Holland & Usry - November 2021

Holland & Usry - November 2021

THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE Reflecting on Our Blessings

Thanksgiving is here, temperatures are dropping, and the holiday spirit is settling in. The very first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, and the feast lasted three days. Today, our turkey meals are much shorter, but there are still plenty of leftovers to enjoy for the days following the holiday. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it provides us with a day for giving thanks and showing our appreciation for the many blessings in our lives — not to mention the great food, too! Over the past year and a half, we all have endured some challenging times. The pandemic has made an impact on every one of our lives in one way or another, and many struggle with sickness or even death surrounding it. Now more than ever, health is paramount. I am grateful for the health of my family, friends, colleagues, and clients. The fact that the firm has been able to remain fully operational throughout the pandemic has truly been a blessing. I am grateful for our clients and the opportunity to assist them in navigating a variety of legal issues. There are many things we should be grateful for, such as shelter, food, water, transportation, entertainment, and luxuries that we often take for granted. As a society, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the daily grind that we forget to embrace the little things in life: the small feats leading up to the big goal, the smile from a stranger, or the comforting cup of coffee on a cold morning. It is

so important to be sure we are stopping to appreciate each small blessing that comes our way because somewhere, others are not as fortunate. In my family, as a child, my mother’s family lived locally and my father’s family lived between Charleston and Savannah. Each year for Thanksgiving, we would go down to Charleston or Savannah, and on rotating years, they would come to visit with us and enjoy the holiday. We would enjoy a large and delicious feast, highlighted with many laughs, bonding moments, and good times. Looking back, I think that it is so important as a child to have these opportunities to get together with extended family for the holidays because otherwise, you drift apart. Because I was fortunate enough to see my mom and dad’s families at least once or twice a year, I’m now close with my adult cousins, and I owe it all to those many holidays we shared together! This Thanksgiving, and the many for years to come, I encourage you to take the time to really enjoy your family. Set some time aside this holiday season to put the phone and television aside. Instead, bond, share experiences, catch up, and embrace the company of your loved ones. After all, that’s what the holiday season is all about!

From the Holland & Usry family to yours, happy Thanksgiving!

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HAVE A LOW-STRESS HOLIDAY

3 Tips for a Merrier Time

The holidays are right around the corner, and while many people can’t wait to eat turkey and swap presents, others only see stress on the horizon. Especially for those hosting parties, between decorations, big dinners, excited kids, and visiting family, it can all feel overwhelming. If celebrations are happening at your house this year, here are three tips to lessen the strain and keep up the holiday cheer. RECHARGE FIRST Ensure you’re rested and recharged before the holidays by taking time to relax, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that make you feel good. When you’re rushing to get everything done, it can be tempting to skip self-care routines, but that will cost you in the long run. Your daily exercise and other health activities keep you balanced and ready to face challenges head-on. GET STARTED EARLY Holidays always arrive faster than we expect, so begin preparing early. If shopping for presents is a pain point, don’t wait until the last minute. Decorate earlier than you need to — or better yet, get the kids to do it for you. There’s only so much cooking you can do ahead of time, but ensuring you have all of the equipment and nonperishable ingredients you need a few weeks in advance will reduce both your workload and anxiety. DON’T EXPECT PERFECTION The sooner you let go of the idea of a “perfect” holiday, the sooner you’ll be able to have a happy one. Face it: Something will go wrong. Whether it’s an overcooked Testimonials

dish, a child throwing a temper tantrum, or your uncle talking politics at the dinner table, nothing will ever go just how you planned. So, embrace the imperfections.

Whether you’re celebrating this year with a group of two or 20, holidays can be a stressful time — but they don’t have to be. With these tips, your festivities may not be picture-perfect, but they will be a lot of fun.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

“I reached out to Rob Usry because I had an unusual case of being dragged and run over by an uninsured driver and uninsured vehicle. Both Rob and Rose took great care of me from the start. They were both very attentive and always got back to me in a timely manner if I had any questions. They kept me updated frequently about my case. Rose checked on me regularly to see how I was doing. Very

professional people. They discussed all aspects of my case with me, and I was not disappointed with the outcome. They really stepped up to the plate for me and got an outcome that I was very happy with. I would definitely recommend to family, which means I would recommend them to anyone. Thank you very much, Rob and Rose.”

