Dickerson Oxton July 2018

816-268-1960 | 913-428-8220 www.dickersonoxton.com

JULY 2018

ANIMAL BITES

CAR ACCIDENTS

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

TurningPoints MY LAW JOURNEY When we founded Dickerson Oxton Law Firm, Chelsea and I were determined to be more than your average attorneys. We wanted to build real relationships with the folks we help, to be there for them inside and outside the courtroom. That’s why we are excited to welcome you to the very first edition of our newsletter! This publication is our little way of keeping in touch with you. After all, as personal injury lawyers, we represent people when they are often at their most vulnerable. Since we take the time to get to know you and the details of your case, we’d like to give you a chance to become familiar with us. You deserve to know your representatives and what they stand for. That’s why I want to begin by sharing the winding road that led me to become a lawyer in the first place. Believe it or not, I was really into sports as a teenager. In those days, soccer and track were what I did day in and day out; becoming a lawyer was about as far from my mind as it could possibly be. But my parents saw a talent in me that I was unaware of. You see, I was a rebellious kid who thought he knew everything, so I got into plenty of arguments with Mom and Dad, and plenty of trouble. Once my parents realized that I wasn’t going to stop getting into disputes with them, they decided I may as well learn to do it well. So they enrolled me in debate class against my will, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I’m not going to lie — my teenage self resented this decision. Debate class felt more like a punishment than anything else. Or at least it did until my first tournament. Valued reader,

BICYCLE/ MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

In order to pass the class, I was required to

BRAIN & SPINAL CORD INJURIES

compete in at least two debate competitions a year. So I grudgingly dragged myself to the first tournament, hoping to get the ordeal out of the way. Then I got destroyed by the competition, and everything changed. My competitive mindset kicked into full gear, and I threw myself into the activity. I placed second in the next three competitions and ended up competing in every single tournament that year. My mind was made up; I wanted to become a lawyer and debate for a living. At the time, the only lawyer I knew was the father of one of my high school friends. He was an attorney who represented victims of medical malpractice and drug injuries, which means he frequently went up against some of the biggest conglomerates in the health care and pharmaceutical industry. He’d sit in his recliner chair in his living room with his legal pad in hand and tell me about the blatant abuses these corporations were committing against everyday people. Those evenings where I sat and listened to this established attorney rail against the negligence of the giant companies and their refusal to take responsibility for harming people taught me something they don’t really cover in law school. Lawyers can and should give a voice to the voiceless to deliver justice and correct injustice. In the court of law, David can slay Goliath, holding multimillion-dollar industries accountable to the same values of responsibility we share with our friends and neighbors. That’s the kind of lawyer I wanted to be.

BURN INJURIES

CONSTRUCTION INJURIES

NURSING HOME ABUSE

SLIP & FALL ACCIDENTS

BOATING ACCIDENTS

TRUCK ACCIDENTS

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PHARMACEUTICAL & DRUG INJURIES

Our business is a family business built on referrals, and we invite and appreciate referrals from you. Referring a family member or friend to us on an injury or other legal matter is the best compliment we can receive. We practice personal injury law, but if you ever have any type of legal problem, we would be happy to see how we can help you. 1

Where Essential Oils Come From SOURCING THE SWEET-SMELLING STUFF Call it a pseudoscientific fad or a medical revolution; either way, essential oils are more popular today than they have ever been. Though research on the efficacy of lavender, ginger, and the dozens of other sweet-smelling oils is conflicting at best, people are using them at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to Stratistics MRC, essential oils were a $5.91 billion industry in 2016 and are expected to reach $12.85 billion by 2023. Whether you’re an essential oil acolyte or fly into a rage at the faintest hint of bergamot, your mind is probably already made up about aromatherapy. The question remains, though: Where does all this delicious-smelling stuff come from? Most essential oils are derived from a process called steam distillation . Soon after harvest, the plants are placed on a mesh inside a sealed still, into which steam is injected. As the steam rises and envelops the plant, it breaks it down and lifts its constituent components up through a tube and into a condenser. The condenser cools the resulting vapor and collects it in liquid form

