Harman Law - September/October 2021

Harman Law - September/October 2021

September/October 2021

THE HARMAN HEADLINE

HARMAN LAW

Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Employment Lawyers

5 FactsYou May Not KnowAbout Labor Day

And a Thank-You to the World’s Best Team!

As an employment lawyer, a business owner, and a dad, Labor Day is one of my favorite holidays three times over. Not only is it the end of summer and a good excuse for a vacation, but it’s also a day to celebrate my team and all of the advances attorneys have won in employment law over the years. I don’t want to bore you with too much history, but here are five facts that make Labor Day cool from an employment attorney’s perspective. 1. This is a holiday created by and for the people! In the late 1700s, workers started joining unions to bargain with their employers for better wages, hours, and working conditions. 2. The first Labor Day parade was made up of 10,000 New York City workers who left their offices on Sept. 5, 1882, to march through the streets in support of workers’ rights. “I’ve always valued how much my staff contributes to the firm. Without them, I couldn’t do what I do! But Labor Day is a good reminder to say thank you, and I’ll take the hint whenever I can.”

3. Labor Day became an official federal holiday thanks to the Pullman strike of 1894. Workers left their posts and their union called for a boycott of the Pullman Palace Car Company. This messed up transportation all over the country and made Washington, D.C., take notice. 4. That same year, President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day official! Today, it celebrates the contributions of American workers. 5. After Labor Day was established, amazing workers’ rights advocates like Francis Perkins stepped up to fight for workers. Perkins became secretary of labor in 1933 and her life story is beyond impressive. During her time in office, she helped create Social Security, minimum wage, the Fair Labor Standards Act, unemployment benefits, and more! Thanks to her, lawyers like me have a platform to fight for the rights of workers who have been injured, harassed, or taken advantage of on the job. With that history in mind, I want to say a big thank-you to my team for all of the hard work they put in during what has been a very, very busy 2021. There are five people on the team right now: Ina, our attorney; Samantha, our legal assistant; Azalea, our paralegal; TP, our intake specialist; and Christina, our marketing manager. Ina and Azalea are the newest members of the firm (read more about Ina on Page. 2), and they both did an amazing job jumping into an already busy office. Both of them really excel in their work, and they’ve helped us update our in-house systems. Thanks to them, we’re working more efficiently than ever!

Samantha has been with me the longest, and this year she has really stepped up to the plate and taken on duties outside of her normal job description. As a legal assistant, she handles correspondence, processing, and scanning documents. She also focuses on supporting our will and estate cases, while Azalea helps with personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. Last but not least are TP and Christina. TP is our intake specialist, and I love his positive attitude. He handles our incoming calls, follows up with new clients, and is overall a real team player. Christina is our marketing guru and has really streamlined the way clients find us. Thanks to her work, we can help people more quickly and communicate with them more effectively.

I’ve always valued how much my staff contributes to the firm. Without them, I

couldn’t do what I do! But Labor Day is a good reminder to say thank you, and I’ll take the hint whenever I can.

Here’s to a long Labor Day weekend!

–Michael Harman

1

Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – Call Us Today 704-885-5550

Willie the Parrot: The Ultimate Danger Alarm

Willie the Quaker parrot was a pretty remarkable bird. Like many parrots, he had a knack for mimicking certain sounds and words, including barking dog noises, human kissing noises, and a fair share of swear words. However, what made Willie a hero one day was not just what he said, but also when he said it. Meagan Howard, Willie’s owner, brought him over to her friend Samantha Kuusk’s house while she babysat Kuusk’s little daughter, Hannah. Hannah and Willie were both in the kitchen while Meagan prepared a Pop-Tart for Hannah’s breakfast. After placing the Pop-Tart on the table, Meagan stepped away to use the bathroom. While she was away, however, Hannah got her hands on the Pop-Tart and began to scarf it down, lodging a piece in her windpipe. She started choking and was unable to signal to Meagan that something was wrong. Luckily, Willie came to the rescue.

Willie began squawking and shrieking, saying the words “Mama! Baby!” over and over again. In a matter of moments, Meagan knew something was wrong. She rushed to the kitchen to find a very frantic Willie and a very blue Hannah. Meagan jumped into action. She grabbed Hannah and performed the Heimlich maneuver until the Pop-Tart piece dislodged itself and shot out of her mouth. Meagan may have been the one to stop Hannah from choking, but she insists that Willie was the real hero of the story. If he hadn’t used his unique mimicking skills to get Meagan’s attention, she doesn’t know what would have happened. It’s worth noting that before that incident, Willie had never used the phrase “Mama! Baby!” before. He knew something was wrong, and he knew how to get help. Shortly after the incident, Willie received the local Red Cross chapter’s Animal Lifesaver Award for his heroic actions.

We’re heading into spooky season, and as much as we love to see kids dressed up like zombies and superheroes, there’s one Halloween mainstay we’re not fans of: fear. Fear is one of the biggest factors that holds folks back from calling a lawyer — even though that person can fight for their rights and win compensation. 3 COMMON FEARS AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM AreYou ‘Spooked’ About Calling a Lawyer?

