Art in the Workplace

I would have preferred original art, but it wasn’t in the budget. So I set aside my personal preference and went to work with what were given. Do the best with what you have. And we did just that. We chose framed prints on canvas. The company helping us was Windsor Castle Gallery and a gentleman named David Cuningham.

The process used to make these prints is something fairly new, Giclée is the name. It’s a production technique that creates the closest to original art you can get. The prints look like original oil paintings.  (Giclée is pronounced zhee-klay.  It’s really a made up French word, and kind of fun to say.) When framed appropriately, these prints will look like an original work of art at an affordable price.

Giclée is a very different process than lithography which is only a four color method. This high-tech approach to art reproduction has only been around since the early 1990’s. Prints are made from originals using digital files. So no corruption occurs from multiple copies of the same original. It’s claimed that these prints are color-faithful reproductions of art work that will last for about 25 years. Inkjet printers using 8-12 colors use fade resistant inks to make high resolution prints on a variety of paper canvas and other materials.

Up close, you’ll see that these have brighter colors and aren’t composed of tiny dots. So, for the most part, these paintings look as though they are original works of art.

However, In a good piece of art, there is energy to the painting that is missing in a print. That part is unavoidable, but true. The upside is having pleasant art work in the hall-ways at one’s workplace.

Check out the gallery here to see some of my favorites.

She was carrying her young grand-daughter in her arms. It was evening and dark.  Donna cut across the parking strip to save a few steps getting to her car with the sleepy girl. The little girl loved sleepovers at her grandma’s house.

Donna thought she was stepping on a water main cover, large and round. But then it slipped out from underneath her foot. She quickly put out her other foot so as not to fall with the child. She couldn’t have known in the dark that what she stepped on was really a large saw blade. A concrete cutting saw blade with teeth sharp and curved waiting to slice deep into her leg. Changing in an instant, her ability to walk normally for the rest of her life.

A construction company, a local company you would know by name, had carelessly discarded one of their concrete blades. It was no longer useful to them and they left it in front of this home, in this neighborhood, where her granddaughter lived. It could have been in your neighborhood. Think about that.

We’re talking about a 14” blade, steel and still very sharp. Sharp enough to slice through her Achilles heel without hesitation as she tried to regain her footing. It sliced deep across her heel. It felt as though a 220 volt ripped through her body. She immediately fell to the ground, not knowing what had happened.

She would have bled to death right there but for the quick thinking of a family member who grabbed a bandana and fashioned a tourniquet to slow down the bleed-out. 

A fourteen inch blade, go measure that and then try to figure out how a road crew left that behind? Not on a building site, not on a freeway job, but in a neighborhood where children play. Of all things irresponsible, this would be one.

Look again at the picture above. It is very similar to the one that caused so much physical damage to our client.  Pictures of her wound would be too disturbing and in poor taste to show you here. A jury will see the photos though.

Donna has missed months of work because of this serious injury. It’s work she loves and which has defined her life for many years. Not to mention the second paycheck her family desperately needs. She has always worked, and been proud of it. She can no longer do that job. It’s been taken from her, possibly forever. I know her self-esteem has suffered.

Donna lost her truck when she and her husband couldn’t make the payments. Food and a roof over their heads became this family’s priority. There were difficult decisions they had to make.

She’ll never be able to walk properly again-her job requires a lot of walking. I question what her future holds with an injury this severe.

This is a lively woman who loved to dance Salsa with her husband on the weekends. She’ll never wear heels again. She loved to swim and taught all her grand children how to swim. She can’t do any of that now. This is a mother who loved camping and hiking visiting different areas around the state every weekend, every summer with her family. All of that and more have been taken away from her. How do you calculate the damages to this person? If you were on a jury what would you decide?

We hold the construction company responsible for their blatant neglect. Their initial offer to Donna barely covers her hospital bills; the multiple surgeries, the skin grafts, the hyperbaric chamber and the painful, difficult physical therapy. Their offer is an insult to this kind woman. Her present circumstances were caused by this company’s negligence. 

Money is a poor exchange for her injury. But it will help restore her life to more like it was. They need to get current on their  house payments. She could get her truck back so she has transportation. Her suffering is real and she deserves compensation for all that has happened.

