Take a look at our February newsletter!
12444 POWERSCOURT DR., SUITE 300 • ST. LOUIS, MO 63131 // FINNEYINJURYLAW.COM // 314-293-4222 // FEBRUARY 2025
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP The Value of a Supportive Spouse
I feel like all I have written about over the last few columns is our office and our changes here. That appears to be very self- absorbed — probably because it is. I’ve neglected to mention the family support that makes what we do possible. Hopefully, this column changes that. I have been married for 13 years. My wife and I have five kids. She has a graduate degree in speech therapy. And she works every week. In between raising five kids, Christine is able to run our house so I all I have to do is look at our family calendar. We use Cozi and rely on the paid version. It is tremendous. Work calendars stay for work, and Cozi is for family. It just makes things easier.
I’ve written about this before, but who you end up with as a spouse is as important to your work life as the most pivotal employee — including yourself — at the office. My belief is that you need someone you can trust outside the office with serious matters. Someone you can bounce things off, someone who knows what to say and, most importantly, when not to say anything. I’ve seen and heard many marriages fall apart in the trial lawyer world. It is sobering and scary. The practice of trial law takes up a lot of someone’s headspace. It really isn’t the hours at work, as those can vary. It is the ruminations and obsessions over cases and claims — the inability to “turn it off.” It is the constant adversarial nature of the law. It is exhausting and, at times, downright nasty. If you are not careful, it can take over your identity. That’s why you need a strong spouse. Someone to pull you out of the chaos, but also someone who recognizes what is going on. Someone with an understanding ear but also with sound advice. My wife has seen the ups and downs of trial practice. Even though I have been doing it for a decade, I still feel like we just started. I still feel like we are behind. Through verdicts, cases, appeals, trials, and more, Christine has been a steady partner and the wiser of the two of us — never telling me what to do or when to do it, but listening, advising, and acting like a true counselor. It has just been easy — lessons I can take to my own practice and to people with whom I interact. February is a great month to recognize everything our spouses do for us. So much can be taken for granted. My hope is that each of us has a strong partner we can rely
“February is a great month to recognize everything our spouses do for us.”
By all accounts, Christine does a great job. But what goes unnoticed are the little things. Many times, my head is stuck on something at work and I miss most of a conversation. Honestly, 5–7 p.m. each weekday evening is rough. My head is still unwinding and emails are still coming in. It takes a while to wind down, even though I try to get home before 5 p.m. thinking I can shut it off. That never happens. Christine takes it in stride. Kids are hustled to practices, rides are arranged, and car pooling is seamless.
on — and who can rely on us. A partnership should be celebrated on a regular basis. So, in this Valentine’s Day month, I hope we all find some quiet time to reflect on the journey we’ve traveled with our spouses and how great it really has been.
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Stay Connected During Their Transformative Years THE TEENAGE TRANSITION
Be open-minded. Our children’s hobbies, interests, and even some
Watching your children transition into teenagers is a challenging experience for any parent. Your little girl has traded in her dolls for makeup, and your son would rather spend time with friends than throw a ball around the yard with you. As teens grow, parents have to adapt and adjust to the changes. It won’t always be easy, especially as arguments and disagreements may become more common. Still, you can make this situation easier on yourself by preparing for the changes and adopting helpful strategies. Here are three ways to maintain your relationship with your children as they progress through their teenage years. Provide your children with new opportunities to find their passions. Your children are in the self-discovery stage of their lives, so it’s vital they get a chance to explore hobbies and activities that interest them. Ask them what they want to do with their free time, and enroll them in extracurricular activities that align with their interests. Be encouraging and supportive, and you’ll quickly see improvements in their mood and your relationship.
personality traits can change as they progress through their teenage years. Be curious about their developing habits and try to involve yourself in activities they enjoy. This extends to discussions about
their future. As adulthood approaches, talk with your kids about their career prospects and interests. They might have a different plan than you imagined, but this is when you need to be open-minded and supportive — it will strengthen your relationship immensely. Understand that you won’t see them as often. The teenage years are when our kids start yearning for independence. As long as they’re staying out of trouble, let them explore the world around them. They’ll want to spend more time with their friends, visit places like the mall or movie theater without you, and explore romantic relationships. This is a normal part of growing up, and as parents, we should expect and respect the change.
Win the Compensation You Deserve for an Injury Seek Justice
People hurt in workplace or highway accidents often have a hard time proving the extent of their injuries. Physical harm from an accident can be challenging to diagnose. Medical images such as MRIs don’t always show evidence, such as a degenerating spinal disc or the damage caused by whiplash. And attorneys for defendants’ insurance companies often attack victims’ claims about the severity of the injuries or try to blame the problem on a preexisting condition. Symptoms may develop gradually after an accident or incident occurs. The victim may experience worsening back pain, neck pain, or PTSD as time wears on. A herniated disc in the back, for example, is a tear or rupture that can be caused by a wide range of injuries, from lifting heavy weights or twisting the back to trauma from a car crash. The long-term outcome of an injury may not be clear right away. The patient may need to allow time to pass before they know the full impact, or whether surgery will be required.
details. If a person who was clearly injured in a car crash seeks compensation for severe back pain caused by injuries from the crash, the defense might argue that the back pain was caused by a preexisting degenerative condition that flared up after the car crash. A skilled, experienced personal injury attorney can cut through the fog and focus a jury on the relevant evidence. The victim should see their doctor as soon as possible after an accident or injury for a comprehensive medical exam, explain clearly how the accident happened, and stick with treatment until the best possible medical outcome has been achieved. Victims also should keep a log of tasks or activities they can’t do because of the injury. Skilled legal representation is often essential in holding people or businesses responsible for the harm they have caused others. If you have an injury caused or made worse by another person’s negligence, don’t hesitate to contact our office for a free consultation to review your case.
