Harmonson Law Firm - February 2021

Harmonson Law Firm - February 2021

HARMONSON HEADLINES YOUR GUIDE TO PERSONAL INJURY IN THE BORDERLAND FEBRUARY 2021

The True Value of Random Acts of Kindness

“Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy, you must have somebody to divide it with.” –Mark Twain Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. While kind acts are welcome all year long, this day highlights their importance and reminds us to pepper them throughout our lives. Joy is best earned by sharing kindness with others after all, and kind gestures benefit both the recipient and the giver. They feel good and can have a profound impact on someone’s day. I’ve encountered many acts of kindness over the years, but there have been a few that are especially memorable.

When I’m at Starbucks, sometimes the person in front of me will pay for my order. This often starts a chain effect of each person paying for the next person’s drink. This has happened to me several times, and each time I always reciprocate and pay it forward. In one experience, the barista said that the chain of paying it forward was at 20-plus cars. Another example of kindness came after the Walmart tragedy. Our church made an effort to pay for meals for first responders. Our initial intention was to make meals for the police, but because of security concerns, the police (and other first responders) don't accept food donations. We ended up buying gift cards to restaurants and handing them out to the police and first responders when we encountered them in public. We also made care packages for soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss who couldn't go home this past Christmas. The care packages included snacks, basic toiletries, and some other essential items. Actions like these help people know that they are appreciated, especially given the sometimes thankless jobs they perform. We benefit from the delight that comes with giving too. Rosie Caldwell, our personal injury manager, is excellent at practicing random acts of kindness. She does this every day for our clients and everyone she encounters simply through her smile and kind words. If you have spoken with her on the phone, you will know exactly

what I’m talking about — and she’s shared her secret with me.

She has a mirror on her desk. When Rosie is on the phone, she simply turns, looks at it, and smiles! She embodies our firm’s value of treating everyone we encounter with respect, whether that be our clients, adjusters, attorneys, judges, or the public at large. Rosie even treats those few mean soreheads who call our office with the same level of respect. I've also try to practice kindness, and one particular instance of this that comes to mind ended up having a profound effect on my life. About 10 years ago, an older lawyer called me and asked a question about New Mexico law. He wasn’t licensed in New Mexico, but he'd heard that I had recently been admitted by the bar in the state. However, I didn't know the answer to his question at that moment. When we got off the phone, I researched for an hour or two and sent him a brief email with the answer. A few weeks later, I received a thank-you note with $200 inside. Since then, I have become friends with this lawyer, and I've also had the chance to work on several cases with him. When I did the research, I didn't expect anything in return. However, that one seed I planted grew into a friendship and revenue that is still growing today.

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It doesn't take a scientist to tell us that a healthy, loving relationship can lessen our stress — but did you know it also boosts our immune system's response and could help us live longer? Multiple studies have shown that couples in happy, loving marriages tend to have lower blood pressure. Marriage itself isn’t the key to a healthier life — the love is, researchers find. How do researchers define a loving relationship? To put it simply, it depends on the couples’ own opinion. Married couples with a high quality (aka loving) relationship showed significantly lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure than singles. However, happily married couples and singles had lower blood pressure than people in low quality marriages. Which means, at least in terms of your health, it’s much better to be single than unhappily married. How does it help your blood pressure exactly? Well, when positive events occur, the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin interact with your dopamine reward system. Vasopressin in particular helps control blood pressure. Of course, getting into a new relationship can be a little stressful! Cortisol, the stress hormone, initially rises when you fall in love. However, it quickly drops in a long-term, stable relationship. Those low cortisol levels sustained for a long period of time contribute to many health benefits. But how does it improve your immune system? That’s a bit of a mystery to researchers. So far, women in love have shown changes in their gene regulation of immune cells compared to women not in love. Some theorize that this is in order to prepare for pregnancy. Unfortunately, we still don’t have conclusive research on whether men in love better fight flu and other viruses, too. High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” since it has no symptoms, but it will steadily degrade your health over time, significantly increasing your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease. And while love is certainly not the only way to lower blood pressure, it’s comforting to know our loved ones can boost our health for a longer, happier life. Happy Valentine’s Day!

WATCH OUT FOR

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU’RE IN AN A

Accidents with work vehicles happen, and while we’ve discussed accidents with standard work vehicles in the past, we have yet to discuss another major vehicle on the road: the 18-wheeler. We work with many clients who have been involved in vehicle accidents involving 18-wheeler tractor trailers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the organization that helps govern 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles with federal laws and safety regulations. If you are involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, it is crucial that you hire a lawyer who is very familiar with those laws and regulations.

For example, the driver of an 18-wheeler is called a “statutory employee” of the owner of the 18-wheeler. Generally, the owner of the 18-wheeler is subject to liability and damages to the injured person regardless of whether the driver is an employee or an independent contractor of the owner of the rig, so federal law requires commercial vehicles to carry far more insurance than a personal liability insurance policy. What the Insurance Companies DON’T Want You to Know About YOUR RIGH

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

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

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. 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

g e e e e d s y

misconceptions about your car accident claim How we hold negligent drivers accountable

“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

• What you need to do immediately after an accident • Top five worst auto insurance companies in Texas

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

AR ACCIDENT… ET THIS RIGHT!

