Legal Advice Blog: Legal Advice, Case Insights, & Local Law Information

A kindly gesture can go a long way. Making kindly gestures a part of your everyday behavior is ideal, but realistically it doesn't always happen. Sometimes, just sometimes, that kindly gesture may need some talking into before you actually do it, but at least you made the right choice. Something recently happened that made me want to address this very issue. I try to make a general conscientious effort to open the door for people whether they are older or younger; male or female; it's just a nice thing to do. I try to greet people with a friendly smile and say hello or pay a little closer attention to someone who may seem to be having a day where they kind of need a friend or maybe for just one good thing to happen and, sometimes, for no reason at all. I must admit I am very proud when I do those things effortlessly. I am proud when I do it even if I had to talk myself into it. I am proud that I am ashamed when I do not. Recently, on the way home from work, my youngest child was in extra-hyped mode. With this said, it's not a normal-hyped mode. She has a condition that she cannot control. It is hyperactivity disorder. With this condition, things need to be done a little differently with her in order to manage the impulsiveness. There are nights where my child may sleep only two or three hours. She is on top of the world as soon as she wakes and does not stop at a reasonable hour. This can be quite exhausting depending on the day and you never know when that will occur. Then it happened and I want to say thanks, Jane! I had to stop off at one of the stores in Elm Grove on my way home that night. The store was packed and people were lined up at the register. My child was running from aisle to aisle, grabbing things, and being overly loud. I broke out into a sweat as I tried to get everything accomplished that I needed while being respectful to the other patrons and trying to keep a close eye on my child and get her to calm down. It was finally my turn at the register. Now, I know Jane had to be frustrated. I mean, after all, my child was grabbing at things and being loud while Jane hurriedly tried to process the other customers in a timely fashion, but as I came to the check-out, she calmly placed both her hands on the counter and said, "So, how's your day?" I was floored. You mean she wasn't going to give me the evil eye or short-tempered voice because of the 20-minute disruption that just took place in the store due to my presence with my child? I stopped right there and said, "I am just in shock that you asked me how my day was! Thank you! You don't know what that means." Jane told me her father had Alzheimer's and it helped her to be tolerant and understanding in a situation like this. I felt at ease, relaxed and welcomed into that store. Those little words made such a difference. The story doesn't end there. When I arrived at home, I explained to my husband the frustration I had felt with what had occurred and then what the clerk had said, and how I was so shocked because you just don't see enough of that anymore. I was so grateful for her kindness that meant so much to me in that moment. About an hour later, my husband and I went for our nightly jog. Just as we had begun, my husband said, "We need to stop and push." I looked over and a young mother had run out of gas. Without hesitation, we pushed her car to safely get her out of harm's way. We jogged back to our home where my husband retrieved a can of gasoline and we put what we had in this young gal's tank so she could get to where she needed to be. Then we were on our way. This girl was so grateful and shocked that we changed our path to help her, which to us was a natural thing to do. All I kept thinking on that jog was how lucky I was to have a husband that immediately jumped in to lend a hand and what kindly gestures can do for someone. I guess if we all turn up the heat a little on our efforts those kindly gestures could make a really big difference. You never know, it may be a difference that changes someone's circumstances forever. --Best wishes, with a smile.   A kindly gesture can go a long way. Making kindly gestures a part of your everyday behavior is ideal, but realistically it doesn't always happen. Sometimes, just sometimes, that kindly gesture may need some talking into before you actually do it, but at least you made the right choice. Something recently happened that made me want to address this very issue. I try to make a general conscientious effort to open the door for people whether they are older or younger; male or female; it's just a nice thing to do. I try to greet people with a friendly smile and say hello or pay a little closer attention to someone who may seem to be having a day where they kind of need a friend or maybe for just one good thing to happen and, sometimes, for no reason at all. I must admit I am very proud when I do those things effortlessly. I am proud when I do it even if I had to talk myself into it. I am proud that I am ashamed when I do not.

