Thank you for reading our newsletter! Give us a call today!
Justice MONTHLY
229-888-0888 • www.puttingpeoplefirst.law
SEPTEMBER 2017
Providing Peace of Mind Helping My Clients See the Light at the End of the Tunnel
As you gain experience as an attorney, you steadily gain a firm grasp on the scope of your particular field. Though the law changes, it does so slowly and incrementally. Once you’ve dealt with the same statutes and situations over and over, you internalize a lot, meaning you’re not only a more qualified expert, but the work becomes relatively straightforward. It’s the people who keep the work interesting, whether that means dealing with the different personalities of my clients or staying abreast of whatever latest sneaky strategy the insurance adjustors are trying to pull. One of the most significant parts of my job is helping people navigate tough situations. After 10 years of practicing law, I’ve realized it’s typically the same circumstance: Somebody was injured at work and now they’re at home receiving two-thirds of their normal wage in our slanted system that’s designed to “encourage” injured workers to return to their jobs. That lost third of their paycheck is causing them to get behind on rental costs, car payments, and mortgages — adding salt to the wound, so to speak. This frustrating situation is compounded by insurance companies trying to take advantage of them.
up two weeks after the date they’re supposed to, or they’re completely missing. The law charges a 15 percent penalty on any late weekly check, but insurance adjusters will play games by sending them late, then sending two at a time, then missing the next week. They know that this will cause the client to call our office nearly every day, asking us to help them get hold of the money they need to survive. By the time we file something, the insurance companies will inevitably have already caught the client up with checks. The damage is done. The insurance companies hope that the amount of daily work we end up doing for the client will eventually tire us out, driving a wedge between the client and the attorney. It’s just one example of the lengths these people will go to save a buck. The best thing I can provide to the client is the assurance that someone competent is on their side. When they get us on their team, I do everything I can to make sure they know that my team, and I have faced these same obstacles hundreds of times before. Not only do we empathize and understand what they’re going through, we’re experts at getting them out of it. They can rest easy knowing they won’t be jerked around anymore. - William F. “Trey” Underwood, III
One of the most common and cruel actions insurance adjusters do is delay compensation checks. Either they’re late, showing
Published by The Newsletter Pro . www.TheNewsletterPro.com
www.puttingpeoplefirst.law | 1
Book Review: ‘The Productivity Project’
We all strive to be more productive. We are surrounded by advice, apps, and devices purported to boost our productivity, yet we don’t seem to be any better off. This challenge to achieve greater productivity is explored in “The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy” by Chris Bailey. The author has a passion for productivity that most of us only dream of; he spent a full year attempting to be more productive. During that year, Bailey’s goal was to get more out of life by being more productive and working smarter, not harder. “The Productivity Project” takes that idea to the extreme. Much of the book recounts Bailey’s productivity experiments and what he learned along the way. Plus, he gives the reader tools and insights so they, too, can apply what he learned. One by one, Bailey works his way through a number of tasks to understand productivity and ultimately master it. He prepared
by reading about the successes and failures of others with similar goals. He experimented with meditation, a modified sleep schedule, an altered diet, and even strategized his coffee consumption, among many other modifications — all with the goal of living and working better. Through these productivity experiments, there is one thing Bailey didn’t want to do: waste your time. He only included what he felt would be most valuable to you. Every chapter begins with a takeaway. Bailey tells you what you’ll get out of the chapter and how long the chapter will take to read. But Bailey challenges the reader, as well. Most chapters include a challenge for you to try. It’s all about relevancy to your life, personal and professional. At its core, “The Productivity Project” is a trove of ideas. When you want to master your productivity and live and work better, this book serves as a worthwhile starting point.
Testimonials
“I truly appreciated the warm and professional service that was rendered on behalf of my granddaughter’s case. Mr. Underwood and his staff were patient, and they informed us and guided us through the entirety of the case. They displayed a personal, as well as professional, atmosphere. This enabled us, as a family and as clients, to be at ease. We recommend his services to anyone that would like to have their case handled with care.” –W. M. B. “I was very satisfied with all the work that he did for me. He helped me with everything I needed help with. Thank you!” –J. B.