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I briefly lost sight of this goal while attending college. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had a sudden opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. A friend in my dorm had mentioned that his mother — who was a lawyer at a firm representing the big banks — was in immediate need of a file clerk. Working for a firm that represents the financial industry was a departure from the kind of legal work I had envisioned myself doing, but at age 19, I was going to take any chance I could get to improve my odds of going to law school and get my foot in the door somewhere. Time and again, I watched the firm I worked for protect some of the biggest banks in the country from people they had wronged. I vividly remember a case involving an elderly couple who had been wrongfully foreclosed upon. It was clear as day that the bank had made an accounting error, one that caused these retirees to lose all the equity in their home. While the fault of the bank was obvious, the elderly couple hired an inexperienced lawyer to represent them. The firm quickly found and exploited the procedural holes in the couple’s case, essentially getting it thrown out on a technicality. I was a part of that “win” for our firm, but it didn’t feel like a victory. This wasn’t like winning a debate tournament; a bank made a mistake, and an innocent couple paid the price. And it was all because one side had better lawyers. I felt disturbed, nauseous even. I’d played a part in the kind of injustice my friend’s father had warned me about. I defended the powerful from the rights of the weak. I didn’t give up on law, though — far from it. That clerking job didn’t just teach me the harm a good lawyer working for the wrong client can do; it taught me that a bad lawyer defending the right people can be just as dangerous. I threw myself into my legal studies, determined to be the kind of lawyer with the compassion and the expertise to stand up for everyday folks who have been wronged. And here I am today, doing the work my friend’s father first inspired me to do back in high school. Along the way, I met Chelsea, an extremely intelligent lawyer who shared my conviction for fighting for the underdog. We married, then we founded Dickerson Oxton Law Firm over eight years ago. Now we’re working to protect the rights of everyday folks who have been harmed by wrongdoers big and small. Along with the joys of raising our young daughter and son, we find satisfaction in knowing we are using our knowledge and expertise to do real good in the world. And it all began with a rebellious kid being sent to debate class.

When a friend is injured in a car crash, it’s easy to feel powerless to help them. Knowing what to say or do for someone who has just faced a potentially traumatic event is incredibly difficult. But the truth is there are simple but effective steps you can take to support your friend’s recovery and make their day-to-day life easier. 3 WAYS TO SUPPORT A FRIEND AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT

PRACTICAL SUPPORT

Many everyday activities can become difficult or impossible after an accident. Just getting from place to place can be a challenge; your

friend may be left without a car, or they may

even find the act of driving to be nerve- wracking. Volunteering

Who says nothing good comes from arguing with your parents?

Tom Dickerson

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TAKE A BREAK

endemic to Australia, but today are usually farmed in New South Wales or Queensland.

at the bottom. Since essential oils do not mix with water, they float on the surface, where they’re siphoned off, bottled, and shipped off to a distributor. There are other methods, such as expression (aka cold pressing), but because steam distillation is so easy to do, most essential oils you see on the shelf will have gone through this process. Lavender essential oil is harvested from sheaves of lavandula angustifolia , that purple herb you see all over gardens across the United States. There are

Bergamot is distilled from the peels of lime- green bergamot oranges, or citrus bergamia . Most of it comes from coastal areas around the Ionian Sea. Whatever you do with it, use it sparingly on your skin — it can amplify skin damage from the sun!

lavender farms all over the world, from California to Japan to Brazil, but the biggest world producer of lavender is, interestingly, Bulgaria.

