Kelly Law Office June 2017

OFFICES IN NORTHWEST INDIANA AND SOUTH BEND

or many attorneys, injury law is just a career. For me, it’s a personal mission. F Putting the ‘Personal’ In Personal Injury Law Early on in life, I decided I wanted to make something of myself and help others. So, I headed to college. I was the first person in my family to pursue higher education. In law school, an internship at a law firm made me realize that through the study of the law, there was a lot of good you could do in the world. The lawyers I worked with were helping people in their greatest time of need, an instrumental force in turning their clients’ terrible circumstances around. So, I decided I wanted to do personal injury work, specifically. In 2006, I was a practicing personal injury attorney for a little while, but was still relatively new at it. One night, a drunk driver attempted an ill-fated left turn in front of my car. Needless to say, the experience was terrifying, and it left me with permanent and lasting injuries. In the years following, I experienced firsthand the slog that injured parties have to endure. Wrangling the health insurance company to cover a portion of the battery of tests I was subjected to, pushing through the pain during physical therapy — like the dozens of clients I’d served before me — I finally felt the sheer difficulty of getting back on my feet. In PT, they warn you, “There’s going to be a lot more pain before you get better.”This was true not only of my injuries,

but psychologically, as well. The toll a serious injury takes on your daily life is difficult to describe until you have lived it.

The experience completely renewed my passion for the personal injury work I was doing. It allowed me to empathize directly with my clients: the slew of young people thrown from their motorcycles by careless drivers, the victims of auto and trucking accidents, and the people that want nothing more than to get their lives to the closest semblance of pre-injury normalcy they can find. I am constantly motivated and moved by the dauntless spirit of my clients. Even in the midst of extreme adversity (and possibly because of it), a keen appreciation for their lives shines through. It makes you sit back and consider the fact that maybe the problems you’re burdened with aren’t so big after all. Working alongside them, you become friends. You start to have lunch together. You get constantly more personally invested in their case, their life, and their well-being, even long after their case is over. It’s incredibly gratifying work, but with the shifting landscape created by big insurance companies, it gets harder every day. It seems that the insurance companies are granted more and more power each year. All you can do, really, is work harder, and with more passion. Their resources seem infinite, but there’s one thing that the bigwig insurance attorneys don’t have: a cause to stand for. I’ve been where my clients are, and I know their struggle. All it takes is one look at them to remember the reason I became a lawyer in the first place. Michael Masucci 1

1

800-859-8800

THE BULLETS THAT BEGAN WORLD WAR I When Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, he set off a series of events that would lead to the largest-scale war the world had ever known. The shots he fired on June 28, 1914 led directly to the collapse of fragile alliances throughout Europe and the beginning of WorldWar I. The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

major streets and crowds. Tragically, the motorcade took a wrong turn, putting them back in harm’s way. As the car stopped to turn around, Princip produced his pistol and fired two shots that would fatally wound Ferdinand and Sophie. In the aftermath of the assassinations, Austria- Hungary would issue an ultimatum to Serbia that would test alliances throughout Europe. A month later, on July 28, 1914, WorldWar I had officially begun. For more information on this subject, check out Greg King and Sue Woolmans’book,“The Assassination of the Archduke.”

Since the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary in 1908, tensions were high between the people and their ruling empire. With the Archduke visiting Sarajevo in June of 1914, the Serbian secret military society, known as the Black Hand, devised a plan to assassinate Ferdinand. Seven men were stationed throughout the city, as the Archduke’s motorcade traveled through the streets. One of the attackers threw a bomb at the vehicle containing the royals. Instead of landing in their car, it bounced off, coming to a stop in the street and exploding underneath the following car in the motorcade. The explosion wounded roughly 20 people, but did not harm the intended targets. The shaken Austrian royals altered their plans and decided to head to the hospital to visit those injured in the bombing. As a safety precaution, officials devised an alternate route that would avoid

MOTORCYCLE INJURY? Let Us Get You the Compensation You Deserve

SERVICE HIGHLIGHT

law. If appropriate, we’ll help you settle your case, but we’re willing to fight it all the way through trial if necessary. We have thousands of hours of combined courtroom litigation experience. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident, give us a call. We handle all motorcycle property damage claims completely free of charge, and offer discounted rates for catastrophic injuries.

You’re riding down the highway on your motorcycle, carefully eyeing the nearby minivan. You’re not sure if the driver can see you. The surrounding vehicles get uncomfortably close as your wiggle room shrinks. It quickly becomes evident that no, the minivan’s driver definitely can’t see you. They signal a lane change to the right, moving into the exact same space you are riding in. They begin to creep into your lane, but your paths, both back and front, are blocked by more vehicles. You’re shoved off the road, forced to bail at 60 miles per hour. At Kelly Law, we know the dangers you face out there on the open road, because people in our office ride, too. As the motorcycle personal injury lawyers in the area, we’ve represented hundreds of injured motorcycle riders over the years, winning millions of dollars in settlements and judgments. When you put us on the case, we’ll come prepared with robust resources: everything you could possibly require for aggressive representation and litigation of your accident case. We’ll gather every scrap of information, carefully checking all the facts in order to build them into a powerful, compelling case in a court of

Don’t let a motorcycle injury control your life forever. Let us fight for you and get the compensation you deserve.

