Take a look at the latest edition of The Shuttlesworth Sentinel!
THE SHUTTLESWORTH SENTINEL
201 Vulcan Road, Suite 210 Birmingham, AL 35209 (205) 322-1411 ShuttlesworthLasseter.com
Personal Injury Product Liability Wrongful Death
Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect Assisted Living Abuse/Neglect
06 .2021
My Summer Walking Steel on a Construction Site During College WHEREVER YOU WORK, WORK HARD
Like many people, I had a number of outlandish summer jobs when I was in high school and college. After all, you have to pay for your education somehow, right? Even though school might be out, you can still learn a lot on the job during the summer, and in no work environment was that more apparent than when I walked steel for a Michigan-based construction company in downtown Birmingham. It was the summer of 1984, and I was helping lay steel for what would become the 14-story Alabama Power corporate headquarters. Before joining the crew, I had no experience working in construction whatsoever. I just needed to pay for my next year of college, and a construction job was the most lucrative opportunity I could find. I worked on the decking crew, which meant that I, along with a team, would walk large sheets of decking out on steel girders, lay them in place, and then spot weld them and shoot studs through them to the beams to help them stay in place. We worked floor by floor, going higher and higher as the summer progressed. I was just 19 years old when I was walking steel way up in the air. It was honestly kind of terrifying! At the same time, I was working with a group of hardcore, seasoned construction workers who had been doing this kind of work for decades and would probably continue to do it for the rest of their lives. They showed me the ropes for the summer, but I got the distinct impression that most of the crew kind of resented me. Here I was, this college kid who was only working for three months before going back to my cushy academic environment, while they would continue to do that same work long after I was gone. I knew I would have to prove myself reliable to them. The work we were doing was dangerous, and I didn’t want to be a liability.
One incident, as unfortunate as it nearly was, helped me prove I was more than just some wet-behind-the-ears college student. On the site, I saw one of the career construction guys slip on some decking that hadn’t been secured properly and begin to fall down the elevator shaft. Luckily, I reached him in time to pull him back up. If he had fallen from that height, he would have probably died. That was the first time I think I earned the respect of the decking crew. As time went on, I had more opportunities to prove myself. I worked hard and showed no fear (even though I was terrified). I didn’t want to leave that job at the end of the summer with all of them thinking I was just some snobby college kid. I didn’t want them to get the impression that I thought I was better than them. I knew I’d succeeded one day when my boss asked me to risk my life on the top story of this building. He wanted me to walk out on one of the steel beams with no harness and nothing below me for 14 floors to place the first piece of decking. Just as I was mustering up the courage to do it, however, one of the other guys on the crew stopped me. He told me he would do it, because I wasn’t experienced enough for it yet. His actions showed me just how much the crew had come to care about me. I had had plenty of jobs before that summer, from sweeping up at a ladies’ clothing store, to stringing tennis rackets. That construction job, however, gave me the confidence to step into roles for which I had no experience and succeed, gave me a respect for the people who do that kind of work, and instilled in me a profound work ethic I would carry with me for the rest of my life. Overall, through that job, I learned that whatever work you find yourself doing, do it well and you’ll gain valuable experience no matter what.
–Perry Shuttlesworth
“We worked floor by floor, going higher and higher as the summer progressed. I was just 19 years old when I was walking steel way up in the air. It was honestly kind of terrifying!”
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Inside the Mind of the GOAT Is Serena Williams Retiring?
