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Now is your chance to win three lower level tickets to see the Steelers take on the Dolphins, this Sunday, December 8. Grab your two best friends, throw some hotdogs on the grill, throw back some Iron City and you'll be good to go. Just share this entry, text the keyword STEELERS to 22828 (standard text messaging rates apply) and like our facebook page. Good luck! The winner will be drawn this Thursday. Be watching our Facebook and your email for notification! For rules pertaining to all of our contests, please find them here.

As my children get in the car, I always say those two words as I back out of the driveway,-SEATBELTS ON? I check all the mirrors and am ever so cautious by looking into the rearview mirror every three seconds. I feel as though I am saving an important document on my computer, as I check for all possible problems in my way. After all, I am carrying some very special cargo. Now, I must turn the wheel over to my son. I am on child two out of my four that's learning to drive. With the first child, I wanted no part of the training process. However, as their father's work schedule is insane these days, this time, it has become my duty to hone my son's skills. As I ride shotgun ready to jump across the seat for the brake, as my hands sweat heavily, I must be calm realizing how critical it is to teach him to be a knowledgeable defensive driver. While we practiced, I admit some funny things happened that I tried not to  chuckle openly about, like the time the automatic window wipers came on and he did not know how to turn them off or when he took a little extra wide turn going a little faster than he should have upon entering our street and a neighbor coming the opposite way laughed hysterically as I chewed him out. Or even the time my friend was driving behind us and unbeknownst to her who it was until after the fact told me how her husband was griping because the car was going so slow and as they saw hands frantically waving, they realized a mom was teaching her son to drive, but upon closer examination noticed it was me and my son. My heart dropped as I learned my brother had let him loose in his brand new Mercedes on the highways of Cleveland to make a quick jaunt off to Starbucks. Aside from all that, I realize the importance of helping him develop confidence so he can be prepared once he is released to the road without supervision. In addition, I drilled into his head that texting, talking on the cell and worrying about the next song on the radio are off limits behind that wheel (not to mention the ramifications of speeding and disregard for the rules of the road)! I ask you to keep in mind a couple things my Gram taught me as she and my Pap undertook the grueling task of teaching me to drive. They left me with some things to think about that I've never forgotten to this day. They told me to never tailgate or be angered by someone driving too slow or not paying enough attention. Worry about your own driving and be protective. Situations arise. You don't know if it's an elderly person trying to get to the hospital because they think their having a heart attack or perhaps someone is out of sorts because they just received some upsetting news. It could even be a teen simply learning to drive. Always be aware of others while on the road as we are, in reality, handling what could be a very dangerous weapon. Keep in mind this could be an inexperienced driver for the first time in unfavorable weather conditions or maybe just a bit timid yet. Help keep them safe during their growing experiences. From me and my precious cargo, please pay attention and proceed with caution! -- Erin M. Dodd

As the Ohio Valley, like much of the United States, is facing serious winter storms this Thanksgiving holiday, we have decided to re-post the following entry about safe winter driving practices from attorney Zak Zatezalo for your use and enjoyment. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and please stay safe, wherever your travels may take you. With the winter driving season again upon us, nearly all families will have reason to be out on the road in the dark, cold conditions of the next 3-4 months. Winter driving brings additional hazards, particularly in the more northern regions, like ours, that get a lot of snow and ice. Making time for a few preparations can help keep families safer and help motorists deal with an emergency. Preparation starts with the car itself. On your car's outside, check the battery, tire-tread, antifreeze and windshield wipers. Keep your windows clear and be sure to keep adequate amounts of "no-freeze" window fluid in the car's washer reservoir. Inside, keep a flashlight, jumper cables, abrasive material (sand, kitty litter, floor mats, etc.), a shovel, snow brush and ice scraper, bright colored flags, warning devices (like flares), blankets and hand and feet warmers. For longer trips, check the weather and allow plenty of time. Be familiar with maps and directions, and let others know your route and arrival time. Bring food, water, medication and a cell phone along too. Practice cold-weather driving. During the daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on ice or on snow in an empty lot. Remember, stopping distances are longer on water-covered road and on ice, so give yourself space. Steer into any skids and know what your brakes will do (i.e. stomp on antilock brakes, pump on non-antilock brakes). If you're traveling with children, please make sure to properly install your car seats and obey all vehicle safety regulations. