GA Injury Advocates February 2019

GA Injury Advocates February 2019

Auto Injury T R I B U N E

February 2019

What It Means to Be a Good Lawyer LESSONS IN LAW AND LIFE

T he first time I met a lawyer, I was 8 years old. My uncle took me to meet his lawyer because he needed a translator to discuss his immigration situation. I remember how stressful that meeting was for my uncle. The lawyer wouldn’t give him any information and wanted $2500 in cash that day. My uncle left that office feeling more worried than when he’d walked in. Later on, he told my mom he wasn’t sure if he should have given that lawyer anything. Fortunately, it all worked out okay, but the way my uncle looked talking to that lawyer stuck with me. He felt powerless and scared, and this guy ,who was supposed to help him, just made him feel worse. I didn’t decide to become a better lawyer at that moment; I went to law school because I couldn’t afford to start my own business. But I never forgot how a lawyer could make someone feel if they didn’t do a good job. weeks. They worked hard to support our family, but it was barely enough. Whenever their overtime was taken away, it put the family in crisis. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in that situation, and I learned from a young age that if I wanted to support myself, being self-employed was the best path. I come from a very poor background and grew up watching my parents work 50- or 60-hour

When some bigger chains started to move into the area, offering customers much lower prices than we could afford, I asked my boss if he was worried. He told me no because, as he put it, “If you take care of customers well, and you give good customer service every time, then you never have to worry.” He couldn’t beat the low prices, but he always had a better standing in the community because he helped everybody. After college, I went to the John Marshall School of Law and, as soon as I graduated, opened my own practice. Right away, I realized that being a lawyer was going to be so much better than working in any other field. It’s gratifying to be there when people need help. In 19 years of running my practice, our motto has always been to provide good, honest customer service. If our clients have questions, we’re honest with them; we don’t leave them hanging. We make sure everyone gets paid, both our clients and the doctors who treat them. Our honesty has built a great deal of trust with my clients. It feels good to know that when someone comes in, they trust that we’re going to take care of them. I have a responsibility to help people when they feel powerless. I intend to live up to that responsibility and change their lives for the better every day. –Ramiro Rodriguez, Jr.

parents couldn’t give me anything, and the banks refused to loan me anything. I could only get student loans, so I decided I might as well go to college. It was at Texas A&M where I met a lawyer who I was able to talk to about my situation. “You could become a lawyer and run your own practice,” he suggested. “I know a lot of successful lawyers who came from nothing and didn’t get the highest grades in high school. You just need to work hard and be a good lawyer.” If being a good lawyer meant being better than that guy my uncle hired, I could do it in my sleep. For years, I’d known about the importance of good customer service. In high school, I worked for a local auto parts store.

As you might know, starting a business costs money, which proved to be a challenge. My

El Abogado Ramiro (El Abogado Amigo) y su equipo hablan español

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BREAK THE MONOTONY OF OVERPLAYED BOARD GAMES!

A WALK IN THE WOODS IS THE PRESCRIPTION

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.

3 WAYS CONTACT WITH NATURE IMPROVES YOUR HEALTH Our ancestors were deeply connected to their natural environment, mostly because their survival depended on it. With no Whole Foods available, those who could best track a mammoth, find water, and forage for edible plants kept themselves alive and passed on their genes. Given our history as hunter-gatherers, it’s no wonder contact with nature provides us with several health benefits. A MEMORY BOOST In a University of Michigan study, a group of students were asked to take a memory test that involved repeating numbers back to researchers. Next, researchers separated the students into two groups. Group A took a walk around an arboretum and Group B walked along busy city streets. Afterward, they were asked to take the memory test again. Group A, the students who had walked in the arboretum, performed 20 percent better on the memory test. Group B didn’t show any marked improvement. Additional research has corroborated the memory-enhancing effects of nature. A MOOD BOOST Observing the benefits nature has for cognitive function, scientists wondered what effects it might have on individuals diagnosed with depression. In one study from the University of Essex, participants with major depressive disorder reported an improvement in self- esteem and mood after spending time in nature. Exercising while in nature resulted in even more of a mood boost for participants. A CALMING EFFECT Research also shows that spending time in nature reduces stress. In a study conducted by Chiba University in Japan, participants spent two nights in the forest. Researchers evaluated their levels of stress hormones during and after this period and compared it to their normal work days in the city. Across the board, participants’ stress levels were much lower during the days spent in the forest and for several days afterward. Today, we’re less connected to our natural environment than our ancestors were. Modern comforts and technology mean we don’t have to go outside to get our food. But nature is still accessible and you don’t have to go far to find it. In many of the studies, even minor exposure to the outdoors, like adding plants to your home or looking out a window during work, showed health benefits. This winter, find ways to bring a little more nature into your life each day. Your brain will thank you.

