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12444 POWERSCOURT DR., SUITE 300 • ST. LOUIS, MO 63131 // FINNEYINJURYLAW.COM // 314-293-4222 // OCTOBER 2024
THE HUMAN CONNECTION Good Memories From Years Working in a Restaurant
I worked in the restaurant industry in college and law school for about five or six years. I started as a busser/dishwasher, then hosted, waited tables, bartended, and managed. I learned many lessons doing the work. I asked my brother-in-law the other night if he ever missed working in bars. He is now a high school teacher. I was genuinely curious. He immediately said, “Nah, that part of my life is over.” I identified with that, and it got me thinking about my restaurant career. I thought about many people whom I worked with or served. I always enjoyed the Sunday lunch shift. I would get there early, around 9:30 a.m., have some coffee, and read the paper. Bars and restaurants are incredible places before they open. There is a hum in the kitchen, but the front of the house is eerily quiet. It’s pretty nice. My thoughts took me to two people. I don’t even know their names, but I remember them distinctly. Both were hearing impaired and maybe experienced total hearing loss. One was a little older, maybe in his 60s, and the other in his 40s. They would come into the restaurant every so often. I waited on them and thought they were nice guys. Their speaking abilities always impressed me, even if I needed to use the menu to ensure I was getting what they wanted. They did more to make sure I understood them than I did to make sure I heard correctly. After a few Saturdays, I was getting their table more often. In fact, the older one was requesting my section. That is always a flattering moment. It is a great reminder that we all want to feel that we are doing well filling some need or service — no matter the job. While waiting on them that evening, I heard a couple of the other servers saying they were glad they didn’t have them. I guess I understood. The fellas were not very patient. They lost their cool or got frustrated pretty quickly when orders were wrong. The younger one would occasionally drink too much.
Still, they never bothered me, and I found them to be pretty low maintenance with a predictable solid tip and quicker- than-normal turnover. Good guys. I remember the last night I worked there. I had passed the bar and received an offer to work as a prosecutor. A real lawyer. It was around this time of year in 2010. It was a fun night for me — the owners and others were happy for me. I felt a lot of relief knowing I would not have to spend late nights at the bar closing up. It felt like a graduation. I did not attend my swearing-in at the capital like other bar passers because I was working in the restaurant. This felt like my swearing-in. I was being moved up. As I was getting the guys’ check together, I wanted to let them know that this was my last night and that I would not be here anymore. Explaining that in a busy restaurant on a Saturday evening with some less-than-patient customers would have been nearly impossible. So, I wrote a note. I told them this was my last night, and I appreciated them coming in every week. I wished them the best and hoped to see them again. I didn’t tell them where I was going or what I was doing. I am not sure they were interested. I delivered the receipt with the note and left them. When I came back around, the older one mouthed a clear, “Thank you and good luck.” I felt a rush of emotion and misty eyes. His genuine expression of gratitude and goodwill to me was palpable. I could feel it. I will never forget it, even if it was only five words. It was heartfelt. He meant it, and I got it.
I hope the guys are doing well, wherever they are. Because of them, I will never forget the power of genuine human connection.
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UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF ANIMAL FOOTPRINTS Become a Nature Detective
Have you ever discovered a mysterious set of animal tracks? Reading those footprints can be your ticket to uncovering the hidden world of wildlife right under your nose. Whether you’re on a camping trip hoping to spot one of your favorite critters or simply curious about the pawprints you stumbled on at home, we’re here to show you how to become a nature detective. Prepare and Observe You’ll have the best luck spotting tracks or other signs of animal life in places where wildlife is known to frequent. Find watering holes or other areas where animals may feed or gather. Tracks need a suitable medium, like snow, mud, sand, or soft dirt, for them to show. Regardless
of where you’re heading, bring a field guide, a map of the area, hiking supplies, and tools for tracking, like a ruler, magnifying glass, and a camera. Count the Toes Your main clues to the owner of these natural calling cards are the number of toe and claw marks on the print. Canines, like wolves, and felines, like cougars, all have four toes, but you can see a significant difference between their claws. Cats have retractable claws, so their pawprints won’t always have claws. In contrast, birds have distinctive tracks with three long, skinny, forward-facing toes. Identify Your Prey When you have identified what animal family left the print behind,
you can begin to home in on its exact species. Use a small ruler to measure the size of the track to give you clues. A wolf, for example, has similar prints to a dog, but they are about 2 inches wider. Context is also a crucial factor when you’re tracking. Think about the animals that live in the area. Would there be any domesticated dogs in the woods where you are hiking? Document your tracks with photos and notes in a nature journal. If you’re still unsure, go online and look at various animal tracks. You may find what you’re looking for! So, next time you stumble upon animal tracks, get out your ruler and camera! Those prints could lead you on a great adventure!
Unseen Impact
head injuries; deceleration injuries that slam the brain against the inside of the skull; or a lack of oxygen from shock, chest trauma, stroke, or heart failure. The resulting TBIs can cause an overwhelming array of problems, including loss of consciousness, loss of memory, low energy, balance problems, headaches, personality changes, sleep loss, and long-term disability. Also, later in life, people with a history of even a single head injury show a higher likelihood of stroke, according to a recent peer-reviewed study at Penn State University. Other research has linked head injuries with a higher likelihood of late-onset epilepsy and dementia. A moderate brain injury is one that causes unconsciousness for 20 minutes to six hours, potentially leading to problems with concentration, memory, language processing, seizures, and chronic pain. Milder brain injuries from a concussion can still cause depression, fatigue, dizziness, chronic headaches, irritability, and memory loss. If you have experienced a vehicle crash that involves a potential head injury, or if you or a family member has experienced a concussion or TBI, be aware that these injuries are complex and potentially long-lasting. Many victims need a dedicated advocate. Our experienced attorneys are prepared to assess your traumatic injury case, explain your options, and help ensure you receive fair compensation for any injuries and suffering.