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children over age 3 in the U.S., and cause over 140,000 children's emergency room visits each year. Properly seating a child in a car seat or booster seat, in the back of the car, greatly reduces the risk of injury or death, but many parents don't follow the guidelines. Always make sure that your infants and toddlers ride facing the rear of the vehicle until at least age 2 and in a seat with a 5-point harness up to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer, regardless of their age. Make sure your school-aged children ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they reach 57 inches tall, the height of an average 11-year-old, and keep your child in the rear-seat until they reach age 13. It is also critical to make sure that your children's car seats are properly installed. Be sure to consult and follow the installation instructions that come with the car seat and have the installation professionally inspected. States offer this service for free and you can find your nearest inspection station by clicking here. Finally, if you do find yourself stopped or stalled this winter, stay in your car, don't overexert yourself, put bright markers on your antenna or windows and shine your dome light. If you run your car, clear your exhaust pipe and run it just long enough to stay warm. Don't idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space. Making a little time for a few simple measures this winter season will help keep you and your family safe out on the road.

Last April, I wrote a blog titled Get Up and Get Moving. I spoke of some reasons to engage in a regular exercise program which included some of the emotional and physical beneficial payoffs. I hope many of our readers were able to utilize this in an effort to get fit and healthy in time for summer fun, but here comes my follow-up. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, all the trimmings and the ever so chilly weather. These are many good reasons to hibernate, become idle, and partake in overeating. Don't let weight loss be your New Year's resolution. You can beat the odds. The average weight gain over the holiday season is 7 to 10 pounds. Wow! That's a lot, and if you don't believe me, attach a 10 pound sack of potatoes to your back and run up a set of stairs. IT'S NOT WORTH THE EXTRA COOKIE!!! Besides, the gain over less than a 2 month period will most likely take you double the time and a lot of extra effort to shed those pounds. Put your plan in place right now. At least minimize your chances of being the average person this holiday season. Offset the chances by either cutting back on the extra goodies and/or work-out in effort to minimize winter damages. When the weather is cold, I don't like to get outdoors as much, therefore I don't jog and the treadmill can be rather boring. So, thanks to Attorney Jason Causey and his wife Jen, I have borrowed and fell in love with the Insanity workout program to get me through the winter holidays. This is a killer program and I may not do it as often as I should, but I certainly intend to implement some physical activity through the winter to reduce my chances of becoming the average statistic as I have very little willpower over sweets. Therefore, as you enter your holiday season, be merry and enjoy, but take special care of yourself too; everything in moderation to be and stay fit for the holidays!

All this week you can see Jamie Bordas and Chris Regan discussing the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy on the 50th anniversary of his assassination in Dallas, Texas. The Bordas & Bordas Legal Review continues to bring you the fascinating issues of interest to our local area, our State and the Nation as a whole and this episode is no different. Kennedy's influence on the space race, the civil rights era, the Vietnam War and his enduring place in the hearts and minds of Americans are all covered to help our viewers reflect on this solemn but also fascinating occasion. You can view the Bordas & Bordas Legal Review locally on Comcast Channel 14 or also online, both streaming and in the archive. The current episode is embedded within this post. Pick up this episode through the WLUTV archives, and be sure to check the WLUTV schedule for other B&BLR show times and programming.