A large judgment against this irresponsible construction company would send a message to all construction companies in Utah; make safety to your community a priority over profits. What do you think? Do you agree?

It was a hectic week getting ready for the film crew from LA who were here on Saturday.

There were last minute script changes, final interview questions and guest preparations.

This all began late last year when a production group out of LA approached us wanting to film several half hour shows on various legal issues. These shows will broadcast on network television.

“Insider Exclusive” and the host Steve Murphy have done legal shows on Gerry Spence, Geoffrey Fieger, Gloria Allred, the list goes on. Check out their web-site, it’s interesting.

Anyway, we picked the topics and supplied as much as possible in the way of story line, video, and photographs. They did the rest, professional editing, production and most importantly the professional interviewing by the show’s host.  No, we didn’t use our courtroom for this. Instead we picked the Gallery area on our first floor.

To say they were organized would be an understatement. The three camera set-up by the crew happened within minutes. They had top of the line LED lights with no heat to melt make-up. Another staff member, Cassandra, set up a make-up bar and wouldn’t let any guests shy away from her brushes. Of course, the guys joked it was the manly make-up brand she was using.

Steve Murphy had done his homework and really understood our point of view. These stories will help explain the stories and issues we find most compelling. It gives us a national platform for facts and information for the public to see and hear. 

The topics we chose were; Zyprexa, our involvement with the State of Utah in taking on Eli Lilly and getting $24MM for Utah

Slow Justice is No Justice, The Bob Betley Story, how the frustration with his insurance company’s poor treatment helped inspire Utah Senate Bill 62 which was passed this year. 

The Utah Meth Cops Project, police officers and first responders are exposed to toxic chemicals while on the job. Why we need to help these public servants get well by way of a special detoxification program.

Our guests were; Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff, Stu Smith, Chief of Investigations Division for Salt Lake County District Attorney, Sandra Lucas, Director of Utah Meth Cops/Heroes Project, Steve Urquhart, State Senator from Washington County and our good friends and golfers, Bob & Jane Betley.

Corner Bakery was kind enough to show up promptly at 7am with freshly baked muffins/ bagels and a wonderful platter of sliced fresh fruit. I would recommend them for your events.

I always like to include photos of the food at our events so take a look here and on our facebook page. Corner Bakery Cafe’s web-site is www.cornerbakerycafe.com

We’ll let you know when the shows air on Fox Network later this year. In the meantime, please check out their web-site at www.insiderexclusive.com

Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner is supporting legislation that better protects young athletes from head injuries. This law is for the protection of young athletes under the age of 18. 

The law has already been passed in Washington State and Goodell wants it to be passed in 43 other states including Utah.

High School sports are risky business for young athletes. There is a particular danger for serious head concussions that can leave permanent, lifetime injuries. The CDC estimates there are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million sport and recreation concussions each year. Most of them happening at the high school level.

“The younger you are, the more immature the brain is and less developed, so the more susceptible they are to concussions,” says Dr. Mark Rosen, team doctor at Bingham High School.  He suggests that coaches sit out players until their injury can be evaluated by a physician.

Dr. Joyce Soprano, emergency room physician at Primary Children’s Medical Center. “We know that the young brain takes longer to heal than even in a college-level athlete.”

Utah High School Activities Association has adopted a set of guidelines for all sports for the next school year. These guidelines are similar to the new law in Washington.

The Lystedt Law is named after Zachery Lystedt who suffered a terrible concussion in a junior high school football game. His disabilities are permanent, but were preventable at the time if coaches had followed sports guidelines for head injuries in students.

Here is the outline of that law:

• Youth athletes who are suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury be removed from play. “When in doubt, sit them out.”
• School districts to work with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to develop information and policies on educating coaches, youth athletes and parents about the nature and risk of concussion, including the dangers of returning to practice or competition after a concussion or head injury.
• All student athletes and their parents/guardians sign an information sheet about concussion and head injury prior to the youth athlete’s initiating practice at the start of each season.
• Youth athletes who have been removed from play receive written medical clearance prior to returning to play from a licensed health-care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussion.
• Private, nonprofit youth sports associations wanting to use publicly owned playfields comply with this law.

