Check out the latest edition of our newsletter!
NOVEMBER 2023
4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A, Dallas, TX 75209 | 1900 W. Illinois Avenue, Suite 101, Midland, TX 79701 www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216 HOT-BUTTON ISSUES
FROM NEW BABIES TO NEW HIRES, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!
Russell and Ashley Share This Year’s Wins
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, partly because I love looking back over my year and picking out all the things I’m grateful for. This year, there were an amazing number of highlights! I’ve had dozens of wonderful “mini vacation” weekends with my fiancée, Sammy (she really is the best part of me); held my new baby niece, Adalyn, for the first time; and rediscovered my childhood obsession with fishing after the team bought me a Bass Pro Shop gift card. As a kid, I had a rule about fishing: I went every day, rain or shine. I’ve found that spark again this year and fish 2–3 times each week. Once, I even caught a 4.68-pound largemouth bass on a trip with my dad! Sharing that moment with him was really special. On the professional front, I’m thankful for our awesome BLF team of leaders and thinkers. After Ashley and I shared our vision for the firm, they got moving to make it happen! We hired three new people, evolved the roles of three more, and moved major projects forward despite setbacks and obstacles. We also resolved several big cases after years of hard work, including two particularly heart- wrenching wrongful death cases. I’m grateful Ashley has been by my side through it all because I can’t imagine building this firm with anyone else. Finally, I couldn’t be more thankful for you — our referral lawyers, clients, vendors, and experts. Running BLF is truly a collective effort on all fronts. We are building something truly special here, and you’re the ones who make it possible. I appreciate it more than you know!
Can you believe it’s almost the end of 2023? This has been a big year for me, so I’ll have a tough time choosing what to say around our Thanksgiving table. Right now, my growing family is at the top of the list. Serina, my youngest sister, is having a baby! I can’t wait to spoil my new nephew, Noah. Next up is the big move I made this year: I relocated from Houston to Dallas in February, which fulfilled a longtime dream for me. I’m happy to live closer to the BLF main office and see Russell and the team more often! Speaking of BLF, I have to mention diving into my sixth year with the firm. I’m grateful for all the growth we’ve had over the years. It has been a truly rewarding experience to help Russell build the firm from a tiny family of three to a thriving team of 12, and I’m looking forward to pushing even further ahead in 2024.
Russell with his family at a Rangers game.
The BLF Team joining together for a quarterly vivid vision meeting!
Happy holidays!
–Ashley Washington
–Russell Button
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Ashley and Russell at the Dallas Mavericks game.
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THE SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL TRUCK ACCIDENT CLAIM CRUCIAL STEPS FOR SECURING JUSTICE
If you’ve been injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler or another commercial vehicle, there is one critical step you can take to increase your odds of securing justice: Call your lawyer immediately. Putting off that call for even a few days can drastically change your results. That might sound dramatic, but we’ve seen both options play out in our truck accident cases. While we do our best to achieve justice for every client who reaches out to us, the people who call quickly typically get the best results. Here are two reasons why: 1. It’s easier to gather evidence and find the people involved in your accident if it just happened. If you wait too long to call your lawyer, paperwork could get lost, weather could reshape the crash site, or the driver who hit you could disappear to hide that they’re untrained, unlicensed, or didn’t pass a background check. We recently closed a case involving a trucker driving a large Mack truck without a license. He ran a red light and hit another vehicle, killing the woman inside. Instead of stopping and attempting to help the woman he hurt, the truck driver instead tried to flee the scene of the crash.
