Your Front Porch Report

PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID LONGVIEW, TX PERMIT NUMBER 185

The Front Porch Report

News from the Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm

101 East Whaley Street Longview, TX 75601

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Compliments of Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm
Does Your Employer Have Workers Compensation? .....................2 Tax Tip ....................................3 Employer Spotlight on Justin Smith .....................3 Houston Heritage Festival .................................3 Lida Vega Named HALP of the Year ...................4

Congratulations to John Sloan Newly Elected President of The Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College
We are proud to announce that our founding partner, John Sloan, has been elected as president of the prestigious Trial Lawyers College (TLC), founded in 1994 by nationally revered trial lawyer Gerry Spence, described by many as the greatest American trial lawyer. Spence has tried and won many nationally recognized cases. Spence founded TLC to provide intensive training for lawyers who are committed to the preservation of the jury system and to the protection of the rights of the people. The college is available only to lawyers who represent people-not large corporations and insurance companies. Each year 48 lawyers are chosen from numerous applicants to attend the program held at Spences Thunderhead Ranch in Western Wyoming. After being actively involved in the College for over 12 years as a teacher and board member, Sloan is now serving as TLCs third president. I came to the Trial Lawyers College in 1998 with the hope that I could become a better lawyer, said Sloan. I did not fully understand the profound impact on my life that would be sparked from that one month at the Ranch. I count as my best friends many of the sisters and brothers I have met through the College. I believe that TLC has made me a better lawyer and a better person. Now is my time to repay, in some small measure, the gifts I have received. Gerry Spence had this to say about Johns election to the Presidency of the College: It surprised no one that John Sloan was chosen to lead the leading college for Trial Lawyers for the people. He is like a great father, a man of wisdom and courage, of love and patience who has long been a role model for trial lawyers across the land. The American justice system is broken. Ordinary people can pound at the doors of justice, but too often justice remains the exclusive property of the monied, the corporations and the powerful. But justice in America also belongs to the people, to the small, the weak, the forgotten, the injured and the damned. And the people must be represented by fully trained, caring trial lawyers who will fight the great wars that, across the land, daily challenge the promise of justice for all. Trial Lawyers College provides that training, and no one in America can lead such

April 2014 Volume 2 Issue 1

Lida Vega Named Legal Professional of the Year by Houston Association of Legal Professionals
We are proud to announce that Sloan Firm, paralegal, Lida Vega has been named as Legal Professional of the Year for 2013-14 by the Houston Association of Legal Professionals (Houston ALP) for her outstanding achievements in her profession and as a member of the Association. In order to be nominated for this award, the candidate must have: served in an elected or appointed office or as a committee chair or member; completed legal education, including legal training courses and/or obtained certification; five years of legal experience and worked in the legal field within the past year under the direct supervision of an attorney; and regularly attended education meetings within the past year. Will King, Lida Vega and Ryan Fowler

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Phone: (903) 757-7000 101 East Whaley Street Longview, TX 75601 3000 Smith Street, Suite 4 Houston, TX 77006
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Lida has been a member of the Sloan Firm for a 7 years. She moved to Houston in 2011 and immediately became an active and dedicated member of Houston ALP . Lida served as treasurer and took on several serious responsibilities within the organization. According to Houston ALP Lida provides valuable input and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that our special events are truly special. Lida has done a great deal in promoting Houston ALPs charities. Specifically, in 2013 she was able to advertise Wreaths Across America using her firms media center. Lida is an integral part of our firm s Houston office and has worked tirelessly to help make every clients case a success. Her hard work and compassion are often the subject of client compliments commented Attorney Ryan Fowler. You can congratulate Lida on our firm Facebook.

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a college with a greater personal commitment and qualifications to meet these challenges than John Sloan. We take great pride and feel deep gratitude that he has agreed to lead us, that he is giving back to lawyers and to Americans with a commitment that has been enriched by his years of experience as a great trial lawyer in his own right. We thank John Sloan for providing the justice system an incomparable gift of self that we celebrate here. John Sloan is an East Texas native who continues to devote his professional career to protecting the rights of injured clients across the State of Texas and throughout the nation. He is Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is also Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. John has been repeatedly selected as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly magazine and has achieved MartindaleHubbells AV Preeminent rating as a testament that he is considered by his peers to be at the highest level of professional excellence.

The Front Porch Report

News from the Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm

What You Should Know if Your Employer Doesnt Have Workers Compensation
If an employee is injured while on the job or suffers from an occupational illness in Texas, there is a good chance they are not covered by Workers Compensation Insurance. Texas is the only state in the country that does not require employers to carry workers compensation insurance for their employees. Instead, employers in Texas are split into two groups subscribers, employers who have purchased workers compensation coverage; and nonsubscribers, employers who have chosen not to obtain coverage. Employers are required to notify new employees of the existence or absence of workers compensation coverage at the time of hiring and must post notice of coverage status in their place of business. The Texas Workers Compensation Act (TWCA) provides a strong incentive for employers to become subscribers. Subscribers receive almost total immunity from lawsuits by their employees for injuries and illnesses arising from their negligence. The exclusive remedy for injured workers is workers compensation benefits, which is processed by the Division of Workers Compensation. If benefits are approved, employees may receive compensation for their medical expenses and partial recovery of lost wages. If you work for a subscribing employer, you can read more about your rights at http:// www.oiec.texas.gov/documents/448.2e_r_and_r.pdf. On the other hand, employers who are non-subscribers have no immunity from lawsuits and also lose legal defenses normally available to defendants in common law causes of action. Injured workers who successfully bring a claim against a non-subscribing employer may recover more than they would under workers compensation law, including damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering and the full amount of their future lost wages. As of 2012, approximately 33 percent of employers in Texas are non-subscribers (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/commit/c570/pdf/1210TDI_DWC-06.pdf). As a safeguard, most non-subscribers have a private policy of insurance to cover their employees injuries, providing compensation for medical expenses and lost wages. These insurance benefits are usually part of an Employee Injury Benefit Plan or Occupational Injury Benefit Plan sponsored by the employer. It is important for employees covered by such a Plan to carefully read and understand their obligations and the rules they must follow in order to obtain benefits should they be injured. Almost all Plans have the following requirements that may result in termination of all future benefits under the Plan if the employee fails to follow these requirements: 1. 2. 3. 4. 3. Report your injury to your supervisor immediately. Only use medical providers approved by the plan. Do not miss doctor appointments. Follow the instructions of your doctor. Keep your employer informed of your injury status.