This legislation should be passed in Utah. It is for the safety of our children. We want them to play sports and we want them to play sports safely. For more information we suggest you use these links:

Brain Injury Association of Utah:  http://sjlaw.info/1c

KSL story:  http://sjlaw.info/1d

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or other lettuce, chopped kale would work too.

Cilantro, Roasted sesame seeds,  2 Red bell peppers

1 bottle of Asian salad dressing (Nordstrom’s is very tasty, but $4.95 a bottle.)

1 package dried crunchy cooked noodles, 1 package sliced almonds 6oz.

Cook the boneless chicken breasts & then cut & slice to a good bite size. After the chicken is cut up, sprinkle generously with roasted sesame seeds. Cover & set aside.

Drain the large can of mandarin oranges. Set aside. (Allow time for them to dry a bit.)

1 bunch of cilantro sliced & diced small  (Remember, a little cilantro goes a long way-don’t let it over power other flavors)

Cut up the 2 Red bell peppers; I like to steam them in the microwave to soften skin & make them more digestible. Cut them in long, thin slices. Set aside. (Dry them out a bit, mushy textures never work.)

Cut up an entire package of romaine lettuce from Costco (four heads) Slice up 1 head of iceberg lettuce or kale to add color. Set aside.

Now is the fun part, let a small child help you find a very large salad bowl. Then add the diced chicken to the lettuce. Toss it together. Mix in the cilantro, the red peppers, add the crunchy noodles, the almonds & the mandarin oranges. Toss again.

Finally, add the dressing, you may want to use the whole bottle-but that is according to your taste.

You could also include a can of roasted peanuts, or add cucumbers or even a little sliced carrot to your salad.  (I felt the salad was enough work already.)

Enjoy you crunchy, tasty, healthy salad!

 Needless to say, I can’t really get any work done.

The dust on my keyboard demands attention. Not to mention the layer of fine dust covering everything on the third floor.

The sight of saggy, exposed pink insulation in a hallway greets me as I make my way to the staircase to another floor. There is escape from the dust but not the noise. Here are some pictures of the mess.  When this floor is completely remodeled, I’ll post new photos to show you. 

Until then, wish me luck.

The other driver was at fault. Bob was at a stop sign near his home when the accident happened. The female driver blacked out due to a medical condition. She admitted later that she shouldn’t have been driving…

She only had minimal coverage on her car; there was not enough insurance to cover vehicle damage, his injuries and the subsequent surgeries. There was also the matter of his loss of livelihood. He wanted to go back to golf, to return to the PGA tour but couldn’t.

So Bob looked to his own insurance company for help. He had been their faithful customer for many, many years without a claim. They had encouraged him years ago to have a good policy in place for uninsured and under insured car accidents. To protect him from this very thing they said could happen. That thing had happened, but he knew he had insurance to help him.

He felt certain he was covered by his policy. He was, except for the fact that his own insurance company stalled on resolving his claim. They wouldn’t return phone calls. They kept losing information and needing it resubmitted. This went on for a long time. Months passed by without a paycheck.

Bob kept getting the run around from his own insurance company and he knew he needed a lawyer. He hired Siegfried & Jensen. The lawyers here represented him and helped him through the legal system. They protected his rights. The legal system worked. His insurance company was compelled to do the right thing and settle his claim. Finally, he received financial compensation for his injuries.

Bob can’t golf as he once did. He use to practice and teach and enter tournaments. His other great passion, oil painting was also taken from him. He once painted western wildlife for hours at a time. Now, he can’t sit or stand for very long. He lives in pain.

No amount of money can take away the injuries he received, they’re permanent. But he finally received compensation from his insurance company for his injuries. Justice was served.              Here are some of his paintings included with this story.

If you would you like to see more of Mr. Betley’s wildlife paintings, they will be on display beginning Friday, June 4^th at the Ogden Blue Gallery on 25^th Street in Ogden, UT.   

For more information about this gallery and Bob Betley’s art show, please use this link:

http://www.ogdenblue.com/contactus/index.htm 

He’s been through a lot and we wish him well in all his endeavors.

His story inspired us to do more. The lawyers here resolved to help write legislation to address the very problem that Bob Betley and others encounter when dealing with what are called “First party claims”.

