Brooks & Crowley November 2019

Review Brooks & Crowley

November 2019

781-277-7321

www.brooksandcrowley.com

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026

*Services Throughout Massachusetts

"It didn’t take long for Bailey to win me over, though, and now I don’t even care that I technically shouldn’t be responsible for him. We’re buddies. I’m a happily married man with two daughters whom I adore, yet a picture of Bailey is the background on my phone."

Bailey. At first, I’m sure I resented it. I saw the future, and it didn’t look bright for me. It didn’t take long for Bailey to win me over, though, and now I don’t even care that I technically shouldn’t be responsible for him. We’re buddies. I’m a happily married man with two daughters whom I adore, yet a picture of Bailey is the background on my phone. He’s the sweetest dog you could ever hope to meet. He’s the diametric opposite of our cat, Casey, whose only delight seems to come from terrorizing Bailey however she can. This summer, Bailey had a health scare that really put into perspective what a true member of our family he is. We had our usual clan of about 20 down at the Cape for Fourth of July weekend. Bailey was walking funny, so we decided to take him to the canine equivalent of an urgent care center on that Friday, July 5. Turns out, he had a herniated disc and needed immediate surgery. We asked if it could wait until Monday. “He’ll be paralyzed by Monday,” the vet said. That made our choice easy. As others were headed south for the weekend, Diane and I drove Bailey to Angell Memorial in Jamaica Plain, where he spent three nights. When we picked him up, he had a long scar, but his happy temperament remained. He has since fully recovered, and his fur has grown over the scar, so he doesn’t have a built-in Halloween costume anymore. Happy Halloween everyone! –Neil Crowley

A DOG READY FOR HALLOWEEN How Bailey Got His Scar

guy in those photos. He’s the best. And no matter how old he gets, I have a feeling he’s never going to ditch me for his friends. Bailey came to our family as the result of a classic parental gambit. My daughters wanted a dog. (Lily was especially persistent.) I told her that if she delivered straight A's for two years, we’d have a deal. She negotiated me down to a year — a play that, as an attorney, I have a special appreciation for. The final term of our agreement was always going to be the speculative one. I abdicated all responsibility, saying that it would be the girls’ dog and that they would be the ones to take care of it. You can probably guess how that turned out. Almost every day, the first thing I do after waking up and the last thing I do before bed is walk

I can still remember the moment I was relieved of my trick-or-treating duties. It was one of the first signs that my daughters were reaching adolescence. One year, we were going out together and covering the whole neighborhood, so much so that Katie dozed off on her candy bag at the kitchen table. The next year, I was getting the hook. It was like showing up for the team bus the day of an away game, only for the coach to let you know you’ve been cut. This year, with both of them in high school, I don’t even know if they’ll go out or get dressed up at all. But I can assure you, one member of our family will have his costume on. His name is Bailey, and he’s a 4-year-old miniature beagle. Given his long, short, and squat stature, it’s easy to find costumes that fit his shape. One year, he was a taco, another year, Frankenstein. I mean, just look at the little

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Sometimes, They (Insurance Companies) Need to See It to Believe It!

We have also represented a client who was in an accident with a mechanic who was test-driving a vehicle after repairing it. The mechanic caused an accident that totaled both cars. His repair shop attempted to cover up the accident and deny that anyone from the shop was involved. Again, thanks to a smart client who took photographs, the truth was uncovered. It’s difficult to imagine such wild denials taking place, but we were thankful that our client had the presence of mind to take pictures at the scene. In our 25 years of practice, we have seen it all.

for a statement. The owner of the vehicle said she was at work at the time and that the vehicle was in the shop being repaired. The shop owner denied the vehicle was at the accident scene. The insurance company denied the claim based on the story they were told. You see, following the accident, one of the repair shop’s tow trucks immediately took the offending vehicle back to the shop. Presumably, they wanted to repair the damage without the owner of the car finding out. Fortunately, our client had taken pictures at the scene. Once the investigation revealed that it was the shop owner’s son behind the wheel, we were ultimately able to resolve the claim to our client’s satisfaction.

We always tell folks how important it is for them to take pictures of the scene if they are involved in an auto accident. There are many reasons: The other person could challenge how the accident occurred, or, if the impact caused the cars to spin or otherwise move, it could create a liability dispute. You should always take pictures of the cars and the drivers of the cars in the accident. One time, the son of an auto repair shop owner took his girlfriend for a joyride in a vehicle that had been left in the shop for repairs and caused an accident with our client.

When the claim was reported, the vehicle owner’s insurance company called the owner

Are Electric Scooters Coming to Boston? What to Know Before You Ride

Boston without some auxiliary rules in place. In Brookline, for example, riders are mandated to wear helmets and not ride on the sidewalk. However, with dedicated bike lanes not yet a widespread reality, some residents want to amend the law to allow for sidewalk riding outside of main thoroughfares. If and when scooters debut in Boston proper, they will certainly do so with specific rules you’ll want to heed. If you do end up riding a scooter, we hope you do so safely. When accidents happen, no matter the mode of transportation, you can count on the attorneys at Brooks & Crowley to ensure your rights are protected and justice is served. Please don’t hesitate to call us on behalf of yourself or a loved one.

