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JULY 2021
WHAT TO EXPECT AS COURTS OPEN BACK UP A SIGN OF THE TIMES
There are lots of ways to assess our progress back to a new normal as pandemic restrictions slowly begin to decrease, vaccination rates increase, and we’re able to return to some of our favorite activities. One key component I’ve been watching for is courts reopening for jury trials. There’s some great news on this front in that trials are starting to happen. This looks different county by county as leaders make decisions to reopen based on the number of COVID-19 cases in the area. The numbers have been looking good in Orange County, which means jury trials are starting to get underway. For Los Angeles County, things are slower as they continue to deal with higher COVID-19 caseloads. While I’m encouraged to see the wheels of the justice system start to turn once again, I do want to put out a word of caution. Things are not going to be operating at full capacity any time soon, and because of the hiatus of jury trials during the pandemic, there is a tremendous backlog of cases to be heard. I am excited to finally have a case I'm working on in Orange County on the court calendar. It's set for August, and we have another case on the docket for September. Others are being scheduled for further out; some are even into 2024, which shows you
how backed up things are right now. It's crazy, and I've never seen anything like it in my career. But who's seen anything like this last year in their lifetime?
I hope this doesn’t sound discouraging. It’s real progress, and I also think there’s going to be an unexpected upside for those taking their cases to trial. After living for over a year constricted by COVID-19 precautions and seeing loved ones get sick and suffer, I think we’re all going to be more compassionate toward others’ pain and suffering going forward. We
After living for over a year constricted by COVID-19
precautions and seeing loved ones get sick and suffer, I think we’re all going to be more compassionate toward others’ pain and suffering going forward.
all have a better sense now of what it feels like to have our ability to move freely in the world restrained. That’s very much how it feels for those who’ve been injured and are in recovery. I think this mindset shift will be positive in the end for my clients. The other upside is that we’ll have more time to prepare for cases. Though it may seem like waiting three years to have your case heard is long, the recovery process is also long. Having that time will give us a better sense of where our clients are emotionally and physically in their healing process. This helps
us ensure you get the justice you deserve by having a more complete picture of how you’ve been affected by your injuries. As I often tell my clients, it’s my job to worry about the court stuff. It’s your job to focus on recovery and healing. Even as things change with the courts, that piece of advice is as
solid as ever. If you have any questions about what these reopenings mean for your case, we’re always here to help. –Case Barnett
CaseBarnettLaw.com
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949-565-2993
IS ‘HAMMOCKING’ A BETTER WAY TO SLEEP?
Pressure Point Relief A good mattress can reduce pressure on the shoulders, back, and butt, while a bad mattress can do the opposite. Some hammock advocates claim that a hammock’s more flexible surface means pressure is spread more equally across all parts of the body. However, this benefit is purely theoretical and more study is needed to confirm the hypothesis. Deeper Sleep According to a study from 2011 where 12 men took two 45-minute naps — one in a regular bed and one in a swinging bed — results showed the men fell asleep faster in the swinging bed and that they had a longer light sleep before they entered a deep sleep. However, because the size of this study was so small, its conclusions need more verification. Until more data emerges to confirm what so many hammock enthusiasts already claim to know, you can still rest knowing that hammocking isn’t harmful; in fact, it’s really relaxing and fun.
Hammocking has become a popular leisure activity within the last 5–10 years, with the global hammock market growing about 17% between 2017 and 2021. As fun as it is, though, could hammocking be more than that? Could it be a better way to sleep, not just on camping trips or in the park, but in our homes, too? The short answer is that the data is inconclusive. More studies need to be done on the health benefits of sleeping in hammocks, and the studies that do exist lack sufficient sample sizes for meaningful conclusions. With that massive caveat out of the way, however, here are a few potential benefits of sleeping in a hammock. Protection From Bugs This benefit really only matters if you’re sleeping outdoors (though, in theory, sleeping in a hammock could mean a decreased risk of dust mites). If you sleep on the ground, bugs will have easier access to you. Flying insects can still bother hammockers, but a good bug net for your hammock can fix that problem.
OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST "Case is the best! Case knows what he is doing and takes care of you. He returns calls on the weekend and puts your mind at ease. He started out as my lawyer and eventually became a friend I can confide in, and now, he feels like family with the way he treats you. Warm and welcoming and always working hard." –Nima
This publication is intended to educate the general public about personal injury and elder abuse. It is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is different.
