Check out our first newsletter of the year!
CaseBarnettLaw.com
949-861-2990
JAN 2018
Every now and then, Nicole and I go down to the beach, just the two of us. We bring along a notepad, we sit down in the sand, and we write out our goals for the future. Together, we identify what we want to achieve one, three, five, 10, and 20 years down the road. In the notepad, we have things like “Fund the kids’ college savings,” “Plan a big family trip,” and “Expand the firm.” It’s great to see a goal written out, because it transforms them from a far-off want into something tangible that we can plan for and achieve. A big goal we were able to cross off in the last few years was “Start a family.” Whether you keep New Year’s resolutions or not, the start of a new year is a great time to set some goals you want to achieve in your life. We have the opportunity to look back on the last 12 months, see where we’ve been, what we have achieved, and where we want to go next. January is a great time to make note of your recent successes, personally and professionally. Going into 2018, our office finds itself in a completely different place than where we were at the start of 2017. We started last year with three people on our team. By November, we had nine people in the office working on cases and helping clients. We spent the year growing, and now our team is made up of great people who share our values. We aim to hire based on personality and to find people who really want to help others. Experience is important, but experience can be taught and gained with a little effort. You can’t teach someone how to care for a person in need. Nicole has worked hard to fine-tune our process at the office. As soon as we have someone trained well, we want them to be able to take care of clients right away. We’ve incorporated what we call our “hit list,” a set of standards that have to be met in every case to ensure each client receives the best care and service. HOW WE STRIVE FOR A BRIGHTER 2018 WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
take years to see through to the end. We’re currently working with a young mother who suffered a terrible ATV accident. She was pregnant at the time, and the accident left her a quadriplegic. Miraculously, the baby survived and has since turned 2 years old, but there are still endless medical bills and struggles in their future. In another case, we’re seeking justice for the family of a 6-year-old who was killed in a dangerous apartment parking lot. Not everyone is able to properly handle these kinds of cases. They’re challenging, and they’re sad, but in each case, there are people who need help. All year long, we took steps to better help these people, and that’s what we intend to do more of in 2018.
I wish you all a happy new year. May 2018 bring you the opportunity to achieve your goals and make strides toward a greater future. –Case Barnett
We saw a lot of success on this front, but it certainly hasn’t been easy. As we expand, we want to take on more complicated cases. Some cases
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949-861-2990 HELPING PEOPLE Isn’t Just for Nonprofits
CaseBarnettLaw.com
to learn and a willingness to work hard,” she enrolled in a digital marketing course, got a certification, and eventually found her way to Hubspot. She started in an entry-level sales position, and, after putting in 12-hour days and many more hours on continued education, she became their No. 1 salesperson. She’s held the spot ever since. But what got her there? She found success by using the same philosophy that Hubspot was built on. “People don’t want to be interrupted by marketers or harassed by salespeople,” Shah and Halligan say of their empathetic approach. “They want to be helped.” Murnaghan’s interactions with customers hinged on her desire to help others, and she was determined to carry out that mission. Once, she connected a client’s daughter with friends in Canada after learning the girl was starting university there. What lessons can we glean from Murnaghan’s and Hubspot’s success? Perhaps it’s this: Don’t forget about the simple act of helping people. Make this a priority above selling a good or service. As you shape and define your company’s values, hire people who exemplify them. Like Murnaghan, if they live your values, they’ll wow your clients, help grow your brand, and bring you both to the top.
Sharen Murnaghan’s LinkedIn page features the line, “Always be helping.” When you look at Hubspot’s “About Us” page, you’ll notice their vision is to build a company where business is “empathetic, human, and personable.” Do these philosophies sound like they’re in alignment? She and Hubspot both believe that helping others is essential to business success, so it should come as no surprise that Murnaghan is Hubspot’s No. 1 salesperson. When two MIT graduates, Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan, realized that customers weren’t responding to tried-and-true marketing tactics — and that Shah’s unassuming blog was driving way more web traffic than sites with huge marketing budgets — they created Hubspot, a marketing and sales software company. Most companies were forgetting about the human element of sales. Instead of helping people, these businesses treated customers like numbers, all in the pursuit of their bottom line. So, Shah and Halligan started a company that would do the opposite. They decided to help other businesses forge human relationships with their customers and create an “inbound world.” Before joining their company, Murnaghan had a successful sales career in the publishing world, but she was ready for something new. She had an impressive amount of sales experience but almost no knowledge of digital marketing, an industry she knew was clearly on the rise. So, “armed with nothing but a desire Few events are cause for greater celebration than the birth of a child. Families are enthusiastic to welcome a new child into the world, but they can also feel nervous or afraid about an uncertain future. During this vulnerable time, expecting parents rely on their health care provider to help deliver their child safely. Tragically, there are occasions when this trust is betrayed. Although modern medicine has greatly reduced the chance of complications during labor, birth injuries can still occur due to medical malpractice. A birth injury can be a physical or cognitive impairment resulting from a complication during gestation or birth. Many birth injuries are apparent right away, though others might go undetected until the child is unable to meet developmental milestones like rolling over, crawling, walking, or talking.
Did Medical Malpractice Harm a Newborn? DISASTER IN THE DELIVERY ROOM
• •
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
Shoulder dystocia
There are circumstances in which these kinds of birth injuries are simply unavoidable. However, if a doctor prescribed medicine that is unsafe for use during pregnancy; failed to recognize or treat a complication during pregnancy; failed to react to complications during labor; incorrectly used forceps, vacuum extractors, or other medical tools during delivery; or made a mistake during a C-section, then their negligence may have caused the child’s injury. Some birth injuries heal over time, but others demand a lifetime of medical care. These medical needs often include multiple surgeries, assistive devices, physical therapy, accessibility modifications to the family home, and prescription medications. The costs of these needs add up and can overwhelm a family trying to provide the best life for their child. Compensation can help relieve the burden of these costs. If you have any questions regarding the safety and health of your child, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced legal team at Case Barnett Law. When malpractice leads to a newborn being injured during labor, parents have the right to take legal action to acquire compensation on behalf of their child.