I must live a terribly boring life. I cannot think of anything to blog about that think people would be interested in. I have reviewed my life in my mind - let's see - Monday through Thursday (my new work week!) I am at work. Friday and Saturday, I am at home. Oh, wait! Friday and Saturday during spring, summer and into the fall, I am hitting up garage sales. This is an activity that my husband also enjoys, so we garage sale (or go "garaging") and then sometimes go to breakfast. I love to dig through other people's "stuff" and sometimes I am rewarded with a really great find! I "do" the Awana Christmas Store at my Church (First Baptist of Wheeling), so I need lots and lots of good, clean "stuff" for ages nursery through 12 th. I have found that grandmas get Christmas gifts they can't use, since by the time they get to that age, they have everything. This is good for me! They keep the gift in its original box, and VOILA! I purchase it for a great price in their garage sale. So, not only do I have great items for the store, I get the items at a great price. OK, back to my boring life. On Tuesday nights, the end of August through the middle of April, I can be found at St. Clair Lanes, pretending to bowl. I am the League secretary, so I blame my beginning of the year bad bowling on all the interruptions I get while trying to bowl. This next week I will have to put my money (or my ball), where my mouth is, since things will have settled down and the interruptions will be at a minimum. I am the organist at First Baptist of Wheeling and Saturday evenings you can find me there practicing for the Sunday morning service. I love to play and enjoy practicing. The music team at FBC is great and we enjoy each other and what we do. I also have another weakness - I love the Mall!! I admit it. I have many friends who work there, people who have become my friends because I love to go to the mall. I don't understand people who say there is nothing at the Ohio Valley Mall for them. I shop in almost all the stores, except children's and young teens. And the mall is a safe and comfortable place to walk. In reviewing my rather boring, mundane life, I find I actually like it. Because right now, boring is good. My husband has been ill a good bit this past summer, in and out of the hospital, and I didn't have time to be bored - just stressed and anxious. I'll take boring any day! So in taking time to write this blog and in reviewing my life, I would say I am one blessed woman. I have a great husband, many good friends, a wonderful Church family and a job I love. How great is that?   I must live a terribly boring life. I cannot think of anything to blog about that think people would be interested in. I have reviewed my life in my mind - let's see - Monday through Thursday (my new work week!) I am at work. Friday and Saturday, I am at home. Oh, wait! Friday and Saturday during spring, summer and into the fall, I am hitting up garage sales.

Overtime laws in West Virginia are designed to prevent workers (particularly those in blue-collar industries) from being exploited by their employers. West Virginia, like most states, has closely based its overtime laws on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. The FLSA qualifies certain types of workers for overtime pay for all hours worked over 40 in a single week. If your work involves manual labor (such as factory worker, trade worker, attendant, cashier, etc.) you are typically entitled to overtime pay. Certain categories of workers are offered specific protection under the FLSA, including first-responders, such as police, paramedics, and firefighters, along with practical nurses and paralegals, who have historically been exploited and endured long hours of work. Still out of an estimated 120 million workers in America, almost 50 million are exempt from overtime laws. Most executives, administrators, and other professionals do not have to be paid overtime under both federal and West Virginia law. External salespeople and certain types of workers such as: computer-related workers, seasonal workers, transportation workers, agricultural and farm workers, and live-in employees, such as housekeepers, are also exempted from WV overtime requirements. Independent contractors, who are not considered employees, are also exempt from paying overtime. A series of tests are employed to determine the overtime eligibility of an employee based on pay rate, working conditions, skill level, and other factors. Those who qualify must be paid one-and-a-half times their regular hourly rate ("time-and-a-half") for every hour over 40 per workweek (7 fixed days) they work. Generally, there is no limit on the number of hours employees 16 years or older may work in any workweek. The FLSA does not require overtime pay for work on weekends or holidays, unless overtime hours occur on such days. If your employer has failed to pay you the proper overtime wages that you deserve, you may be eligible to receive back wages and other compensation. Furthermore, existing regulations prohibit employers from penalizing workers who file an overtime complaint. Some companies will go to great lengths to avoid paying their employees the overtime pay that they deserve. Companies will often resort to classifying employees as independent contractors or improperly categorizing them as executives in order to avoid overtime. If you find yourself in this situation or need help determining whether you have a right to overtime, please give us a call.