Senate Bill 62 was put before the 2010 Utah General Legislative Session.

To be brief, the law says that if you make a first party claim (yourself) to your own insurance company, they must provide a written response in a timely basis, reasonable basis.

The bill also states that the uninsured or underinsured claim must be paid immediately for the amount of the covered person’s demand, or the carrier’s response, the insured party can then litigate or arbitrate for the remaining amount of the claim… 

Please use this link for full information on SB62.

Senate Bill 62        http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2010/htmdoc/sbillhtm/SB0062.htm

How a Local TV Station Lifted Her Spirits 

The old woman was on her way to the grocery store. She wanted to make sandwiches later that day for her grandchildren. The green arrow on the cross-walk light told her it was her turn to go. She was halfway across the street when the dark blue Suburban hit her. The driver of the car was distracted and didn’t see her. We’ll let the police sort that out. The left side mirror of the SUV clipped this woman on her head. It missed her eye or she might have been blinded. The front tire ran over her left leg. The tread marks still show up as bruises. The hit spun her around and knocked her to the ground. Her head concussion left her unconscious and she didn’t come to until later in the hospital.

Brunt force trauma on the body is a terrible thing so I won’t include those photos here. We’ll leave them for the privacy of her file. The concussion and brain swelling kept her in the hospital for almost a week.

Who should pay for that hospital stay and the doctor’s appointment next week to see if she needs surgery on her left leg? Let’s hope the driver’s car insurance company pays without being forced into court to do what’s right.

Our attorneys visited her in the hospital. She’s a strong woman, maybe even a little bit feisty and doesn’t want to waste time being angry about the accident. What’s done is done she says and hopes to get better in time.  Now she walks with a cane. She may always walk with a cane, we don’t know yet.

But this is what most upset her, the emergency personnel at the hospital had to cut off her favorite jacket in order to treat her. This wasn’t just any jacket. It was her prize possession. Dan Rascon had autographed this one a year ago!

What was left of the jacket was in pieces lying under her hospital bed. She had refused to let it go.   

Frankly, it was all she could talk about. Dan had signed it when he was out on assignment last year at an Orem apartment fire. We knew she needed a new jacket and told her so. She said that would be okay as long as we could get Dan Rascon to sign the new one.

We sent an email to Dan Rascon at KUTV2News a few days ago about this woman. He responded immediately saying he would be glad to help. In fact, he offered a KUTV jacket for our client. (They have really nice jackets, by the way.) Not only did he sign it but the whole team signed it; Mark Koebel, Mary Nichols, Brian Mullahy, Shauna Lake, Fields Mosley and Sterling Poulsen. Mary Nichols even drew a little picture so cute, see below.

I’ve included some photos of the jacket as well as a photo of Dan Rascon. We think he’s a really good guy to go out of his way to help this woman. Thank you KUTV2News!

You may only be hiking in the foothills around the Salt Lake Valley, but you’ll find your steps may lead you into their domain. So be careful.

With warmer weather finally here, we’re all getting outside. We’re ready to enjoy our many hiking trails, state parks and wilderness areas. Rattlesnakes will be waking from their winter sleep. (They hibernate communally.)They will be hungry, irritable and looking to mate. Best stay out of their way.

“If you see a snake, stop where you are and take one step back, then you’re probably out of the strike range and danger.” Says Jude McNally, managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center.

Great Basin Rattlesnakes are the most common here in Utah. They can live a long time too, nineteen and a half years is the longest age recorded.

The Western Diamondback rattlesnake is one of the largest, longest snakes. It too is found in Utah. A length of seven feet is possible with this snake, although most are around three to four feet.

The Great Basin Rattlesnake and Western Diamondback are in the same genus but they differ in a few ways,  their temperament; the Western Diamondback is more aggressive, their venom; the Western Diamondback is more dangerous and potentially life-threatening, their coloring; the black markings on the Great Basin are more distinct due to the lighter color of the snake.

