Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
DEC 2017
601 East 5th Street, Suite 250, Charlotte, NC 28202 • 704-377-7677 • Toll-free: 1-866-326-3090 • www.BollingerLawFirmNC.com
Break of Christmas Past WHAT I MISS ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS
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I ’ll admit it — I can be a bit of a scrooge during the holidays. Don’t get me wrong. I love sitting down for a turkey feast with family on Christmas. I just can’t help but feel we’ve gotten away from the spirit of the season. Everything is so commercialized now, it can be hard to remember what we’re actually celebrating. Then again, maybe I’m just nostalgic for the way things were when I was a kid, specifically getting two weeks off from school. I can’t tell you when the last time was that I had that long of a holiday. Could you imagine getting two weeks off from your job? Half a month without any worries or responsibilities! Now that’s the way to spend the holidays, relaxing with family. I’d pack my bags and be down to the beach before you could say, “We’re out of Thanksgiving leftovers.” Unfortunately, when your name’s on the law firm, you can’t exactly go on a hiatus. We’re here to help people who are at their most vulnerable. That kind of assistance can’t wait, no matter how happy the holiday. I get stressed when I’m away from the office on a long weekend, and certainly wouldn’t be able to stomach two full weeks away from work. Still, I can’t help but feel that teenaged me never realized how good he had it. Those were the days. Two weeks where I could stay up late and sleep in. I didn’t have to go anywhere or do anything. My time was my own. Granted, there wasn’t much to do in Newton, North Carolina. At least, not when I grew up there. Believe it or not, I was a very serious tennis player back in the day. I would have spent a lot of that break practicing, but Newton wasn’t the sort of place that built indoor courts. After the temperature hits about 40, tennis balls just don’t bounce very well. I still had fun, though. I’d ride my 10-speed up and down the foothills, past the old mills and furniture factories that were the lifeblood of that town. My friends and I watched movies, drove around, and got into your garden variety of teenage shenanigans. We’ll
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704-377-7677 • Toll-free: 1-866-326-3090 • 1 – Bob Bollinger We adults may never experience a break as relaxing as our time in high school. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make the holidays less stressful. My advice to you this season is to look for ways to slow down. Appreciate the family and friends you have around you. Don’t place unnecessary burdens on yourself. If you feel like things are getting too hectic, take a deep breath and remind yourself what really matters. That being said, if a petition for a national two-week holiday starts circulating, I’m signing it. Happy Holidays! leave it at that. I also spent lots of time with family, which, in retrospect, is what I’m most grateful for. My grandmother lived with us while I was in high school, which meant holiday meals were always delicious. Being an old-fashioned, Southern country woman, Mamaw would bake a homemade fruitcake every Christmas. In fact, as far as I could tell, every family in Newton baked them, whether they were country folk or not. The supermarket used to be full of bright displays of candied fruit just for the occasion. Of course, baking a fruitcake is hard to do right, and it’s time-consuming. These days, the candied fruit displays have been replaced by the packaged, ready- made stuff. Such are the times we live in. Ba humbug.
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At the peak of the holiday season, many Americans find themselves overcome by a spirit of generosity and goodwill. Many people go beyond finding the perfect gift for friends and family and give their time or money to a charitable organization, seeking to make the holidays a little better for those worse off than themselves. But with thousands upon thousands of charities to choose from, how we do ensure our dollars are truly going to the best possible cause? It may seem obvious, but it’s best not to hand your credit card info to an anonymous organization soliciting your aid. The IRS has little regulatory power over most charitable organizations since they don’t typically pay taxes. As a result, it’s all too easy to be defrauded. “Never give a gift where you didn’t initiate the communication,” advises Tim Meisenheimer, a certified financial planner. Calls can be a red flag, as charities who employ telemarketers are much less likely to receive the entirety of your donation. If you’re donating online, he also advises you to check that there’s a “https” at the beginning of the URL, which indicates a secure connection. But the best way to avoid shady scammers is to research the charity before you hand over your cash. One helpful resource is CharityNavigator.org, a charity-screening website where you can scrutinize a charity’s rating, spending habits, category, and much more. When examining a charity, they look for all kinds of red flags, such as if they spend more than one-third of their budget on administrative costs or if they aren’t forthcoming about their operations Should I Donate To? WHICH CHARITY
and expenditures. If you’re unsure of where to donate, check out their list of “Charities With Perfect Scores.” My favorite charity is Easter Seals United Cerebral Palsy of NC & VA, Inc. It is based here in NC and provides medical and housing services to children and adults who are developmentally disabled. These folks have cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Downs syndrome, autism, and similar conditions. Easter Seals provides therapy and various types of living arrangements. My own son, Robbie, lives in an Easter Seals home, and he has benefited greatly during his life from the services Easter Seals provides. My wife and I make frequent donations to the organization. I was once the Chairman of the statewide Board of Directors for what is now the Easter Seals agency in NC, and I personally know that it is an excellent steward of donated money. If you would like to donate to Easter Seals, you can send your tax-deductible check to them at 5171 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 211, Raleigh, NC 27612 When you refer us, we want you to be the “hero” in the story. We want the person you referred to come back to you months later and say, “I am so glad you referred me to the Bollinger Law Firm! They were so nice to me, and they took great care of me and my case. They got me a better outcome than I imagined possible! Thank you so much for telling me to call the Bollinger Law Firm!” I worked in blue-collar jobs as a young man, before I graduated from college. These jobs included tailing a ripsaw in a furniture factory and cutting carpet cushion in a foam-rubber factory. It makes me furious to see honest, hardworking people being mistreated after getting hurt at work. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping working people get a fair outcome on their workers’ comp claims. Your Referrals Are Very Important to Us
Here is a recent client review of Bob’s services.
