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L AW Y E R S F O R J U S T I C E
PERSONAL INJURY LAW JOURNAL
805-962-2022
WWW.NORDSTRANDLAW.COM
AUGUST 2020
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMMEDIACY After suffering any type of personal injury at the hands of another party’s negligence, it isn’t always obvious that contacting a lawyer should be one of the first things you do. Many If medical records aren’t properly noted from the very beginning, DON’T DELAY SEEKING LEGAL HELP IF YOU’VE SUFFERED AN INJURY
symptoms can be extremely difficult to prove later on. If a doctor was too busy treating a broken arm instead of a bumped head, then down the road when the client has issues with their brain, we can’t always prove the incident and delayed symptoms are related. Hiring a lawyer early means partnering with someone who knows all the right questions to ask and what medical attention to seek. A good personal injury lawyer also has relationships with doctors who can help their clients receive the best treatment without delay. Postponing treatment also hurts the value of your case. If a client stops treating themselves while still experiencing symptoms, then it’s considered a lapse in treatment, and the insurance company will discount the value of the case because they assume the injuries aren’t substantial. A healthy recovery is the No. 1 priority in an injury case, but a lawyer can help their client in many other ways, like determining the appropriate value for property damage. For example, if your car was involved in an accident, the extent of and cost to repair the property damage to your vehicle
clients wait until their injuries get worse or more details of the case arise. But if too much time passes between the incident and when you realize you need a lawyer, not only can it hurt your recovery process, but it can also hurt your case. There are a lot of things lawyers can do, but the one thing they can’t do is go back in time. That’s why contacting a lawyer immediately after you’ve suffered an injury is so important. Let’s look at an all-too-common case example: mild traumatic brain injuries. These types of injuries can manifest in things as obvious as memory loss, problems multitasking, and loss of taste or smell. These are big indicators that are easy to pinpoint, but often the results of this kind of injury can be much more subtle. Feeling off-balance, experiencing disorientation, and perceiving lapses in time can be difficult to catch, especially if the client hasn’t suffered any loss of consciousness
often speaks to the value of your case. There may be cases where the client doesn’t know who the driver of the car was, or locating insurance information proves difficult. Sometimes, an additional expert is needed to properly determine the details of a case. A lawyer can also determine who the responsible party is, which isn’t always obvious. We had a client who rode her scooter over a water meter cover on the sidewalk. The cover wasn’t properly fitted, so it tipped like a seesaw and threw her, causing severe injuries. She called us right away and we were able to advise her to take photos of her injuries before they healed, recommended she consult a plastic surgeon so her injuries could be properly
recorded by paramedics or emergency room doctors.
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let the city know about the dangerous situation so no one else got hurt.
Building a successful case from the very beginning means identifying the things that are most important, and our experience means we know what to look for. We can help you identify what treatment to get, choose which doctors to see, document liability, find the responsible party, and hold them accountable. Immediacy in all of these steps is key. Your legal team needs to act promptly to turn over all the stones they need to fight your case while you focus on getting yourself better. – Renée Nordstrand
documented, and sent an expert to look at the scene and gather evidence about the dangerous condition. The expert gave us the information we needed to determine the cause of her fall and the responsible parties, which turned out to be both the city and the adjacent property owner. Because a government entity was responsible, a government claim had to be filed within six months of the incident — another reason it was beneficial to make these discoveries early on. Even before filing a claim, we were able to
Getting a lawyer early can also help you preserve evidence. A lawyer will look at all the social media for the responsible party. These days, people post an array of information online. We always thoroughly explore the responsible party’s online presence because you never know what kind of valuably incriminating evidence they might provide, both early in and throughout the case, before anything is removed from the internet.
TIMELY MEDICAL ATTENTION IS MANDATORY
We often see clients who are afraid to spend time or money on seeing medical providers after they’ve suffered an injury. Some forgo proper treatment because they don’t have medical insurance or are afraid the insurance company will deny their claim. But whatever the case, the risks of not getting the care you need following an injury accident are too great to ignore. When you file a claim, the insurance company looks at your injuries, what type of treatment you received, and when you received it. The value of your case is determined this way, so seeing a general practitioner, who doesn’t specialize in your type of injuries and isn’t accustomed to documenting properly for litigation, can be harmful to your case. If a lawyer gets involved early, they can help determine what you need and recommend specialists who know how to document a claim and do the testing necessary to identify and treat injuries. I once sent a client to a chiropractor I know is extremely thorough. He did testing from head to toe and identified that my client had shoulder pain the client wasn’t even aware of.
