Hartwig Law Firm - July/August 2021

Hartwig Law Firm - July/August 2021

THE ADVISOR

JULY/AUGU

ST 2021

THE BEST TOWN IN AMERICA TO CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY

No town does the Fourth of July quite like Bristol, Rhode Island. The town holds the record for the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the United States, with the town first hosting festivities honoring the country’s independence in 1785 and the parade happening every year since 1826. The celebration is so much a part of the identity of the town that Hope Street, where the parade happens every year, is dotted with a red, white, and blue line down the center rather than a standard yellow one. I’ve been to the Bristol Fourth of July parade several times throughout my life. It’s my wife, Lizabeth’s, hometown, and she and her family have a very unique connection to one particular part of the festivities: the Miss Fourth of July Pageant. Every year, local teenage girls compete for the title of Miss Fourth of July in a contest that’s as much about patriotism as it is about beauty. After a girl becomes Miss Fourth of July, they usually have a set of responsibilities throughout the year, which might include visiting nursing homes or maybe doing patriotic exercises with the Navy at the nearby base.

Lizabeth’s depiction when I first started dating her), and we tease her about it sometimes. I once played with the idea of proposing to her there, but I think that might have taken the joke too far! Fourth of July in Bristol isn’t just a great time because of the parade or even because of my wife and her family’s connection to it. It’s also really fun just because of how much everyone in the close knit community gets in on the celebration. Everywhere

Back in 1953, my wife’s aunt was Miss Fourth of July, then my wife won the title in 1998. Because of how much people in Bristol care about their Fourth of July celebration, it was a big deal to my family to be able to claim two winners. Lizabeth is also even more forever tied to the celebration since

you go in Bristol, you’ll see houses and businesses with red, white, and blue buntings, and several houses paint their garage doors like American flags. The flag has become a more politicized symbol across the country in recent years, but in Bristol, it somehow remains an innocent reminder of the town’s heritage. Bristol is incredible in the summertime. It’s a quaint New England town where everyone knows one another on the tip of the peninsula that’s surrounded by a bay on three sides. Anytime I get to visit, I’m just grateful to be there. Even though they had to cancel the parade last year because of the pandemic, it still feels like a place where I can escape to a simpler time and a simpler world. I hope to bring the kids there when they’re a little bit older. Whatever it is you’re up to this summer, I hope that you can find some peace and escape from this crazy world, even as it (thankfully) begins to open back up. Happy Fourth of July!

“THE CELEBRATION IS SO MUCH A PART OF THE IDENTI- TY OF THE TOWN THAT HOPE STREET, WHERE THE PARADE HAPPENS EVERY YEAR, IS DOTTED WITH A RED, WHITE, AND BLUE LINE DOWN THE CENTER RATHER THAN A STANDARD YELLOW ONE.”

the town’s longest mural (which is also the longest mural in Rhode Island) includes a depiction of Miss Fourth of July — which was modeled after her! Her family finds it very amusing (her dad took me to the mural to show me

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TWO KINDS OF DISABILITY BENEFITS WHICH WILL WORK BEST FOR YOU?

When you’re applying for disability benefits, the process unfortunately becomes complicated before you even start your application. That’s because there are actually two separate disability programs underneath the Social Security umbrella. The first program is called Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Your eligibility for the program is based on all of your contributions and FICA taxes taken out of your paychecks over the years. It acts just like an insurance policy, albeit one that you need to pay into for 10 years before you can qualify to receive benefits. One important caveat to remember about this program is that if you stop paying your premium, meaning you stop working and paying for SSDI out of your paycheck, eventually your coverage will run out. The second program is called Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is not inherently tied to any contribution you make to the program. Instead, it’s based on your answer to the following questions:

It’s also important to note that you can only file for SSDI online. If you want to file an SSI claim, you have to do it through the mail or by phone.

It’s impossible to know any of that before you begin. If you’re eligible for both programs and you only apply for SSDI, you have to deal with an enormous, unwieldy bureaucracy that won’t necessarily follow up with you about your case. They also probably won’t let you know that you should file a separate application for SSI or that you can’t file that claim online. That’s the level of needless complication that you can expect from this process. None of this information is necessarily hidden; it’s just really hard to find and not easy to process. It’s yet another reason why it’s best to approach this process with an experienced disability attorney who can help you submit the right applications. Call Hartwig Law Firm today at (508) 732-8989 to learn more about how we can help you apply for disability benefits!

1. Are you without income and assets? 2. Do your impairments prevent you from working on a full-time basis?

POOR SAFETY MEETS MOLTEN ENAMEL NOTHING COLD ABOUT THESE REFRIGERATORS

If you don’t know what enamel is, you’ve probably seen it around: It’s the colorful, protective coating that covers tiles and all kinds of fancy cookware. But how does it get on to things? For that, you need heat — enough to melt

he operated it at close distance — at the instruction of his foreman who was overseeing the operation.

