Aulsbrook Law Firm - January 2022

Aulsbrook Law Firm - January 2022

JAN 2022

I COME TO FIGHT. I DON’T BARK. I BITE! WWW.THETEXASLAWDOG.COM 817.775.5364

Thank You to My Team

HARD WORK AND PASSION HAVE DRIVEN OUR SUCCESS

January is National Thank You Month. Is there a person you’d like to thank specifically this month?

I wanted to do something bigger, something that I felt I could make a direct, positive impact for those who are injured. I went to law school and opened my office immediately after graduating and passing the bar exam, put my boots on, and hit the pavement running again. My boots really took a beating. I had no staff. My wife stayed in the office answering phones and greeting folks when they stopped in. She also had her own job, but we made it work. I was out marketing for myself and working to develop relationships.

As I reflect on the past few years and look ahead, 2022 is a big year for me. It isn’t all about me though. It is really about my staff, who make everything better and possible. My staff are the key to each piece of the business working efficiently and for the best outcomes for our clients. Without my staff, my family and friends, and God, the firm would not be where it is today. We have grown not only in numbers, but we have also grown to be a rock-solid team that agrees on one thing: our mission and values. For those who don’t know my background, my law firm is my second career. From the time I was a teen to my mid-30s, I worked mowing yards, answering phones in telemarketing, and selling cars; I worked in banking and real estate, and I also owned some insurance agencies. There was a time in my life when I didn’t have a car. I walked to the telemarketing job not far from my apartment. At the time, I was beating the pavement in my cowboy boots to make a life for myself, but I had no idea I would be wearing my boots and a different hat today. I wasn’t fulfilled in my last career as an insurance agency owner after years of experiencing firsthand how customers struggled in their fight with insurance companies after an accident.

ends to discuss incoming calls, client cases, and needs while sharing fun stuff in between. We all learn from one another and have fun while we work, but I have to say I am one blessed man to have the dedicated team I spend most of my time with. Again, I want to say thank you to my team for your unwavering dedication and the love you put into this organization. It amazes me more and more each day. May you be proud of the work you do, the people that you are, the huge difference you have made for the firm, but more importantly, what you have done for our clients and for me (and Cleo, our Pawresident). You all inspire me!

That was in 2018. In 2019, my first employee came to work, and as of today, we have 16 employees!

To just say thank you to my team would be an understatement. I am truly grateful for them. They show up every single day with spirit and a drive to do the best for the clients we serve. They also push me to be a better lawyer and person, and they have taught me so much. They have provided me with insight and recommendations not only about the business but also things about myself. We work in a small office, and we are with each other five days a week, sometimes six days if we are preparing for trial. We work after closing hours seven days a week. We have a team chat that never

–Matt Aulsbrook

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UNDERSTANDING LATENT INJURIES

HOW TO KEEP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

FOR REAL, THIS TIME

New Year’s Eve has come and gone, and now that the champagne is finished and the decorations are put away, it’s time to buckle down and work on those New Year’s resolutions. The only problem is ... your resolutions for this year and last year are the same. Change is tough, so you’re not alone in being unable to stick to your resolutions. This year can be different, if you want it to be. Here are some tips to keep you on track. Have a specific goal. Many resolutions are vague — along the lines of “exercise more” or “eat healthier.” That’s too ambiguous to inspire motivation, and vagueness leaves room for excuses. Make your goal more concrete, so you can measure your success. Specific goals could include going to the gym three times a week, being able to bench a certain number of pounds, or only indulging in fast food once a month. Make your goal realistic — if it’s too drastic or difficult, it’s easier to give up. Have a plan. Bad habits are hard to break, so change won’t come about naturally. It’s important to consider how you’ll structure your day around your resolution and what obstacles you might face. When will you go to the gym, and what will you do if that time gets interrupted? How will you plan meals to avoid spontaneous drive-thru visits? Write down what you want to accomplish and all the things that might stand in your way. Then, figure out how you’ll deal with them before they happen. Start small. On Jan. 1, you’re probably enthusiastic about your resolution and ready to hit the ground running. Not so fast — doing too much too soon is a classic mistake. It’s okay to be excited, but working out until you’re sore all over or constantly eating salads you hate will turn your resolution into a chore that you’ll want to avoid. Start with light workouts or replacing some of your carbs with veggies. Once you get the hang of that, you’ll be ready to scale up slowly. Using these guidelines, you’ll make lasting changes that extend beyond February. Get 2022 started off on the right foot, and next year you’ll be ready to make a whole new resolution — and keep it.

If you have never been in a car accident, you may assume that any injuries you could sustain from said accident would be obvious and immediate. But this isn’t always true! Latent injuries can appear hours, days, or even weeks after a car accident. So, what do you do when this happens to you? And how do you determine the cause of your injury? WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEE A DOCTOR AFTER AN ACCIDENT

First, let’s understand why this happens.

When you’re in an accident, your body floods your endocrine system with adrenaline to keep you alert and focused on survival. This hormone decreases your body’s natural ability to feel pain, so you could have an injury but not know it until your adrenaline levels recede and your pain receptors are fully functioning again. In other instances, your injuries may be internal and therefore hard to identify. In these scenarios, you may feel “off” or notice something different about your body, but because the symptoms don’t manifest for hours or days, you might not realize you are suffering with internal injuries. This can be life-threatening when not treated quickly.