This was a tragic, heartbreaking, and avoidable situation. The family was able to get some closure after The Button Law Firm got more information and held the driver and the company he worked for responsible. 2. Truck accident cases are complicated, so the more time we have to investigate, the better. The sooner you call your lawyer, the sooner they can investigate what happened on the road. Truck crashes involve a lot of evidence, including the truck’s black box, the driver’s hours-of-service logs, and the truck inspection and repair records. Things get even more complicated if the driver’s employer tries to withhold evidence. Above all, the statute of limitations can also stop you from pursuing a case if you let too much time pass you by. We hope you never need this information — but in case you or a loved one is ever in an accident involving a truck, you’ll have the tools to help hold the driver and company accountable. Calling your lawyer quickly (or designating someone to make the call if you’re badly injured) could make or break your case. At The Button Law Firm, we want to help you find the justice your deserve after experiencing a damaging truck accident. If you or someone you know needs our support, call 214-699-4409 .
AN EXCITING NEW ADDITION TO OUR TEAM How Lilia Thrives at The Button Law Firm
We’re excited to welcome Lilia, our new case manager! Before joining our team, Lilia spent over two years as a paralegal at an immigration firm. Although she loved her work there, a shift in circumstances led her on a different path, which brought her to The Button Law Firm. Before she worked in law, Lilia was an expert in administrative work. Yet, she wanted to make a difference and be part of a team that worked directly with people to help them move forward. While she didn’t know too much about personal injury law beforehand, it was clear she was a great fit for our team during her interview. As a mother of two, Lilia was astounded by how prominent daycare abuse and neglect were in everyday life. From the moment our team met Lilia, we knew she was a kind, empathetic person who could help our client through difficult times. When discussing her work with our clients, Lilia said, “If I see someone cry, I will definitely cry, too!” It’s this compassion that drives her to do her best and comfort clients who have gone through the unimaginable as parents. As a team, we know just how important it is to show kindness and empathy when discussing daycare injury cases — and Lilia’s kind- heartedness is such a great addition to the team. Recently, Lilia
revealed that she was a bit nervous about joining our firm! Like most people, attorneys can seem intimidating. Yet, when she arrived, Lilia soon saw we were just as compassionate as her. Our team genuinely cares about our clients. It’s what we do! Outside the office, she’s running nonstop, whether running errands or hiking a trail. With a 3-year-old and 6-month-old, Lilia is as busy as it gets! Despite her chaotic schedule, she always makes time to
stay active. Lilia isn’t afraid to say that getting herself up and running also helps her toddler burn out some energy, too! When she gets some downtime, she loves all things scary, be it horror movies, haunted houses, or creepy podcasts. So, if you ever need any spooky recommendations, come to Lilia! We can’t wait to see what Lilia accomplishes here at The Button Law Firm in the future. Welcome to the team!
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A BUS DRIVER ABANDONED THIS CHILD! HOW WE HELPED THE FAMILY SECURE JUSTICE
Did you know that every year, hundreds of children are injured by “external causes” like heat and cold at Texas daycares? This typically happens when the staff forgets a child somewhere — on a bus, on the daycare’s playground, or even in their school parking lot. Our team recently represented a sweet little boy named Jamie*. Jamie attended daycare before school, and one January morning, his daycare bus driver dropped him off earlier than planned. When the bus pulled away at 7:22 a.m., the driver left Jamie standing in an empty parking lot. He tried to open the door to his school, hoping to shelter inside — but it was locked. Jamie panicked. Sitting in the parking lot, he felt lonely, afraid, and abandoned. Would the bus driver come back? Was his school even opening that day? Would he be alone in the parking lot forever? These fears plagued him until teachers finally arrived to open the school at 7:35 a.m. Thirteen minutes doesn’t seem like a long time to an adult, but it’s an eternity for a small child. Worse, the daycare lied to Jamie’s mother about what happened to protect their negligent,
untrained bus driver. They told her that the bus driver released Jamie to a teacher when video footage showed him wandering the parking lot alone in the winter cold. This footage likely wouldn’t have been discovered if Jamie’s mother never reached out to our team to investigate. With the evidence we acquired, it was clear that the daycare had lied, and Jamie was left in the cold by himself. Jamie’s mother also explained that after the incident, Jamie refused to listen and threw constant tantrums — two clear signs of separation anxiety and abandonment issues. When we dug into the daycare’s history, we found a long list of citations from the state of Texas for improper training, inappropriate punishment, and more. So, we sprung into action to hold them accountable. We laid out the facts of Jamie’s case to the daycare’s insurance company and showed them that there was obvious neglect. This helped us secure recovery for Jaime so he could move forward past this trauma. We’re so grateful we could make it happen.