DISCLAIMER: Past results are not an express or implied prediction of future success and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation, promise, guarantee, or prediction of similar results in future cases. Each case has many different factors, including different facts and different applications of law. Results will always differ on a case-by-case basis.

2

www.kelly-lawyers.com

Quick Tips to Stay Safe On the Road Stay in the Saddle

Another thing: If the bike feels too heavy, it probably is. ATGATT. Wear all the gear, all the time. You don’t want a nasty streak of road rash if you spill. Full pants, a reinforced jacket, and gloves are essential. Keep in mind, if you’re forced to bail, your hands will hit the road first. Ride defensively. According to a study by the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research, in accidents involving a bike and car, cars were at fault 60 percent of the time. No surprise there. Don’t give drivers any opportunity to run you off the road. Keep an eye out for sudden lane changes and especially for cars pulling out of side streets.

We know that there are few things in this world better than cruising down the highway on your bike. But, as any rider will tell you, biking can be a risky proposition because of other drivers being distracted or simply not seeing you. We may be a motorcycle accident injury firm, but the absolute last thing we want is for you to get hurt. The key to avoiding injury is to simply be smart. Never speed and never drink and ride. Besides that, it’s good to stay educated. Here are some quick tips to keep you upright and in the saddle. Find a bike that fits you. When you’re seated, you should be able to rest both feet flat on the ground with ease. Ensure all the controls are well within reach.

Celebrate Dad all month long with a burger he’s sure to love!

INGREDIENTS:

Dad’s Whiskey Burger

• • • • • • • • • •

4 (6–6 ½ ounce) hamburger patties

¼ cup whiskey

3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 strips bacon

8 thick slices American cheese

2 largeVidalia onions, peeled, cut in half, and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat

1 teaspoon salt

4 hamburger buns

hamburger patties. Marinate for 15 minutes, then flip andmarinate another 15 minutes. 4. Grill burgers over medium- high heat until cooked to desired doneness. 5. Add two slices of cheese to each burger in the last minute of grilling. 6. Put hamburgers on buns, then top with a large spoonful of caramelized onions. Top with bacon.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove and cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat. 2. In a large skillet, combine olive oil and bacon fat, then add onions. Cook over low heat. Add salt and turn onions often for 30–40 minutes until caramelized. 3. Place whiskey and chopped garlic in a shallow dish and add

3

800-859-8800

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

5521West Lincoln Highway Suite #101 Crown Point, IN 46307

THIS ISSUE Inside

Putting the ‘Personal’ In Personal Injury Law Page 1 The Bullets That Began World War I Motorcycle Injury? Page 2 Stay in the Saddle: Quick Tips to Stay Safe On the Road Dad’s Whiskey Burger Page 3 Yellowstone: Where the Wild Things Are Page 4

Advertising Material

The Unspoiled Natural Majesty of Yellowstone National Park Where theWildThings Are

This summer, skip the expensive hustle

and bustle of an overcrowded theme park. After a vacation like that, you’ll feel like you need another.

besides its otherworldly rainbow waters, is known for being the largest hot spring in the U.S.

As far as getaway destinations go, Yellowstone National Park, sprawling across Idaho, Montana, andWyoming, is a little more expansive. More than 3 million visitors flock to its astonishing peaks, multicolored pools, and dramatic geothermal geysers each year, but as you travel across Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres, it’s unlikely you’ll see much of them. And the sheer variety of unparalleled activities to explore means fun for the whole family. Make sure to check out Old Faithful, the most famous geothermal geyser in the world, with eruptions averaging a whopping 130 vertical feet. Or if it’s majesty and exploration you’re itching for, hike one of the many trails along the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. The views, with clay cliff faces and tree-covered mountains in every direction, are unlike any other. Also, be sure to investigate the Grand Prismatic Spring, which,

For many, though, the biggest draw of the park is the wildlife. Yellowstone is home to the largest bison population on public land. It houses more mammals than anywhere else in the lower 48 states, 150 species of birds, and huge populations of native fish, to name a few. Just driving around the park, you’re apt to see moose, deer, elk, mountain goats, and, if you’re lucky, grizzly bears, mountain lions, or wolves. Go boating, catch a fish, scale a mountain, ride a horse — the things to do vary as much as the breathtaking landscape. If you’re looking for an affordable, relaxed, and wide-open family vacation this summer, Yellowstone is a no-brainer.

4

www.kelly-lawyers.com