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Justice MONTHLY
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JUNE 2018
THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR MEMOR I E S FROM SUMMER BRE AK
E very summer, when the temperatures begin to climb above 100 degrees and the entire state of Georgia starts to sweat, I find myself reminiscing about those endless summer days from back when I was a kid. In those days, summer meant summer break: three months spent in utter freedom without a single care in the world. It’s funny, the instant you become a working adult, you realize just how much you took those three months off for granted — it’s definitely something that’ll be hard to pull off ever again for most of us. After the last school bell of the year rang, the first thing my pals and I did was jump on our bikes and ride. Honestly, the way I remember it, we were pretty much constantly on our bikes until September came around and we had to file back into the classroom. From dusk ‘til dawn, we were zooming around town at top speed, searching for a new source of trouble to get into. A lot of times, we’d find a pond or a friend’s pool or a lake to jump in, a thrilling escape from the oppressive heat. It’s weird when you look around these days and rarely see any kids speeding around town on their bikes — I guess they’re inside playing video games for way longer than we ever used to. If my friends and I weren’t swimming or riding, we were duking it out in one sport or another. Looking back, it seems like I was steeped in baseball, basketball, or football nearly every day, quenching my competitive spirit. It’s crazy to think how much energy we kids had in the midst of the brutal humidity, brushing off temperatures that would give any adult heat stroke in pursuit of a home run or touchdown. Then there were the family trips. If we had any place you could call a regular spot, it was the “Redneck Riviera” of the Emerald Coast, up in Northern Florida. We’d spend most of the time just lounging around on the beach or battling the waves, but
The Underwoods Go Cruisin’
every once in a while, my dad would take us out trolling for Spanish mackerel. I’ll never forget the enormous amberjack my dad reeled in one day. Though it was small for its species, it put up more of a fight than I’ve ever seen a fish muster. As I got older, my golf cart took the place of my trusty bicycle, along with my prized dirt bike. Even as I began to age out of some of the little kid activities that are part and parcel of summer, it was still the best time of the year. Whether I was goofing around on the coast, gunning my bike off a makeshift dirt ramp, or traveling around the country with my folks, I never got tired of that brief break from responsibility. It’s difficult to imagine what I’d do with three straight months of nothing these days. -William F. “Trey” Underwood, III
Published by The Newsletter Pro . www.TheNewsletterPro.com
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IS MOVIE PASS RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY? PARENTS WATCH FREE
ARE YOU A MOVIE FAMILY? Do you go to the movies often as a family? Or do you and your spouse need more date-night options? With the $9.95 monthly subscription fee, as long as the pass holder in your family sees more than one movie a month, you are saving money. This can be a great encouragement to see more films, whether as a family or individually. IS 3D A MUST? The one catch of Movie Pass is that it will only get you into standard 2D movies. If you and the family want the 3D experience, you’ll have to pay for it separately. If enough theaters in your area participate, your family enjoys going to the movies, and you’re not set on seeing 3D movies, Movie Pass can be a great investment. But if the answer is no to any of these questions, you’re probably better off just buying tickets at the box office.
Superheroes, robots, and dinosaurs, oh my! The 2018 blockbuster season is in full swing, and chances are your kids don’t want to miss out on the action. But these days, going to the movies costs an arm and a leg — and that’s before you buy the popcorn. One service is looking to change this. If you’ve watched the news at all in the last year, chances are you’ve heard the buzz about Movie Pass. It’s a subscription service in which one user pays $9.95 a month in exchange for four free movie tickets each month at participating theaters. While initially envisioned for college students and film aficionados, could Movie Pass be right for your family? WHERE DO YOU LIVE? The first thing you should do when considering whether to sign up for the pass is research which theaters in your area take the pass and which don’t. If you have to make a long drive just to get to a participating theater, it’s probably not worth subscribing.
THE 5 MAIN WAYS YOU CAN INVALIDATE YOUR CLAIM What NOT to Do
The Georgia Workers’ Compensation system is designed to help injured workers out in their darkest hour — to help them get back on their feet, recover from their injury, and return to their normal lives without undue financial burden. That said, it’s a complicated entity, run by people as fallible as anyone else, and littered with potential pitfalls for the uninformed or unwary.
Also, make sure that any doctor you do see is on your employer’s list of authorized physicians. Any provider outside that list is ineligible to treat workers’ compensation injuries. Ignoring the doctor’s orders. Insurance adjusters, seeking to undermine the real value of your claim, may snoop around your Facebook or even hire a private investigator to check if you’re doing anything you shouldn’t be with your particular injury. Follow your doctor’s orders to a T and you’ll have nothing to worry about. Putting off filing your workers’ compensation claim, or messing it upwhen you file. In Georgia, you have one year to complete Form WC-14 and file your claim with the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. After that you’re likely out of luck. What’s more, if you “massage the facts” and provide inaccurate or misleading information, it’ll probably get thrown out. Not consultingwith a lawyer. Not every workers’ compensation case warrants hiring a lawyer, but many do, and it’s always a good idea to seek their advice to determine which category you fall into. Give the experts at the LawOffice of WilliamF. Underwood a call at 229-888-0888 to schedule your consultation, and give your claim the best chance of success.