*The name has been changed to protect our client’s privacy.
THE ‘FLAVOR OF LAW’ COOKBOOK IS BACK!
CLIENT REVIEW
“A few years ago, I reached out to Russell and his team for guidance on a playground injury case for a very close friend’s child. I needed to talk to someone with superior knowledge in this area because I wanted the best result for my friend. I got exactly what I needed from The Button Law Firm. Russell and his team had the experience, know-how, and compassion my friend’s child needed. Since then, our firms have worked together, and it has been a joy to work with Sarah, Elizabeth, Eurika, and Russell. It is an honor and privilege to work with Russell and his team.”
This year’s edition of our holiday cookbook features a brand-new collection of delicious recipes
from our team, just in time for Thanksgiving! Keep an eye on your inbox
and mailbox for your copy. If you don’t get one before Turkey Day, contact our team to learn more about getting your copy!
–Andy J.
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4315 W. Lovers Lane, Suite A Dallas, Texas 75209
www.buttonlawfirm.com | 214-888-2216
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Thanksgiving Notes From Russell and Ashley Important Steps to Take After a Truck Wreck A Warm Welcome to Lilia, Our New Case Manager How BLF Helped a Child After He Was Abandoned by His Daycare The ‘Flavor of Law’ Cookbook Is Back! Client Review Meet Shane: Veteran, Family Man, and Passionate Jiujitsu Instructor
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SHANE’S JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE AND DEDICATION How He’s Transforming Lives Through Jiujitsu
Meet Shane Hannaford — Marine veteran, cybersecurity expert, jiujitsu trainer, and father of four — who has no shortage of stories to tell! Rena and Shane both have had kids on the same sports team, playing baseball, basketball, and a whole host of other sports together for
his first three children, he decided it was time to come home for good when his wife was pregnant with their fourth child. While he now works full time in cybersecurity, he has a full-time passion: jiujitsu! When he was on
confidence of adults and children after practicing jiujitsu. The transformation is so incredible that Shane even offers free private lessons at his home for anyone who wants to give it a try! After a stressful day, jiujitsu allows you to hit the mats and keep your mind focused entirely on the match. Shane describes it like four-dimensional chess. Your mind is just too busy thinking for you to dwell on worries. Like in life, when someone (or something) overpowers you, there’s always a solution to overcome it. Shane welcomes anyone wanting to try jiujitsu at his gym to give it a go for a week with zero obligations. He’s more than happy to offer a private introduction if you’d like. You can reach Alliance Jiu Jitsu Allen at 469-675-3229 and Shane himself at 918-710-7983 . He hopes to see you soon!
over a year. Not only is the team close-knit, but the parents have their own group chat!
active duty, Shane was a Marine Corps martial arts program instructor. Now, he keeps the passion alive by sharing it with his community. Shane teaches one adult class a week and as many kid classes as he can! Despite his busy schedule, he’s spending 4–6 days a week either teaching jiujitsu or training himself. It’s clear to anyone who speaks to Shane that he loves the martial art and how it can change lives. He’s shared that he can tell a rapid difference in the
Knowing Shane, his story clearly needed to be shared in our newsletter. He joined the Marines in January 2001 and was deployed to 27 different countries. Yet, his stop in Iraq left him severely injured, and he was sent home to re-learn how to walk. It wasn’t until 2005 that he left the Marine Corps. However, he returned to Iraq for a few more years as a private security contractor. After missing the births of
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