In my early years, my older sister, Linda, and I were Air Force brats. Before our father retired after 22 years in the Air Force, we lived in places like Japan, Okinawa and Marquette, Michigan, to name a few. Living the military life, you rely on family more than usual. My sister, though four-and-a-half years older, was my constant companion. She always had the best ideas for adventure, like the best places to hike, how to make a "spook house" in the basement (this involves a big imagination - peeled grapes were eyeballs, cooked spaghetti was brains, you get the picture), how to make Barbie evening gowns out of Grandpa's old neckties, and how to go out in the woods to chop down a Christmas tree for our grandparents, only to realize we forgot to take something to cut with. Have you ever twisted a large pine branch round and round until you could peal it off the tree? Yes, it was the "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree, but I always looked up to my big sister and relied on her leadership. Today we live hours apart and our visits are few, but I still call for her advice. As we grow, our moments of decision change and mature, but our need for a little advice and extra guidance never seems to go away. We all live with a sea of ever increasing opinions, but we always go back to those friends, colleagues and big brothers and sisters we trust most, knowing that we'll receive honest feedback and advice. Here at Bordas & Bordas, I am pleased to say that I am Jason Causey's assistant. He is one of the smartest people I've ever met. Not only did he graduate in the top five of his class from the West Virginia University College of Law, but he also has a master of professional accountancy degree from Clemson University. He primarily handles predatory lending and consumer rights litigation. As you can imagine, every day he talks to numerous people about issues with their mortgages and other financial matters. He is pretty much a rock star when it comes to understanding the small print in a contract. He has spoken at conferences across the country regarding lending practices and is well respected among his peers. He's made giving honest feedback and advice his career, and quite a fine one at that! But not only is he brilliant, he's genuinely kind. He wants to help people get back on track. He's definitely someone to turn to for solid financial advice.

What basic information should I be prepared to give when I call an attorney's office? Many people never consider that they may need to speak to an attorney. Certainly, many people hope that they never do. As a result, those who call an attorney's office to discuss a potential case are often unsure what to expect during the telephone call. You may wonder, why is the attorney asking me these questions? What could this possibly have to do with my potential case? Here are some of the common, basic questions an attorney will ask during a conversation about a potential case, and the reasons that this information is important for the attorney to have. Names of People Involved The attorney will need to know your full name, and the names of those involved in the potential case. It is important for the attorneys to be able to identify you to make sure that they are able to represent you without any conflicts. Sometimes an attorney or law firm may have to decline a case not because it is a bad case, but because the attorney or law firm has some other connection to the other individuals involved in the situation, which may pose ethical problems with accepting the new case. In order for the attorneys to effectively rule out potential conflicts, it is important for them to be able to identify the person with whom they are speaking, and anyone else who is involved. In many situations, you may not know the full names of others involved, and that is OK. Just give as much information about each potential party as you have. Locations You will be asked where you live, where others involved in your potential case live, and where the event or incident, which forms the basis of your case, occurred. For example, if you live in Moundsville, West Virginia, but are calling because of a car accident that occurred in Washington, Pennsylvania, or if you live in Cambridge, Ohio, but are calling because of medical care you received in a hospital in South Carolina, both of those locations are something the attorney will need to know to fully evaluate your case. The residences of all parties involved in a case, as well as the location of any major incidents, are all factors that are used to determine what courts the case may be filed in, as well as whether the case may be subject to removal to a federal court, or transferred to a court in another city or state. Dates This is one of the most important questions an attorney will ask when evaluating your potential case. Legal causes of action are subject to statutes of limitations, which means there is a limited period of time in which you can file a lawsuit after an event or injury. These time periods will vary depending on the type of case, and the state in which the incident or event occurred. You should always contact an attorney as soon as possible if you think you have a case, and you should be prepared to provide as much information as possible about the dates of the important events in the case. For cases such as a car wreck, it is usually pretty easy to provide the dates. For cases involving medical care and treatment, you may need to provide an entire timeline. You may not know the exact dates of every important event, but the more information you are able to provide during your conversation with the attorney, the better. Who Have You Spoken To You will likely be asked if you have spoken to various people about your potential case. Depending upon the type of case you are inquiring about, this could include other attorneys, the police, representatives from insurance companies or government agencies, doctors, the potential defendants in the case, or anyone else who may have been involved or been a witness. If you are asked whether you have spoken to another attorney, it is important to be truthful about this. The attorney asking will not be upset that you did not call his office first, but needs to know whether you are already represented in the matter, or whether another attorney referred the case. These are just some of the most basic questions you should be prepared to answer when contacting an attorney about your potential case. An attorney will also go through the details of the situation with you, and ask questions to help sort through the facts and circumstances to determine what legal options may be available. If you think that you or a family member may have a potential case, the lawyers at Bordas & Bordas are here to discuss your situation and help you to determine your legal rights and options.