Here are five of the main mistakes we see workers make during the claims process and how to avoid them.
Neglecting to report your injuries. After getting hurt on the job, it’s vital that you formally report all your injuries in writing to your employer as soon as possible. Georgia law stipulates that if you wait more than a month, you’re likely to lose out on any benefits you might have otherwise received. Not seekingmedical attention at your earliest opportunity. If you report an injury but put off seeking treatment until you have time or the problem gets worse, it can appear that your injury isn’t serious and doesn’t warrant any compensation. Don’t “tough it out” — get help as soon as you can, and report all your injuries to any medical providers that treat you.
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THE WINDMILL WOMAN AND THE VICIOUS GOOSE This Month’s Wild Workers’ Comp Claims
Each month in the Justice Monthly, we cover a few of the strangest workers’ compensation claims from history. This month, we’ve got dangerous geese, flailing arms, and steep (though undoubtedly reasonable) payouts for both. GOOSE GANG ROUGHS UP ILLINOIS EMPLOYEE Nolan Lett was on his way into the office when he was suddenly confronted with a pair of feathery bouncers blocking the door: two Canada geese. In the interest of avoiding a “fowl” confrontation, he went around to another entrance, only to come face-to-face with an even more menacing goose standing between him and the door. Out of options, Lett decided to grit his teeth and sidle around, giving the honking hazard a wide berth.
[his] face.” Though Lett avoided getting pecked to death, when he bolted off, he suddenly tripped and fell down hard, breaking his wrist in the process. Since he was injured performing normal job duties and his employer hadn’t warned his team about the gangs of geese roaming the property, he was awarded almost $18,000 in workers’ compensation for his injuries. WILD WINDMILL WOMAN WRENCHES WRIST As they say, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. When Ohio employee Amy Sanders was on her way to the fax machine, she testified that her co-worker, Ryan Fridd, jumped out in an effort to scare her, pushing her down with both arms. Now, this probably sounds like a heinous assault — until you consider that horseplay was apparently a regular thing around the office. Fridd testified that Sanders had been engaged in horseplay with another co-worker just before he jumped out at her, swinging her arms “like a windmill” — as apparently she was prone to do often. She was awarded workers’ compensation benefits, but soon afterwards, she sued Fridd for damages. The jury upheld Fridd’s side of the story, deciding that damages were a bridge too far — though this writer wonders if she’s still somewhere out there, windmilling her arms around another office hallway.
Despite his efforts, in a scene straight out of “The Birds,” the beast hissed and lunged. “It started
acting crazy,” Lett told the Chicago Sun-Times. The
bird then “flew at
Have a Laugh!
Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings
This Father’s Day, spice up your wings with this zesty recipe that’s sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients •
4 pounds chicken wings 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• • • •
1/4 cup soy sauce
•
1 lime, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
•
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Chopped cilantro for garnish
•
1/4 cup honey
•
Directions 1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown.
3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro. Inspired by foodnetwork.com
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1918 DAWSON RD. ALBANY, GA 31707
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inside Trey Underwood’s Memories From Summer Break PAGE 1 Invest in Movie Nights PAGE 2 5 Ways to Mess Up Your Workers’ Comp Claim PAGE 2 Weird Workers’ Comp: Windmill Woman and the Vicious Goose PAGE 3 Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings PAGE 3 RV vs. Tent Camping PAGE 4
RV vs . Tent WH I CH I S B E T T E R F OR Y OU R C A MP I NG T R I P ?
Are you Team RV or Team Tent? Die-hard tent campers swear you’re not “roughing it” unless you sleep on the ground with nothing but canvas and the stars above you. On the other hand, RV lovers will point out that there’s nothing heroic about freezing to death at night (or going to the woods without a TV). Neither camping method is better than the other, but each has its pros and cons. Tent camping is generally the less expensive option; two-person tents start at $40. The price of an RV can range up to $50,000 or more. Site fees for tents are also cheaper (or free) because they’re smaller and don’t require electricity or septic tank services. You just need a flat spot for your gear. A folded tent will fit into nearly any vehicle, and you can stow it in a closet when you get home. An RV will require dedicated parking space between trips. When it comes to comfort, RVs have it made. Air mattresses or foam sleeping mats are never going to be as comfortable as a real bed. RVs are also able to provide electricity, which gives you air conditioning, a stove, and a hot shower. And let’s not forget about private flushable toilets.
An RV is also a must when camping in bear country. Some areas require campers to use hard-sided shelters for safety reasons.
For many people, camping promises an escape from the business of modern life. If you really want to get away from it all and immerse yourself in nature, there’s no substitute for tent camping. An RV is like a miniature portable house. You can bring the comfort of your home with you, but you might not feel as close to nature. It all boils down to preference. You may be someone who enjoys being surrounded by nature in a tent, or you may prefer to have a toilet that flushes. Whichever camping experience you choose, remember to enjoy yourself and relax!
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