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On Your Side A Publication of Kevin McManus Law Injury & Disability Attorneys
WINNING CASES, CHANGING LIVES
KevinMcManusLaw.com (816) 837-4433
A Personal Message From Kevin McManus
Welcome to our newsletter! We’ll introduce you to our office team, share client stories and life lessons, give updates about our work and community, and have some fun along
EMPOWERING CLIENTS TO LIVE BETTER AFTER THE BATTLE
the way. Have feedback? Email us at info@kevinmcmanuslaw.com and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you. We’re on Your Side!
Every day, people in our area see TV and social media ads for personal-injury lawyers flashing dollar signs and boasting about big verdicts and settlements. If those ads were all you knew about winning justice for victims, you’d think the dollars were the only thing that mattered. We define our mission much more broadly. The reason we exist is to help injured and disabled individuals recover to the fullest extent possible from accidents or injuries … and build a better life in the future. Winning the maximum financial award allowable by law is a big part of that. We fight hard to win the best verdicts and settlements for our clients. After one injured client recently received a lowball offer of $600 from a defendant’s insurance company, for example, we successfully pressured the insurer to up their offer more than eightyfold to $50,000, the full amount allowed by the defendant’s policy. But “maximum recovery” also includes other, harder-to-define benefits: • Gaining access to the best doctors and specialists available; • Having medical providers who collaborate to take a holistic approach to their treatment; • Helping clients build a better life than the one they had when they came to us.
We always wish our clients had never been injured or hurt, of course. But we try to help them make the best of it. We go beyond serving as their legal counsel and delivering a settlement check, to listening and counseling them on moving forward with their lives. Some clients use their award to buy a better vehicle. Perhaps they realize a longtime dream by starting their own small business or investing it in their child’s schooling. Or maybe they use it to get ongoing medical care or to help a family member who needs care. Paying attention to all of our clients’ concerns is an essential part of our work. When we hire new attorneys and staff, we look for people who are aligned with that mission. To be a good fit, our attorneys and staff need a strong customer-care focus that enables them to communicate with clients in a compassionate way. We also moderate our attorneys’ caseloads so they have time to listen to clients’ problems. Our entire staff read a book this year called “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect,” by Will Guidara. This book tells how a restaurant owner achieved stellar success by repeatedly surprising guests with memorable, over-the-top hospitality. (See Page 3 of this
HOW WE CAN HELP Kevin McManus Law assists clients with personal injury and long-term disability claims throughout Missouri and Kansas. We handle cases on a contingency fee basis and offer free consultations. Call (816) 837-4433 today or visit our website for more information: KevinMcManusLaw.com. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REFERRALS! We’d like to thank the following clients and referral partners for trusting us with their referrals. Your support gives us the ability to help others.
Jorge H. Veronica B. Keches Law Group The Jewel Law Firm LLC Bikram G. Form Chiropractic KC
Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center Divya P. Cullan & Cullan Townsend Law, LLC Kayla S.
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ISSUE 8
Strange Events You’ve Probably Never Heard Of NOT YOUR AVERAGE OLYMPIC SPORT
During the last Summer Olympic Games, Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn’s performance caught the world off guard. After watching the event, many Americans wondered why breaking was added to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responsible for choosing the events, and they consider a wide range of criteria when considering adding or removing events. They look at how long the sport has existed, its popularity within the host country, the cost to broadcast the events, and whether an international federation governs the sport. Breaking was a hit at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and was added to the 2024 Paris Games to drive engagement with a younger audience. The IOC has already announced that breaking will not return for the 2028 games in Los Angeles, joining a list of other sports dropped from the Olympic stage. Think breaking was a little outside the box? Then you won’t believe some of the events from past Olympics. Plunge for Distance (1904): Plunging was a sport in which participants dove into the water from a spring 18 inches above the surface. They floated for 60 seconds without propelling themselves forward, and
whoever went the farthest won. Only five individuals competed in the event, and all were American. Ballooning (1900): Technically an unofficial event at the 1900 games, ballooning consisted of various hot-air balloon-related activities. They held competitions for the farthest distance traveled, longest time traveled, greatest height achieved, and landing closest to a target. Motor Boat Racing (1908): Competitors got in their boats to travel five laps around an 8-nautical-mile course in the Southampton waters of England. This event was a complete disaster. Multiple boats would start each race, but in almost every instance, only one would cross the finish line, as strong winds heavily affected the others. Ski Ballet (1988 and 1992): While never an official Olympic event, ski ballet was demonstrated at two Olympic Games, anticipating its potential as a real event. Imagine figure skating on skis instead of skates. Competitions required participants to complete a choreographed routine in 90 seconds on a smooth slope.