I sat in the rocking chair in the nursery in our house holding my youngest child, alone. I may have sat there thousands of times and have rocked four different babies in that chair, but at that moment, time stopped. I looked around the room and saw the crib and changing table and reminisced about where they were situated in our old house. The place we lived before living where we do now was the place I spent my first pregnancy and brought home my first baby- my six year old daughter, Alexis. I remembered vaguely, although only a short six years ago, how the crib lay in the back right corner of the room at our old house. And how the changing table was along the wall across from the crib. I looked up on the armoire and saw the big white stuffed bear that I got at my baby shower and tried hard to place where exactly his home was before moving here. Sadly, I just couldn't clearly picture it. By this time, my baby, Matt, was slowly fading to sleep, and as I heard the sounds of bath water running in the next room, and the voices of my three older children giddy and over-stimulated for bath time, I continued to get nostalgic. I glanced up at the wall and saw that it was still decorated with the pink wooden letters A-L-E-X-I-S. Despite having had three subsequent children who have taken possession of this nursery since Alexis, I never changed the name on the wall, even though they all have their own wooden letters spelling out each of their names as well. I couldn't help but wonder whether it was subconsciously intentional that I have let them stay there all this time? Had I been unable to leave those precious memories as exactly what they are- memories? The sounds from the other room then completely faded away and I was lost in deep thought. I thought to myself "Oh my gosh, I am where I imagined myself being years ago! I am at that point where the thoughts I had in the past about my future have become my present. I used to imagine my life filled with many children and living in this house and now I am here. But why does it seem like I only blinked and made it here? And why is it so hard to remember exactly how everything was before?" Let's face it, it had only been six years! Then, my daughter walked into the room. The room suddenly got bright again and I could hear the sounds around me. I was out of my moment. I felt the dampness of a tear on my cheek as she sat and looked at me. She and I spoke of her basketball game that she had just played and I told her how proud I always am of her. She turned to go to the other room to get her bath and I yelled to her that I love her. I then looked at my seven-month-old son's face now asleep on my chest, almost exactly the same age my daughter was when we spent our first night in this house. He had the same angelic and peaceful look she had as she slept on my chest those six short years ago. I then looked back at her as she walked away- tall, confident, independent. As my eyes drifted back into the nursery, I glanced at the TV on the wall and thought to myself "If only life had a rewind button."

As an Irish Catholic Democrat (my ancestors were Haggerty, Finnegan, and Gainer), I have always been especially fascinated by John F. Kennedy. Sadly, he was assassinated 50 years ago today. I have heard many stories from my parents' generation about where they were when they found out that President Kennedy had been shot. My dad has told me about how his entire student body at Charleston Catholic High School immediately gathered to pray. I have watched the movie JFK countless times. I even had the privilege of being taught criminal law at Notre Dame by Robert Blakey, who was the Chief Counsel to the U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations that investigated the death of President Kennedy. Perhaps, all of these things contributed to my fascination with someone who died more than a decade before I was born. But, I think it was more than that. I think that the same things that caused so much of the American public to be enthralled with Camelot are the same things that drew me in. President Kennedy was a sharp thinker with a Harvard degree and Pulitzer Prize to show for it, yet he could play football as well. He could be found pondering serious issues with his brother, Bobby, the United States Attorney General, yet he had a wild side as well that would find him spending time with Marilyn Monroe. He was an eloquent speaker who wasn't afraid to take on important civil rights issues. He had a beautiful wife and children. He was a man who liked to be among the people. Sadly, though, a new generation of Americans either have not heard, or if they have heard have not listened, or if they have listened have not cared about some of President Kennedy's greatest words --- Ask not what your country do for you, ask what you can do for your country. I see this every day as people try to get out of jury duty, or try to earn money doing side jobs under the table so they don't have to pay taxes, or complain about the manner in which our government provides many of the freedoms we enjoy every day. I believe that we live in the greatest country in the world. But, to stay great it takes everyone working together and believing that we all have a role to play. Just like in any family or group, some do more than others and that's ok. Each of us are given different abilities, different levels of intelligence, and different resources with which to work. Our task --- no, our obligation --- is to use what each of us has been given the best that we can. It is time to stop worrying about whether the other guy is doing his share or whether he is getting more from our government than I am. It is time to say what can I do to contribute to making this nation great. If we fail to do that, then President Kennedy's famous words from his inaugural address might as well fade into the sunset. I think we are better than that. I think that a new generation of Americans is capable of rising to the challenge and saying what can I do for my country. And then, surely, his legacy will go on.