LIVING IT UP MAKING THE RETIREMENT BUCKET LIST OF YOUR DREAMS
SUCCESS! WE CLOSED A $5 MILLION BRAIN INJURY CASE Almost five years ago, a middle-aged man named Todd* was walking through downtown Charlottesville. When he reached East Market Street, he strolled into the crosswalk and — BOOM! Todd’s skull exploded with pain. Something launched him into the air, and he crash-landed in a broken heap on the asphalt. When Todd gathered his wits, he was 30 feet from the crosswalk — and face to face with the city of Charlottesville car that had just hit him. A police officer was already on the scene, ticketing the city official behind the wheel for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a clearly marked crosswalk. Amazingly, Todd shook off the pain and stood up. He told the EMTs that he didn’t need to go to the hospital. After all, he’d just beaten cancer — how bad could this car accident be? It wasn’t long before Todd’s symptoms caught up with him, and he landed in the emergency room. In the days that followed, doctors diagnosed him with a concussion, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), secondary post-traumatic hydrocephalus, and a severe growth hormone deficiency, all caused by the head injury from the accident. Todd needed brain surgery, and to pay for his medical bills, he turned to The Mottley Law Firm for help. Crunching the numbers, our team calculated that between his past medical expenses, future care needs, and missed work in the banking and financial services industries, Todd needed at least $2.7 million in Some retire with all sorts of plans in mind, ready to do everything they never had the chance to do. Others worry about how they’ll fill the days without a daily job. If you’re not making the most of your golden years, it may be time to create a retirement bucket list. Start by thinking about what you value most. When are you happiest? What have you always wanted to try? What would you do if you could do anything in the world? Not every idea on this list will be realistic; you probably won’t win a gold medal at the Olympics or walk on the moon. But you might be able to run a marathon or visit a NASA space center. These questions will help you understand your priorities and how you’d like the rest of your life to look. It also helps to start small. Creating a 50-line list can leave you too overwhelmed to accomplish anything. And while it’s okay to include the trip to Rome you’ve always dreamed of, remember that many ideas are less expensive and closer to home. For example, maybe you’ve always wanted to take a cooking class or a Zumba lesson. Perhaps there’s a historical building in your town you’ve never taken the time to visit. Or you might aspire to something as simple as getting up early and watching the sunrise. Whatever you include, you should be excited about every item on your list. Simply going through the motions won’t help you find fulfillment. It might be cool to say you’ve visited all 50 states — but do you want to spend that
much time traveling? You should consider whether an idea is interesting and whether you are willing to commit to accomplishing it. It’s also okay if your priorities change. You don’t have to cross an item off your list just because you wrote it down two years ago. Your retirement bucket list should be about fun and fulfillment, not an obligation. Give yourself permission to abandon the ideas that start to seem like chores. Creating a retirement bucket list is an opportunity to find meaning in your 60s and beyond. None of us wants to reach the end of our lives with regrets. So, take the time now to focus on what you value most.
compensation. There was only one problem: The city refused to admit liability and pay up! Fortunately, we’re a stubborn group of lawyers. We kept pushing, and after mediation with Michael E. Harman, Esq. of The McCammon Group, we finally settled the case. Todd and his family walked away with $5 million — enough money to cover his health problems for years to come. We were almost as thrilled as he was. If you have a friend, client, or family member who has suffered a traumatic brain injury, send them to our team for help. We’ll use our expertise to get them the best possible result — just like we did for Todd.
–Kevin Mottley
*This name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy.
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