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DASHBOARD DETECTIVE 4 More Symbols and What They Really Mean

R 18-WHEELERS

ACCIDENT WITH A TRACTOR TRAILER

Last month, we looked at four common dashboard symbols and what they mean for your car. This month, we have four more symbols and what they really mean so you know what you need to do should you ever see them. ABS Warning This straightforward light simply says “ABS” and is usually inside a circle. If it lights up, it tells you there is a malfunction with the anti- lock braking system. When the warning is on, if you happen to brake too hard or too abruptly, your vehicle’s brakes may lock up. This can prevent your vehicle from properly braking and puts you at greater risk of an accident. Air Bag Warning The symbol looks like a person sitting down with an airbag (depicted by a circle) deployed directly in front of them. It’s another warning that’s hard to self-diagnose because it can indicate that any part of the airbag system has malfunctioned. Because of that, it’s a good idea to take your vehicle to an auto care professional if you see this light. Brake System Warning This crucial symbol is an exclamation mark with a circle around it. If this lights up, the brake system is malfunctioning. This is also difficult to self-diagnose. It can mean any part of the braking system has failed. No matter what triggers the light, if it comes on, stop driving . Pull over in a safe place and call for assistance. Tire Pressure Warning This looks like a cutaway of a tire with an exclamation point. When this light comes on, it means the tire pressure is low in one or more tires. While it’s an easy fix, many drivers will top off their tires only to see the symbol still lit up on their dashboard. Why is this? A lot of newer vehicles also gauge tire pressure in the spare. Don’t forget about tire No. 5!

The FMCSA has many regulations that are designed to protect the motoring public, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Specific hours of service and required days off in between drives • Driver qualifications • Bans on the use of handheld mobile devices • Bans on driving in bad weather • And much more It is important to know that these types of accidents are not simple car accidents, so there are many sources of potential recovery in these types of cases. At Harmonson Law, we have an extensive background in handling 18-wheeler cases. If you have questions, or you’ve been involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re here to help!

HTS

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH TURKEY BOLOGNESE

INSPIRED BY JUSTATASTE.COM

INGREDIENTS

• • • • • •

3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 tbsp garlic, minced 1/2 cup onions, diced small

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1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp sugar

1 lb ground turkey

3 medium zucchini

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

2 tbsp tomato paste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. 2. Add garlic and onions and stir constantly until garlic is golden and onions are translucent. 3. Increase heat to medium and add ground turkey, break apart, and cook thoroughly. 4. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally. 5. Using a spiralizer, mandolin, or vegetable peeler, cut the zucchini into noodles. 6. In another large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add remaining olive oil and zucchini noodles, tossing constantly for 2 minutes until slightly wilted. 7. Plate the zucchini noodles, top with the turkey Bolognese, and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

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5505 North Mesa St. Suite 3 • El Paso, TX 79912 WWW.CLARKHARMONSONATTORNEY.COM 915.584.8777

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How Have Random Acts of Kindness Impacted You?

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High Quality Relationships Lower Blood Pressure

What Should You Do if You’re in an Accident With an 18-Wheeler?

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Zucchini Noodles With Turkey Bolognese

Defining More Dashboard Symbols

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The Deadly Revenge of 17th Century Chocoholics

The Original Death by Chocolate

17th Century Chocoholics Get Revenge

honor of those tasty holidays, we investigated the original “death by chocolate” — an act of legendary revenge. Rumor has it that the controversy started in the 1600s in Chiapas, Mexico, when a group of chocoholic churchgoers started bringing their favorite sweet snack to services. This annoyed the bishop, who resorted to banning parishioners from eating chocolate during church. As an article in Indian Country Today tells it, the chocoholics got back at the bishop by poisoning his daily cup of chocolatl , an Aztec chocolate drink. Who knew the ancestor of hot cocoa could be so deadly? Surprisingly, this crazy story isn’t the origin of the “death by chocolate” cake we love today. That dessert was created in 1993 by Chef Marcel Desaulniers, then-owner of The Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. Here’s the restaurant’s mouthwatering description of

the seven-layer confection, which takes three days to make:

“The decadence begins with layers of moist chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, crunchy chocolate meringue, and an airy chocolate mousse. The cake is then coated in a glaze of dark chocolate and served on a pool of chocolate sauce with house-made milk chocolate ice cream, topped with a hand-rolled white chocolate truffle, and finally dusted with white chocolate powder.” Is your mouth watering yet? The original version of death by chocolate might be a bit complex for the average chef, but if you’re craving a slice, you can find more accessible recipes at Delish.com and SugarGeekShow. com. Just remember that when you pull it out of the oven, we don’t live in the 1600s, so you should probably restrain yourself from poisoning anyone who steals a bite!

How much do you love chocolate? Would you be willing to die for a taste of your favorite candy bar? Would you kill for one? You’ve probably never thought to ask yourself these questions, but if tall tales can be believed, arguments over chocolate have, in fact, turned deadly. National Dark Chocolate Day and National Chocolate Fondue Day both fall this month (on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, respectively), and in

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