It’s a miracle that Adams wasn’t killed, although he lived in severe pain for the rest of his life. His employer attempted to dodge all responsibility, and Adams was forced into the courts to get some kind of justice. As you can imagine, the judicial system took note of the incident and, after examining everything in detail, came to some groundbreaking conclusions, at least for the day. The chief one was that Adams’ injury could not have been foreseen by an average person, because although he had experience, he lacked understanding of the materials he was working with — an understanding that his employer had not provided. Molten enamel has similar properties to lava, and an exploding tank full of the stuff is not a hazard anyone should have to deal with in the workplace. The shockwaves of Adams’ near-fatal injury have reverberated for over a century now and provide valuable precedence when it comes to the duty employers have to their employees, whether that person has experience or not, which is why even today, when we attend ongoing, yearly safety training, we benefit from the hard lessons learned in Adams v. Grand Rapids Refrigerator.

enamel into a workable, molten-hot liquid. It’s dangerous stuff to work with, which means facilities need to provide extensive training, personal protective equipment, and proper maintenance. The Grand Rapids Refrigerator Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, had not met its duty in any of those three areas when Harry Adams, an employee, was working for them in the early 1900s. The company used enamel to line the inside of its refrigerators in a process that involved introducing molten enamel to water, a hardening reaction that had a high potential for disaster.

And disaster struck in November 1906 when, in the course of Adams’ normal duties, the holding tank full of molten enamel exploded while

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MEXICAN CORN SALAD

INGREDIENTS

Inspired by JoCooks.com

• 4 cups of fresh corn, cut from 5 cobs • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped • 1/2 red onion, diced • 6 green onions, chopped • 1 jalapeno, diced • 1/2 avocado, cubed • 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2 tbsp sour cream • 2 tbsp mayonnaise • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped • 1/2 cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled

FROM THE BAD NEWS BEARS TO THE BOSTON RED SOX

HOW HARTWIG LAW CHANGED MY LIFE!

Before coming to Hartwig Law Firm, I had been fighting to get disability coverage since I was 18 years old. Without getting too much into the details of how it happened, I fell four stories into a metal dumpster. I’m lucky to be alive, but that fall has led to a lot of chronic injuries and pain in my life. Since I couldn’t figure out how to get on disability right after my accident, I still had to work. Most of the work I’ve done over the years has been in construction, and for a long time, it sucked. I was in pain every day, despite the medications I was taking. So, as I worked, I kept trying to qualify for disability. All the while, the years went quickly by and nothing changed. I bought medications for myself when I could, but by the time I hit my 30s, the construction work was really starting to take a toll on my body. I had to stop working. Not long after that, my wife and I divorced, and I had to start paying child support. When you have no job and bills to pay, those bills really start to stack up. I was doing everything I could, but it felt like the world just kept stabbing me in the back.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes or until corn starts to char. 2. Add the corn to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and stir together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. 3. The salad pairs well with grilled entrees and can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Answer on Page 4

My life was completely upside down. Then, I called Hartwig Law Firm. That’s when things started to change.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about the team at Hartwig Law. The entire team is incredible. I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I tried to apply for disability coverage on my own, only to be turned away — even when I had all the right documents in order. But, when Hartwig Law stepped up to the plate for me, I got the disability coverage that I had always needed. All those years that I was hurt, I felt like the Bad News Bears. Then, with the help of Hartwig Law, I felt like the Boston Red Sox. I would recommend this team to anyone I know!

–Darrin Ingraham

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

385 Court St., Suite 210 Plymouth, MA 02360 (508) 732-8989 www.HartwigLawFirm.com

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WHY BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND, IS THE FOURTH OF JULY CAPITAL OF THE U.S. THE TWO KINDS OF DISABILITY BENEFITS YOU CAN APPLY FOR THIS ISSUE: POOR SAFETY MEETS MOLTEN ENAMEL FROM THE BAD NEWS BEARS TO THE BOSTON RED SOX THE PADDLEBOARD CRAZE IS HERE TO STAY

SHARE YOUR STORY! Do you want to share a story about your disability claim, experience with Hartwig Law Firm, or just a funny story in general? Contact Andrea at (508) 732-8989 or via email at Patrick@HartwigLawFirm. com, and you could be featured in our next newsletter!

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WHAT’S ‘SUP? THE STAND-UP PADDLEBOARD CRAZE THAT NEVER WENT AWAY

Outdoor and exercise crazes come and go almost as fast as hairstyles and popular app games do. But every once in a while, a trend comes along that remains popular — think karate, which spiked in the ‘60s and again in the ‘80s, and it can still be found in almost every American city to this day. Back in 2013, one such trend arose: the stand-up paddleboard, or SUP for short.

Unlike other crazes, the gear was simple and the activity beginner- friendly. To start, you only need a paddle, a board, a life preserver, and of course, a place to go! It’s a new way to see the water, which only boosted its popularity. Even veteran water sports enthusiasts weren’t used to standing on the water instead of sitting in a boat!

But according to the industry’s own numbers, that popularity never died down. As it turns out, SUP is a good way to get around, and a lot of folks need that. Many cities, such as San Antonio, feature “paddling trails” that let SUP practitioners see the city in a new way or even commute via their board. How cool is that? If you’re looking for a new hobby this summer, it’s easy to rent a stand-up paddleboard and learn the basics. Take a class, head out into the water, and give it a shot. Who knows, you might be one of the thousands of Americans to discover a lifelong passion!

The act of standing on a floating piece of wood in a surfboard shape and paddling (or poling) yourself along likely goes back thousands of years, but the SUP craze can be traced back to one man — and he’s not even in his 60s yet! That man is famous surfer Laird Hamilton, a household name in a sport that doesn’t usually generate them. And Laird, along with the Waikiki Beachboys, showed the world a new way to hit the water in the first decade of the 21st century.

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