Excellent attorney!
“Mr. Bollinger is the most competent attorney you can get for your workers’ comp case. I fired my original, big-firm attorney after being treated like a case number, not a person. And I’m so happy that I did! Bob is super friendly and down-to-earth outside of the courtroom, but will fight for you against the insurance companies with all of his knowledge about the law. Bob will treat you with respect, and he cares! He will answer your questions and be in touch with you day or night! I would absolutely recommend him to help. He is knowledgeable, ethical, sharp as a tack, and has a great sense of humor, too. He is easy to talk to, and most of all, he will fight for you. I have not settled my case yet, but I trust Bob and highly recommend him! You can’t hire anyone better, and his staff is super helpful, too. Thank you to Bob, Janice, and Nick for all of your expert advice so far!”
Contact Us at 704-377-7677 or email BBollinger@BollingerLawFirmNC.com
–Jeff
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Is Your Work Slowly Disabling You?
U sually, you know when you’ve been injured on the job. If you take a bad fall or get hurt by a piece of machinery, you seek medical attention. If the injury was caused by someone’s negligence, you seek legal aid. But many workers can also suffer a pernicious type of injury that often goes untreated and uncompensated: Repetitive Stress Injuries. Repetitive Stress Injury, or RSI, is a catch-all term for discrete conditions caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression, or sustained and awkward positions. The most common RSI are musculoskeletal disorders, like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. A study by the Journal of Applied Psychology found these disorders are the third most common cause of disability and early retirement in the U.S. Many workers don’t know they can be compensated for these sorts of injuries. Many jobs, from typing to upholstery, expose you to repetitive tasks that can cause bone and muscle damage over time. If you have an ailment you believe is being caused by conditions or activity at work, contact Bob Bollinger for advice about how to choose and then approach an appropriate medical doctor about your condition. Often, a doctor can confirm whether your pain is work related and set you on the path to recovery. This
may entail taking time off of work. Keep track of any lost wages caused by recovering from such an injury. While these injuries can be painful and debilitating, insurance companies rarely ever compensate for them willingly. Because of the length of time many RSIs take to develop and their discrete nature, it’s easy for insurers to cast doubt on them. The medical causation standard required to win an on-the-job RSI condition is very tricky to navigate, so it is very important to get competent legal advice about it at the very beginning of the case, before you discuss it with a specialist doctor or report it to your employer. To minimize the chance that your RSI claim is denied immediately, you should discuss
the matter with a Certified Specialist lawyer such as Bob Bollinger before you take any action. He can offer case-specific information and advice that will maximize your chances of prevailing on the claim. If you were injured due to your work activities, we are prepared to advise you informally at no cost to you, or to sign up as your lawyers to formally advocate for your rights and benefits in front of the Industrial Commission. To learn more about your rights under workers’ compensation laws in North Carolina, reach out to us. Contact The Bollinger Law Firm, PC, in Charlotte at 704- 377-7677 or toll free at 866-218-4759.
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BOB’S BEST BITES
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I’ve been getting takeout from Best Wok for about 15 or 20 years. Always good. Very consistent. They always get our order right. My family likes their Sa Cha chicken, and the pork with black bean sauce is also good. The staff is friendly and accommodating of special requests. Love the place.
1717 Sardis Road North, Charlotte, NC 28270 In the Sardis Crossing Shopping Center!
The last red dogwood leaf of fall – Bob Bollinger
704-377-7677 • Toll-free: 1-866-326-3090 • 3
601 East 5th Street, Suite 250 Charlotte, NC 28202 704-377-7677 Toll-free: 1-866-326-3090 www.BollingerLawFirmNC.com
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INSIDE This Issue
Why We All Need a Holiday Break
Which Charity Should I Donate To? The Best Attorney for the Job
Is Your Job Giving You a Stress Injury? Try Best Wok!
3 Favorite Places to Go for Christmas
to Go for Christmas 3 Favorite Places
There’s nothing like spending a night out on the town during the Christmas season. Decorations and lights line the streets and storefronts, and jolly reminders of Christmas are everywhere you look. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite destinations during the holiday season. How many have you been to? Leonard Bearstein’s Animatronic Symphony Orchestra Just walking around the uptown area is a holiday tradition for many people around here. We recommend it above all other Christmas events because it’s so purely Charlotte. The most fascinating attraction to see while you’re there is a special orchestra, comprised of animatronic bears. The Bearstein Bears play a full 45-minute set list at Founders’ Hall. Expect to hear the classics: “Jingle Bells,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and more. Christmas Town, USA, in McAdenville On Dec. 1, after a charming tree lighting ceremony, the town of McAdenville becomes an endless display of gorgeous Christmas decorations. Don’t expect any irreverent blow-up lawn devices — only classic stuff here. You’ll think you’ve entered a Christmas painting. (That is, without the snow on the ground.) Stroll up and down the street to admire each classic-looking house, and go by the lake to see the way the fully lit pines reflect on the water. It’s a sight you’ll never forget. Holidays at the Botanical Garden The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is one of the prize jewels of the Charlotte area. Year-round, you can find beautiful displays of flowers, trees, and
other plant life. Their splendor becomes even more dazzling during the holidays when a spectacular light display is set up around the garden. Live music, crackling fires, and model train displays can be found throughout. You can get tickets online at dsbg.org/events.
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