Herrman & Herrman April 2019
April 2019
www.herrmanandherrman.com • 844.567.6399 1201 3rd St, Corpus Christi, TX 78404 • 4121 N 23rd St, McAllen, TX 78504 855 E. Harrison st, brownsville, tx 78520 • 8122 Datapoint Dr. Suite 816 San antonio, TX 78229
It’s Fiesta de la Flor!
Fiesta de la Flor happens this month, and we’re excited! This event is a celebration of Selena Quintanilla and her music. For two days — April 12 and 13 — people from all over Texas, Mexico, and, really, the world, will be celebrating in Corpus Christi. At this year’s Fiesta de la Flor, we are once again sponsoring El Mercado! This will be our fifth year sponsoring the event. El Mercado features dozens of artists and artisans from Mexico and Central America — some even come from South America — as well as artisans from around Texas and the U.S.
For example, when a person is wearing a helmet, a collision can shake the brain. This can cause serious damage, even if the skull isn’t broken and there are no other apparent injuries. We fight hard for folks who may struggle to get the care and compensation they need following this type of accident.
Other topics included explaining brain injuries to juries, trucking accidents, how laws apply across state lines, and motorcycle safety (and Motorcycle Safety Month is coming up in May, so you can expect more on that next month).
Altogether, it was a great event. I enjoyed talking with other lawyers who deal with similar cases we tackle at
El Mercado is a shopping experience like none other. You’ll find art, clothes, crafts, food, and much more. The market is always filled with unique items. Hopefully we’ll see you there! At the office, we’re celebrating our one-year anniversary with Law Tigers! If you’re not familiar with Law Tigers, they’re a large network of attorneys around the country who specialize in motorcycle accidents. It’s been great being a part of their wonderful community. In fact, we recently attended the first annual Law Tigers Summit. It was a meet-and-greet event, and we had the chance to mingle with other Law Tigers lawyers. Many of those who were in attendance also gave 20–30-minute presentations, ourselves included. One major topic of discussion was traumatic brain injuries as a result of motorcycle accidents. This type of injury isn’t fully understood and, as a result, someone involved in an accident might not get the full care they really need.
Herrman & Herrman.
We’re also ramping up our scholarship program once again. It was a huge success this past year. If you or someone you know is getting ready to go to college, be sure to check it out. You can find more information on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/ HerrmanAndHerrmanPLLC. Much like last year, participants write and submit essays. We’re offering a scholarship for the top three essays. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s submissions! And as we wrap up this month, I did want to mention something I realized I hadn’t previously said: I’m a grandpa! My daughter had a baby last year — little Sophia.
–Gregory Herrman
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The Privacy Compromise Amazon Listens to You — What Does That Really Mean
Millions of homes across the globe have some version of Amazon’s Echo digital assistant. There’s the standard Echo, the Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Show, and Echo Spot. Echo has even been integrated into refrigerators, microwaves, and other appliances. It’s seems like the lineup gets larger every year. But are we putting too much trust in these digital assistants? We all know these devices are listening. Echo recognizes its name, whether you call it Alexa, Amazon, Echo, or Computer, as a “wake word.” Once it’s “awake,” it will answer any question you ask it. But what does it hear beyond what you ask it directly? This is a question that has security and privacy experts concerned. Major companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook thrive on the data they collect. Facebook is worth as much as it is because of its monetized user data, and a huge portion of Facebook’s business model involves selling its users’ data to other companies. It comes down to this: If an online service is free, you are the product. With the Echo, once you speak the “wake word” (usually “Alexa”), everything you say is shared with Amazon. The company uses this data for several things. For one, it compiles user data to make Alexa’s responses better. But it also uses your data to target products to you that you’ll be more likely to buy, preferably through Amazon. The effect is similar to using your browser to shop on Amazon or using an Amazon-branded credit card. Everything you do on their website and everything you buy with an Amazon card is tracked: the company builds a profile for you and your likes. The same can be said for Google and Facebook.
The bottom line is that if you are concerned about your privacy and want complete control, you will want to keep digital assistants like Echo out of your home. Every time you fire up
Amazon, Facebook, or Google — or use their service or app — you are being tracked. This might mean location tracking, your
shopping preferences, the posts you read, etc. That’s part of the deal: It’s free, and you give up your privacy in exchange. You consent to have your personal data mined. When it comes to the Echo, Amazon explicitly states they do not sell your data to third parties. The company says they only use this data internally; they say it’s secure — and so far, that’s technically true. But there have been reports of “malfunctions.” If you do have a digital home assistant like the Echo or you use these kinds of services on your smartphone, you can set your privacy and security options pretty much however you want. In the end, you do have some control over your privacy with a digital assistant, but as long as one of them is in your home, that control — and your privacy — will never be at 100 percent.