Now, here’s what you need to do.

If you are in a car accident, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention immediately, even if you think you feel “fine.” When seeing a doctor, explain that you were in an accident and ask that this statement be recorded in their files. Ask the doctor to perform a full-body examination to avoid any missed internal or slow-progressing injuries, too. Before you leave, schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor healing and to catch any latent injuries the doctor could not find in the initial exam. Dealing with the aftermath of an accident is never easy. If you have additional questions about seeking treatment and getting the compensation you deserve after an accident, please contact Aulsbrook Law Firm today.

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Get There Safer, Texas! Every year, we make promises to be better versions of who we were the previous year. Often these promises revolve around habits we want to quit or ways in which we can be healthier, but if we commit to improving our driving habits, we could make everyone safer. 3 Resolutions for All Texas Drivers

So, when you set your resolutions for 2022, be sure to add these small habits to the list.

Improve your insurance. Auto insurance is mandatory in Texas, but not every driver complies with this rule, nor does every driver have enough insurance to protect themselves and other drivers in the event of an accident. To compensate, most Texas insurance policies include coverage for drivers who are in an accident with a motorist who is underinsured or uninsured. However, it’s imperative that you confirm your policy does. If it doesn’t, you may need to consider upgrading your policy to protect yourself and others in your vehicle. Create a distraction-free zone. End Distracted Driving reports that 7% of all accident fatalities in 2019 were the result of distracted driving, and while that figure may seem low, that’s an increase from the year prior. Distracted

driving is a major issue that can have deadly consequences, so vow to change that this year. Secure your phone out of your sight, and if you struggle with ignoring texts or calls while driving, try setting your phone on airplane or “do not disturb” mode. Apps can also limit how often you can use your phone while driving. Stop speeding. We know — sometimes it’s hard not to speed, but the National Safety Council reports that 26% of all traffic fatalities in 2019 were the result of speeding. That’s an average of 25 people dying as a result of speeding each day! To limit how often you speed or how fast you go, utilize cruise control on long stretches. This can eliminate the temptation to accelerate. Furthermore, leave for your destination with extra time so speeding doesn’t seem advantageous to you.

If you or a loved one is injured because of someone’s negligence in 2022, regardless of how well you protect yourself, please call Aulsbrook Law Firm. Safe travels!

Texas-Sized LAUGHS

DEEP-FRIED NEW YEAR’S ‘COOKIES’

INGREDIENTS

• • • • •

2 tbsp yeast

• • • • •

2 1/2 cups milk, warmed

1/2 cup water, warmed

1 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups raisins 7 cups flour

1/2 cup and 1 tsp sugar, divided

5 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 cups canola oil

DIRECT IONS

1. In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, and 1 tsp sugar. Wait 10 minutes. 2. Stir in remaining sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and salt. 3. Fold in the raisins and flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for an hour. 4. In a high-sided pot or deep fryer, heat canola oil to 340 F. Line a plate with paper towels. 5. Drop a rounded tablespoon of dough into the oil. Fry until golden brown, then set aside on the plate. Poke the cookie with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s cooked through! 6. Repeat until the batter is gone.

Inspired by MennoniteGirlsCanCook.ca

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INSIDE Hard Work and Passion Have Driven Our Success 1

Stick to Your Resolutions — For Real, This Time

Always Do This After an Accident! 2

3 Ways to Be a Better Driver in 2022

Deep-Fried New Year’s ‘Cookies’ 3

The Original ‘Celebrity’ Athletes 4

Cases We Handle: • Personal Injury • Wrongful Death

• Car Wreck • Truck Wreck

Gladiators: The Original Celebrity Athletes?

January is a big month for sports. The College Football Playoff takes place, the NFL playoffs begin, and the NBA and NHL seasons are fully underway. Stars from each of these leagues have cultivated a global fan base and become celebrities. While this might seem like something that could only happen in the present day thanks to international media and the internet, historically, many gladiators reached untold levels of fame thousands of years ago.

Promotions for gladiator fights were very similar to what you see when traveling to a professional sports stadium today. Instead of paper posters to promote athletes or upcoming games, the ancient Romans painted their posters directly on walls. These painted posters often gave dates and times for upcoming matches and included gladiators’ names and sometimes even their records. For a better understanding of gladiators and the popularity of their matches, take a look at the Colosseum in Rome. This massive amphitheater was built almost 2,000 years ago and could seat up to 75,000 people. For comparison, the biggest stadiums in America hold a little over 100,000 people. Back then, there were no Jumbotrons or screens to see from far away. Tens of thousands of people would go to watch gladiator fights with nothing but their own two eyes. While they might not have had the luxuries or money our current athletes have, gladiators still had quite a bit of fame. If anything, gladiators prove that athletes are and always have been incredibly influential in society.

For the most part, gladiators were not born into wealth and never saw much money during their careers. In most cases, they were originally slaves who became so indebted that they had nothing left to sell but their bodies. For a variety of reasons, slaves were chosen and sent to gladiatorial schools, where they trained to become the best at their craft. When we think of gladiators, we often picture giant arenas and lots of death, but that was rarely the case. It’s estimated that anywhere from 1 in 5 to 1 in 8 matches ended with a combatant’s death. While the gladiators themselves did not have much money, they were very expensive to train and not easily replaced.

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