This past Friday, state commerce officials opened bids to allow natural gas drilling just one mile underneath the northern section of the Ohio River. The bids allow companies to use hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to stimulate the wells, posing a significant risk to the Ohio Valley's primary water supply. Not only that, but there is a fault line located amidst the proposed Ohio River drilling site. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey have directly linked an increase in earthquakes to fracking and these "fracquakes" have already happened in our neck of the woods. Officials say other West Virginia rivers are next, and wildlife preserves are on the table for drilling too. Fracking poses a significant risk to water supplies because of the carcinogenic chemicals used in the process, and the large amount of contaminated wastewater it produces. Somewhere between 20 to 40 percent of the water used for hydrofracking a well returns to the surface as wastewater. This wastewater not only contains the toxic and hazardous chemicals of the fracking fluid itself, but also picks up contaminants from deep within the earth, most notably heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, salty brine and radioactive materials. The carcinogenic chemicals, radionuclides and other toxic contaminants in fracking wastewater cannot be completely filtered by our treatment plants to allow for safe drinking water. Few if any plants in North America currently have the technology to treat this toxic cocktail and insufficient or incomplete treatment of wastewater has resulted in water being released into streams, rivers and lakes that contain unsafe levels of these contaminants. Once that water is poisoned, it cannot again be made potable. West Virginia's track record on environmental regulation enforcement offers little confidence that this drilling effort can be accomplished without significant risk to our critical infrastructure. The annual, multimillion dollar lobbying effort from energy corporations to weaken regulation of the energy industry at every turn has practically turned West Virginia's regulatory system into a paper tiger. At least Ohio has a system to detect possible contaminants in the river and its tributaries before they hit public water supplies. Still, Ohio's environmental agency urges caution at every turn when it comes to fracking. Chris Abbruzzese, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency spokesman, recently offered that "Even with these safeguards in place, it is important that any industry who is conducting activities near critical surface water resources carefully follow all applicable rules and regulations and make sure best management practices are implemented to ensure those assets are protected." West Virginia has no such critical detection system and our, and the federal government's, "slap-on-the-wrist" style of regulatory enforcement offers no deterrent. Freedom Industries, the company responsible for poisoning the water supply for 16 percent of West Virginia's population, was fined $11,000. I can only imagine how difficult a check that was for Freedom Industries' President to write from his $1.2 million mansion on Marco Island, Florida - incidentally a state with no personal income tax. Nine citizen and environmental groups have urged Governor Earl Ray Tomblin to reconsider his plans, advising that "the well-documented deficient enforcement capability of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Oil and Gas has been on public display for years." The groups have asked Governor Tomblin, "How are we ever to believe that the state has the political will, technical capability and community commitment to guarantee that adequate controls, timely supervision and, when needed, ruthless enforcement would occur on well pads that close to the Ohio River?" Whether their plea falls on deaf ears remains to be seen, but for now it appears as though West Virginia is committed to literally spoiling heaven and earth for a few years of income that, although substantial in the relative short-term, pales in comparison to the long-term environmental destruction that stands to befall the Valley given our State's current approach to regulatory enforcement. Between this latest development and the prior, rubber-stamping of the Green Hunter fracking fluid storage facility, the stage is set in the Ohio Valley for the same type of environmental disaster that befell the Charleston community last year (when 10,000 gallons of a coal washing chemical, MCHM, poisoned the Kanawha River and changed the lives of 300,000 people) only on an exponentially larger scale. The Ohio River supplies drinking water to more than 3 million people! Very soon we will be surrounding it with millions of gallons of carcinogenic, mutagenic, radioactive lethal wastewater. Chris Regan recently wrote about the culture of "the least we can get away with" that pervades our corporate society. As the citizens of Charleston witnessed first-hand last January, it only takes a couple of key people with this attitude to wreak havoc on an entire community when the instruments of environmental destruction are placed on your doorstep.