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Justice MONTHLY
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OCTOBER 2018
Going to Court With Dad REMEMBERING THE LESSONS HE TAUGHT ME
Thanks to my dad, I’ve been going to court since I was a little kid.
Being the nice guy he was, the judge just chuckled, and went on with the proceedings without scolding my father or me.
The mutual respect that my father had built up during his law career followed him into the courtroom, and I’m thankful I got to work with him for the short period I did — although we didn’t always see eye to eye in court. In one particular case, we were representing the same client. I had just finished my round of questioning when the other lawyer began his barrage. Against protocol, my father, instead of me, stood up and yelled, “Objection!” I couldn’t believe it. He knew the rules, but he was so passionate for his clients, and with his decades of experience, he’d caught something that I hadn’t. The judge denied his objection, and the proceedings went forward. After that case, we decided we worked best together in the office. Once I began practicing law, I appeared before some of those same judges and lawyers I had met as a child trailing along behind my father. It was rewarding to return to the same courtrooms with the same judges years later. They seemed proud of me and happy that I had returned home to practice law. But don’t think they cut me any slack because of my father! They didn’t shy away from reprimanding me if they had to. Trailing behind a lawyer like my father, I got a head start in my law career, but I also had immense pressure to fill some wonderful shoes. His guidance helped, though. Return all your phone calls within 24 hours. Live by the sword; die by the sword. Be professional. These are all mottos I use today in my practice. On Oct. 29, my dad would have turned 73 years old. He inspired my law career, taught me the values I still hold onto today, and led by example. I wouldn’t be the lawyer I am today without his guidance — or the field trips to the courtroom.
When he was growing up, watching the lawyers at court once a month in his little southwest-Georgia town of Blakely was pure entertainment. It was part of what spurred his law career. When I went to court with him as a kid, though, procedures were different, and there are some days that stick out in my memory. I’m not really sure why, but when I was 7, I went to an arraignment with my father. It was for a woman accused of shoplifting, and the courtroom was full for a business-day arraignment. This judge was a stern, domineering Southern judge who had been presiding over law for decades — think the judge in “My Cousin Vinny.” But he and my father got along well, and since I was in court that day, my dad took me up front to meet him. He looked right down at me and bellowed, “You better mind your manners there, boy, or I’m going to lock you up. Sit on a pew and be quiet.”
Not wanting to test that threat, that’s what I did.
Though I’m now passionate about helping my clients get the justice they deserve, as a kid, there was nothing more tortuous than a drawn-out court day. I remember accompanying my dad to a workers’ compensation trial, and at one point he and the other lawyer kept going back and forth, redirecting after each other’s questions.
It’s true what they say: The most famous line a lawyer says is “Just one more question.”
I decided that it was time for some divine intervention. I got down on my knees in the pew, folding my hands as if to pray, and began begging, “Judge Zeese, please don’t let them ask any more questions.”
Happy birthday, Dad.
-William F. “Trey” Underwood, III
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When you think of spooky places, odds are good that the local version of a haunted house — perhaps with teenagers dressed up as chainsaw villains — comes to mind. You might even get someone to take you to the local penitentiary, where they’ll try to convince you that a draft is actually the movement of a tormented soul. After Oct. 31, though, that spooky atmosphere will fade away, and you’ll be left with just a fleeting memory of what you believed might be a haunted place. But there is one location on earth that is truly haunted year-round. The abandoned island of Poveglia, Italy, was the site of some of the worst horrors in human history. In 1348, the region surrounding Venice was struck with the bubonic plague, and the infected were sent to Poveglia to die. Once the plague had taken their lives, the victims’ bodies were stacked on pyres and burned. It’s said that 50 percent of the soil on the island is made up of the ash from these funeral rites. While the ash-ridden soil would deter many, it did not stop the locals from turning the island into a mental asylum in the 1800s. Shortly after the asylum opened, all its inhabitants reportedly lost their wits, making it impossible to tell the doctors from the patients. The doctors on the island were rumored to have gone insane and begun performing questionable experiments on live subjects. Some THE HORRORS OF POVEGLIA, ITALY THE MOST HAUNTED PLACE IN THE WORLD
Plague mask and tools for disinfecting letters discovered on Poveglia
patients died; others lost their minds. The island quickly claimed them all.
Today, Poveglia is completely abandoned. Local fishermen are unwilling to cast their nets off its shores out of fear. They even report hearing chimes from the island’s church bell, but they still refuse to dock their ships. Locals decline to visit the island for fear of the curse that claimed the lives of so many. The very few who dare set foot on the island do not stay for long, claiming to feel a profound disturbance that overwhelms the soul. If you’re taken to a haunted house this Halloween, be thankful. Anyone can handle a quick scare from someone dressed up in a costume. No one has been able to handle the curse of Poveglia, and no one ever will.
