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AUGUST 2019
MIDLIFE CERTAINTY 3 Life Lessons After 40 Years
fulfilled because I’m focusing on what really matters to me. This isn’t to say I’m always a barrel of sunshine or that I don’t sometimes focus on the right thing, but I try to remember that I have control over what I want to focus on. No. 3: A Beautiful Life Is Made Up of a Million Small Moments In life, it’s easy to get frustrated waiting for big moments and focusing on the brass rings. We can fall into the habit of measuring our life based on the major achievements. But it’s those small moments where true joy resides. Big vacations and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are wonderful, but they’re rare and fleeting. The real beauty is in the everyday moments we take for granted until they’re gone. Getting to sit at the table in the mornings to have breakfast with my wife and two kids is the most awesome part of my day. If you spend all your life working toward bigger and better goals, you miss out on those little beautiful moments. These are the lessons I’ve learned after years of mistakes and chasing the wrong things. Following these lessons helped me feel certain in myself and confident about my life as I turned 40 years old. They also make me a better lawyer.
I celebrated my 40th birthday at the end of July. As the big day approached, I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong. I hadn’t started freaking out and having a midlife crisis yet! Isn’t that what you do when you turn 40? At this stage of my life, I find myself in a different head space than I would have expected. Rather than feeling panicked by the passing of time, I felt pretty good about it. I attribute this feeling to three important lessons I’ve learned in the last 40 years. No. 1: Focus on Family My family brings me the most riches in my life, the most joy. I talk about my family a lot in the newsletter because they are truly the centerpieces of my life. Focusing on them is what helps me stay grounded when things get chaotic. Being a father and a husband has also helped me with the incredible work we get to do at the firm. It has shown me what it really means to love something. Having a family reminds me to look
After breaking up a toy-snatching fight and banging my knee, Nicole asked me, “Do you feel 40?” I said “No, I don’t! I feel 80!”
at my clients’ suffering as if it were my own. The people who come into the office looking for help have been through so much. Being able to relate to their pain is an important step in being able to really fight for them. No. 2: You Have Control Over What You Focus on in Life There have been times in my life when something bad happens, and suddenly, that’s all I can focus on. Soon enough, everything seems terrible. This happens to everyone, and I’ve learned that while we can’t control what happens to us, we can choose what we focus on. I’m not suggesting we ignore the bad things. Rather, we should try to focus on the good things we can control.
Over time, many lawyers forget how to think like humans and start acting like automatons. They get so swept up in their work that they lose touch with themselves. I think this is a huge disservice to themselves and their clients. Staying connected to humanity and remembering what makes life wonderful helps me understand my clients on a deeper level. In turn, I’m able to tell their stories in a way that resonates with jurors and gets justice for my clients.
These lessons are at the core of who we are as a firm, and they’re the reasons we’re so good at what we do.
When I feel out of control in life, I think about my family. That adjusts my mindset and changes my outlook on life. Every day, I feel happier and more
–Case Barnett
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FUN (AND SAFETY) IN THE SUN 3 Simple Steps to Protect Your Family This Summer
When looking into liability coverage, you may also want to add an umbrella policy to protect any personal assets you have.
As we enjoy these final weeks of summer, it’s important to make time for family barbecues, lazy days on the beach, and last-minute road trips before school starts again. If you’re planning on hitting the road this summer, guarantee your family is safe. Here are three ways to maximize your existing auto insurance policy to ensure you’re really protected. 1. Make sure you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages are some of the least understood but most important parts of a car insurance policy. This coverage protects you if you are in an accident and the other driver has less insurance than you do or no insurance at all. We’ve seen many cases where an injured person was left with a mountain of medical bills because the one who caused their accident didn’t have enough insurance. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages protect you and your family members against this risk. 2. Understand your current liability coverage. This is the coverage that protects you and your family if you hurt someone else as a result of your carelessness. If a claim or lawsuit is made against you, liability coverage helps pay the claim and fund your insurance defense attorney. Typically, liability protection is phrased like 25/50, 50/100, or 100/300. The first number is the maximum amount your insurance company will pay each person in an accident, and the second number is the maximum amount your insurance will pay total for the people injured. For example, if you have 100/300 liability coverage and you cause an accident, your policy will pay up to $100,000 per person injured with a maximum claim limit of $300,000 per accident.
3. Make sure your existing auto insurance includes medical payments coverage. Medical payments coverage, or “Medpay,” helps pay medical bills, including co-pays and deductibles, after an accident. While the person who caused the accident will be responsible for paying your medical bills, getting that payment could take years. Medpay ensures doctors are paid promptly, preventing your credit from plummeting and keeping bills from going to collections while you’re recovering from an accident. Having Medpay, even if you have insurance, can alleviate a great deal of stress after an accident. Determining how much insurance you need is a personal decision, but we at Case Barnett Law recommend getting as much Medpay, liability, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage you can afford. In most cases, increasing these coverages is relatively inexpensive and can make a huge difference after an accident. Do I have enough insurance? Call our office at 949-565-2993 if you would like us to answer any questions you may have on your current policy. We can evaluate your policy to determine what type of liability insurance you have and if we think it is adequate, as well as check that you have the proper uninsured/underinsured coverage and medical payments coverage. Act now to make sure your family is safe on the road all year long.
OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST “From the very beginning, Case was extremely thorough and mindful of the fact that, as someone who had never been in trouble with the law before, I would need the entire process explained. Case was compassionate to my situation to a degree not normally seen in any capacity, which very much helped put me at ease during the legal proceedings. After almost a year-long process and many difficult days in court, we went to trial. I know that I can’t accurately describe how impressive it was to witness Case in trial. What I can say is that he had a mastery of the facts, down the smallest detail, and that required a level of commitment not normally seen in any profession. The jury was out for less than two hours before we returned to hear the life-changing verdict. Case dedicated himself to understanding every facet of the case; because of that, my future remains intact. I owe my life to Case Barnett.” –Edward S.
Reminder About Our Firm’s Communication Policy: Our promise to you is that we don’t take inbound calls or emails while we are working on your case. Case Barnett takes no inbound unscheduled phone calls whatsoever. It makes him much more productive and helps get your case resolved faster. You can always call the office at 949-861-2990 and schedule an in-person or phone appointment, usually within 24–48 hours. This is a lot better than the endless game of “phone tag” played by most businesses today. Remember, too, that email is “quick,” but is checked no more than twice a day. Replies are then scheduled into the calendar. So, if it’s really important, don’t email — call the office instead.
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Our Impromptu Vacation
Hello, everyone!
Finn here. Summertime is almost over, but I’m not too sad about that, because my family had so much fun this summer! One of the coolest things we did was take a surprise vacation.
During the week of the Fourth of July, Harlow and I were playing in the backyard when all of a sudden Mom said, “Guess what? We’re going to San Diego tomorrow!” She called it an “impromptu vacation.” The next thing I knew, she was throwing stuff in our suitcases, and the next morning we were on the road.
When we got to San Diego, we went straight to Balboa Park. I asked Mom and Dad if we could go to the museum, so they took us to the Fleet Science Center and the San Diego Natural History Museum. They were both so cool. Harlow and I got to do some neat science projects and see giant dinosaurs. I couldn’t leave the museum without a new Lego set, and Harlow got a giant pink-sequined snake! Dad said that the museum should have given us free entry after we dominated the gift shop, whatever that means.
Roasted Corn Salsa
Inspired by Bon Appétit magazine
Ingredients
1. Heat a cast-iron skillet to high. Char corn, turning occasionally, for 10–14 minutes until kernels begin to blacken in spots. 2. Using a sharp knife, remove corn kernels from cobs and transfer to a large mixing bowl. 3. With a wooden spoon or potato masher, gently crush corn to release starch and juices. 4. Add jalapeño, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Mix to combine. 5. Top with lime juice and season with salt. 6. Serve alongside your favorite tortilla chips. • 2 medium ears of corn, shucked • 1 jalapeño or Fresno chile, seeded and thinly sliced • 1/2 red onion, diced • 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and finely chopped • 1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, sliced • Juice of 1 lime • Kosher salt, to taste Directions
After the museums, we headed to our rental in Mission Beach. There we went to beach, ate yummy food, and played with the toys that
we bought at the museum earlier. That night, Harlow and I stayed up really late and woke up right when we saw a teeny bit of sunlight. It was so early, we watched big bulldozers clearing the sand before anyone got to the beach. Later, when walked to the roller coaster and carousel, Mom said she needed coffee bad. While Mom and Dad drank their giant coffees, Harlow and I ate something called an acai bowl. I don’t think Mom and Dad realized they gave us ice cream for breakfast! We spent the rest of that day playing on the beach. Harlow jumped over waves with Dad, and I built Sand Fly City. I gathered all of the seaweed I could find and made a big pile. When I hit the pile with my shovel, the flies scatted everywhere. Mom was very impressed with how many flies came her way each time I hit the pile. She said that people would probably pay me to clear the sand flies from their space but suggested we should find a home for my city that wasn’t right next to her towel.
We headed back home the next day. Even though it was a super short trip, we made so many memories and, as always, had a blast together! I wonder where we will go next?
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
This publication is intended to educate the general public about personal injury and elder abuse. It is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is different.
245 Fischer Avenue, Suite B4 Costa Mesa, CA 92626
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 1 3 Reasons Not to Have a Midlife Crisis
Page 2 Is Your Family Safe On the Road?
Testimonials
Page 3 Finn’s Surprise Trip to San Diego
Roasted Corn Salsa
Page 4 Promoting Children’s Eye Health and Safety
AUGUST: CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH AND SAFETY MONTH
wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from harmful UV rays or provide
Our five senses help us interact with the world around us, and children are especially aware of their world through touch, taste, sound, smell, and sight. To ensure kids can learn from their surroundings, it’s important to take them for an annual eye exam. August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, and if your kids haven’t had an eye exam, now is the perfect time. A CHILD’S FIRST EYE EXAMINATION According to All About Vision, a child’s first eye examination should take place at about 6 months old. When the child turns 3, eye exams should become more frequent to ensure their eyes are healthy and that they have no vision impairments. Similar to doctor or dental visits, taking a child to a trusted children’s eye doctor will detect vision problems such as astigmatism, nearsightedness, and farsightedness. If any problems are found, they can prescribe lenses to correct their vision and keep their eyes healthy. PROTECTING A CHILD’S EYES Keeping up with eye exams will ensure a child’s eyes are healthy, but safety is also important. If a child is outside, make sure they
shade if they are in a stroller. With the new school year starting up, kids will be joining sports teams and engaging in classroom activities. Students should wear safety glasses when participating in chemistry projects and the proper gear for their athletic activities. GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED You can observe the holiday by teaching your kids the importance of eye safety and health. The National Eye Institute has useful information and activities for your kids to enjoy. They provide videos such as “Ask a Scientist” where they explore and explain colorblindness, nearsightedness, farsightedness, eye-related myths, and much more. You can visit their website at Nei.nih.gov/kids.
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