By David Daggett on 2/2/2009 6:52 AM

To Your Health

       The unique resources of our Lewis & Daggett team include our full time nurse on staff. Donna Tankersley is our medical records review coordinator. She is a registered nurse, a registered medical assistant, and is certified by the American Heart Association as a basic life support instructor.

        Donna provides a vital assistance to our team of attorneys and staff in reviewing and analyzing medical records. This allows us to better represent and advocate the medical aspects of our clients cases.

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By David Daggett on 1/12/2009 8:54 AM

Welcome Judge Taylor

     We are proud to welcome Judge Kimberly S. Taylor to our Lewis & Daggett team. Judge Taylor retired after 25 years on the bench as a Resident Superior Court Judge of the 22^nd Judicial District which includes Alexander, Iredell, Davie, and Davidson Counties.

     Judge Taylor has received many honors and is very highly respected. She has been the NCAWA Judge of the Year and is a past president of the 22^nd Judicial District Bar Association.

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By David Daggett on 10/6/2008 6:56 AM

An Ever Stronger Team

 

     We are proud of our team here at Lewis and Daggett. We believe our team continues to improve and get stronger.  Long time colleage Doug Nauman has been part of our L & D Team for 13 years, and  this past week we added him as our eleventh attorney.

      Prior to joining us he was an insurance adjustor with State Farm Insurance Company.

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By David Daggett on 7/14/2008 6:53 AM

Blog Anniversary

      One year ago this month we started this Blog as part of our Lewis& Daggett web site. It has been a way for us continue to connect with our community and friends.

      We never imagined we would have so many folks join us. For our anniversary, let’s review a list the top ten posts from this past year.

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By David Daggett on 5/5/2008 7:01 AM

Law Day, Plus a Graduation

     Fifty years ago President Eisenhower established May 1 of every year as "Law Day." Law Day is a national day of recognition of the principal of government under law, as opposed to rule by individuals.

     Government under law is essential for a free society. We will discuss further next week how the law is the founding principle of our country.

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By David Daggett on 4/7/2008 6:56 AM

Transforming Impact

     Have you considered whether you ever have a transforming impact on the lives of others? Perhaps one of the highest callings we can have is to have a transforming impact on another.

Students Signing the "Do it Right!" Pledge

     Having a heart for others seems to be a prerequisite to having a transforming impact. This is where we are so proud of our L & D team. They are able to step out of their daily jobs in order to make a difference. They have a heart for students - I’ve seen it!

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By David Daggett on 2/18/2008 7:31 AM

The Unexpected

     How often do really face the unexpected? Of course, many times the unexpected is a pleasant surprise, or even something beautiful. Last Thursday morning we woke up to an unexpected covering of snow. While we may have had to adjust some plans, it certainly was a beautiful morning!

Early Valentine’s Morning

     Unexpected beauty, unexpected surprises, unexpected visits, and unexpected treats are all fun to experience. The unexpected is many times part of what makes life so much fun. Presents during the holidays are always better when unexpected.

     Of course, as with most areas of life, there are also unexpected things or events that are not quite so positive or pleasant. As humans, we just hope that the positives outweigh the negatives so we are able to keep a bright outlook.

     At Lewis & Daggett we help people who encounter a different type of unexpected. We many times work with folks who are dealing with the worst unexpected event of their lives. It is our job to deal with the unexpected and try to obtain the best possible result.

     An automobile accident that causes serious injuries can be devastating. An illness or other condition that turns into a lifelong disability changes everything. Or, getting hurt at work not only can threaten your job, and your income, but also the well being of your whole family.

     Children and families who suffer life changing injuries or events need our help. I am always amazed at the quality, caring concern of our team of lawyers and professional staff. We are proud of the way they really take care of those who need us.

     Our L & D team embodies a collective ability to assist people with the unexpected in ways well beyond just the law - they care and want a just resolution so folks can have dignity and respect to continue even with their difficulties. Perhaps in today’s world that is an "Unexpected" positive we can all appreciate.

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By David Daggett on 2/11/2008 7:44 AM

Values and Culture

     Do you consider what causes any organization or group to well? What motivates any group to perform successfully? This was an interesting topic of conversation at a recent lawyer conference. We spent a good bit of time just listening.

L&D Team members Gail Fisher and Elvis Horning

     To us it seemed interesting that a large percentage of the conference focused only on business, numbers, costs, and expenses. The bottom line was that these were all money matters. While we certainly believe it is prudent to be financially responsible, we felt deep down that we were a bit different.

     So, the curious side of us pulled back out some of our old books on motivation and leadership. We also looked at models of what makes organizations really effective and have meaning. Our reading, I suppose, confirmed what we already knew and felt deep down - the strongest organizations are based values and culture, not just money and profit.