“This was the first attorney I’ve had in my life, he and his whole team were completely professional the entire time I was with them. My experience was amazing! I can’t thank you guys enough for everything you’ve helped me with! Five stars!” -Samantha Rosales “Awesome law firm! Everyone there, from the receptionist to the lawyers, is extremely friendly. Herrman & Herrman has done an outstanding job in taking care of its employees. It shows because of the way they take care of their clients. I would highly recommend this law firm to my family, friends, and coworkers. I would gladly go to them again, especially Kyzmyck and Veronica. They were great and treated me with respect and kindness.” -Roman Vela
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BUYING A CHILD CAR SEAT What You Need to Know to Buy the Best Seat for Your Child
We always want the best for our kids. We act in their best interest to keep them safe. Last month, we looked at child car safety and the steps parents can take to protect child passengers. This month is all about buying car seats. Here are a few tips to help you choose the best car seat for your child. When choosing between a rear-facing infant seat and a convertible seat, you should start off with a rear-facing seat. You can flip it to face the front as your child grows bigger. An infant seat will provide you with more portability, allowing you to move the entire seat in and out of your car with ease. This can come in handy when your child falls asleep in the car — but you will need to purchase a second seat as your child outgrows the infant seat. * Always look for the JPMA stamp on the box. This indicates that the seat has been tested and approved to meet the latest safety standards.
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Register the car seat with the manufacturer. In the event of a recall, you’ll be quickly
notified. This protects your child in the event the manufacturer becomes aware of safety risk or defects in their products.
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Additionally, be sure to check recall notice websites regularly, such as safekids.org/
product-recalls . When you sign up, you can register to receive recall notices.
* In the event of a seat recall, don’t hesitate to act and follow manufacturer instructions.
* Look for models with a 5-point harness system, LATCH compatibility, and side-impact protection.
Our children are our most precious gifts, and it is our legal and moral duty to take all measures to keep them safe. In traffic, that means driving safely and having them properly restrained in your vehicle. Taking these steps can go a long way in keeping your child safe.
* Make sure the seat is under warranty and note how long the warranty lasts. Be sure there are no missing parts or any cracks in the car seat.
Opening Day Hamburgers
With no fancy sauces, no frills, and no cheese, these all-American burgers are perfect for the start of baseball season.
INGREDIENTS
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1 pound ground chuck, 80 percent lean
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4 small leaves iceberg lettuce 4 1/4-inch-thick yellow onion slices
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4 soft, white hamburger buns, split 4 1/4-inch-thick tomato slices
1 teaspoon vegetable oil Salt and pepper, to taste Condiments of your choice
12–16 pickle rounds
DIRECTIONS
doneness, about 1 more minute per side for medium-rare, 2 more per side for medium-well. 4. Let meat rest for a minimum of 3 minutes. 5. To assemble, place patty on bottom bun and top with tomato, pickles, lettuce, and onion (in that order). Spread condiments on top half of bun and place on top of onion. Serve.
1. Lightly grease a small nonstick skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high. 2. While heating, gently shape meat into four patties 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Be careful to handle the meat as little as possible to prevent tough burgers. Season liberally with salt and pepper. 3. Sear patties on each side, about 1 minute per side. Reduce heat to medium- low and continue cooking until desired
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Inside This ISSUE
Are You Ready for Fiesta de la Flor? Page1 Can You Trust Alexa? Hear What People Are Saying About Us Page2 Buying the Best Car Seat for Your Child Opening Day Hamburgers Page3 Never Judge a Dog by Her Size Page4
Yorkie Doodle Dandy Smoky the World War I I Canine Hero
Considering the stress of combat, it’s no wonder military dogs tend to be tough breeds known for their size and strength. German shepherds, boxers, and various bully breeds are well-acquainted with the battlefield. But in World
Smoky’s most famous act of heroism occurred when she went where no man could go at an air base at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. The engineers needed help, so Wynne tied a strand of telephone wire to her collar and Smoky ran through a 70-foot-long pipe in a matter of minutes. Without Smoky, it would have taken three days to lay the wire. Her work kept over 250 ground crewmen and 40 fighter and reconnaissance planes out of danger from enemy bombings. In addition to saving lives on the battlefield, Smoky is also considered to be the first recorded therapy dog. She learned a number of tricks to cheer up troops and would visit injured soldiers at the hospital in New Guinea. After World War II, Smoky and Wynne visited veteran hospitals across the United States. “Corporal” Smoky lived for another 10 years after the war before dying on Feb. 21, 1957, at approximately 14 years old. Wynne would go on to write a memoir about his time with Smoky titled “Yorkie Doodle Dandy.” Almost 50 years after her death, a life-sized bronze statue of Smoky was erected at her final resting place in Lakewood, Ohio. Her statue is dedicated to the bravery of all war dogs, and it is a reminder that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
War II, the most famous military dog weighed only 4 pounds and stood a mere 7 inches tall. Smoky the Yorkshire
Terrier wasn’t exactly what most people associated with Shakespeare’s “let slip the dogs of war,” but her small size is part of what made her such a hero. In 1944, after being discovered beside a foxhole in the jungles of New Guinea, Smoky met Corporal William A. Wynne, an American soldier from Cleveland, Ohio. The two quickly became inseparable, and she stayed by Wynne’s side the entire time he was stationed in the South Pacific. Smoky is credited with going on 12 combat missions, surviving 150 air raids, parachuting 30 feet, and earning eight battle stars. Smoky’s sensitive hearing allowed her to alert Wynne and other soldiers of incoming air raids.
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