Fear No. 1: ‘People will think poorly of me if I hire a lawyer.’ Some folks worry that hiring a lawyer will make them look unfriendly, litigious, or petty. A few even fear that hiring a lawyer will make their legal problem more difficult because they’ll appear contentious. Here’s the truth: If someone thinks looking out for your best interests and your family’s best interests after a traumatizing experience is petty, their opinion shouldn’t factor into your decision. Hiring a lawyer will improve your life, not make it harder. Fear No. 2 : ‘Lawyers are intimidating — I don’t want to work with one!’ Many of our clients are surprised when they first sit down with Michael or experience a deposition with another attorney. They expect a bulldog and get a regular human! In reality, attorneys aren’t scary animals pulling at the leash. We’re regular folks who just want the best for our clients. That scary, screaming attorney is just a movie myth. Fear No. 3: ‘Paying for a lawyer will bankrupt me.’ Legal representation does cost money, but when you hire a good lawyer, they should make you far more money than they cost . Our team is always affordable. We believe in integrity and serving others, and we’ll never rip you off or overcharge you. We want you to leave our office in a better situation than you were in before. That means no spookiness! Call us today with peace of mind or pass this article on to someone you know who is scared to get representation. We can help!

Many of these fears are as unfounded as anxiety about the boogeyman, but people buy into them because of the way lawyers are represented on TV, in books, and in jokes. Today, we’re tackling a few of these fears to show you (or your worried friends and family) lawyers are more like Casper the Friendly Ghost than the Blair Witch.

2

Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – HarmanLawNC.com

Meet Our Newest Attorney! Ina Is Fighting Hard for Our Workers’ Comp Clients

SUDOKU

We’re always on the lookout for excellent attorneys to add to our team, and we really lucked out when we found Ina Shtukar six months ago. Ina has an impressive background in both law and psychology. She started her career as a counselor but quickly realized she wanted to take a more proactive approach to helping people. Simply listening and giving advice wasn’t enough for Ina — she wanted to be on the front lines! So, she retrained as an attorney to really make a difference in the world.

“I see us attorneys as responsible for bridging the gap between what is and what should be ,” she says. “We really do have the tools to do that.”

Solution on Page 4

Today, Ina is leading the fight for justice for our clients with workers’ compensation cases. Before coming to us, she worked at a large multistate law firm doing workers’ comp from the other side. Defending large companies didn’t sit well with her, so she switched teams! Today, her background gives her valuable insight into what opposing counsel might do and how to beat them.

One-Pan Apple Cider Chicken

“Our clients come to me whenever there is any sort of issue, and I really feel like I am making a difference and truly helping people,” Ina says. Ina was born in Belarus but has lived in North Carolina for 20 years now. Her mother lives with her and helps take care of her sons, 10-year-old Daniel and 9-year-old David. When Ina’s not working, reading legal cases for fun, or painting (her other passion), she’s teaching her boys independence.

INGREDIENTS:

•

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• •

4 tsp olive oil, divided 3 sweet apples, cut into 1/2-inch slices 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more for garnish

• •

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided 1/2 cup apple cider 2 tsp Dijon mustard

•

• •

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl, combine apple cider and mustard. Set aside. 3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tsp olive oil. When shimmering, add chicken thighs top-side down. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Wipe the skillet clean. 4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, then add sliced apples, remaining salt and pepper, and rosemary. Cook for 5 minutes. 5. Return the chicken to the skillet and add apple cider-mustard mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with rosemary!

“I’m teaching my kids to use their hands and to take on projects. It

makes them feel so powerful! We even built a patio. I never thought I could do that! It was hard, I’m not going to lie. I had blisters on my hands, but when we finished, I looked at it, and I was like, ‘Huh, that looks just like one we could have paid for!’ It was an amazing feeling,” she says. We’re proud to have an incredible lawyer, artist, and mom like Ina on our team! If you come to us with a workers’ compensation case, you’ll be in good hands.

3

Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – Call Us Today 704-885-5550

16507 Northcross Drive, Suite B Huntersville, NC, 28078 Offices in Lake Norman, Charlotte, and Hickory 704-885-5550 HarmanLawNC.com

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

HARMAN LAW

Inside This Issue

5 Facts You May Not Know About Labor Day 1

Sudoku Solution

Willie the Parrot: The Ultimate Danger Alarm

How to Overcome the Fear of Calling a Lawyer 2

One-Pan Apple Cider Chicken

Meet Ina, Our Newest Attorney! 3 The Night That Changed Football Forever 4

THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED FOOTBALL FOREVER

How Fantasy Football Got Its Start

Every year, 40 million Americans (and even entire offices) play fantasy football, “drafting” players from across the NFL for their virtual teams and competing for money and bragging rights. Maybe you have a virtual team in the locker room as you’re reading this! But where did the concept of fantasy football start? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the gridiron trend began in a New York City hotel room in 1962 — a night that changed football forever. There, a group of friends led by Oakland Raiders part-owner Bill Winkenbach created the first fantasy football league. They dubbed it the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League — or GOPPPL for short. Apart from the point values assigned to different accomplishments on the field, their original model wasn’t very far off from the fantasy football of today. “The league members would ‘draft’ actual National Football League (NFL) and American Football League … players to their fantasy franchises, and on the basis of the actual performance of those players in games, the members would accrue points and compete against each other,” the encyclopedia reports.

Early fantasy football leagues were complicated undertakings. In the days before the internet, members had to agree to reference the box scores in a particular newspaper’s sports pages and “draft” their teams in the same room on long phone calls, or even via snail mail. CBS Sports began offering online fantasy football leagues in 1997, and today it’s even easier to play. The sport is built right into the NFL website (Fantasy.NFL.com), and you can join a free league or start a league of your own with a click! Whether you’re a former player or a superfan who wants to play coach for a day, fantasy is a great way to stake a personal claim in the sport and connect with friends while you do it. Check out the article “How to Play Fantasy Football: A Beginner’s Guide” on NFL.com to learn the basics. It’s updated annually, so make sure you hunt down the 2021 version! When you start, don’t forget to salute Winkenbach, the official “Father of Fantasy Sports.”

4

Unwavering Client Experience. Outstanding Results. – HarmanLawNC.com