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. Coinciding with awareness week is the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding (October 7, 2014). These mental health awareness efforts are not possible without organizations such as The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In the spirit of mental health awareness week, consider visiting NAMI's website, which posts some startling estimated statistics below: - 1 in 4 adults experience mental illness in a given year. - 1 in 17 adults live with a serious mental illness. - 20% of youth ages 13 to 18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year. - 9.2 million adults have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders. - 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness. - 20% of state prisoners have "a recent history" of a mental health condition. - 70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health condition and at least 20% live with a severe mental illness. The World Health Organization has determined that mental disorders are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide. What does this mean in our country? - Serious mental illness costs Americans $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year. - Serious mental illness increases the risk of having chronic medical conditions. - Adults living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than others, largely due to treatable medical conditions. - Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. (more common than homicide) and the third leading cause of death for ages 15 to 24 years. - More than 90% of those who die by suicide had one or more mental disorders. - Although military members comprise less than 1% of the U.S. population, veterans represent 20% of suicides nationally. Each day, about 22 veterans die from suicide. Educating yourself about your loved one's illness is really the foundation of support. Research also has shown that education works. Experts say if you provide families with education and involve them in the therapeutic process that patients experience a reduction in symptoms, hospitalization days and relapse. NAMI and other similarly situated organizations are available for those seeking additional information and/or want to help. Thank you.

Let me first begin by saying, I love where I am in life. I have a very fulfilling career, a great husband, and some awesome kids. However, juggling the three can be challenging-especially now that the kiddos are back in school and the hubby is on the dreadful 12-hour night shift. My schedule is very hectic. I have roughly an hour commute to work, so it's getting up at 5:00 a.m., kids up at 6:00 a.m., pack the school lunches and out the door by 6:45 a.m. I arrive back home around 6:00 p.m. to do a quick "drive by" to pick up my son for football practice, then I hang out at the field until 8:00 p.m. and head back home to make dinner. Oh, let's not forget dishes, homework, showers, and the "Hey by the way, can you wash my uniform for tomorrow's practice?" and well...crash-all to do it over again the next day. Would I change it for the world? Absolutely not! But, with the way my family's schedule is, I am ALWAYS in search of some quick dinner recipes that make things a little easier for me in the evenings. I am certain that many of you who are reading this are in the same boat and know exactly what I'm talking about. Here are a couple quick and easy recipes that you can whip up on a weeknight and maybe allow yourself a few minutes of free time to wind down before hitting the sack. Hope you enjoy! Chicken & Biscuits: ¼ cup of butter ½ very finely diced small onion 2 tablespoons of chicken flavored granule crystals 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups of chicken stock 1 ½ cup milk 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and stir. Add flour over the onion mix and stir. Cook this for a few minutes. Slowly add in the chicken stock, milk, and seasonings and then whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes until it begins to thicken. Add the shredded chicken and cook for a few more minutes just to allow the chicken to warm through. Serve over hot biscuits. (My family likes it over mashed potatoes also) Sausage and Peppers: 8 Italian Sausage links 1 large can of tomato sauce 1 green bell pepper (sliced into strips) 1 onion (sliced) Provolone Cheese slices Hoagie Rolls Coat the bottom of your slow cooker with some of the tomato sauce; add the Italian Sausage links, onion and green bell pepper. Poor the remainder of the tomato sauce on top. The Italian Sausage, onion and pepper will blend together and season the tomato sauce. Set it to cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. (I usually pick up some mac or potato salad at the deli as a side) French Bread Pizza: 2 loaves of French bread 1 jar of pizza sauce (2 jars if you like lots of sauce) Topics that your family likes (Pepperoni, bacon, green peppers, pineapple, mushrooms, onions, olives, etc) 3 Cups of Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut the French bread in half (length wise), place the halves on a cookie sheet open faced and spread ¼ of the jar on each side. Place your toppings on and then sprinkle the shredded cheese over top. Bake for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cut into strips and serve. (I usually throw a salad together and call it a day)

