Champion Firm, P.C. September 2019

Champion Firm, P.C. September 2019

2675 PACES FERRY ROAD SE, SUITE 260 ATLANTA, GA 30339

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys hampion Firm, P.C.

WWW.THECHAMPIONFIRM.COM 404-596-8044

SEPTEMBER 2019

TOUCHDOWN, STEELERS!

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

There are a lot of reasons people love the fall: The weather gets cooler, the kids are back in school, and there’s pumpkin spice in everything again. That’s all great, but for me, the biggest reason to look forward to the return of fall is the start of football season.

When I go to a Steelers game and see those familiar colors on the field, it makes me feel like home. Watching the game is my happy place. Pittsburgh was the team my dad pulled for, so from an early age, I knew that was the team I was going to pull for. That’s the awesome thing about sports. I’ve never lived in Pittsburgh and I’ve never played a real game of football, but watching those games brings me back to the games I watched with my dad. We’d cheer and shout at the TV together. When our team won, we’d celebrate like we’d just scored the winning touchdown ourselves, and when the Steelers lost, the whole house was in a terrible mood. But win or lose, the Steelers were our team, and I’d be in front of the TV with my dad again the next week. My kids aren’t old enough to play sports themselves — my son is barely a year old and my daughter is more likely to play soccer than American football — but I’m already teaching them to love football. We got season tickets to see the Falcons play this year, so that will be a lot of fun. And I have plans to be home in time for the kick-off to watch the Steelers-Patriots game at the start of the season.

I am a big football guy; it’s been my favorite sport since I was a kid. I grew up in North Carolina, and for most of my childhood, my dad would get season tickets to watch the University of North Carolina play. I was 3 years old, sitting in the stadium seats and cheering for the Tar Heels with my family. When I got a little older, I played flag football for a few years, but that’s where my career as a player ended. In middle school and high school, I played in a recreational basketball league, and at that point, it was clear that when it came to football, my best position was as a spectator. Although I grew up in North Carolina, I’ve been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan all my life. My dad is from Pennsylvania, so cheering for the Steelers runs in the family. When I was really young, I would wear a plastic Steelers helmet and a little kid’s jersey and run around the back yard, pretending I was playing for the team. This love for the Steelers persists to this day. I root for the Falcons because Atlanta is my home now, but I’m not afraid to don black and gold on game day. “WHEN I GO TO A STEELERS GAME AND SEE THOSE FAMILIAR COLORS ON THE FIELD, IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE HOME.”

I can promise you this: My kids are going to be Steelers fans if I have anything to say about it. –Darl Champion

P.S. Go Steelers!

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How Does the App Work? What Do the Experts Say About It?

BARK LETS PARENTS SEE POTENTIAL ONLINE THREATS TO THEIR KIDS

Our advanced technological age, with its plethora of online platforms to connect people all over the world, is riddled with obvious benefits as well as unfortunate side effects. Nearly 60% of children ages 8–12 have a smartphone, so cyberbullies and online predators pose a legitimate threat. Parents now wonder what they can do to preserve their child’s safety without completely invading their privacy, and many have turned to Bark for help. According to Bark’s website, the app was created in collaboration with child psychologists, youth advisors, digital media experts, and law enforcement professionals to deliver a research-backed way of safeguarding families using technology. Once purchased, the app connects to 24

platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc.) to monitor text messages, emails, and social activity for signs of harmful content and interactions. When Bark’s algorithms detect potential risks, it alerts parents via email and text and sends them snippets of flagged content paired with recommendations from child psychologists on how to talk to their kids about it. Since its launch in 2016, Bark has scanned more than a billion messages from 2 million children and claims to have helped prevent dozens of potential suicides, school shootings, and bomb threats through its detection of problematic language. While the app’s claims are certainly advantageous, many parents wonder if they are infringing on their child’s privacy. According to Jasmina Byrne, a child protection specialist at UNICEF, the privacy concerns get exponentially worse if parents don’t inform their kids about the app. Other experts claim parents should let their child know they are using the tracking app, but, as a result, the children might feel forced to express themselves differently, which poses a threat to their online freedom. While there has yet to be 100% consensus among child psychology experts regarding parental smartphone-monitoring software, all seem to agree that if a parent deploys these types of apps, the experience can lead to better family communication if they let their kids know about it, and Bark might be the safest and least invasive option on the market thus far. After an accident, it’s important that all drivers remain at the scene until the police arrive to take their statements. The driver who caused the crash could be charged with criminal hit-and-run charges if they leave the accident scene before the police arrive. Even if the law doesn’t require you to call the police after a car accident, we still recommend doing so. Police reports can be a crucial part of filing a claim with your insurance company to cover the damages. This is why you should call the police even after minor accidents, like low-speed fender benders. An official report can help you get an adequate estimate on the dollar amount of the damage done to your vehicle. Furthermore, while it might appear that there are no injuries at the time of the accident, many injuries, such as whiplash, aren’t immediately apparent. Having a police report can help you prove your injuries were caused by the accident and not some other incident. This gives you a better chance of having your medical bills paid for by the insurance company. If you are in a car accident, first call 911 and make sure all parties involved stay until the police arrive. Then call 404- 596-8044 to speak with an experienced car accident attorney. Learn what you need to do to get compensation for your injuries and damages after an accident. How Leaving the Scene of an Accident Can Ruin Your Case

