Harmonson Law Firm - August 2020

Harmonson Law Firm - August 2020

AUGUST 2020

HARMONSON HEADLINES

YOUR GUIDE TO PERSONAL INJURY IN THE BORDERLAND

FRIED PIES AND BINGO My First Summer Jobs

Do you remember your first summer job? It’s often a rite of passage for teenagers to get a summer job during high school as they think about what they want to do next in life. My first job was at Sally’s Fried Pie Company. Scott Womack, the owner, was a youth leader at our church when I was growing up. Fried pies are little handheld pastries that are filled with delicious fruit or chocolate and then deep-fried. I would help Scott on the weekends by cleaning out the trays, doing odd jobs around the kitchen, and individually wrapping the pies by the dozen in boxes. I would also tag along with Scott as he traveled to food conventions around Texas over the summer to sell pies. That seems so long ago now! I haven’t kept up with Scott as much as I should. These days, he’s a successful real estate agent in Lubbock. My other summer job was working at a bingo hall when I was 16. My uncle was the manager of a local bingo hall and had me selling bingo daubers. I must have been good because the job continued well past summer and into the school year. Once school started back up, I was able to balance my schoolwork with my bingo work. Bingo was played at night, and my uncle allowed me to do my homework while selling daubers!

To add even more to my day, I was on the basketball team in high school. I would get out of practice at about 5:30 p.m., race home to shower and eat, and then head to the bingo hall. I was doing this four or five nights a week and on the weekends during high school. Definitely kept me out of trouble! I actually kept that job all throughout college, and the money I earned helped me pay for tuition. I ended up learning every job a bingo hall could offer, including managing the cash registers and calling out the bingo numbers. But it wasn’t the job itself that I found truly interesting. It was the people. There were a lot of interesting folks who both worked at and attended bingo. One of my coworkers was Anthony Lynn, who is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Back in the day, he was the lead running back at Texas Tech, and my uncle always liked to hire Texas Tech football players to work at the bingo hall. My brother also worked at the bingo hall. Now he’s a very successful banker. It seems like many of my uncle’s hires went on to have great careers! My summer jobs provided me with the work ethic and foundation for success that I have today. I learned the value of hard work and earning your own money at a young age. More importantly, however, they gave me an appreciation for all sorts of people. I can’t tell you how many people I met working at bingo, but they came from all walks of life, and I had the chance to get to know them all. That’s what we do at Harmonson Law Firm today. We get to know our clients — and we help people from all walks of life who have been injured in an accident.

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UNDERSTANDING ‘PHYSICAL CONTAC

2020 has been a difficult year. If you’re feeling frustrated, angry, or depressed right now, you’re not alone! All over the world, people have been trying different strategies to cope with their feelings, including yoga, meditation, exercise, binge-watching their favorite TV shows, and even baking banana bread. But perhaps the most universal outlet and cure for pent-up emotions is music. Do you remember the clip that went viral in March of Italians in quarantine, singing together from their balconies? If you do, that’s probably because it made you smile. TIME heralded it as proof that “the country’s spirits are still strong,” and it’s just one small example of how music uplifts people. This isn’t just an anecdotal effect, either. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, music can help us process emotions and fight mental health conditions like anxiety, dysregulation, depression, trauma, sleep disorders, schizophrenia, and more. So, how can you take advantage of music’s power to turn your mood around? One option is to create music of your own, but another is simply to listen. When it comes to flipping a bad mood on its head, a survey conducted by the Family Center for Recovery (FCR) suggests that rock is the genre of choice. “During any given year, depression affects approximately 5%–8% of Americans,” FCR reports. “According to our survey participants, the vast majority — around 89% — turn to music in order to feel better. The top genre for depressed listeners is rock, followed closely by alternative, pop, and hip-hop/rap.”

What does it take for uninsured motorist coverage to be triggered?

Let’s say that a driver is cut off by another vehicle and a single-vehicle accident occurs, but the two vehicles never touch. The other vehicle leaves the scene of the crash and cannot be found. The driver of the crashed vehicle is injured and has uninsured motorist coverage (UIM).

Will the injured driver’s uninsured motorist protection provide coverage even though there was no physical contact between the two vehicles?

Physical Contact Rules in New Mexico

Unlike some states, New Mexico does not require physical contact with the uninsured vehicle. This policy came to light during the New Mexico Supreme Court case Chavez v. State Farm. The Court decided that New Mexico’s uninsured motorist statute only requires two things:

1. The insured driver be legally entitled to recover damages 2. The other driver is uninsured

What the Insurance Companies DON’T Want You to Know About YOUR RIG

Claims was written to s with vital information 8-wheeler, work vehicle es to bear in mind that up premiums for t ir e amount that they are E ONE GOAL— HAREHOLDERS.

Injured in a Car Accident? The Insurance Company Is NOT Your Friend.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the blues came in last on the list.

To put the power of music to work, create playlists for each mood that you want to turn around, like “Anger,” “Frustration,” “Sadness,” “Anxiety,” or “Grief,” and fill them with songs from genres associated with fighting that feeling. According to FCR, rock is the most popular antidote to sadness and anxiety, and it’s also high on the list for anger, along with pop and country. Frustrated people opt for variations of rock, pop, punk, and heavy metal, and those stricken by grief turn to soft rock or soul. The artists are up to you, so fill up your lists, press play, and let the music do its work.

Written by experienced car accident attorney S. Clark Harmonson, this is a valuable resource with the vital facts you need before talking to the insurance company or hiring a lawyer.

g e e e e d es ly

In this book, you’ll learn everything insurance companies don’t want you to know, such as: • 12 shady auto insurance company tactics • 10 common myths and misconceptions about your car accident claim • How we hold negligent drivers accountable • What you need to do immediately after an accident • Top five worst auto insurance companies in Texas

“I wrote this book to help you cut through all the confusion surrounding your accident.”

WITH: 12 Dirty Tricks the Insurance Adjuster Will Use to Wreck Your Claim

Get your free copy at ClarkHarmonsonAttorney.com or by calling our office at 915.584.8777 .

AR ACCIDENT… ET THIS RIGHT!

2 • www.ClarkHarmonsonAttorney.com

CT’ LAWS AND CAR ACCIDENTS

HONESTY IS YOUR BEST POLICY So Don’t Hide Your Medical History

Phantom drivers who leave the scene of an accident are considered uninsured drivers pursuant to New Mexico law. Thus, there is no requirement for physical contact between the two vehicles. What if there are other factors, such as out-of-state drivers and insurance policies? This law applies to all accidents that occur in New Mexico, even if the injured driver is from out of state and their UIM policy from out of state has different requirements. If you live in Texas and have a Texas UIM policy with State Farm, for example, the policy requires physical contact for UIM coverage. But if a phantom vehicle ran you off the road in an accident in New Mexico, your UIM would still apply in this circumstance — even though there was no contact with the other vehicle — simply because the accident took place in New Mexico. Do all states have this law? No. Many states, including Texas, require physical touch between the two vehicles for coverage. That’s why you should contact an experienced car accident attorney — preferably one who is licensed in multiple states — to help you through this case.

It might seem like common sense, but people routinely hide their past accidents and injuries. They believe those old accidents and injuries will hurt their current car accident case. The truth is that those past events CAN negatively influence your case if you choose to hide them. Insurance companies are a treasure trove of information. They spend a lot of their resources collecting >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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