Take a look at our newsletter this month.
June 2018
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680, New Orleans, LA 70130 • 504-894-9653 • www.SmileyFirm.com
Our eldest son, Jude, turns 7 this month, so we’ll be heading off to his favorite place in the world: his grandparents’ lake house in Mandeville. He loves visiting “Yaya” and “Poppy” and riding Power Wheels around the property with his cousins and little brother, Luke. I still can’t believe how much Jude has grown. It seems like just yesterday that Jude was crawling around on the floor. Now he plays soccer and basketball, and he’s starting to pick up baseball. He’s also beginning to read, especially books about Pokemon. He has the picture books and trading cards and loves to watch the show. I try to get into it, but it’s a complicated and confusing world. I don’t know how he memorized the names of all those creatures. I remember when he could only say a handful of words. Time really does fly. Parenting is a strange job; you can do it for years yet still feel utterly new at it. Thankfully, both Jude and Luke have made it (relatively) easy on us. As a father, it’s been incredible to watch them grow, and I recognize parts of myself in each of their personalities. “When Jude was just a baby, I’d look into his tiny face and try to picture the man he would become.” A GROWING BOY WITH A BIG HEART PROOF THAT EMPATHY AND KINDNESS START AT A YOUNG AGE
him. My wife has quite the laugh when she finds the two of us completely absorbed in a cartoon. If you ask me, our son just has good taste in television. When Jude was just a baby, I’d look into his tiny face and try to picture the man he would become. He had very boyish features, and his eyes struck me as being incredibly kind. Now those features are starting to take shape, and I’m proud to say the kindness is still there. He’s becoming a big boy with a big heart. First and foremost, Jude is a great older brother to Luke. He has really taken his little brother under his wing in a supportive way. Jude has always had a deep wellspring of empathy that extends even beyond his own family. Whenever another kid gets hurt on the playground at school, Jude is always the one to walk them to the nurse’s office. Jude, I can’t wait to see the man you grow up to be. You’re already so honest and hardworking. Hold on to that kind, loving heart of yours, and you’ll go far. I’m so proud of who you’ve already become.
Jude and I definitely share the same capacity to get laser-focused on whatever grabs our interest. Sometimes, he’ll be watching a kid’s show, and if the plot is good enough, I’ll get sucked in right alongside
–Seth Smiley
504-894-9653 • 1
A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
CHARCOAL AND DUTCH OVENS
THE PERFECT CAMP-COOKING PAIR
Camping doesn’t have to mean settling for prepackaged snacks, dehydrated meals, and boring hot dogs. In fact, cooking during your camping trip can be fun, easy, and incredibly tasty. One of the simplest ways to prepare camp meals is with a Dutch oven and charcoal. Like crockpots, Dutch oven meals require very little work and dirty few dishes. Best of all, you can add an endless variety of food to your camp menu! The briquettes around the Dutch oven provide long-lasting and consistent heat distribution. The number of briquettes you use depends on the size of your Dutch oven and what you’re cooking. However, you can use the following chart as a rule of thumb to determine how many briquettes you need for certain temperatures and oven sizes.
Temp
10’’ oven
12’’ oven
14’’ oven
(°F)
Top Bottom
Top Bottom
Top Bottom
300° 350° 400° 450° 500°
12 14 16 18 20
5 6 7 8 9
14 16 18 21 23
7 8 9
15 18 21 23 26
9
For breakfast, prepare a hash with bacon, eggs, onions, potatoes, cheese, salt, and pepper. For lunch, try cooking campfire nachos with tortilla chips, ground beef, beans, onions, cilantro, cheese, and avocado. And for dinner, butterfly your freshly caught trout and bake it with some potatoes and butter. Cooking while camping should be an enjoyable experience. Pack a Dutch oven and charcoal briquettes the next time you’re out in the wilderness to add a fun and rustic element to your meals.
10 11 12 14
10 11
Cooking with a Dutch oven is as simple as combining your ingredients, heating your briquettes, and placing them beneath and on top of your oven. Each briquette adds 10–20 degrees of heat.
WE HEAR YOU
Even After Your Case Ends, Your Voice Matters Many people believe being a great lawyer is all about skilled speaking. But at our firm, we know the ability to listen is just as important. It’s the first thing on our agenda when you come in for a consultation; we want to ensure we discover the best way to help you and your loved ones. That’s why we love seeing the great reviews that some of you have written us over the years. Scrolling through five-star review after five-star review on Google fills us with pride, and reading your kind words is a great reminder that what we do makes a difference in people’s lives.