Meet Melody Fitzgerel
STANDING STRONG FOR THE INJURED
Melody Fitzgerel has fought for compensation for victims of a wide range of accidents and injuries, from police officers wounded on the job to a young woman with a brain injury from a fall. In every case, she is passionate about helping her clients. Since joining our firm in March 2025 as an injury and disability attorney, Melody has shown a strong commitment to her clients. She
has fought for victims of slip-and-fall injuries, ranging from broken legs to traumatic brain injuries. Brain-injured patients need special support, she says. They often have a hard time communicating, and their injuries are not as visible as, say, a broken arm. As their advocate in the courtroom, Melody says, “you are working hard to make sure the injury is seen clearly by defense counsel and the jury.” Melody’s first brush with the legal profession was seeing her mother’s experience as a plaintiff in an employment discrimination lawsuit. Participating in mock trial competitions in college motivated her to enter the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. There, she flexed her writing talent as a staff member at the UMKC Law Review. After graduating, Melody gained a thorough understanding of insurers’ viewpoint in personal-injury cases by working at a defense firm for three years. “I got great experience and met some great people,” she says, “(but) I felt like I was hurting the people I wanted to help. I would come up with an interesting legal theory to help the insurance company save money, and I would wonder, what am I doing here?
“When talking with plaintiffs’ attorneys, I felt as if we were speaking the same language,” she says. She moved to the plaintiffs’ side and spent three years with a Kansas City personal injury firm. In one case, she helped win compensation for police officers who had been injured and traumatized as the result of others’ negligence. The case was complicated, but “it ended up really well,” resulting in fair compensation for the victims and the bereaved family. Away from work, Melody enjoys time with her husband, Zach, their 1-year-old son Teddie, and their two dogs, a blue heeler named Eddie and a whippet named Stevie. While she does plenty of writing on the job, Melody also enjoys writing screenplays in her time off, focusing on both dark and romantic comedies, she says. Creating characters and plots “gets my creativity flowing.”
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A compelling goal of our firm is to have a positive impact on our community beyond the courtroom. We’re proud to announce our most recent monthly grants from the KML Charitable Foundation, in support of organizations that have benefited countless members of our community. DECEMBER “Wishful Giving” is a unique and powerful opportunity through the Make-A- Wish Missouri & Kansa s for our firm to ensure children with critical illnesses get a wish … at a time when they truly need it most. Our contribution helped make inspiring wishes come true for local Missouri and Kansas kids. With more than 600 children waiting for a wish, this support brought hope and joy to those precious children during the holidays. NOVEMBER The Harvesters Community Food Network’s “Holiday Match” opportunity was a huge success! A very generous $500,000 matching gift challenge was sponsored by Peter and Veronica Mallouk of Creative Planning, an international wealth management and consulting firm based in Overland Park. Normally, our donation would provide 4,000 meals, but because of this generous match, our donation doubled and provided 8,000 meals! It’s an incredible joy and honor to partner with other donors to touch even more lives with our contribution! OCTOBER For more than 20 years, the Mattie Rhodes Holiday Festival has provided hundreds of children and families from Kansas City’s Westside and Historic Northeast neighborhoods with a joyful day of celebration and essential holiday resources. Our contribution helped bring many families together for this heart- warming event, where participants enjoy gifts for children, festive meals, and a health fair and join in activities that bring our community together. SEPTEMBER We’re excited to support an organization that benefits families of those most affected by traumatic brain injury, a serious issue that some of our clients experience. Our sponsorship of the keynote speaker for the Brain Injury Association of MIssouri’s 2026 Spring Conference West in Kansas City will bring these families together in a meaningful way. At our firm, we strive to win fair compensation for clients who have suffered brain injuries as the result of others’ negligence, and we know firsthand the anguish these victims and their families experience. A Dedicated Commitment to Giving Community Cornerstones Receive KML Foundation Grants
