Simon Law Firm September 2018

Simon Law Firm September 2018

www.christophersimon.com

404-259-7635

september 2018

Congratulations to Chicary Smith WINNEROF THE 2018 CHRISTOPHER SIMONATTORNEY-AT-LAWSCHOLARSHIP

At Simon Law Firm, we do everything we can to give back to the wonderful community of people who have made our firm possible for more than ten years. We know that, without those we serve placing their trust in us in the midst of crisis, we simply could not exist. So, it’s important to us that we invest in initiatives that we believe truly make a difference. And what better way for a law firm to do that than by giving a boost to the next generation of talented attorneys? That’s why we created the Christopher Simon Attorney-at-Law Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship awarded to one young law student to put a small dent in the considerable expenses that come with law school. This year, we put out a challenging essay prompt dealing with the same kind of personal injury cases we cover here at the firm, and we received applications from promising young law students all over the state, each hoping to make a positive impact in the world. We’d like to give a sincere thank-you to everyone who applied. It was heartening to read all the applications that came in. Clearly, there are dozens of up-and-coming future lawyers eager to equip themselves with the skills to be the best attorneys they can be. But, as challenging as it was, in the end we had to choose a single recipient for the scholarship. So, without further ado, congratulations to Chicary Smith, winner of the 2018 Christopher Simon scholarship award!

ITMEANSALOT TOBEABLETO CONTRIBUTE EVENASMALL AMOUNTTOWARD SOMEONE’S FUTURE.

Chicary is an Atlanta resident and a recent graduate from Kennesaw State. She submitted a thorough analysis of our insurance problem, offering the kind of fresh perspective that will serve her clients well in the future. We’re thrilled to be able offer her a small token of encouragement as she starts her first year at the Syracuse University law program this month! Congratulations also to the winner of the $250 runner-up scholarship, Julie Schwarzwald of Tulane Law School. It was a tough decision picking the winners of the scholarship, but rest assured, we have the utmost confidence that both of them are going to succeed with flying colors in their future careers as attorneys.

It may be small in the grand scheme of things, but it means a lot to be able to contribute even a small amount toward someone’s future. We trust that these students will be conscientious stewards of the law and will work to serve their clients with the highest standards of ethics, attention, and skill. We look forward to seeing all that Chicary and Julie accomplish in the years to come!

–Christopher Simon

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Involved but Not Overbearing

PARENT-TEACHER ETIQUETTE TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT

1. Be a little empathetic. Teachers are some of the hardest-working people in the world, wrangling the disparate needs of around 25 children day in and day out while attempting to get them to actually learn something. It’s a high-stress, low-paying job. In the midst of grading 300 research papers written by 12-year-olds, the last thing they need is the added pressure of concerned parents bearing down on them. If you can approach a teacher from a position of understanding and be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, you’ll be off to a good start. 2. Show up and keep an open mind. Ask any teacher in the country, and they’ll undoubtedly tell you that one of the best predictors of a child’s success is whether or not their parents make an appearance at parent- teacher conferences. Your engagement should go beyond that. Use the teacher’s preferred method of communication to stay in semi-regular contact with them— always ensuring that you keep an open mind about any praise, suggestions, or concerns they have about your child.

3. Teach your child to take responsibility. Aside from leaving your kid completely to their own devices, one of the worst things you can do is swoop in to solve their problems for them at the slightest hint of adversity. Maybe that D your kid got on their algebra test really was their fault. It’s important to acknowledge your child’s missteps, but you should also try to equip them with the tools necessary to advocate for themselves. Learning to articulate what’s going wrong or what they need from their teacher will help them to develop positive and effective communication skills. The key is to work together with your child’s teacher without being overbearing. Don’t come in with guns blazing at the first sign of an educational slip. Think of your kid’s schooling as a collaborative effort — maybe one in which you’re a little less involved than the teacher — and you’ll be giving your child the best chance of success.

Helicopter parents are the bane of every teacher’s existence. With the return of back- to-school season, it’s vital to find a happy medium between the tiger mom who bares her teeth at the smallest setback in her child’s schooling and the laissez-faire parent who is totally disengaged from their kid’s education. Here are a few tips to keep you involved in your child’s educational development while fostering relationships with their teachers in a way that won’t drive all of you up the wall.

Simon Family Summer Wrap-up CELEBRATING A BUSY SEASON, PREPARING FOR FALL

September signals the end of summer vacation, as the kids return to school and we get excited for cooler weather. But it’s also a good time to reflect on how we spent the warmer months, and 2018 certainly did not disappoint for the Simon family. The kids had an active summer of learning and exploring. Brantley got a B in her Bible Studies summer class, and Churchill explored the east coast in North Carolina while attending camp. He’s quite the mountain man now. As we wrapped up the summer, we took a family vacation to Dublin, Ireland and also visited parts of Italy. The views were picturesque, and having spent 10 years of my childhood in Europe, it was great to return with my children and explore the continent. Brantley even wants to spend a year studying in Italy! That would be an exciting adventure.