Defense attorneys in personal injury cases often try to complicate evidence in such cases by introducing distracting
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THE LEGEND OF CAMILLE MONFORT Beautiful French Opera Singer or Mysterious Vampiress?
Everyone loves a good scary story. However, stories with unfinished and uncertain endings leave more spine- chilling options for the imagination. The ever-alluring legend of Camille Monfort will raise the hair on your neck and make you wonder what may have been behind her story. In 1896, Belém, Brazil (in the Amazon), emerged as a wealthy city filled with grand luxuries due to the rubber trade. The city’s newfound affluence brought extravagance in many areas, including Theatro da Paz, which brought European culture to the jungle. However, it wasn’t until the beautiful French opera singer Camille Monfort took center stage that the city’s mystery came to light.
cast spells of desire over rich men and spread great envy among their wives. Rumors spread that her pale skin tone not only meant she was a vampiress, but her beautiful singing during concerts hypnotized her audience so she could easily feed from them. Unfortunately, her mystery was short- lived. By the end of 1896, cholera devastated Belém, taking Camille’s life at age 25. She was then buried in the Cemetery of Solitude, but many believe her tomb is empty and her death was a ruse. Stories of strange disappearances and whispered encounters surround Camille Monfort’s entire existence, making her haunting story a unique chapter in the history of vampires.
It’s said that Camille’s striking beauty and disregard for societal conventions
Fabulous Flourless Chocolate Cake
YOUR REFERRALS MEAN THE WORLD TO US There is no greater compliment we can receive than a client telling a friend or loved one about us. If you know somebody who has been injured and needs an attorney who will fight on their behalf and give their case the attention it deserves, please pass along this newsletter and have them call us at 314-293-4222. Thank you for spreading the word about Finney Injury Law.
Inspired by EasyDessertRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 1/2 cup almond flour • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts • 4 large eggs, separated • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a springform pan with butter or nonstick spray. 2. Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour warm, melted butter over it, wait for 2 minutes, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. 3. Add sugar, almond flour, and walnuts and stir to incorporate. Stir in the egg yolks and set mixture aside. 4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium until stiff peaks form. 5. Fold 1/4 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate batter. Repeat, 1/4 at a time, until egg whites are incorporated. 6. Pour batter into springform pan and bake for 30–35 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Practicing in Missouri and Illinois
12444 POWERSCOURT DR., SUITE 300 ST. LOUIS, MO 63131
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
FINNEYINJURYLAW.COM // 314-293-4222
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
The Critical Role of a Strong Spouse in a Successful Firm
2
Support Your Teenager’s Growth Without Losing Touch
2
How Defendants Try to Block Personal Injury Claims
3
The Haunting Story of an Amazonian Vampiress
3
Fabulous Flourless Chocolate Cake
4
Alex Reflects on How Investigations Underpin All Aspects of Our Work
Witnesses and Video: A witness statement can make or break the circumstances of how someone got hurt. Video also plays a crucial role. In today’s world, almost everything is on camera. Nearby cameras often capture the scene of the incident. Dash cameras are becoming even more common. Police officers’ body cameras always tell a story. 9-1-1 Calls: A call to 9-1-1 is a request that cannot be forgotten. Whether you find a statement by the at-fault party or discover a new witness — 9-1-1 calls are invaluable. Depending on the circumstances, we may immediately engage a crash reconstruction expert. The ‘Black Box’: One of the greatest tools in our office is the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval system. It is the machine that uncovers the data in a car’s “black box.” In a future column, I will go into more depth on the Bosch system and how our firm deploys it. Once we move forward with a case, the foundation of our investigation will drive almost every decision. The investigation determines whom we talk to, what we request from the at-fault party, and where we look next. The pursuit of truth and the desire to understand every aspect of the event that changed our client’s life motivates us to leave no stone unturned. I look forward to finding what’s next.
The Issues We Face
ALEX REFLECTS ON THE THRILL OF THE HUNT
For as long as I can remember, the pursuit of information about all aspects of life has driven me. If I am in the market for a product, I want to know everything about it. I research and then research some more until I’m confident I have enough information to make an informed decision. This pursuit drives me as a lawyer every day. One of the most pivotal aspects of the help we provide people in our cases is the investigation. While I enjoy every aspect of our support for clients, the investigation is the most thrilling. It is a hunt. It is a journey. Time is of the essence. You must act with purpose. You must act with diligence. At the onset of a new case, our law firm must make a liability determination and evaluation. A thorough investigation can make or break a case. Here are three of the steps we take to help your case.
Practicing in Missouri and Illinois
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