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newsletter for more information about the book.) With that goal in mind, we remember our clients’ special moments, like birthdays, weddings, or births, and send gifts and cards at the firm’s expense. We want clients to know they are more than just a case number. People want to be heard. They want to know that somebody understands what they’re going through. That’s where we start in our work with each client. We try to walk in their shoes and tell their story clearly and well to everyone who needs to hear it, from judges and juries to insurance claims adjusters. Ultimately, we strive to fill in support and services for our clients in areas where society has failed them. We are proud to invest this extra effort, and we see clients pay it forward by referring their family and friends to us when they need help. For us, that’s the ultimate compliment. It also makes our work more rewarding. Now we’re not just helping one person; we’re helping an entire family. To me, serving that mission is as good as it gets.
-Kevin McManus
The Power of Generosity December Book Pick
In recognition of December as Read a New Book Month, we have a great title to recommend: “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect,” by Will Guidara. This author explains how, at age 26, he took over a struggling
Manhattan restaurant and propelled it to the top ranks of dining establishments worldwide. His secret? Forging a close partnership among kitchen and dining-room teams, getting all employees to think like owners, and surprising guests with jaw-dropping gestures of hospitality (such as gifting a family that had never seen snow with a sledding trip to Central Park). This book is a fascinating read and offers actionable insights for anyone whose work involves serving others.
KML Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that aims to uplift the community through education, advocacy, and service.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Page 1
From Setback to Comeback: Helping Clients Find Their Strength Again The Olympics’ Most Unusual Events Our New Attorney Brings Passion to the Fight for Victims Charitable Foundation Announces Gifts
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to Influential Nonprofits The Power of Generosity The Hidden Price Tag on Clutter
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The Cost of Clutter
How Minimalism Can Save You Thousands
We’ve all been there: staring at a closet full of clothes and thinking, “I have nothing to wear.” Or paying rent for a bigger apartment just to store things we barely use. Clutter isn’t just a space problem; it’s a money problem. Every unused subscription silently chips away at your finances. The good news is that minimalism offers a way out. Far from being about deprivation, it’s about reclaiming control of your space, spending, and savings. The Hidden Price of ‘Stuff’ Every purchase comes with two price tags: the sticker price and the hidden costs. That $50 gadget isn’t just $50; it might also mean higher credit card interest if you’re carrying debt, or another box in the attic eating up storage space. The more we accumulate, the more we pay to maintain, store, clean, and eventually
replace those items. That’s where minimalism comes in. It forces us to ask: “Do I really need this, or is it just clutter in disguise?” Quality Over Quantity Minimalism doesn’t mean buying nothing. Instead, it’s about buying better. One high- quality pair of shoes can last for years, while three cheap pairs wear out quickly and cost more in the long run. Choosing durability and timeless designs over impulse buys protects your wallet and reduces waste. Simplifying Finances Clutter can even creep into your bank account. Old subscriptions, overlapping accounts, and unused memberships all nibble away at your budget. By canceling what you don’t use and streamlining your finances, you save money and reduce the mental load of tracking your bills.
Downsizing Expenses One of the biggest financial wins of minimalism comes from downsizing. A smaller home or apartment doesn’t just mean lower rent or mortgage; it also slashes utilities, maintenance, insurance, and even property taxes. More Space for What Matters A clutter-free environment frees up mental bandwidth. With fewer distractions, you can focus on what truly matters: building a side hustle, nurturing relationships, or enjoying a calmer, more intentional life.
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