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!

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SHOULD I SEE A CHIROPRACTOR AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT?

A lot of people think that feeling fine immediately after a car accident means they were not injured in the accident. “I was lucky,” they’ll say when loved ones reach out after the accident. This is a dangerous mistake. Although you may not have symptoms right away, your neck or back could have been easily injured in the car accident, and those injuries will flare up later. If you suffered broken bones or a traumatic brain injury, you need to go straight to the emergency room. But if you walk away from an accident thinking you are okay, then you need to schedule an evaluation with a chiropractor. Chiropractors are trained to identify abnormalities in the musculoskeletal system and can often diagnose injuries even before patients start to feel pain. Seeing a chiropractor after a car accident is important for a number of reasons. AID IN RECOVERY The sooner your injuries are diagnosed, the soon you can start healing. Many chiropractic doctors are trained to help car accident victims recover faster and restore their mobility after

an injury. Additionally, being aware of your injuries early on can help you avoid accidentally making these injuries worse. It’s not uncommon for car accident victims who are unaware of their injuries to hurt themselves more while performing daily activities. PROTECT YOUR CASE Medical bills are expensive. If you want your insurance to pay for your medical bills after an accident, you need to prove your injuries were caused by the accident. Many car accident victims don’t realize they are injured until long after the accident. By the time you seek treatment for your pain, the insurance company may claim your injuries are unrelated to the accident. Or they could suggest that, because you waited so long for treatment, your injuries aren’t severe and reduce the value of your case. If you or a loved one are in a car accident, you need to schedule an evaluation with your chiropractor within three days of the accident. This is the best way to improve your chances at recovery and make sure the insurance company fulfills their promises to you.

PROTECT YOURSELF

RECIPE:

SPICY SALMON TARTARE

SUDOKU

Ingredients:

• • • • •

1 8-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillet

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon lime zest

1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and finely diced 1 1/2 teaspoons jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced 1 1/2 teaspoons shallots, minced 3/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

• • • • •

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons grapeseed or vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

• •

Crackers or chips, for serving

Directions:

1. Place salmon in freezer for 20 minutes to make slicing easier. 2. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients for mixing. 3. Thinly slice salmon into sheets and cut sheets into strips and strips into cubes.

When finished, you should have 1/8-inch cubes. 4. In a mixing bowl, combine salmon with all other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Garnish with chips or crackers and serve.

Solution on page 4

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332 North Marietta Pkwy Marietta, GA 30060 GAInjuryAdvocates.com (770) 233-7400

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Sudoku solution

Inside

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How to Be a Good Lawyer

3 Ways Nature Improves Your Health Bring Variety to Family Game Night In a Car Accident? Call Your Chiropractor! Spicy Salmon Tartare

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Why Did the Big Chicken Cross the Road?

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The History of Marietta’s Favorite Landmark

When giving directions, some cities rely on street signs, far-off mountains, or Google Maps to get around. In Marietta, we have something far better: the Big Chicken. Proudly roosting at 12 Cobb Parkway, the Big Chicken has guided hungry Georgians to delicious fried chicken for over five decades. The restaurant, which today is a KFC, originally opened in 1956 as a local eatery called Johnny Reb’s Chick-Chuck-‘N’-Shake. The 56-foot-tall bird first rose over Marietta in 1963 after S. R. “Tubby” Davis, the owner of the restaurant, hired Georgia Tech architecture student Hubert Puckett to create exciting advertising that would draw in travelers cruising down the newly constructed Highway 41. Things haven’t always been easy for Marietta’s favorite landmark. A year after its debut, the motor that moved the Big Chicken’s eyes and beak caused so much vibration that all the windows in the restaurant shattered! A decade later, Davis sold the restaurant to his brother who turned it into a franchise of KFC. It’s

rumored that Colonel Sanders himself wasn’t a fan of the Big Chicken and ordered it to be torn down. But when faced with public outcry, the Colonel let the Big Chicken live another day. The Big Chicken almost met its end again in 1993, after the structure was damaged by high winds. Overwhelming support from the Marietta community, including pilots from the nearby air base, convinced KFC to repair the bird rather than tear it down. Pepsi chipped in to restore the beloved icon, and engineers even figured out how to dampen the motor, allowing the Big Chicken to move for the first time in 30 years. In 2017, the Big Chicken and its restaurant got a $2 million makeover. After its re-hatching, the Big Chicken bears a fresh coat of paint, a new logo, a gift shop, and its own radio station! Next time you’re nearby, tune into 820 AM to hear “deep thoughts from the previously silent bird.”

TURN LEFT AT THE BIG CHICKEN

Each town is unique, and the Big Chicken certainly helps make Marietta so egg-cellent!

Photo by Jud McCranie, [email protected]

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