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Holidays -- a blessed time of the year! The hustle and bustle of shopping. Eating out. Baking cookies. Maxing out your credit cards... Folks seem nicer to each other, more generous, more thankful. Something I am most grateful for: the freedom to worship God and study His Word. I have been in an ecumenical Bible study since I moved to Wheeling in 2001 and have learned so much under the teachings of various well known and respected bible scholars. We are currently studying "Jesus the One and Only", by Beth Moore, one of my all-time favorite Bible teachers. What a great study for this time of year. This is a quote from the study: "A host of memories must have been dancing in her head: The angel's appearance. His words. Her flight to the hill country of Judea. Elizabeth's greeting. Their late night conversations. The first time she noticed her tummy was rounding. Joseph's face when he saw her. The way she felt when he believed. The whispers of neighbors. The doubts of her parents. The first time she felt the baby move inside of her. The dread of the long trip. The reality of being full term, bouncing on the back of a beast. The first pain. The fear of having no place to bear a child. The horror of the nursery. The way it looked. The way it smelled. The way He looked. God so frail. So tiny. So perfect. Love so abounding. Grace so amazing. Wise men bowed down. Shepherds made haste - each memory like treasures in a box. She gathered the jewels, held them to her breast, and engraved them on her heart forever." Beth Moore, from her book, Things Pondered. What a miracle! God in flesh, revealed to man. My tiny brain has a hard time grasping the idea of Immanuel, God with us. He holds the whole world in His hands and yet He came down to us as a baby in manger so He could be like us, live a perfect life, and redeem us. Crazy! He truly is the Great I AM. Something you may not know, Jim Bordas joined my Bible study group several years ago. He is an eager student, desiring to know more. He recently offered the use of our office to the Bible study group. How great is that! I hope you take time during the Christmas season to remember exactly what we are celebrating and find something you can be thankful for.

Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, our government began a push for the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR), which was woven into the stimulus plan at the incentive price of $30 billion. It is a linchpin in President Barack Obama's plan for health care reform. Different vendors supply their EHR Systems to our hospitals, and one day these systems are all supposed to "talk to" each other. According to a proposed timeline, this year should effect more rigorous standards to command this digitally bound network of our health data. While the government claims the revolution in health information technology will, overall, identify safety problems, detect epidemics, and improve patient outcomes, as data of treatment and outcome data will be available for analysis by researchers who are bound by The Privacy Rule, The Security Rule, and The Breach Notification Rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, to protect the security and privacy of our records. To a great extent, our information is at risk. As Geoff Brown previously discussed, a major epidemic plaguing our nation is that of inexcusable "killer" errors. Unfortunately, these errors can also happen when hospitals incorrectly use EHR Systems. Such errors relating to EHR result in stories like these: The death of baby Genesis Burkett, who was administered a dose of sodium chloride more than 60 times the amount ordered by a physician at Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge At the Memphis Veterans Affairs Center, EHR system misuse led to the deaths of at least two emergency department patients As seen in the Huffington Post, "doctors and hospitals have reported to the FDA dozens of medical injuries--including six deaths and preventable heart attacks--caused by problems related to computerized health records such as software errors and unreadable computer screens. Some errors resulted in drug doses that were 10 times higher than intended. FDA officials called this the 'tip of the iceberg'." Researchers estimate it will take many years to connect and integrate EHR systems in the United States. As patients, we hope that the implementation of such systems will improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. The Mayo Clinic has not resolved issues attempting to make three of their major EHR systems interoperable. If we put things into perspective, it becomes very difficult to see a world in which all of our EHR systems talk to each other. Other issues include: Medication errors Privacy breaches of patient information Increased potential for fraudulent billing "Cloning" of information as it relates to billing Deletion of information as it relates to patient charts A matter of "electronic siloing" affecting the workflow of care providers This $24 billion market (slated to grow by 10% through 2015) of Health Care Technology