Twenty years ago today, I was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. I loved football. Although I appreciated Notre Dame's academic reputation, as well as its status as the most well-known Catholic university in the country, I can't help but think that the opportunity to be around Notre Dame football caught my attention when I was filling out college applications. I even thought that I might try walking on to the football team to be a scout team quarterback at some point (Notre Dame haters --- this is the place to insert your favorite Rudy joke). Luckily for me, I got to keep playing football when I got to Notre Dame. Legendary Irish coach Knute Rockne had started the Interhall Football program in the 1920s. Coach Rockne was astute enough to recognize that an intramural tackle football program would allow him to scout for players that might help him on special teams or otherwise. This program continues today and is one of only two such programs in the country. On October 2, 1994, on the first series of an Interhall game, it was 3rd and 14. I ran an option play to the right. I gained 17 yards and a first down but would never play another down. On the play, I was tackled by three defenders at the same time. I immediately knew I had a serious injury to my left knee. As I laid on the field, the coach and referee ran over. All that I could say was "Did I get the first down?" They told me I did and I said, "OK. Good. I can't get up." They called an ambulance and I was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital. Upon arrival, I was told by the doctors that I had badly damaged my knee and they were worried that I may have ruptured my popliteal artery and that if it wasn't evaluated and fixed immediately, I could lose my leg. I was scared to say the least. Thankfully, that didn't happen. However, I did tear my ACL, LCL, MCL, medial meniscus, lateral meniscus, and dislocated my kneecap. The Notre Dame football team orthopedic surgeon who operated on me said it was the worst knee injury he had seen in over 30 years. What he told me next may have hit me the hardest though --- he told me that I would never be able to play football again because I would never regain the strength and range of motion in that leg. I was devastated. I had started playing football when I was 10 and had never even missed a practice. But, then it happened. I was in the hospital for three weeks recovering from surgery. One day shortly after the surgery, a priest came into my room to visit. He was the head coach of the Interhall football team that I was playing on. He knew how crushed I was that I wouldn't be able to play football anymore. We talked for  awhile and he said, "Have you ever thought about coaching?" As a 19-year-old college student, I probably hadn't even thought about what I was going to have for dinner. So, I told him I had never really considered it because I had always thought of myself as a player. He said "I've been around you and coached you and you really know the game. The University wouldn't normally allow an undergraduate student to be a head coach. But, next season, I'm going to come to the first couple of practices and then step aside and let you take over. How does that sound?" I told him it sounded great. He was as good as his word and one year later I was a head football coach. In that first season, I lead the team to the championship game. The university rewarded me by selecting me to coach the all-star game where my assistant coaches had been assistant coaches to Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz. I'm quite certain that I learned more about football from them in that week of all-star practice than I had in years of football before that. And they were my assistant coaches! The following season, I once again took the team to the Finals and actually got to coach the last tackle football game to ever be played in the original "House that Rockne Built" before stadium renovations began the following day. After three more years of coaching during law school, three more trips to the playoffs, and getting to be featured on an NFL Films segment on ESPN2 about Interhall football at Notre Dame, the University rewarded me with my very own letterman's jacket with the interlocking "ND" on the chest. I was intent upon coaching for as long as I could. To this day, I continue to coach football. I have had the great learning experience of being a head coach at Bishop Donahue, the wonderful experience of coaching in  seven state championship games (by the way, we won them all!) at Wheeling Central, and the honorable experience of coaching in the OVAC All-Star game. When I injured my knee, I thought my football career was over. As it turns out, it was just the beginning of it. That single event that I thought was one of the worst things that could happen to me turned out to be something that helped shape and define the next 20 years of my life. I continue to have the joy of being around great young people every day and get the opportunity to teach them about football, life, and hopefully have a positive impact on their lives. I now have four children of my own. I get to experience seeing them and my wife when I come off the field, along with their smiles, and I look forward to one day getting to coach my own sons. So, the next time that something happens in your life that seems to be really bad, remember that God has a plan for you. He knows before you do where you are headed. And, it might just turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Twenty years ago today, I was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Notre Dame. I loved football. Although I appreciated Notre Dame's academic reputation, as well as its status as the most well-known Catholic university in the country, I can't help but think that the opportunity to be around Notre Dame football caught my attention when I was filling out college applications. I even thought that I might try walking on to the football team to be a scout team quarterback at some point (Notre Dame haters --- this is the place to insert your favorite Rudy joke).

