes me to pause and reflect on what I’ve learned over the year. Here are three takeaways that stuck out to me. 1. CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL We can’t control what people do, but we can control how we react to it. Since I was a kid, I’ve been reminded there are a lot of things outside my control. More than ever this year, I’ve bought into this concept and owned the fact that all I can control is my reaction. It’s helped diffuse a lot of situations that could have otherwise turned heated. Focusing on this concept has helped me handle any situation thrown at me without getting caught off guard. 2. HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO SAY NO Discipline tends to be an overused term, but what hit me this year is knowing the difference between saying yes and having the discipline to say no. This happens on an individual level and on a firm-wide level: When we stick to what we’re good at, we succeed and avoid getting stretched too thin. We’re able to be better at what we say yes to. This

has given me more freedom to push the limits of what we’re capable of and get more done. There’s a lot I’d like to take on and plenty I can do with my time, but what are the things I absolutely care about? How do I craft that life? What does that look like? It takes discipline to carve it out. 3. CREATE CONSISTENCY IN YOUR MORNINGS Something else that hit home this year is how important it is to start mornings off on

the right foot. There are a few activities that help me feel accomplished from the get-go. Mornings are my time to think, read, and write, and I like to fit in a workout and a good breakfast. Sometimes it’s truncated, but I make the best of it. If I only have an hour, I’ll read while I’m on my bike. When I complete even a short spurt of activities first thing, I’m more productive and happier the rest of the day. Even on vacation, I try to stick to this combination to start the day positively.

My girlfriend, me, and my family celebrating my sister’s and my birthdays at dinner in Denver

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4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A Dallas, Texas 75209 WE’VE MOVED!

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 2 3

Defining What We Stand For

Case Result: Fast-Food Negligence

The Steps Following Daycare Negligence

Russell’s Birthday Review

Community Spotlight

What Prompted Her Pursuit of Advocacy HOW CASSIE BECAME AN ADVOCATE FOR SAFER DAYCARES Cassie Limoges initially reached out to The Button Law Firm when she saw an advertisement for our daycare seminar. The topic hit close to home for her. In addition to being a nurse practitioner who works with sick children and families every day, Cassie has been personally affected by a negligent daycare. Her child was injured at daycare, and, since that experience, she has become an advocate to prevent daycare negligence. “Going through that experience has furthered my passion for educating members of the community on how to be aware of signs and symptoms of child abuse,” Cassie says.

We were fortunate to have Cassie share her own experience and knowledge at our seminar. As Cassie says, “When our family was in that situation, it became evident that even with the extensive knowledge and background I had, it was a difficult process to go through. I want to help families know how to pick up on some of the signs of abuse and know what red flags to look out for.” In her presentation, Cassie highlighted some of the subtle signs that a child may be a victim of abuse. “In terms of physical abuse, if something doesn’t fit or make sense with the story you’re given, it’s a red flag that something isn’t right. Bruising on the ear of an infant or young toddler, bruising to the abdominal area, and concerning or suspicious bruises on nonmobile (not walking or crawling) children are symptoms to look for,” Cassie shares.

When she’s not volunteering as an advocate, Cassie is hard at work for children who are very sick. Her first position in nursing school was in a pediatric unit, and “from that moment on, I developed a love and passion for the pediatric population,” she says. We are grateful for Cassie’s knowledge and look forward to collaborating for future daycare seminars. Thanks so much for what you do in our community!