     Organizations appear to work best when the core or fundamental values and ethics are the driving forces. The organization then surrounds itself with individuals who believe in those values. Those values then become the culture, or feel, of the organization. Interestingly, research shows that organizations with money as a driving force have lessor continuity and tend to burn out more quickly since this is a rather weak "value."

     Then, from a business point of view we develop strategic plans that support those values and the culture derived from them. We previously discussed our Lewis & Daggett strategic plan in Renewal of Purpose. This supports our values and beliefs so there is really no effort to get folks to buy into our firm mission.

     If you have been reading here over the past several weeks, or if you have come into our office, you may have a bit of a feel for our driving values and ethics. We are proud of our team’s concern for folks who are seriously injured, disabled, or hurt at work. Certainly our Safe Sober Prom Night campaign is consistent with our firm culture. This caring is just part of our overarching values of caring, concern, compassion and respect for individual dignity resulting in client service.

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By David Daggett on 2/4/2008 6:54 AM

Always Under Construction

     Are we always working on something in our lives? Are we building for a better future? One of the exciting things about our work at Lewis & Daggett is that we are always working and improving how we do things, on each client we represent, and every case we work on.

     This past week was a bit of a tough week in our Lewis & Daggett family. We had two extended relatives of folks here at the office pass away. Those sorts of times are always difficult. At the same time, we are always impressed how we all come together in support of each other.

     The pastor at one of the funerals delivered a very interesting, heart warming, and even motivating message. He used construction as a metaphor for building in our lives. The lessons are worth sharing.

     All good construction begins a plan or blueprint to guide you along the way. Just like building a house, we need a plan or blueprint in life to guide us along the way. The plan is something we can refer back to and use to keep us on track. Perhaps that is one of the benefits of the resolution journal we are offering.

     Of course, all quality construction begins with a strong foundation. Our personal foundation is the principles and values upon which the rest of our lives are built. Our foundation usually includes our families, physical self, spiritual self, and our work. Supporting and building a strong foundation seems to allow us to have strong structures like friendships and relationships that we can build upon and continue to work on.

     Quality construction requires us to use good material, equipment, and tools. For example, at Lewis & Daggett we believe we have built a strong team of good people who use technology and processes to make us as strong as possible.

     As a building progresses, it is important to continually measure to make sure we are on track and that everything fits together properly. Likewise in life it is prudent to take time to measure to make sure our pieces are correct and that they fit together properly. I've noticed that successful people tend to measure and adjust frequently.

     On construction projects everyone works together. Of course there's a foreman or leader, but everybody works together with scheduling, timing, and doing their separate roles. That spirit of cooperation certainly makes our own personal and professional lives more fulfilling and more successful.

     There are always things that are not in our control, like the weather, that can affect our construction projects. Just like in construction, success in life will be dictated by how we react to unforeseen problems. Our ability to adapt and make good decision when the unexpected arises certainly applies to our legal profession. As things change, or we find new evidence, we adjust the plan so that the project will continue to be successful.

     Life, unlike a physical building project, is always under construction. However, having good plans, building a solid foundation, working with good materials, remembering to measure, and being able to adapt will allow our lives, careers, and relationships to be strong. The improvement and growth of the building process is exciting!

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By David Daggett on 1/28/2008 6:57 AM

Play Doubles Tennis

     How well do we adapt to different and complementary roles in various aspects of our lives? Are we able to be flexible, cooperative, supporting, or yielding as the case may be? Perhaps these are some areas we can all work on.

Mike & Dave - Safe sober Prom Night Event

     Mike Lewis has been an avid tennis player for as long as I’ve known him. In fact, he and his wife Kathy have been among the top players in the Southeast since before I joined Mike in 1985. Their specialty is doubles tennis, and mixed doubles in particular. They play really well together as a team.

     During the recent conversation with Mike he used the term "doubles tennis." Crack! The term and the concept were metaphorically ingrained in my mind. He might not have realized the significance at the time, but I think he hit a winner!

     So, another goal for our firm in 2008 is to continue playing better "doubles tennis." For example, we have a buddy system at L & D so we are there to cover for each other. We also need to continue to work to recognize the ideas and accomplishments of others.

     Our law firm is full of fast paced, self confident, results oriented, effective people that get things done. Most of the folks on our team are already pretty good at playing "doubles tennis." We have discussed some of this previously when the subject was Teamwork.

     To continue to play better doubles tennis we will need to actively work on not always taking the lead, recognizing areas to be more complementary in action, perhaps yielding at times, and help the other person to better get the ball over the net when in the best interest of the team.

     "Doubles tennis" probably ends up being more fun, makes other people better, encourages team work, and maybe even helps us become better people along the way. Most importantly, it makes us better at serving our clients who are injured, disabled, or out of work.

     Thanks for joining us. We look forward share our "doubles tennis" experience with you!

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