BORDAS & BORDAS EXPANDS TO PITTSBURGH Smith, Pasciak Join Legal Team Wheeling---Bordas & Bordas Attorneys, PLLC has announced that beginning this month the firm will offer legal services in Pittsburgh. Furthermore, the firm has added two new attorneys to their staff. The western Pennsylvania office will be the fourth location for the Plaintiff's firm and will be located in downtown Pittsburgh. Other locations include Wheeling and Moundsville, W.Va. and St. Clairsville, OH. The new location will allow for more expansive legal representation for those who have been hurt, injured or mistreated due to no fault of their own. The firm will focus its practice on diverse areas of law including: Drilling Site Injuries, Truck/Auto/ATV accidents, Defective Products, Insurance/Bank Misconduct, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Neglect and Injuries, Toxic Torts & Occupational Exposures such as Asbestos and Oil & Gas Rights and Injuries. Tyler Smith joins Bordas & Bordas as a former partner in the Litigation Defense and Health Care Litigation Practice Groups of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti.  Smith is skilled in trial advocacy, having tried approximately 40 corporate and professional liability lawsuits to verdict in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  He will be working primarily out of the Pittsburgh location. Smith has specialized in all areas involving complex civil litigation ranging from professional liability and licensing, medical malpractice and general civil litigation. Smith received his J.D. degree from The Penn State Dickinson School of Law in 1993. He received his undergraduate degree with honors in business management and minors in accounting and economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1990. A member of the board of Outpatient Surgery Magazine, he has lectured nationally on a variety of topics for this publication as well as the Professional Risk Management Society, The Pennsylvania Health Care Association and the Hospital and Healthcare Association of Pennsylvania. Smith has been published in Compliance Today and McKnight's Long Term Care News; and, has authored book chapters for Aspen Publishers and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is licensed to practice law in all state courts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. He is certified to practice law in the Federal District Courts for the Western District of Pennsylvania; the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia, the Southern District of Ohio; and, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In addition to Smith, Bryan Pasciak will also be working with clients in Pittsburgh. Pasciak is a 2014 honors graduate of the Notre Dame Law School where he was the Technology Editor for the Journal of College and University Law. He received the highest grade awarded for Legal Writing I and II, and received the Dean's Award for Personal Injury Litigation and Law & Morality in Contemporary Jurisprudence. Pasciak was also a national champion and academic All-American basketball player at Cornerstone University where he graduated with honors. Managing partner of the firm, Jamie Bordas, is proud that the firm will be able to serve more people. "Bordas & Bordas has been a leader in representing injured and mistreated people since 1985 when my parents founded the firm," he said. "We've had record setting and legally significant verdicts in nearly every aspect of law and we look forward to continuing to fight for justice in Western Pennsylvania." The new location will be located at One Gateway Center, 420 Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Suite 1800 in Pittsburgh. Bordas & Bordas is a plaintiff's litigation firm of 18 attorneys based in Wheeling and Moundsville, West Virginia, St. Clairsville, OH and Pittsburgh, PA that practices throughout the region in diverse areas of law.  For more information, please contact Carrie Scanlon, Director of Communications and Philanthropy at 304.242.8410 304.242.8410, visit at bordaslaw.com, or connect with us via social media. ### BORDAS & BORDAS EXPANDS TO PITTSBURGH Smith, Pasciak Join Legal Team Wheeling---Bordas & Bordas Attorneys, PLLC has announced that beginning this month the firm will offer legal services in Pittsburgh. Furthermore, the firm has added two new attorneys to their staff. The western Pennsylvania office will be the fourth location for the Plaintiff's firm and will be located in downtown Pittsburgh. Other locations include Wheeling and Moundsville, W.Va. and St. Clairsville, OH. The new location will allow for more expansive legal representation for those who have been hurt, injured or mistreated due to no fault of their own. The firm will focus its practice on diverse areas of law including: Drilling Site Injuries, Truck/Auto/ATV accidents, Defective Products, Insurance/Bank Misconduct, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Neglect and Injuries, Toxic Torts & Occupational Exposures such as Asbestos and Oil & Gas Rights and Injuries.