And it doesn’t stop there. We want your case to be a dialog, not a dictation. That’s why we remain steadfast in listening to your needs, thoughts, and concerns throughout the duration of the legal process. It is your case, after all. Last but far from least, we keep our eyes and ears open for what you have to say after the legal dust has settled. Your feedback is incredibly important to us and our growth as a firm. It’s what lets us know we’re doing right by you and yours. Nothing brightens our day more than hearing we were able to give you the help you were looking for.
We really appreciate that you took the initiative to share your positive experiences with our firm on the web. We love it when people tell their friends and family we did a good job representing them. The fact that you were willing to let the whole world know that we did a good job speaks volumes. Reading through these reviews, a common theme emerges. Many of you have thanked us for taking the time to listen and treat you with respect. We have heard you and hope to continue hearing from you in the years to come. We want to give those who were referred by your reviews, online or off, the same positive experiences we were able to give you.
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WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT What to Do After a Car Accident
Unfortunately, automobile accidents happen every day in New Orleans. The moments after a car wreck are vital to your health — and possibly to your personal injury claim. Here’s what you need to do if you find yourself the victim of a crash.
file a claim, your attorney may need to get hold of the other driver. Take pictures of the scene of the accident and damage to both vehicles. It’s also a good idea to snap a picture of the other driver’s insurance cards and license plate. It’s never a bad idea to have a backup photo. Also, gather contact information from witnesses.
Seek Medical Attention
Don’t Talk to Insurance Adjusters
If you’ve been in an accident and suffered an injury, the first thing you should do is call 911. Your health and safety are far more important than gathering evidence or exchanging information. Seeking medical attention is your priority.
Since an insurance company’s only goal is to save themselves money, they may try to trick you into saying something that could damage your case. Remember, you are never required to give a statement, nor should you.
Call the Police
Call an Attorney
Call 911 to report the accident and to get a police officer on the scene. Calling the police ensures you get an official report of the accident, which can be very important if an insurance company is trying to deny fault. Also, a police officer can help clear away any debris and redirect traffic if needed. Before the officer leaves the scene, ask them for the report number.
New Orleans’ roads can be dangerous, and the moments after a car accident can make or break your case. Make sure to follow the tips above, and always remember to call your personal injury car accident lawyer at Smiley Law Firm. We will get you the compensation you deserve.
Exchange Information and Gather Evidence
Make sure you get the other driver’s full name, license plate number, phone number, and insurance information. If you
TAKE A BREAK!
FATHER’S DAY CHILI LIME CHICKEN WINGS
This Father’s Day, spice up your wings with this zesty recipe that’s sure to please the whole family.
Ingredients
• 4 pounds chicken wings • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste • 1/4 cup honey • 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 lime, halved • Extra-virgin olive oil • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally
3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture.
with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown.
Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro.
Recipe inspired by foodnetwork.com
504-894-9653 • 3
A Boutique New Orleans Law Firm Resolving Your Legal Matters
365 Canal Street, Suite 1680 New Orleans, LA 70130 Phone: 504-894-9653 Fax: 866-761-8934 www.SmileyFirm.com OPEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Jude Turns 7 Prepare Camp Meals With a Dutch Oven Your Voice Matters to Us What to Do After a Car Accident Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings 3 Fathers Who Risked It All for Their Kids
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3 AWESOME DADS FATHERS WHO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR THEIR KIDS
This Father’s Day, thousands of dads will receive a “No. 1 Dad” mug to sip coffee out of at the office. But the following dads took that “No. 1” to a new level.
the beast in the side, and when that didn’t work, he leapt onto its back and started punching it in the face. When the bear finally released Gabriel, Greg threw rocks until it fled. His son was hurt but made a full recovery in the hospital over the coming weeks.
Brian Munn gave his son a liver transplant.
Artur Magomedov saved his daughters from ISIS.
When doctors discovered that baby Caleb Munn had a rare disease called biliary atresia, they told his parents that he was unlikely to survive past age 2 without a liver transplant. Luckily, his father was a perfect match, and he eagerly donated part of his liver in March of 2015 to save his son’s life.
Artur Magomedov was devastated to discover that his wife had taken his 3- and 10-year-old daughters from their home in Dagestan under the cover of night, flown to Turkey, and crossed into Syria to join ISIS. But he resolved to get his kids back. After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived in Tabqa to embrace his two daughters. To leave the caliphate — under penalty of death — they hitched a ride to the border one night and crawled along a railway line until they were within 70 meters of the border. Then they ran under fire from Turkish border guards until they could scramble into tall grasses. After some help from the Russian consulate in Istanbul, they made it back home, together again and safe.
Greg Alexander battled a bear for his son’s life.
While camping in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg Alexander was startled awake at dawn by the screams of his 16-year-old son, Gabriel. He rushed out of his hammock to see a black bear dragging his son away by the head. Without hesitation, he kicked
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