Traumatic Brain Injury Devastates Victims, Families
Barely a week passes these days without news about diagnosing and caring for patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), from pro football players to traffic accident victims. Brain injuries are jarring to victims and loved ones alike. Some TBIs are frighteningly obvious, such as serious damage sustained in a car crash, while others, such as concussions from playing sports, are harder to detect and are often missed. Both types of injuries can cause lasting problems. Motor vehicle crashes are among the most common causes of severe TBIs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A victim may experience open head damage; closed
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Why Some Baby Names Are Forbidden Naming No-Nos
I would like to start by apologizing to super fans of the 1995 crime drama “Se7en,” who thought they had their baby’s name all picked out. While it’s fine to include a number in a movie’s title, putting a number in a baby’s name is usually illegal. Depending on your state, some rules apply to the length, letters, and symbols that may be legally included in a name. Here are three specific restrictions some states impose for naming your child. Derogatory, Obscene, or Offensive Some of the most common naming rules are to prevent someone from giving their baby a particularly heinous name. A baby’s name cannot be offensive, obscene, or include derogatory terms. Additionally, some monikers, like “King,” “Queen,” and “Santa Claus,” might not seem offensive but are still considered illegal. Other
banned names include “Jesus Christ,” “Adolf Hitler,” “Messiah,” and “Nutella.”
Say No to Math If you have ever wondered why you’ve never met someone from Canton or Cleveland named R2-D2 or 90210, there is a legal reason for that. Some states, including Ohio, New Jersey, and Virginia, forbid using numbers in baby names. However, this is not true across the board. States like Illinois, California, and Florida have no specific rules against including numbers in names. New York, however, forbids using numbers and mandates the maximum length of all first names to be 30 characters long or less. Symbols and Non-English Letters In 2020, Elon Musk made waves when he and his girlfriend Grimes named their baby boy X Æ A-Xii. If you
are struggling to pronounce that name, you are not alone. However, depending on the baby’s birth state, that name may run afoul of the law. In New York, for instance, symbols like hyphens, asterisks, and apostrophes are not allowed. California law prohibits pictographs and non-English characters. These rules are often due to the software used to keep records of people’s names and are common across many states. If you must name your baby something numerical or inappropriate, I recommend moving to Kentucky. It is one of the few states with no significant rules regarding naming children.
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.
QUINOA VEGGIE BOWL Baked Tofu Nuggets
INGREDIENTS
• 1 block (14 oz) extra firm tofu, drained and pressed • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp dried oregano • Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Cut tofu into small nugget-size pieces. 3. In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to combine. 4. Add tofu nuggets to the bowl and toss to coat. 5. Arrange tofu nuggets on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. 6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
Practicing in Missouri and Illinois
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FINNEYINJURYLAW.COM // 314-293-4222
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
Honest Work and Genuine Gratitude
2
Your Guide to Wildlife Tracking Fun
2
A Lifeline for Brain Injury Victims Seeking Justice
3
Forbidden Baby Names
3
Baked Tofu Nuggets
4
A Famed Missouri Suffrage Leader’s Landmark Battle for Equality
CHAMPION OF CHANGE AN ACTIVIST’S FIGHT FOR VOTING RIGHTS SHAPED THE LEGAL LANDSCAPE FOR WOMEN
In the history of the women’s suffrage movement, Susan B. Anthony is often cast in the leading role. Although Anthony managed to vote in New York in the presidential election of 1872, she later captured headlines when she was indicted, tried, and fined $100 for voting illegally. (She never paid the fine.) In an ironic twist, a lawsuit filed by a Missouri woman who tried and failed to vote in the same election actually played a larger role in lighting the path forward for the suffrage movement. The case, Minor vs. Happersett , triggered a series of court rulings that effectively blocked efforts to win women’s suffrage through the courts. Nearly five decades later, advocates finally won that battle via the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The story began when St. Louis County resident Virginia Minor, a leader of the women’s suffrage movement in Missouri, was denied the right to vote in 1872. Minor and her husband, Francis Minor, an attorney, sued the registrar, Reese Happersett. They argued that the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868 to extend Bill of Rights protections to formerly enslaved people, established
voting rights for all citizens. The Missouri Supreme Court denied Minor’s claim, asserting that citizenship didn’t automatically convey the right to vote.
The Minors appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that women’s suffrage was consistent with the intent of the framers of the Constitution. The high court, however, ruled that the Constitution did not guarantee voting rights to anyone. Pointing out that some of the original 13 colonies had limited voting in a variety of ways, such as requiring that voters own land, the justices held that if the framers had intended all citizens to vote, they would have said so. Courts continued to cite Minor vs. Happersett until the 1960s, using it as a precedent justifying such measures as poll taxes and literacy tests for voters. In the 1960s, the Supreme Court finally broke that pattern by beginning to apply the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to voting rights — further lowering longstanding voting barriers for all citizens.
Practicing in Missouri and Illinois
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