–Julie O.

www.bhollandlawfirm.com

YOU MAY NOT WANT TO, BUT YOU HAVE TO Notifying Your Employer of a Work Injury

• Don’t let anyone put you off. If you’re in pain, be a pain. Go up the chain of command until someone takes action for you. Talk to human resources or the owner. You need help before your symptoms get much worse. • What should happen after I tell my employer I got hurt at work? Whoever you report it to should start the wheels turning to get you to the doctor. The workers’ compensation insurance company should be called to start your claim. A trip to the company doctor — paid for by the insurance company — should shortly follow. You might need to fill out some paperwork. And, speaking of paperwork, you need to know about some very important forms that can impact your rights such as the Form 12 and Form 50. After you do this, congratulations! You’ve done all you can to start your case. But you can’t always count on your employer to do it right, and you sure can’t depend on the insurance company to help you. It’s a complicated system that can take advantage of you, which is why I wrote a free book, “The Hurt Worker’s Toolkit,” (available on our website) to help you navigate the choppy waters of South Carolina workers’ comp.

Adapted from company blog: BHollandLawFirm.com/reports/the-hurt-workers-toolkit.cfm

You didn’t ask or try to get hurt on the job, but you did. Now, you have to deal with it, and you need to do it correctly because a multitude of important rights are at stake. You have a deadline, and if you wind up missing it, your rights are gone forever. So, who do you tell when you get hurt at work? Ideally, you should tell your supervisor or manager at the job site when it happens. If symptoms pop up when you’re off, tell your supervisor immediately upon returning back to work.

If you need more urgent help or have a specific question, contact us today!

Good News

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” –Lamentations 3:22–23 “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’” –Nehemiah 8:10

BAKED CORNBREAD AND CHORIZO STUFFING

Inspired by FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

Directions 1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

•

1 lb Mexican chorizo

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1 white onion, chopped

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chorizo for 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook for 10 additional minutes. Stir in the cornbread and cilantro.

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1 carrot, chopped

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1 celery rib, chopped

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3 garlic cloves, chopped

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2 cups premade cornbread, crumbled

3. While stirring, slowly add the chicken stock. Stir until absorbed.

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1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

4. Butter a small casserole dish, then add the stuffing in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, garnish as desired, and serve!

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1/2 cup chicken stock

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1 tbsp unsalted butter, for greasing

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Cilantro, for garnish

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Cotija cheese, for garnish

864.582.0416

* This newsletter is intended to educate the public about personal injury, workers’ compensation, criminal defense, and family law issues. You can copy and distribute it as long as you copy the entire newsletter. But the newsletter is not intended to be legal advice; you should ask a lawyer about your specific case. Every case is different, and all case outcomes depend on unique facts and laws.

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INSIDE this issue

1

Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving

2

Lowering Holiday Stress

Testimonial

3

Notifying Your Employer of a Work Injury

Baked Cornbread and Chorizo Stuffing

4

Dog Dials 911 to Save His Owner

If you no longer want to receive this newsletter, call Pam at 864.582.0416 or email [email protected] .

How One Dog Saved His Owner BY DIALING 911

Dogs can be trained to obey a lot of commands: sit, stay, roll over, play dead. But how about “dial 911”? Well, that would probably be a foreign command for most dogs. Luckily, it wasn’t for Buddy, an 18-month-old German shepherd who remembered his training and saved his owner’s life. Joe Stalnaker of Scottsdale, Arizona, sustained a head injury during a military training exercise 10 years prior to the incident. Because of that injury, he suffered from seizures. Normally, a condition like that would make it unwise for him to live alone, but Stalnaker valued his independence and wanted to find a way to lead as normal a life as possible. Joe adopted Buddy from a Michigan-based organization called Paws With a Cause when the pup was just 8 weeks old. Paws with a Cause trains assistance dogs, and after adopting him, Joe trained Buddy to dial 911 until an operator was on the line in the event that he had a seizure.

A year and a half later, that training saved Joe’s life. One day, Joe began seizing when he was home alone with Buddy. Buddy rushed to the phone and dialed 911, whimpering to the dispatcher. Even if they don’t hear anyone on the line, dispatchers are required to send police. When police arrived at Joe’s home, they found him and Buddy, who was barking loudly. They took Joe to the nearby hospital, where in a few days, he made a full recovery. Some might say that Buddy was just following his training, but this heroic act goes far beyond just sitting and rolling over for treats. Even the veteran dispatchers hadn’t heard of a dog dialing 911 before. Buddy knew it was his mission to keep his owner safe, and thankfully, he knew exactly what to do under pressure — because that’s what heroes do.

www.bhollandlawfirm.com