has a lethal flaw: it operates without regulations forcing the reporting of any and all errors, according to Bloomberg. As of Summer 2013, there exists no central database to analyze adverse event information to properly address flaws that directly affect our care. Reporting is voluntary. It should present as strange that, in a world of technology and research, we must assume the roles of guinea pigs as well as patients. As patients, we must hold ourselves responsible for staying current and educating (to our full extent) our families as to the real and potential risks of these systems. We must actively participate in our health care--questioning our providers when necessary--and we must not remain silent. Indeed, every one of us spends important life moments as a patient, and so will our children and grandchildren in the next generation--voice your opinions to your providers and to your government representatives. Demand standardization and regulations so that errors are detected, reported, addressed, and prevented. Our lives depend on it.

One question lawyers get all the time is how a criminal defendant who "everyone knows is guilty" can plead not guilty and have a trial. Well, that's simply a function of how our system works. The criminal defendant, armed with the presumption of innocence, can "put the state to its proof" and require the government to put on a case that a crime was committed. A criminal defendant also has the "right to remain silent," guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, meaning that a criminal defendant does not have to take the stand or make any statements about the crime. In civil cases, things are different. In a civil case there is no presumption of innocence. There is also no right to remain silent. Even so, that doesn't stop corporations, banks and other types of defendants in civil courts from behaving as though they are in criminal court. This was shown recently in a Toledo Hospital case. A young woman named Sarah Fudacz was in need of a kidney transplant. Her brother had been found to be a perfect match and decided to donate one of his two kidneys to save his sister's life. But rather than handle the kidney properly after it was removed from Mr. Fudacz's brother, however, the hospital personnel simply threw it in the trash. Needless to say, organs set for transplant are subject to strict protective rules and procedures. Care needs to be taken with them, for obvious reasons. The failure to follow those procedures and the act of throwing away an organ needed to save a life is "negligence," better described as carelessness or a failure to handle something according to the safety rules. This type of failure doesn't mean that the hospital has to close down or that the doctors or nurses involved lose their licenses. Far from it. This type of situation simply calls for the hospital to pay fair compensation to the victims for the harms and losses (in this case several additional surgeries) inflicted on the victims. Hospitals and doctors carry insurance for this type of situation. But often, companies and their insurers take the criminal court approach of deny and litigate even though they know they are at fault. The University of Toledo Medical Center, even though it admits throwing away the kidney, is headed into court to deny any negligence at all and to refuse to pay any compensation to the victims of this stunningly careless act. The hospital's behavior exhibits a common legal mindset among civil defendants. That is: "We did it. We know we did it. We know it was wrong, but we're still going to take our chances in court." This type of behavior is wrong. Throwing away a lifesaving organ is negligence, and the hospital can and should admit it. As Geoff Brown blogged recently, nearly 100,000 Americans lose their lives due to preventable medical errors every year. The stubborn unwillingness of certain medical corporations and providers to learn from their mistakes is exhibited in the Toledo Hospital case. When necessary tests are ordered but not performed and harm results, negligence has occurred. There should be no trouble forthrightly admitting to it, particularly when damages are "capped" in most states and, therefore, the price to pay is often relatively modest. Likewise, when appropriate monitoring of patients does not take place, as in Boggs v. Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, or when appropriate follow-up care is not rendered after a surgery or procedure and harm or deaths result, compensation is owed. Medical corporations and providers should be happy to have their insurance company compensate the victims, and their focus should be on learning from what happened to make sure that it never happens again. Unfortunately, that's not what typically goes on in 2013. As shown by the Toledo Hospital case, no matter now clear-cut the negligence, medical defendants and their insurance companies often deny any fault, putting the plaintiffs through the expensive ordeal of trial, clogging up the courts, and wasting judicial resources. Because of the cost of these proceedings, largely imposed on victims and the courts by insurance companies hoping to "catch a break" by confusing the issues, muddying the waters, and persuading the jury to find against the victim, medical malpractice cases rarely see trial unless there is compelling evidence that a clear-cut act of carelessness was committed and the victim was harmed. Nonetheless, until the mentalities of these insurance companies change, our courts will continue to see more of these cases than really need to go to trial.