Here are some birth injuries that are commonly the basis for malpractice suits:
• • • • •
Bone fractures
Brachial plexus palsy
Cerebral palsy
Meconium aspiration syndrome Periventricular leukomalacia
“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.”
CaseBarnettLaw.com
949-861-2990
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ACCIDENTS HAPPEN? Victims of Orange County Accidents Deserve Compensation
Occupational Safety and Health named farming one of the most dangerous industries in the United States. RAILROAD CROSSING ACCIDENTS For the most part, common-sense practices are enough to prevent accidents at railroad crossings. Unfortunately, many railroad crossings lack basic safety features. Only 47 percent of public crossings have crossbucks, and just 36 percent have crossing gates! In 2016, there were over 2,000 accidents at railroad crossings, many of which lacked safety protection devices that would have prevented these accidents. Accidents do happen, but when they are caused by negligence and someone is hurt as a result, a simple “oops” isn’t enough. Before something is excused as “just an accident,” injured victims have the right to legal protection and are entitled to claim compensation for their suffering.
When people think of accidents that require the help of an attorney, automobile accidents are the first on that list. Injuries caused by a collision involving cars, commercial vehicles, buses, bicycles, and motorcycles are all circumstances in which a person is likely to reach out to an attorney. But accidents are all too common off the road, too. Here are a few cases the experienced team at Case Barnett Law is prepared to handle. BOATING ACCIDENTS California residents are lucky enough to boat on our state’s beautiful lakes and rivers, and in the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, this can be a dangerous activity if boat operators are irresponsible. In 2016, the United States Coast Guard responded to 4,463 boating accidents. These accidents resulted in 2,903 injuries and 701 deaths. Everything from operator inexperience, excessive speed, intoxication, and navigational rule violations contributed to these accidents. CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS Construction workers literally build our country at great personal risk to themselves. In 2015, 1 in every 5 work-related deaths occurred in the construction industry. This is in addition to the 58,000 construction workers who were injured due to falls, electrocution, trench collapses, fires, falling debris, and machinery accidents. FARMING ACCIDENTS Every day, over 100 agricultural workers are seriously injured by tractor overturns, animal injuries, chemical exposures, or suffocation after being trapped in a grain bin or silo. The National Institute of
LAUGH! Have a
Pistachio Goji Berry Granola Ingredients
• • • •
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
• • • •
1 cup rolled oats 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut flakes 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut oil 3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup goji berries
Directions
slowly until pistachios and coconut flakes are toasted but not burned, for about 5 minutes. 4. Remove from pan and stir in goji berries. 5. Let cool and enjoy as a snack or on top of your yogurt!
1. Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add oats in a thin layer and toast for 1–2 minutes. Add coconut oil and salt, then stir. Continue toasting for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Add maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time; stir to coat. 3. Once oats are toasted, add pistachios, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Cook
Recipe inspired by LoveAndLemons.com.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 1 HowWe Strive for a Brighter 2018
Page 2 The Secret Behind Hubspot’s No. 1 Salesperson
Page 2 What New Parents Need to Know About Malpractice
Page 3 ‘Oops’Doesn’t Cut It
Page 3 Start the Day RightWithThis Granola
Page 4 How to KeepYour 2018 Budget
DON’T MAKE A BUDGET BLUNDER
consistent throughout the year sets you up for failure. While making your budget, be sure to consider when you expect an off-season. This will allow you to focus on marketing efforts in your downtime and keep profits coming in when you need themmost. Similarly, you should limit unnecessary spending during the months when you expect revenue to be down. MAKE REALISTIC PROJECTIONS Too many companies look at the future with rose-tinted glasses. “You never want to be in a position where you’re spending more than you have coming in,” says Annie Scranton, owner of Pace Public Relations. How do you end up in this quagmire? There’s no surer way than projecting huge growth without the data to back it up. Your sales forecast needs to be realistic, if not a little lean. After all, 20 percent extra in revenue is a bonus, but 20 percent under can be a catastrophe. YOUR BUDGET ISN’T ONE AND DONE So, you’ve finished a budget, but that doesn’t mean it will never change. At the very least, you should review your planning on a quarterly basis. Change is the only constant in the business world, and adaptability based on profit patterns is a key component of budgeting success.
As you begin the year, you’re probably developing a new budget for your business. No matter howmuch you sell, there’s no quicker path to a cash shortage than bad budgeting. Victor Butcher, head of Butcher Financial Services, says a well-prepared budget serves as a road map for companies. “You need the road map to understand where you’re going with your business,” he says. With that in mind, here are a few tips to ensure you
make the most accurate budget possible for 2018. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE EXPENSES
Whether you’re talking about internal projects, marketing initiatives, or client services, you should always assume you’ll encounter unexpected costs. If you don’t leave wiggle room in your budget, you’ll have to borrow cash allocated to other endeavors. “Every project seems to have an extra cost that was never anticipated,” notes Shufflrr CEO James Ontra. It’s much better to budget for these speed bumps than run out of gas before you reach the finish line. ACCOUNT FOR FLUCTUATIONS Even if you don’t sell Christmas trees or pool toys, your business probably has a sales cycle. Assuming that your revenue and spending will be
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