Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell - February 2019

February 2019 815-726-9999 | www.blocklaw.com THEBKMS BULLETIN

To My Best Friend 20 Years and Counting

“OVER THE YEARS, JENNIFER AND I HAVE DONE A LOT OF GROWING TOGETHER.” When I look back on our relationship, it’s incredible how smoothly things went. After graduating high school, we went to the same college for two years until Jennifer had to transfer and finish her nursing program elsewhere. Our schools were only about an hour apart, so we made it work. Later, when I got accepted to law school out of state, we made the trek to Minnesota together. At every turn, things just worked out for us. I’m not the kind of guy who believes in fate, but it’s almost like Jennifer and I were meant to be. She’s my best friend, and we’ve always had a great time together. I’ll admit that I’ve known my wife for almost my whole life. Jennifer and I met when my family moved to Morris, Illinois, during my eighth-grade year. She and I were part of the same friend group, but we didn’t grow closer until we were juniors in high school. A couple of our other friends started dating, and instead of feeling like the third and fourth wheel with them, Jennifer and I started hanging out more. Things happened pretty organically. Soon we started dating as well, and everything kind of went from there.

I don’t remember our first date. We were in high school! But I do remember my favorite date. At the risk of sounding cheesy, my favorite date was our wedding day. It was nothing short of spectacular. Jennifer is amazing when it comes to party planning. As soon as I proposed, she had everything planned and booked within a couple of weeks. We said “I do” at a beautiful venue, surrounded by all our friends and family. Over the years, Jennifer and I have done a lot of growing together. We’ve changed a lot. Our relationship hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve been able to work the issues out together. Whether we’re having a bad day or a great one, we continue to make a good team. I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without Jennifer by my side.

Jennifer was my biggest cheerleader when I was in law school. When our girls came along, she was basically a single parent for a while because I was still in the middle of studying for the bar exam. Her dedication helped me start my career and have a family. When Jennifer’s not there, everything is 20 times more complicated. She’s the glue that holds our life together and the fuel that keeps everything running. Jennifer challenges me to be a better man, and I love her more and more each day. Happy Valentine’s Day to my best friend. Jennifer, I couldn’t live without you.

–Brya n Shell

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Family Game Night Break the Monotony of Overplayed Board Games!

Family game night is a time when a family can forget about all of life’s commitments and bond over a good old-fashioned board game. But the old, tattered Monopoly box or worn-out UNO cards can leave something to be desired, and the classics might be getting a little dull. If you’re tired of playing the same board games over and over, it might be time to start looking for ways to change things up. Here are four tabletop games you might not have heard of that are perfect for spicing up family game night. MYSTERIUM Your family will love delving into this cooperative murder mystery game that is a mixture of Clue and Dixit. You can play as the ghost or as one of the mediums who enters the haunting. The ghost player gives each medium a clue or vision about a potential murderer, and the mediums have to guess

which person, room, or weapon was used to murder the ghost player. After each turn, the ghost reveals whether each of the mediums’ guesses are right or not. If all of the mediums succeed in guessing correctly by the seventh in-game hour, they work together to find the true murderer. LASER CHESS A classic game of chess is a great way to spend an evening, and it just got a little more interesting. Laser chess includes all the problem-solving skills a typical chess game offers but with a twist. At the end of each turn, a player fires a small laser beam that bounces off the mirrored chess pieces. If it hits the non-mirrored surface of a piece, that piece is taken by the player. A player wins when the opposing player’s king piece is illuminated. CATAN Welcome to the island of Catan! After a long voyage at sea, the people in

your expedition compete against other seafarers in building settlements. Enjoy the 45–90-minute game as you and your family build roads, barter resources, and race for absolute supremacy on Catan. ONE NIGHT WEREWOLF Every night, werewolves prowl around the village, and it’s up to the villagers to find the werewolf once the sun rises — before it’s too late. Each person plays a unique role with different abilities to help find or conceal the werewolf. If the werewolf is caught, the villagers win the game, but if the werewolf manages to escape, the villagers lose. Now you can bring some exciting variety into your family game nights. Don’t miss out on these excellent tabletop games, and most importantly, have fun!

MORE TO THE STORY Why Sue the Phone Book Over Botched Plastic Surgery?

Back before the days of the internet, if you wanted to get a job done right, you turned to the phone book. This is what an Oregon woman did in 1996 when she wanted to try liposuction. Turns out the doctor she called wasn’t qualified to perform plastic surgery. When the procedure went south, she sued … the phone company! Somehow, the jury agreed with this shift of blame, and the woman walked away with over a million dollars. This “wacky” lawsuit story pops up a lot and often leaves people asking why the woman didn’t sue the doctor for malpractice. In fact, she did! The woman, Michelle Knepper, sued Dr. Timothy Brown for misrepresenting himself as a board-certified plastic surgeon when he was really only certified in dermatology. During the procedure, Brown removed too much fat, leaving Knepper’s lips permanently disfigured and her nerves exposed, resulting in constant pain she suffers to this day. It’s no wonder Brown settled the case before it could go to trial. It’s worth noting that Knepper wasn’t the only patient to suffer from Brown’s shady practices. In 1999, a woman named Marie Nolan also went to Dr. Brown for liposuction. Nolan would

later sue on the grounds that Brown had “misrepresented his qualifications to perform liposuction” and was awarded $183,000 in damages. How does the phone book get involved? It’s yet another example of misrepresentation in this case. Knepper sued Dex Media, Inc., the company responsible for placing ads in the phone book. Dex Media had deliberately misrepresented Brown’s qualifications by placing his ad under “Plastic Surgery” and boasting that Brown was board certified without clarifying that he was only certified in dermatology. Dex Media knowingly misled patients with the ad to help Brown boost his business, which in turned brought in more money for the media company. The lawsuit against Dex Media went on until April of 2005, when the jury awarded Knepper’s family $1.5 million in compensatory damages. Hopefully, this large payout was enough punishment to dissuade Dex Media from encouraging physicians to run misleading ads, thus preventing other patients from sharing Knepper’s fate.

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Motor vehicle accidents are no small matter. When you’re behind the wheel, it takes only a single careless decision to change countless lives forever. Personal injury attorneys can help handle the legal fallout of these cases and be invaluable when an accident involves a large truck. Trucking accidents are even more complicated than motor accidents that involve only Danger on the Roads What Makes Trucking Cases Different? Due to the massive size of these trucks — well over 10,000 pounds — the damages caused by a crash are often far worse. It’s estimated that 10 percent of people who are injured in an accident involving a large truck will die as a result. The other 90 percent face a lifetime of struggles due to their injuries. Brain damage, paralysis, psychological trauma, and other permanent disabilities are common in survivors of truck accidents. It is crucial these victims receive compensation not just for treatment immediately following the accident but to cover any needed ongoing medical care for the rest of their lives. WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? In a car accident, the drivers involved in the crash assume some degree of responsibility for the wreck. But in a trucking accident case, the blame may go even deeper. Because large cars or motorcycles for a number of reasons. THE NATURE OF YOUR INJURIES

trucks pose such a danger, the industry is heavily regulated. Unfortunately, these life-saving regulations are often ignored in favor of making a profit. When this happens, injured victims may be able to seek compensation from the trucking company. In some circumstances, the case may even involve government entities or other third parties. FINDING EVIDENCE Evidence is necessary to win any case, but when you’re dealing with a trucking accident, the trick is knowing where to look for that evidence. For example, many trucks have “black box” >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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