Have you ever thought about creating a bucket list? I'm not sure I understand the difference between a bucket list and fulfilling a dream. However, not so long ago, I had an occasion to consider what I would do if I was told that my days were numbered? What was it I needed to get done on that bucket list? A bucket list I guess that I hadn't even created in my lifetime yet here on earth. I couldn't answer that question, because the bucket list didn't matter. What mattered to me was my family: they are my bucket list. As far back as I can remember I saw myself growing up and becoming a mom and a wife with enough to live comfortably, but I've never needed extraordinary riches. I've always wanted to travel different places in the world and I've done that - sure, not all, but enough places that made me believe I was in paradise on numerous occasions. I never grew up to be a magnificent singer or actress or anything noticeably standing out as an accomplished individual, but I'm okay with that too because I'm a heck of a mom who can magically put a smile on my children's faces on their worst days and a good wife who can keep a happy home with a solid foundation. I've been fortunate to go through this life surrounded by a family that loves me and loves each other unconditionally. I have four children who are healthy and exceptionally kind hearted. I've had friendships that have been true and dear since childhood. Not to mention that I've experienced so very many events in my life that made me feel special or appreciated and how fortunate I undeniably was. Bucket lists don't matter because although I believe it's fine to live with goals and desires you would like to attain, I believe it's more important to remember that God is the only one with the true list and He will let each of us experience whatever He sees for us. So, don't be saddened if some of the things you wanted to scratch off that list never become a reality because it simply was not meant to be. Take a moment to look inside your life and appreciate all you have been blessed with and all you accomplish daily. Then, and only then, you will realize as I did that the answer is easy. I don't need a bucket list; I've been scratching things off that list that I never knew existed my entire life and for that I am thankful. Thankful because the reality is that all along, I've been living my dream. You do the same. God Bless

Bordas & Bordas is proud to have again been selected first in the attorneys category for The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register's Readers' Choice  awards. It is an honor to have been singled out by our community for this designation, and we thank each and every one of you who voted for us. Since our founding in 1985, Bordas & Bordas has had four areas of focus: Experience, Community, Family and Results. Today, we are proud to have been honored for our connection to our community. As quoted in the article announcing our award, "Not a day goes by where we aren't doing something to help an individual or group in our community. I am always so proud when I see one of our attorneys or staff members helping others who need it," said Linda Bordas. Our focus on our community extends far past the practice of law, and past just helping our own clients. As Jim Bordas states in the feature, "I have always said that if you practice law because you want to help people, then you will be very successful. If you are just in it to make money, then you probably won't and will not be very successful in your career. The thing I still enjoy most every day is helping people. That is what we are here to do. So many people need someone to listen to them. Even if it turns out that they don't have a case, people are so appreciative that someone took the time to listen to their story and care about them. That isn't just being a lawyer. It is being a caring human being and that is what I hope to instill in all of the lawyers at our firm." We are proud to have been able to help other members of the Ohio Valley for the past three decades, and are looking forward to being a part of your lives for many more. Thank you for recognizing us with this honor, and please make sure to check out the Intelligencer's full-length feature on our firm on page 5 of the Readers' Choice supplement!