Eight months later, after the client recovered from their most painful injury, he became more aware of the shoulder pain and ultimately needed shoulder surgery. The insurance company tried to claim the shoulder injury was unrelated to the accident, but we were able to go back to the initial chiropractic records where the shoulder issues were thoroughly noted within one week of the incident. This information ended up making a difference of over $100,000 in the settlement. In another case, our client began treatment after an accident with her own primary care doctor. While this is good practice, that doctor was not willing to treat all the areas that needed attention, probably due to the compensation structure of her health care plan. The doctor wanted to take care of one injury at a time, ignoring her knee pain to focus on her hip pain. I instead recommended my client consult two doctors, a knee and hip specialist, who not only provided great care and treatment but also aided in greatly increasing the case value.
medical care from the right medical provider. I’ve had several clients who serve in the armed forces who, when injured, immediately go to their doctor on base. This is a good start but I always send them to specialists outside the base to document their injuries and get alternate recommendations the military doctor might not articulate for purposes of litigation. Much of a specialist’s expertise and usefulness in building a case comes from being willing to take the time with the patient, adequately recording their patients’ injuries and using the right language to prove causation. If you have a medical provider you’re happy with, your lawyer can talk to them to be sure they are willing to provide a thorough examination and proper documentation. If you’re worried about expenses and have a strong liability case, your lawyer can talk to your doctors about treating you on a lien, which means that your doctor will await payment until your case is settled. We have so many options to explore, so don’t put your health or case at risk by opting out of the treatment you need.
Getting well and increasing case value is often about getting the right
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DOGS, CATS, OR ... CHICKENS?
Pet Adoptions Have Increased During the Pandemic
In times of stress and uncertainty, we all look for connections to hold on to. Many Americans are finding that connection in a heartwarming place. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, animal shelters across the United States have seen a dramatic increase in fostering and adoptions. Petpoint, a data management system, analyzed figures from 1,200 animal welfare organizations. During the week of March 14–20, there was a 93% increase in animals going to foster homes compared to the previous week. This is wonderful news, considering that many adoption events had to be canceled due to COVID-19. But an increasingly unexpected adoption taking place across the country is that of chickens! One supplier of domestic chickens for home pets and farming families, My Pet Chicken, has reported a
boom of 260% in sales since the pandemic first began in March. As people have sought an uplifting
free ranging, and an ongoing food and water supply, they’re one of the easiest pets to keep. Not to mention, you get a great supply of eggs if you choose the right breed of chicken. We’ve had chickens for two years now and our girls have loved raising them. They have names and unique personalities and are such good layers that we frequently have a surplus of eggs to give to friends and family. Hand-raising chicks into adult chickens was so much fun for our girls and they have been great, hearty pets! They don’t take up much space either; I’ve seen news articles about chickens being kept in crowded places like New York City. MyPetChicken.com is a great resource for raising some of your own, or consider bringing other loving pets into your family during these tumultuous times by visiting AdoptAPet.com/animal-shelters to find a shelter near you.
distraction from recent doom and gloom through caring for a low-maintenance, family-friendly pet, many are now discovering what wonderful pets chickens can be. I know firsthand — we have six chickens of our own! My kids first got four chicks to raise as part of a class project in first grade. About a year later, we decided we wanted more eggs and added two more chicks, which was very tricky having the bonded chickens accept two new members to the flock. Once you go through the initial steps of figuring out the right setup for their coop, how to protect them from predators when
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INGREDIENTS
8 oz penne or fusilli pasta
2 large fresh peaches, diced or sliced 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp sea salt Pepper, to taste 2 tbsp lemon juice
WORDSEARCH
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1 cup corn
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6 cups arugula, packed
Camping Fair Firepit Friendship Peridot Poppy
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a separate bowl. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss with the feta cheese. 3. Add peaches, red onions, tomatoes, corn, and arugula to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to mix well. Add more olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Rafting School Sundae Thunderstorm Virgo Watermelon
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Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com
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L AW Y E R S F O R J U S T I C E
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Why You Need Legal Counsel From the Very Beginning of Your Case
2
Your Lawyer Can Help You Get the Treatment You Need
3
Raising a Chicken Might Be a Great Choice for Your Family
3 4
Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad
Why We Still Need Travel Agencies
THEY CAN LOWER COSTS. Enlisting the help of a travel agency isn’t as expensive as the average customer might think. Travel advisors receive a small commission from airlines and hotels when they book your trip, which allows them to keep your travel costs down. Every agency charges different fees based on the package you purchase, but on average, you can expect to pay around $75 per traveling person for an agent to book your trip. With all the added experiences and deals they can find, this cost easily pays for itself and then some. THEY SIMPLIFY THE COMPLICATED PROCESS. The number one reason people use a travel agency is because planning a trip can be overwhelming. You have to research the location, book flights, plan ground transportation, secure lodging, discover activities, and find restaurants. If you don’t travel often or are going to a destination you’re unfamiliar with, then tackling everything yourself leaves room for mistakes, stress, and disappointment. A travel advisor makes the entire process as simple as possible so you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest. We all look forward to a time when we can get out again!
Get the Most Out of Your Trip
Once upon a time, you couldn’t plan a vacation without using a travel agent. They would book your flights and hotels, provide information about local activities, and point you to the best sites to see. But with the advent of the internet, it seemed travel agencies would become
obsolete. However, these services are actually far from disappearing: Nearly 20% of travelers still use an agency. Because the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people travel for the foreseeable future, travel advisors, as they’re now called, are more valuable than ever. THEY GIVE EXPERT ADVICE. If you want to get the most out of your trip, then you should talk to someone who knows exactly how to give you that. Travel advisors undergo training and gain experience with different policies, customs, and travel regulations to get you where you want to go. They will be your go-to experts for what you should do when you get to your destination, especially if you’re traveling to a foreign country or overseas.
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