Tax Tip with Gae-Lynn Woods

Show your CPA some love (and reduce your tax preparation costs!) by sorting your paperwork. Before visiting your CPA, discard unnecessary paperwork and bundle receipts for similar expenses together, such as for doctors visits or charitable giving. This saves your CPA time in handling your tax return, which should translate into a lower cost for you. Gae-Lynn Woods, CPA, with Sloan Firm.

Employee Spotlight on Justin A. Smith

Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm Associate Attorney Justin A. Smith, commonly known as JAS to those around him, brings a fresh perspective and energy to the firm and its clients. Justin grew up in Kempner, Texas in a military family. When his brother joined the U.S. Air Force, Justin envisioned a promising future alongside him and joined the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps in college. However, JAS soon developed a new passion: law. JAS attended Baylor Law School where he struck up a friendship with Sloan Firm attorney, Carson Runge. Justin is an excellent lawyer and an even better person, said Carson. He is true to himself, his morals and his faith. In law school Jas and I were on several mock trial competition teams together, and I value having the opportunity to practice law with him. Justin helped bring his team to a finalist position in the American Association for Justice Mock Trial competition and the Southern Methodist University Mock Trial competition, as well as a semi-finalist position at the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Mock Trial Competition and the University of Michigan Mock Trial Competition. Justin also served as an editor of the Baylor Law Review and interned for Chief Judge Walter Smith of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and Judge Martin Hoffman of the 68th District Court of Texas. JAS clerked for Sommerman & Quesada, where he helped secure $3.2 million in a default judgment for the family of a Dallas firefighter involved in a fatal car wreck with a drunk driver. JAS joined the Sloan Firm in February 2011 where he practices in the area of catastrophic personal injury law. JAS is an extremely gifted lawyer who truly cares about people, said managing partner Laureen Bagley. He has a tremendous work ethic and leaves no stone unturned in his quest for justice for his clients. JAS never meets a stranger and always has a smile and a kind word for everyone he meets. We are fortunate to have JAS as part of our team. When hes not hard at work for his clients, Justin enjoys riding his Harley, reading, playing guitar, and watching sports. We want you to think of us as your law rm. If you have a legal matter that needs attention, let us know. If we cant handle the matter, we will refer you to a rm that can. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. A referral from a former client or friend is the greatest compliment our rm can receive. We welcome the opportunity to help. Thank you! 3

Houston Creole Heritage Festival

Zydeco music, creole cooking, Louisiana-style entertainment and a Mardi Gras parade were just a few of the events that took place for the first Houston Creole Heritage Festival. Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry were among the key sponsors for this event that took place at Discovery Green, in downtown Houston on January 31 through February 2. Houston S.H.O.P . (Sweet Hour of Prayer) Ministry Inc., a not-forprofit organization, organized the Houston Creole Heritage Festival. The organization raises money to help purchase school supplies, provide academic scholarships and enhance educational programs across the state of Texas. Heads In Helmets, sponsored by the Sloan Firm, distributed 515 bicycle helmets on Saturday during the festival. The program provides free safety helmets in an effort to prevent traumatic head injuries to young children riding bikes. A team of volunteers from The Sloan Firm and from the Heads In Helmets board, were on hand to custom- fit each child with the proper size helmet. If you would like more information on the Heads In Helmets program, please contact Gai Linn Roberts at 903-757-7000 Ext. 213.

It is essential that you follow all requirements of your employers Plan to remain eligible for benefits. If you do not have a copy of your employers Injury Benefit Plan you should request one immediately so you can understand your benefits and responsibilities. Federal law provides that you have right to receive a copy of the Injury Benefit Plan and the Summary Plan Description from the Plan Administrator upon written request. It is important that you make your request in writing and send it certified mail return receipt requested to your employer and the plan administrator. The plan administrator has 30 days to comply with your written request or be subject to potential penalties of $110.00 for each day they delay in providing you the requested documents (29 U.S.C. 1132 (c)). If you have been injured on the job and your employer is a non-subscriber to Workers Compensation, you should make sure you understand all of your rights. If you have questions about your rights following an on the job injury or your employers injury benefit plan, feel free to call us for a free consultation. We would be happy to review your Benefit Plan and help you recover your benefits. Partner Laureen Bagley

Download to Win $100

We hope you enjoy the newsletter and take the time to download your very own free Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm Injury App. When you download our app, you could win a $100 VISA card! All you need to do is check out www.TexasInjuryApp.com and download the free app. Next, call our office at 903-757-7000 or 1-888-609-3652 and give us your details. The drawing will be held on April 14, 2014.
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Referrals

And, as always, when someone injures you, we can help you get your life back!