When rapper Megan Thee Stallion won three Grammy awards this spring, fans all over the
world celebrated — including the 23-time Grand Slam-winning tennis player Serena Williams. Williams filmed a video of herself and her 3-year-old daughter, Alexis, jamming out to Stallion’s hit song “Body” and posted it to TikTok. Dancing in a poofy, champagne-colored dress, the 39-year-old tennis player looked young and vibrant. But if you follow the sport, you’ve probably heard the rumors that Williams is getting ready to retire. It’s rare for a tennis player to remain at the top of their game at 39, and on Feb. 17, Williams lost in the 2021 Australian Open Semifinals to Naomi Osaka. The loss hit her hard. As Insider reported, “Following the defeat, Williams placed her hand on her heart and saluted the crowd before breaking down in tears in her post-match press conference and saying: ‘If I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone.’” That certainly sounds like a hint at retirement. Williams is already considered a GOAT (greatest of all time) in women’s professional tennis, but if she retires now, she’ll be one Grand Slam victory short of tying Margaret Court, the most decorated female tennis player in modern history. It would be tough for someone as competitive as Williams to get so close and fall short — and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, doesn’t think she’ll throw in the towel. “I don’t think she will stop until she at least wins a Grand Slam, because she came back to win Grand Slams [after her daughter was born],” he told People magazine.
While our society would ideally uphold the dignity of our most elderly members in the waning years of their lives, the opposite is many times true. When we don’t care for the elderly in our community, those actions can have dire consequences for their health and well-being. Few instances make that more clear than when a nursing home resident suffers from a fall. Falls in nursing homes account for over a third (36%) of all potentially preventable emergency room visits by nursing home residents. About 1,800 residents of nursing homes die each year from fall-related injuries. Each year, the average nursing home with 100 beds reports 100–200 falls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many times, the cause of falls in nursing homes is neglect. While nursing homes will frequently deny neglect had anything to do with an elderly resident’s fall, you can look for a few factors that might be evidence to the contrary: How Neglect Can Lead to Nursing Home Falls WHAT TO DO IF YOUR ELDERLY LOVED ONE FALLS
German tennis star Tommy Haas echoed Mouratoglou in an interview with Insider, saying, “I know deep down, as the competitor she is, she wants to break the record. I think ultimately that’s why she’s still playing, because she wants that number and she’s going after it.”
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A lack of handrails in hallways or stairwells Other patients experiencing similar injuries
• An absence of records or explanation for the injury from the nursing home • A vague explanation of the injury from the nursing home.
If you suspect neglect may have been a factor in your loved one’s fall, make the following steps your due diligence in seeking justice for them:
During a discussion at the Silk Speaker Series at the University of San Francisco, Williams reportedly said her love of the game keeps her going. “I love what I do and that motivates me,” she said. As long as that love remains, odds are she’ll stay on the court. If you’re struggling to play a sport you enjoy and worry you might be getting too old for it, try channeling Williams. Remind yourself why you love the game, and you’ll find the strength to power through.
• Notify the nursing home of your loved one’s injuries immediately • Seek medical attention for your loved one • Contact an experienced nursing home neglect and abuse attorney You and your loved ones could be effectively punished with bills when you did nothing wrong. At Shuttlesworth Law Firm, we will tirelessly investigate the circumstances of any nursing home resident’s fall. Call (205) 322-1411 for a free case evaluation today! We’ll fight for their rights to be respected and for your family to receive the compensation they deserve.
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4 FACTORS THAT COULD DETERMINE THE AMOUNT How Much Can I Get for My Product Liability Settlement?
THE OUTCOMES OF PREVIOUS, SIMILAR CASES
While it would be simple and straightforward to just send the court a bill for your injuries, loss of income, and overall decreased quality of life after an injury caused by a defective product, settlements don’t always work that way. Instead, your settlement amount may depend on some or all of the following four factors.
If your product liability case is one of several similar cases happening across the country, then you might use the settlements in those cases as a means to roughly gauge the settlement amount for your case. That could be a good or bad thing. If similar cases have been settled for puny amounts, then you might also get next to nothing. However, if other settlements for plaintiffs in similar cases have been large, yours might also be large.
YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF WINNING THE TRIAL
The more plentiful the evidence in your favor and the more experienced your legal team, the better chance you have of winning a product liability case. That likelihood will also influence your ability to negotiate your settlement amount. The stronger the case, the greater your chances of negotiating a satisfactory settlement.