2 | 229-888-0888
Should You Trust Them?
On-the-job injuries are, unfortunately, a commonplace consequence of the contemporary working environment. Equally common is an employer telling you after you’re injured at work, that, since they have workers’ compensation insurance, there’s no need to call a lawyer. The logic these employers use is that since workmen’s compensation prevents an injured worker from suing their employer, there is nothing that a workplace injury attorney can do to help. In many cases, it’s true that the injured worker cannot sue the employer. However, while filing an injury claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance, an attorney’s help can be invaluable. If you’re injured at work, it’s likely that the workers’ compensation insurance will compensate you for your injury. But how much you get paid depends on dozens of factors, chief among them how well your claim is documented and processed. Many employers, after the injury of an employee, might be too caught up running the business to focus on properly documenting your accident. If your injury was the result of your employer or other co-workers, there likely will not be any interest in properly detailing how the accident happened. At the Law Offices of William F. Underwood, we will do everything we can to make sure that your claim gets processed in a proper, timely fashion. We’ll also help you determine which doctors or treatments the workers’ compensation insurance will accept. Not only that, but if the workers’ compensation insurance employees
don’t want to authorize a treatment essential to your recovery, we’ll help you present your case in the best, strongest way possible. There may even be a possibility for a lawsuit you had not considered. Being at home, injured and alone, can be overwhelming, but with the right workers’ compensation attorney, you can be confident that you have someone looking out for your best interest.
Have a Laugh
Winning Apple Crisp
(Recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com.)
Ingredients • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup rolled oats • 1 cup packed brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups chopped, peeled apples • 1 cup sugar • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 cup water • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Vanilla ice cream, optional
Directions 1. Heat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into a greased 2½ quart baking dish or a 9-inch square baking pan. Cover with apples. 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. 3. Bake 60–65 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.
www.puttingpeoplefirst.law | 3
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
515 N. WESTOVER BLVD., SUITE C. ALBANY, GA 31707
229-888-0888 www.puttingpeoplefirst.law
inside Providing Peace of Mind PAGE 1 The Productivity Project Challenge PAGE 2 Here’s What They’re Saying PAGE 2 When Do You Need an Attorney PAGE 3 Winning Apple Crisp PAGE 3 The Unstoppable Rise of the Bullet Journal PAGE 4
The Unstoppable Rise of the Bullet Journal The New Journaling System That’s Taken Social Media by Storm
In the modern age, where the internet is constantly flooded with productivity apps and trends promising to fix our schedules, unlock our potential, and improve our lives, it’s difficult not to wish for something simpler. We want an object we can hold in our hands that doesn’t come with a bunch of unwanted features.
Bullet journals may seem simple, and they are, but they’ve acquired an explosive following on social media. At the time of this writing, there are over 791,000 posts on Instagram tagged with the #bulletjournal hashtag; there are posts upon posts of users’ beautiful layouts, bearing intricate calligraphy and embellished with incredible designs. As the bullet journal’s creator, Ryder Carroll, told New Republic writer Josephine Wolff, “The most valuable part of the bullet journal [is] the inventiveness of its community.”
Enter the bullet journal: the humble, easy-to-use notebook system that’s taken the world by storm.
Instead of maintaining a separate to-do list, calendar, and diary, the bullet journaling system rolls everything into a single economical notebook. Partitioned into minimalistic “modules” — the Index, the Future Log, the Monthly Log, and the Daily Log — bullet journals encourage you to write down everything on your to-do list, single-line tidbits recounting important daily events, and little notes you take throughout the day. Everything is marked by a particular bullet: dots for tasks, circles for events, and dashes for notes. At the beginning of each month, bullet journalers examine last month’s list, eliminating completed or now-irrelevant tasks and migrating long-term or continuing tasks to the current month.
But don’t be daunted by users who seem to spend hours on every page of their journals. Really, it’s a simple system that only takes a few minutes to learn. Check out bulletjournal. com to learn how to start your own modular notebook. But be warned: You may get obsessed.
Published by The Newsletter Pro . www.TheNewsletterPro.com
4 | 229-888-0888
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online