Tea Tree oil comes from the leaves of melaleuca alternifolia , commonly known as narrow-leaved paperbark, a short,

bushy tree that produces white,

Charred Chili- Cheese Corn

fluffy flowers in the spring. The trees are

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT

to take them to appointments or drive their kids to school for them can help immensely. Another extremely helpful act of kindness is to make dinner for your injured friend. Their life is likely stressful enough without having to worry about grocery shopping and cooking. Taking the time to make them a home-cooked meal is a touching gesture that ensures your friend is eating well. Finally, it’s never a bad idea just to ask your friend what you can do to help. You may be surprised that the smallest things may sometimes make the largest difference for them. Not all trauma left by car crashes is physical. Many accident victims grapple with anxiety and depression on top of their injuries. While you can’t wish away this pain, you can make it easier for your friend to bear. Having someone to listen and commiserate with often makes life easier for accident victims. It reminds them that they aren’t alone, their pain is real and valid, and their voice matters. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Unfortunately, car accidents often require victims to jump through many logistical hoops. From insurance documents to securing a rental car, there’s a lot of important paperwork bogging down the recovery process. While you may be unable to help directly with these matters, you can point your friend in the direction of someone who can. Personal injury attorneys, like our team at Dickerson Oxton, can be invaluable in these situations. We can take on much of the logistical burden, from dealing with the insurance companies to having some of their medical bills paid through no-fault insurance coverage. In the past, we’ve helped clients receive aid from Med-Pay in Missouri and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in Kansas to help them pay for their medical bills while their case is pending. We’re people first and lawyers second, and we will do all we can to help your friend or loved one through this difficult time.

ingredients

• •

4 ears of corn, husked

4 tablespoons high-smoke-point oil, such as canola or vegetable 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 red chili (such as Fresno) or jalapeño, thinly sliced

• •

• •

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 ounces fresh cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled

• •

1/4 cup cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1. Heat grill to medium. 2. Brush corn with 2 tablespoons oil and grill until visibly charred, 10–12 minutes. 3. Cut kernels off cob and combine with shallots, chilis, lime juice, cheese, and remaining oil. 4. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

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1200 Main St. Ste. 2120 Kansas City, MO 64105

816-268-1960 | 913-428-8220 www.dickersonoxton.com

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THIS ISSUE

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Tom’s Origin Story Where Do Essential Oils Come From? How to Support a Friend After a Car Crash Take a Break

Charred Chili-Cheese Corn Common Misconceptions

LiesYou'veBeenTold

FICTION THAT HOLDS TOO MUCHWEIGHT

coughing, speaking, thinking, and breathing, are all carried out by processes in the brain. There are levels of consciousness that cause parts of your brain to be less active than others, but there isn’t one singular area that ceases to work for any long period of time.

Dr. Donald Unger was the first person to conduct an experiment with the hypothesis that cracking your knuckles doesn’t lead to arthritis. He cracked only the knuckles in his left hand for over 50 years. Later in life, both hands were arthritis-free.

Fallacies are fed to us on

a daily basis, and

some are more believable than others. Here

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IS VISIBLE FROM SPACE

YOU EAT SPIDERS WHILE YOU SLEEP

are a few popular

You may have heard this chilling myth before, but it’s simply not true. Spiders are very sensitive to vibrations — they won’t willingly approach a breathing or snoring human. It isn’t in our eight-legged friends’ nature to crawl into a person’s mouth.

misconceptions.

While the size of the Great Wall is truly spectacular, that doesn’t mean it can be seen from outer space. It’s not at all visible from the moon, and even from low orbit, it’s difficult to spot the wall with an unaided eye. According to NASA, the theory was first shaken by Yang Liwei, a Chinese astronaut, who said he was unable to see the Great Wall from space. Later, a camera with a 180 mm lens and a 400 mm lens captured the wall from a low orbit.

CRACKING YOUR KNUCKLES WILL CAUSE ARTHRITIS

Studies show that there aren’t any dangers to cracking your knuckles, besides annoying someone with the noise. For a long time, many speculated that the cause of the cracking or popping noise was either the resetting of joints and tendons or the formation of fluid that lubricates the joints.

YOU USE ONLY 10 PERCENT OF YOUR BRAIN

Your brain is constantly in use. Every single action you perform, including digestion,

Our business is a family business built on referrals, and we invite and appreciate referrals from you. Referring a family member or friend to us on an injury or other legal matter is the best compliment we can receive. We practice personal injury law, but if you ever have any type of legal problem, we would be happy to see how we can help you.

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