It happens in a blink of an eye: One moment, you are driving to work, and the next, you lose control after being hit by a guy who ran a stop sign. Thankfully, nobody was badly hurt, and your vehicle is still driveable. You quickly exchange insurance information with the other driver. “I really need to go,” the other driver says suddenly. “You have all my contact info and my insurance. It’s just a fender bender, so we don’t have to get the police involved. Is it okay if I leave?” It’s a reasonable request. If there are no major injuries and both vehicles can still drive safely, why take more time out of your day waiting for the police? But before you do the “nice thing” and let the other driver go, you should be aware of what happens if you don’t call the police. According to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, if you are physically able, you are required to notify the authorities after a car accident if the crash involved at least one of the following situations. WHEN TO CALL 911

• • •

Personal injuries

Death

Property damage that exceeds $500

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The Proud History of Labor Day

Despite being one of the United States’ longest standing national holidays, Labor Day is viewed today as little more than another three-day weekend. However, this federal holiday is about more than road trips and barbecues. In 1882, a machinist named Matthew Maguire proposed a national Labor Day holiday after witnessing a successful public demonstration organized by New York City’s Central Labor Union. But the idea of a federal holiday recognizing workers wouldn’t gain traction for another decade, after one of the most violent strike breakups in United States history.

to meet with organizers or even acknowledge the strike until the ARU organized a boycott of all trains that included Pullman cars. Soon, the workers and Pullman community members stopped the trains from running, including trains carrying U.S. mail. At this point, President Grover Cleveland sent in soldiers to break up the strike. The violence that erupted with the soldiers was devastating. Thirty people lost their lives and around $80 million in damages was caused throughout the town. President Cleveland’s pro- labor constituents were furious at how poorly the president handled the incident, which became known as the Pullman Strike. In an effort to quell tension and reclaim labor support, President Cleveland and Congress declared Labor Day a federal holiday just six days after the Pullman Strike ended. For 125 years, Labor Day has served to celebrate the hardworking men and women who helped the United States become one of the most prosperous nations on the planet. At The Champion Firm, we are proud to represent blue-collar workers. While we don’t handle workers’ comp cases, we have had the privilege of helping working-class citizens faced with other legal hardships. It’s regular people who make our country what it is, and we are proud to fight for them every day.

Back when rail travel was all the rage, workers for luxury train car manufacturer, the Pullman Company, lived in a company-

owned town. The town operated smoothly until the economic depression of the 1890s. Eager to cut costs, company owner George Pullman slashed worker wages by almost 30% but refused to lower the rent on the company- owned buildings. Thousands of workers who lived in town struggled to pay rent and take care of their families. On May 11, 1894, the workers began to strike, eventually gaining the support from the American Railway Union (ARU). Pullman refused

THE CHAMPION POP QUIZ

CLASSIC APPLE CRISP

Congratulations to our July pop quiz champion, William C. , who won tickets to a Braves baseball game. This month, we’re showing our support for the Atlanta Falcons with two tickets to the Falcons home game on Sunday, Sept. 29. Do you want to cheer the Falcons on in person? Answer this question for your chance to win: What year did the Atlanta Falcons join the NFL? Email your answer to tamsie@ thechampionfirm.com for a chance to win. Submissions must be received by Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, to qualify.

Ingredients

Filling: • 5 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped • 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Topping: • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 6 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces • 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. In a mixing bowl, mix all filling ingredients together. Transfer to individual serving ramekins. 3. In a different mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the topping. Mix in

butter until it forms lumps roughly the size of a pea, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over filling. 4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, let stand for 10 minutes, and serve.

Inspired by Food Network

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Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys hampion Firm, P.C.

2675 PACES FERRY ROAD SE, SUITE 260 ATLANTA, GA 30339

WWW.THECHAMPIONFIRM.COM 404-596-8044

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Touchdown, Steelers! 1

2 2 3 3 4

Do You Know Who Your Kid Is Talking to Online?

Do I Have to Call the Police After a Car Accident?

Celebrating Our Workers

Classic Apple Crisp

The Vibrant Colors of America’s National Parks

TITLE WILL GO HERE THE BEST NATIONAL PARKS TO VISIT THIS FALL

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina Further south, the autumn colors of the Smoky Mountains are no less breathtaking than those in the Northeast. This park offers many scenic lookout points accessible by car, so don’t worry about hoofing it into the forest if that’s not your thing. Park wherever you like and watch the warm colors of ancient maples, oaks, and cedars change before your eyes. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming While the West might typically be associated with evergreen pines, the deciduous trees of the relatively small Grand Teton National Park pack a colorful punch starting around the third week of September. It’s also breeding season for elk in the area, and their high, eerie whistles can be heard in the evenings. Popular destinations in the park include the Christian Pond Loop and String Lake. Just because the weather is cooling down doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favorite national parks until next summer. The natural beauty of America can be experienced at any time of the year, so start planning your next autumn outdoor excursion!

Have you ever wanted to experience the colors of a Boston fall while enjoying the peace and tranquility of the great outdoors? Autumn leaves are a universally

appreciated sign of the changing seasons, and there’s no better place to see those vibrant yellows, oranges,

and reds on display than in one of America’s national parks. So, if you’ve got some free time this autumn, here are some parks worth seeing. Acadia National Park, Maine While the maple, birch, and poplar trees of Acadia begin to change color in September, mid-October is the best time to witness autumn in full swing. The park is crisscrossed with unpaved trails that date back to a time of horse-drawn carriages, preserving an idyllic setting. If you want to see the colors in full effect, take a drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard, and watch the sun crest over the vibrant leaves. To fully experience fall in the Northeastern U.S., Acadia National Park is a must-see.

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