THE TIMING OF YOUR CASE AND THE DEFENDANT’S REMAINING FUNDS
If you’re joining thousands, or tens of thousands, of other plaintiffs in a legal battle against a major corporation, as their settlement funds run out, you may not receive as large a settlement as the first few plaintiffs who won their case. Similarly, if the organization is going out of business, then they might not have the available funds to pay a settlement.
THE EXTENT OF YOUR DAMAGES
When a jury reviews your case, they’ll take into account a multitude of factors when determining the proper settlement amount for you. Those factors include the cost of your medical bills, the income you lost, your pain and suffering, emotional distress, and any loss of companionship. The extent of all these factors will help the court determine your settlement.
At Shuttlesworth Law Firm, we can help you navigate all of these factors and more throughout your case. Call us today at (205) 322-1411.
FACTOID STRANGE
A (Literal) Beacon THE STATUE OF LIBERTY’S EARLY FUNCTION
Many see the Statue of Liberty as a beacon of freedom and prosperity. Many immigrants making the final leg of their journey to Ellis Island most certainly would have thought so. But did you know the Statue of Liberty used to be a literal beacon? For 15 years, the Statue of Liberty actually operated as a lighthouse. In 1886, when the Statue of Liberty was first built, ships would have been able to see the statue’s torch 24 miles away. However, the Lighthouse Board constantly complained about the operational costs of running the Statue of Liberty as a lighthouse, and finally in 1901, it ceased to be a navigational aid.
TAKE A BREAK
However, the monument remains a spectacular sight for all who make the journey to see her.
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201 Vulcan Road, Suite 210 Birmingham, AL 35209 (205) 322-1411 ShuttlesworthLasseter.com
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THIS ISSUE INSIDE
1
Lessons From Walking Steel on a Construction Site
2
Is Serena Williams Retiring?
2
How Neglect Can Lead to Nursing Home Falls
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4 Factors That Could Determine Your Settlement Amount
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This Month’s Strange Factoid
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DIY or Buy: Summer Lawn Games
DIY or Buy?
Lawn Games for Family Summer Fun
The warm summer sun may be enough to beckon your family outdoors, but lawn games will guarantee hours of fun outside. If you’re handy, there are plenty of great lawn games you can make yourself. If not, buy an off-the-shelf alternative and enjoy the easy setup.
CLASSIC HORSESHOES: INTERMEDIATE DIY
game commonly known as cornhole. To build your own cornhole set, you’ll need a couple of sheets of 1/2-inch-thick plywood along with two-by-fours, some hardware, and a variety of tools including a drill, jigsaw, and sander. Visit DIYPete.com/ cornhole-board-plans to get both written and video instructions. Buy: Ready to play ASAP? Cornhole sets are available from many large retailers around summertime, or you can order a customized set featuring your favorite team, family name, or characters from your favorite movies by looking at Etsy.com. Whether you buy or DIY, remember to have fun and always supervise your children while playing outdoors, especially when it comes to yard games!
Tossing horseshoes is a great way to pass an afternoon. To play, you’ll just need to set up two sand pits in your yard. Get a handful of horseshoes, and you’re ready to go! Many DIY plans are available online, including one from HousefulOfHandmade.com/ultimate-diy- horseshoe-pit. Buy: Check out the kid-friendly rubber horseshoe set from Wayfair.com, which requires no installation, can be used indoors or alongside your outdoor game, and is safe for younger children.
GIANT JENGA: EASY DIY
All you need to build a giant Jenga tower are two- by-fours that are cut to length. If you’re handy with a saw, you can do this at home. If not, ask to have the wood cut at your local lumberyard. Be sure to sand down the edges before stacking the boards to create a classic Jenga tower! For extra fun, pick a few paint colors and paint each board. Visit ABeautifulMess.com/make-this-giant-jenga to see a complete set of instructions. Buy: Skip the project and buy GoSports Giant Wooden Toppling Tower online, which retails for about $70 and stacks over 5 feet high.
CORNHOLE: ADVANCED DIY
The humble beanbag may be the most versatile backyard game piece. It’s used in the popular
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