Though we are looking forward to this upcoming school year, we are so glad we made the memories we did. From the Simon Law Firm, we hope you and your family had a busy, fulfilling, and great summer as well, and we look forward to seeing what this fall will bring.

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5 FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR THE VALUE OF YOUR CLAIM How Much Money Can I Get?

WORD SEARCH

One of the questions clients often pose to our team here at Simon Law Firm is “What is my case worth?” The best way we have found to answer this question is by breaking their claim into certain categories. When determining the financial value or worth of an accident, there are five main factors that our lawyers encourage you to consider. The Seriousness of the Injury The more serious the injury is, the more a jury will care, and the more they will award a client in damages. The insurer’s initial payment offer is often based on conjecture depending on the jury members in question. The Severity of the Crash This factor goes hand in hand with the seriousness of the injury. The more severe the damage is to the vehicle involved in the crash, the more likely the jury will believe an injury occurred. The Client’s Personality Many clients are surprised to hear that their personality drastically affects the value of a case. But the true value is decided by 12 jurors judging the facts. If they like you, they award more money. The character you demonstrate in handling adversity says a great deal about who you are, and jurors will always take your behavior into consideration. Location For the Atlanta area, the most favorable counties to bring in a case are Clayton County, Dekalb County, Fulton County, and Gwinnett County. Outside of Columbus, Macon, and parts of Savannah and Glynn County, the rest of the state is fairly conservative. Juries do not award decent verdicts unless the injuries are significant. Therefore, when evaluating a case, it is important to know the location of the court hearing. The Amount of Liability Insurance The hardest news we have to give clients is that our practical ability to generate a financial recovery for them is controlled to a large extent by the amount of insurance the defendant carries. The insurance carrier involved also plays a role. Each insurance company has a different personality, meaning some will give low offers until your court date while others will make more generous offers to avoid litigation.

Football Touchdown Quarterback Autumn

Equinox LaborDay Barbecue September

Harvest Apple Students Homecoming

Late-SummerPanzanella

Panzanella, a Tuscan favorite, is a salad that features hearty chunks of bread instead of leafy greens as its base. What could be better for a late- summer cookout? INGREDIENTS

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1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 large tomatoes, cubed

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2 red bell peppers, seeded and cubed 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cucumber, sliced into rounds 20 basil leaves, chopped

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Salt, to taste Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS 1.

In a large sauté pan, set to medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add bread and 1 teaspoon salt, and toss often for 10 minutes or until toasted. 2. In a large bowl, mix vegetables and herbs. Toss in bread and your favorite vinaigrette and mix again. 3. Serve immediately or let sit 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

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2860 Piedmont Rd NE #210 Atlanta, GA 30305

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

After July 1, you will get a ticket for holding a cellphone in your car, even at a stop light! Georgia will be strictly enforcing the new law starting July 1! You can only hold your phone if legally parked, not just stopped in traffic. You must use an earbud or Bluetooth device to use the phone in a car. Be careful out there and stay safe!

i Congratulations to Scholarship Winner Chicary Smith! 1 The 3 Keys to Parent-Teacher Etiquette

Simon Family Summer Wrap-up 2 Late-Summer Panzanella

How Much Is Your Claim Worth? 3 Why Labor Day Is Indebted to the Pullman Strike 4

The Pullman Strike and the Origin of Labor Day

How a Railroad Protest Laid the Foundation for a National Holiday

Today, Labor Day mostly means a day off and the closure of public pools. But when it was first created, it was a president’s desperate attempt to curb the tension after one of the most violent strike breakups in American history. In the late 19th century, the workers of the Pullman Company, which manufactured luxury train cars, all lived in a company-owned town. George Pullman, the owner, lived in a mansion overlooking houses, apartments, and crammed- together barracks, all of which were rented by the thousands of workers needed for the operation. For some time, the town operated without a hitch, providing decent wages for the workers while netting the higher-ups millions of dollars. But after the economic depression of the 1890s brought the country to its knees, everything changed. George Pullman slashed his workers’ wages by nearly 30 percent, but he neglected to adjust the rent on the company-owned buildings

in turn. As a result, life became untenable in the town, with workers struggling to maintain the barest standards of living for themselves and their families. In response, the workers began a strike on May 11, 1894. As the event ramped up, it gained the support of the powerful American Railway Union (ARU). But Pullman, stubborn as he was, barely acknowledged the strike was happening, and he refused to meet with the organizers. The tension increased when Eugene Debs, the president of the American Railway Union, organized a boycott of all trains that included Pullman cars. The strike continued to escalate until workers and Pullman community members managed to stop the trains from running. Eventually, President Grover Cleveland sent in soldiers to break up the strike. Violence ensued, with soldiers making a great effort to quell the strike at its core. By the time the violence ended,

30 people had lost their lives and an estimated $80 million in damages had been caused throughout the town. A few months later, President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a federal holiday. Many experts believe that this act was an effort to build rapport among his pro-labor constituents after handling the incident so poorly. This month, as you fire up the barbecue and enjoy your day off, take a moment to remember the workers who fought for labor rights in our country.

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