Easily, the most talked about and controversial form of public transportation to arrive in American cities over the past couple years has been electric scooters, often called e-scooters. Seemingly overnight, companies like Bird and Lime dumped hundreds of scooters on the sidewalks of densely populated areas without any public fanfare — and in some cases, even without any warning to local governments.

these devices aren’t going to have your back in the event of an accident. Barring a malfunction of the scooter, you are on your own. We are used to agreeing to terms of service without reading them — how many times have you checked the box without so much as looking at the terms? — but in the case of something you could be seriously injured on, it’s best to exercise precaution. In an approach befitting of the Commonwealth’s reputation for regulation, it’s unlikely that scooters will arrive in

While Boston has been one of the last big cities to welcome the devices, it seems poised to at least toy with the idea of introducing them, especially after a largely successful pilot program of Lime scooters in Brookline earlier this year. Whether you regard these scooters as a fun diversion, an eco-friendly commuting alternative, or an all-around pain in the butt, it behooves you to know a bit about them before you consider riding one. Before you hop on a scooter, it’s important to understand that the companies who produce

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Celebrating Giving Tuesday Supporting the People You Believe In

the individuals and companies participating in Giving Tuesday can spread their missions and messages all over the world, encouraging others to do the same. HOW YOU CAN CELEBRATE Now is the perfect opportunity to support your community and the causes you believe in. The best part of this holiday is that “giving” doesn’t just refer to donating money. People can give back by volunteering their time to help a nonprofit business, donating goods and food, or just buying a stranger some lunch. Even the smallest actions can have the biggest impact. If you’re interested in participating in Giving Tuesday, get together with your friends, family, sports team members, or neighbors to brainstorm on how you can give back. To learn more about how you can participate, visit GivingTuesday.org.

New York’s 92nd Street Y as a response to consumer-driven holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The purpose of the holiday was to spread the spirit of giving, not only for the people in our nation but individuals across the world. The goal is “to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day and touches every person on the planet.” technology, the organization hopes to encourage and spread generosity on a global scale using the hashtag #GivingTuesday. The website states that “... technology and social media could be used to make generosity go viral; that people fundamentally want to give and talk about giving.” Through massive social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, TECHNOLOGY AT ITS BEST Through the use of social media and

November is usually all about Thanksgiving, but it isn’t the only holiday that encourages generosity. Giving Tuesday is a phenomenal celebration in which millions of people from across the globe are inspired to spend 24 hours giving back to the communities they love. ORIGIN AND GOAL Giving Tuesday is celebrated every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, and this year, the holiday lands on Dec. 3! It was established in 2012 by the United Nations Foundation and

Laugh Out Loud

Paleo Stuffing

Thanksgiving isn’t a hard holiday for those who eat paleo. Almost all of the savory staples were paleo before it was cool. Stuffing is a notable exception, but this recipe’s got you covered.

Ingredients

directions

• • • • • • • • • • • •

2 tbsp ghee or avocado oil 3 cups onion, diced 2 cups celery, diced 1 cup mushroom, diced 1 cup apple, cored and diced

1. Heat an oven to 350 F. 2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat ghee or avocado oil over medium heat. 3. Add onion, celery, mushrooms, apple, cranberries, parsley, seasoning, salt, and pepper to pan. Sauté for 7 minutes. 4. Remove from heat. Stir in almond flour. Once mixed well, stir in eggs. Transfer to oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 5. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper 2 cups almond flour

3 eggs, beaten

Inspired by 40Aprons.com

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026 Inside This Issue

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Dogs Don’t Outgrow Halloween

Sometimes, They (Insurance Companies) Need to See It to Believe It!

2

The Scooters Are Coming

3

The Gift of Giving

Paleo Stuffing

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Pigskin and Turkey Meat

A Massachusetts Tradition for Over a Century Thanksgiving and High School Football

furor that ensued last year when games were moved to Wednesday. Due to the weather forecast, which called for a brutally cold Thanksgiving, many teams felt it prudent to reschedule. In some cases, townwide revolt led programs to return the games to their originally scheduled time. A lot of folks, it seems, would rather brave the cold than not be able to watch their team on Thanksgiving morning. Whether you attend a game in person, watch on TV, or listen on the radio, odds are that high school football is a part of your Thanksgiving experience. No matter who you root for, here’s wishing them luck against their rival this year.

played continuously, which means that Boston Latin and English hold the record for the longest running rivalry, dating back to 1887. In fact, that game, which recently got a lot more competitive when English merged with New Mission to create a co-op football program, is the oldest running high school football rivalry of any kind in the country. It would be impossible to list all the games that have followed in the wake of these early rivalries. Dozens of schools have been meeting for decades, and, if you went to high school in the state, there’s a good chance you remember exactly who you played on Thanksgiving.

Everyone associates football with Thanksgiving, and in most of the country, the NFL takes top billing on turkey day. If you live in Massachusetts, though, you know the Lions and the Cowboys got nothing on the countless high schoolers suiting up for rivalry games across the state. High school football is a Thanksgiving tradition celebrated from Nauset to Newburyport and has been around longer than anyone reading this newsletter has been alive. No wonder it feels as integral a part of the holiday as pumpkin pie. The earliest known Thanksgiving day high school football game in Massachusetts took place in 1882 between Wellesely and Needham. However, that game has not been

If you want to know what a big deal the tradition is, all you have to do is look at the

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