Last summer I was driving home by way of City Creek Canyon. I saw a snake crossing the road near the gates to the canyon. I was too scared to drive very close, and it hardly seemed fair to kill it. So I waited to let it pass. It was late afternoon. I admired it from a safe distance with all the windows rolled up. Measuring the pavement later, that snake had to have been at least five feet long. It was  heavy-bodied and took its time crossing into the scrub oak.  I couldn’t tell you whether it was a Great Basin or a Western Diamondback. I suspect Great Basin only because they are much more common here. I worried that joggers or bikers would run into it or over it, but it would have been hard to miss this one.

My simple advice, avoid rocky slopes and stay on trails. If you see a snake ahead of you, make loud noises and be prepared to walk widely around the snake. Half of all bites happen when people are trying to catch or kill the snake. So don’t do that!

Get to a health-care facility quickly if you receive a bite. Do your best to remember the color and markings of the snake. Very few bites are fatal when proper medical attention is received. Never open a wound with a knife or sharp instrument. John Wayne did but it’s the wrong thing to do! Remember, seek medical help immediately. Never hike alone. Always carry a cell phone with you when hiking. Be aware of the terrain around you.

These sites have videos that are interesting to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUi5QunQph4    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQhny3UJ24

These sites have excellent information:

www.nps.gov                 www.hoglezoo.org

Drug overdose deaths have increased five-fold since 1990.

A 2008 survey of Utah adults found 21 percent had been prescribed an opioid pain medication.  Nearly a fourth of Utah’s population used these addictive opioids. There are more drug deaths in Utah than traffic fatalities. Think about that one. That’s a lot of people using pain pills. What are we doing that we need so much pain relief?

Between 1999 and 2007, the number of deaths attributed to prescription pain medications rose more than 500 percent, according to the Utah State Health Department.  

The statistics are alarming and demonstrate that Utah has one of the highest prescription drug abuse and death rates in the nation. Jeffery Sweetin, a special agent to Utah with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration concurs by saying, “Utah has a pharmaceutical drug problem.”

Pain medications remain the most common type of prescriptions related to overdose and death. These prescription drug deaths occurred in 24 of Utah’s 29 counties. So the problem is not simply an urban problem. It’s everywhere in Utah. 

“It’s not uncommon to see at least one overdose death per week in Utah Valley,” said Lt. Phil Murphy, director of the Utah County Division of Substance Abuse.

Men and women are affected almost equally. The average age for death is between 39 and 41 years old. We need to ask ourselves why? And indeed the State of Utah has begun its own investigation to understand the why.

Early results from this investigation tell us that most overdose deaths happen to the unemployed, those without health insurance, who are experiencing both financial difficulties and chronic pain.

Well, common sense would tell you that these abusers would have difficulty maintaining employmenth, they may have been let go from their previous employment because of their substance abuse.

That of course leads to financial problems. Not working usually does. Lack of health insurance follows unemployment. Depression would then seem a common outcome in this scenario. More than likely, their chronic pain led to the addiction in the first place. The user will complain of chronic pain as an excuse to family members and as a ruse to receive more prescriptions from doctors.

We need to dig a little deeper than that. Those are all self-fulfilling prophesies and don’t give us real answers.

Let’s start with this question: are doctors in Utah more likely to prescribe opioids when there are other options? The addiction begins with the initial use of the medication. Long term use will most certainly result in an unintentional addiction. These pain killers are very addictive. We need to understand that and believe it.  Addiction can happen to anyone.

Local pain physician David Byrd from St. Mark’s Hospital said doctors need to be more wary of prescribing narcotics, “Narcotics should not be the first line of treatment for pain,” he said. “If anything they should be the last line. They carry such huge burdens.”

Here are some suggestions outlined for doctors and patients;

• Alternatives to opioid treatment should be tried before initiating opioid treatment;
• Providers should screen for risk of abuse or addiction before initiating opioid treatment;
• Long-acting opioids should usually not be used to treat acute pain;
• The patient should be informed of the risks and benefits of opioid treatment.

We need to be responsible and ask ourselves if we know anyone with this problem. Is there a way to help them through education or intervention?

If there were someone in your work place abusing prescription drugs, what would you do?

If you saw them leaving the work place clearly compromised because of their drug use would you let them drive home?  

For more information check out this web-site:   www.UseOnlyAsDirected.org

State of Utah Health Department’s web-site:  http://health.utah.gov