Fall is just around the corner. I'm a huge fan of fall. The air is crisp and cool. College football returns. The leaves provide a colorful backdrop for my daily commute to work. I also enjoy making my annual pilgrimage to Oglebayfest to renew old friendships, shop, and sample the cuisine. But fall also has its downside--pumpkin. Before you know it, the valley will be overrun with every imaginable pumpkin-flavored food and drink. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin lattés. Pumpkin milkshakes. Ugh! Don't get me wrong, I've really tried to embrace the whole pumpkin thing. But the simple truth is I don't like the taste. When I eat it, my face puckers up like I'm eating a mouthful of sour patch kids. I do eat one piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving as a nod to tradition, but I confess that I smother it with whipped cream to hide as much of the taste as I possibly can. Word of my aversion to pumpkin has gotten out. Some of the kids at my church have jokingly dubbed the "pumpkin hater." It may be an exaggeration, but clearly there's no love lost between me and the endless parade of pumpkin edibles. So I guess I'll put it to you. You can be my jury. Am I right in avoiding the pumpkin, or am I missing out on one of the best things fall has to offer? Fall is just around the corner. I'm a huge fan of fall. The air is crisp and cool. College football returns. The leaves provide a colorful backdrop for my daily commute to work. I also enjoy making my annual pilgrimage to Oglebayfest to renew old friendships, shop, and sample the cuisine. But fall also has its downside--pumpkin. Before you know it, the valley will be overrun with every imaginable pumpkin-flavored food and drink. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin lattés. Pumpkin milkshakes. Ugh!

Does your job have hidden perks? Mine does. These perks may not be exactly the kind you would think of, but I'd like to share them with you. You see, I take my job very seriously and the people that come into this office looking for our help get my best effort in everything I do on their case. With this can come some sweat and tears along the way; so, where are the hidden perks? Let me explain. As a paralegal here at Bordas & Bordas, I work on some of our most complex cases including medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, industrial explosions, just to name a few. With these types of cases, you can imagine that many of the people I help fight for are severely harmed or even dead. Sometimes this is a harsh reality I deal with on a daily basis - so where are those perks? Well, along the way, I get to know the families of these very important people that we represent and I get to know them on a level so deeply because I get to witness firsthand their experience which is often times hard to bear. By the time a case goes to trial, I try to do the best job possible for these special people. They have already been through so much. From day one of the initial client interview to sitting through a lengthy trial where they relive their traumatic or catastrophic experience over and over again. It's then that I realize those special perks. I've made a friend. I've been an honorary guest into someone's family circle. I stand by their sides, fighting for that one sliver of justice. A justice that can't bring back a loved one or a justice that can't undo harm caused by another, but a justice to help make someone whole again. It is then that they may begin the healing process in order to go on and move forward in life. So, those are my hidden perks. Perks that are irreplaceable.