NAVIGATING WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS
HOW TRUCK DRIVERS CAN GET JUSTICE AFTER INJURIES
For most people, an injury that hinders your ability to drive limits your freedom. But for truck drivers, this means the loss of a livelihood. The next steps after a truck-driving injury may be unclear, and navigating workers’ compensation claims can add more stress to an already unpleasant situation. Follow these steps to claiming workers’ compensation to help you ensure you get the justice you deserve. UNDERSTAND YOUR CASE. Some truck drivers are employed with a trucking company, while others are independent contractors. Regardless, they all have rights and are
GET LEGAL HELP. Even if you’re unsure about fault, it’s always wise to consult a professional. A lawyer knows what rights you have as an injured driver, and, if nothing else, they can answer questions or point you in another direction to help you get the justice you deserve. COMMUNICATE. Interacting with your employer after you were injured can be … well, awkward. You might even be considering a lawsuit against your workplace or be out of the workplace because of the injury. Accidents happen; workers’ compensation happens. That doesn’t have to ruin your relationship with a good employer, and your lawyer can help you navigate that situation. Furthermore, if the injury needs to be handled in court, this is where having a lawyer becomes a huge benefit. Communication — either through you or your lawyer — is key to getting the incident resolved swiftly and fairly. If you’re unsure about your rights or believe you deserve workers’ compensation for a truck-driving injury, give the Law Offices of William F. Underwood, III, a call at 229-888-0888.
due compensation if someone else is at fault for an injury. Independent drivers may have trouble pinpointing where the compensation may lie, but drivers who are injured while dealing with another company that their own trucking company works with may also struggle. Photos of your injuries, medical documentation, photos of the scene, and witness observations will help you (and your legal counsel) piece together exactly what happened.
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BIZARRE PERSONAL INJURY CASES
At the Law Offices of William F. Underwood, we pride ourselves in fighting for our clients’ rights after they are injured. Sometimes that means fighting unique cases — though we haven’t faced cases quite as head- scratching as the following ones. A HUG GONE WRONG Jennifer Connel’s nephew Sean was so excited to see her at his 8th birthday party that he enthusiastically ran and jumped into her arms. It was the bear hug to end all bear hugs. Connel fell backward, broke her wrist, and racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of expenses. What may seem
media and the general public from berating the aunt, especially after her testimony, in which she talked about the trouble she had holding a plate of hors d’oeuvres following the injury. The jury ultimately did not award Connel any money. Talk about an awkward holiday season. THE AFTERMATH OF A TRAIN ACCIDENT
In 2008, Gayane Zokhrabov sued the estate of Hiroyuki Joho following a train accident. Joho was crossing the train tracks when he was struck and killed by a moving train. Pieces of his body hit Zokhrabov, and she claimed she sustained injuries to her shoulder, wrist, and leg as a result. Initially, the case was dismissed by a lower-court judge, who ruled that there was no way Joho could have known what would happen to his body upon getting hit by a train, but an appeals court disagreed, claiming that it was possible to know what would happen given the high speed of the train. The case was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.
like a story of an innocent, family-related accident actually became a fight against insurance companies that were unwilling to help cover Connel’s expenses. In order to get the homeowners and health insurance companies to award her compensation for her injuries, Connel had to formally sue her nephew. Still, that didn’t stop the
Thank You!
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch
Thank you to the wonderful clients who introduced us to the family and friends we were able to help this month, and thank you to all of our clients for continuing to let us care for you. Special thanks to
This recipe combines pumpkin seeds, a seasonal favorite, with cashews, sunflower seeds, and spices. It’s a perfect homemade snack for the fall.
Ingredients •
1 large egg white
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1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
Latresa Harvey Jeffrey Lawson Easter Hardy John Eckerd Milton Thomas Michael Sanders
• • • •
1 teaspoon light agave syrup 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 cup raw cashews, coarsely chopped 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
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Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Directions 1. Heat oven to 300 F. 2. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg white, agave,
4. Using a slotted spoon, strain spoonfuls of mixture over bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Discard excess egg white mixture. 5. Bake 20–25 minutes, tossing once. 6. Let cool and serve.
Please share your great experiences with us on Google Reviews!
salt, and spices. Add nuts and seeds and toss until evenly coated.
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Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine
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inside Going to Court With Dad PAGE 1 Forget the Haunted House — How About a Haunted Island? PAGE 2 Getting Truck-Driving Compensation PAGE 2 Bizarre Personal Injury Cases PAGE 3 Spiced Pumpkin Seed Crunch PAGE 3 Discover ‘The Art of Learning’ PAGE 4
‘ Th e A r t o f L e a r n i n g ’
A Child Prodigy Rethinks Success
This is a book about a journey. It chronicles a life of international chess tournaments, high-stakes martial arts competitions, a boy who found too much success, and the man who had to relearn everything because of it. Yes, “The Art of Learning” reads like a gripping, emotional memoir, but make no mistake — Josh Waitzkin’s work doubles as an effective guide for business owners striving to attain perfection in their fields. Josh Waitzkin’s name will be familiar to longtime chess fans and movie buffs alike. As a child prodigy, Waitzkin won his first national chess title at age 9, which quickly made him an international sensation. His father, Fred Waitzkin, wrote the renowned book “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” chronicling his young son’s journey into the world of chess. This then inspired the movie of the same name. Now, one does not normally think of child prodigies as being great sources of insight into finding success. By definition, prodigies are exceptional — exceptions who operate on a different playing field than most. But Waitzkin firmly positions his journey through the chess world as the antithesis of what he calls “the art of learning.”
As the author states, “The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.” Waitzkin was very gifted at chess, and he didn’t have to push himself early
on, but by the time he did find challenging opponents, he found loss and adaptation impossible to handle. It wasn’t until he stepped out of the rigid grids of chess and into the flowing movements of tai chi that Waitzkin was able to formulate a guide to success. Appropriately subtitled “An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance,” Waitzkin’s story of grappling with childhood stardom and climbing the brackets of the tai chi chuan circuit is full of wisdom applicable to anyone looking to achieve mastery in their field. With compelling personal anecdotes and a unique perspective on what
success really looks like, “The Art of Learning” is a fresh, vibrant addition to the personal development genre.
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