CaseBarnettLaw.com The Unseen Benefits of Bringing a Lawsuit SAFETY AND HEALING 949-565-2993 We are a storytelling culture, and while most of us love to root for the underdog, we don’t always see that people who file personal injury claims are the underdogs in the courtroom. Plenty of movies and TV shows have characterized lawyers as ambulance chasers and their clients as bringing frivolous lawsuits for financial gain. But the truth is that even those who win a settlement don’t ever get compensated adequately for the pain, suffering, and stress they face.
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Inspired by MyDarlingVegan.com PLANT-BASED BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Here are two important reasons why these types of lawsuits matter:
1. They help make us all safer. You may remember hearing about the Ford Pinto gas tank explosions that took many lives in the 1970s. Ford knew about the issue but, like most corporations, they did a cost-benefit analysis to see which would affect their bottom line the least: recalling the cars and ensuring safety or paying out on the inevitable claims that would come their way due to the defect. It may feel shocking, but it’s not surprising that they chose the former. This happens every day with major corporations. It’s unfortunate but true that when profits and the bottom line are more important than personal safety, it takes being sued for corporations to get their act together. Because of past personal injury lawsuits, vehicles, airplanes, and products of all kinds are safer. Our communities are safer. And though bringing a lawsuit against a negligent company isn’t easy for our clients, we are grateful they chose to do so because in the end, we all benefit. 2. They are an important part of the healing process. As mentioned in this month’s cover article, no one has escaped the effects of COVID-19 over the last year. Between getting ill, the high death toll, and all the other challenges of adapting to life during a pandemic, people have a better sense now of what some of our clients go through every day. As a nation, we’re starting to heal from this difficult year, and healing is an incredibly important part of any recovery process. No amount of money can change the life-altering injuries our clients have sustained, but we do see that getting a settlement helps them in the healing process because it’s an acknowledgment of the suffering they’ve had to endure.
It’s blueberry season! Whip up this simple muffin recipe to celebrate in style.
• 1 cup soy milk • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar • 2 cups flour • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/4 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp canola oil • 1 tsp vanilla extract • Zest of 1 lemon • 2 cups fresh blueberries Ingredients
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a muffin tin and set aside. 2. In a bowl, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside. 3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 4. In a third bowl, combine sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Add milk mixture and stir, then add flour mixture. Stir to combine until well- incorporated but not smooth. Fold in the blueberries. 5. Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each well 3/4 full. Bake 20–25 minutes, cool, and enjoy!
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, don’t hesitate to reach out. Take heart in knowing that your individual actions can help the greater good.
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949-565-2993
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1968 S. Coast Hwy #2680 Laguna Beach CA 92651
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Page 1 Courts Are Reopening for Jury Trials
Page 2 Is ‘Hammocking’ a Better Way to Sleep?
Our Clients Say It Best
Page 3 The Unseen Benefits of Bringing a Lawsuit
Plant-Based Blueberry Muffins
Page 4 The Miraculous Mountain Cat
THE MEOW AT 10,000 FEET
High on the slopes of Bristen, a mountain in the Glarus Alps in central Switzerland, a pair of skiers discovered something unexpected. At 4:30 a.m., the skiers climbed toward the summit of Bristen when they realized they weren’t alone. They were being followed by a cat — not a lynx or a wildcat, but a little mewling house cat. How does a house cat end up on the slopes of a snow-covered, 10,000-foot mountain? This was an answer the skiers wouldn’t get. They weren’t even sure what to do with a cat in general. It’s likely
began to bleed from the hard snow,” Cyril noted. “We picked her up and carried her when she was too exhausted to walk uphill anymore. We were definitely confused. I felt really sorry for the cat. She was really exhausted on the ridge underneath the summit." The cat stayed with them for some time before they met up with another group of hikers who were headed down the mountain. The cat joined them for what would hopefully be a journey back home. And it was! Remarkably, the cat’s owners were found. They revealed that their cat had vanished
that it simply wandered away from one of the nearby towns or villages near the base of the mountain, but even for a human, that’s a major undertaking.
four days earlier and apparently followed yet another group of hikers up Bristen. "Animals do weird things. And they are way tougher than humans. They'll never give up. Even though they are hurting really, really bad," Cyril said of his feline hiking companion. Hopefully, that will be the little feline’s last trip up for some time!
Lost, the cat followed the only sign of civilization it could find: the skiers, Cyril and Erik Rohrer. "She started to shiver, and her paws
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