For the last several years I have taken summer trips to Colorado that are partially for business, but mostly for fun and this year was no exception. I certainly love the weather, the lack of humidity, and most importantly the natural beauty of the great state of Colorado! Looking around at all its wonders just makes me appreciate the man upstairs and all his creation!

While on my trip I enjoyed a few rounds of golf at two magnificent courses, took the Cog Railway to Pikes Peak, and attended a Colorado Rookies baseball game. One of the best experiences I had on this past trip was dining at a lovely five-star restaurant in the Denver International Airport known as the Mercantile.

This renowned restaurant has its original famous location in downtown Denver, and recently opened their secondary location in the Denver airport! When I walked into the airport heading back to Charlotte, I was both surprised and delighted to see a five-star restaurant. I was served a lovely lunch by my waiter Daniel Layne, and since he was a sommelier, he not only ordered my food to his liking, but also brought me a wonderful selection wine. I was so satisfied and subsequently slept very well on my flight back to Charlotte.

If you have ever considered visiting Colorado, I would highly recommend it and if you ever find yourself in the Denver International Airport, please check out Dan the sommelier/waiter at the Mercantile!

 

As I have previously reported in a KellyGram, I am proud to serve on the MIRCI Board and given the Mike Kelly Law Group’s involvement in mental health issues through Disability, Personal Injury, and Workers Compensation, their mission is right up our alley!

I received the recent most Newsletter from MIRCI, and it explained how a South Carolina state agency had performed a detailed study of the costs savings that MIRCI saves our healthcare system in South Carolina. The 2022 study shows the following reductions to healthcare costs:

• Hospitalizations decreased by 41% the year after starting MIRCI services.

• Hospitalizations related to mental illness or substance use disorder decreased by 69% after starting MIRCI services.
• Emergency room visits where mental illness and substance abuse were the primary reason for the visit decreasing by 56%.
• Schizophrenic disorder, the most common reason for mental illness visits to the emergency room, dropped by 56%.
• Considering all hospital services combined (inpatient general, inpatient specialty and emergency department visits), total charges for services in the year following MIRCI enrollment were almost $5.7 million less than charges for services in the year prior to MIRCI enrollment.

MIRCI, led by Executive Director Julie Ann Avin told me that even during the pandemic these results affirm the quality of the mental healthcare MIRCI critical teams provide. Keeping people in their homes is so much preferred over hospitalization and it saves the healthcare system big money!

If you are looking for an opportunity to be involved as a volunteer or to donate to a worthy non-profit organization, then I highly recommend MIRCI. I know firsthand that mental illness is a devastating condition that affects your loved one and their families. MIRCI’s mission is truly divine, and I support it 1000%!

 

Here at the Mike Kelly Law Group, LLC we are very pleased to announce that 3 of our amazing lawyers have been selected for the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers is regarded as one of the premier guides to legal excellence. Therefore, it is no surprise that 3 of our lawyers are showcased on this prestigious platform for the 2023 edition!

“Best Lawyers was founded more than 40 years ago to recognize the exceptional accomplishments of top legal professionals,” and “we are proud to continue to present the most respected, unbiased legal awards worldwide.” says CEO Phil Greer.

Best Lawyers has earned the respect of the legal profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then it has grown to provide lists in over 75 different countries. For the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, more than 12.2 million lawyers voted to identify the top legal talent in their field. Now that’s how you get a solid recommendation!

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are categorized by region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on a professional expertise basis and undergo an authentication process to ensure they are in good standing with their respective Bar Associations.

The Mike Kelly Law Group, LLC would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to the 2023 The Best Lawyers in America list:

• Brad Hewett – Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

• D. Michael Kelly – Administrative / Regulatory Law and Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants

• Janet E. Rhodes – Employment Law – Individuals and Litigation – Labor and Employment

During my high school years, I started playing golf at a 9-hole County Club in my hometown of Emporia, Virginia. I would play with my best friend, Mike Wesson, who now resides in Charlottesville, Virginia and is retired. That “R word” does not resonate with me, LOL, and I am still going strong! Even before I had a driver’s license my mother would take me out to the Country Club and dump me off, where I would walk and play 45 holes, before jumping in the swimming pool and waiting on my ride until dusk. I doubt I could walk 18 holes now, and definitely not 45! Fast forward to the present. I took a break from golf for about four years and started back almost two years ago. I rejoined WildeWood Country Club, where I was a longtime member, and am absolutely enjoying my return to golf! I am working on my game and am happy to say I have seen improvement in recent months. So why do I love golf so much even though I am not particularly good?

Golf gets me outside and it temporarily takes my mind off everything that fills my thoughts! Having an inside job and not being a fan of yard work, it gives me some good old Vitamin D, some exercise, some competition, and especially enjoyment!

If you are currently involved in some sport, and are physically able to do so, I suggest you pick your favorite sport and enjoy the benefits including the fellowship that is available. For me it is Golf!

Lately I have noticed four instances of outstanding customer service coming my way. The medical providers here in my hometown of Columbia, for example, have really ramped up customer service. Through MyChart or other platforms, you can get your medical records instantaneously, schedule appointments online and speak to your doctor via telehealth. For the most part, wait times have been drastically reduced as the medical profession tries to put its best foot forward regarding doctor-patient relations.

We are trying to follow the lead of our brothers and sisters in medicine here at the Mike Kelly Law Group. We emphasize prompt returning of phone calls, emails, and other communications, and we work really hard to get clients seen, their needs addressed in a courteous manner, and put them on their way as soon as possible.

I am also seeing greater attention to the finer points of customer service at restaurants in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. This is particularly difficult given the staff/kitchen help shortage that currently exists in that industry, but the restaurants I frequent are really trying hard to do what they can.

I do not know about you, but I am loving the increased emphasis on customer service.

As most of you know, we handle a variety of legal matters here at the Mike Kelly Law Group but one of my personal favorites is the practice of Workers’ Compensation law. We represent injured workers (claimants) exclusively in our Columbia and Myrtle Beach offices. In recent years, Kimberly Cropper (Columbia) and Linda Willis (Myrtle Beach) and I have noticed that more and more claims are being outright denied as being not compensable when they clearly are and refusing to pay full benefits, particularly on the medical side. We literally spend half our workers’ compensation time getting carriers to pay for prescribed medical treatments, surgeries, prescriptions, etc. This can be frustrating to people who are not represented and frequently they give up and get medical treatment on their own. If they do not have health insurance, however, that can be a problem. It really feels like they refuse to pay anything in order for people to go away or accept a small settlement.

If you or anyone you know has an issue involving workers’ compensation do not hesitate to contact either one of our three offices.

I must confess that Gamecock Athletics are number one with me, but a close second is the so called “national pastime” Major League Baseball! I have been a Braves fan since moving to South Carolina and currently watch almost every game (West Coast excluded). I love all the Braves’ teams whether they win or lose and was especially excited when 6 Braves’ players got named to the All-Star team. Although they are currently in second place, breathing down my friend, Chris Millar’s Metropolitans necks, I am hopeful for an exciting second half of the season!

I enjoyed watching the Home Run Derby on Monday night and the All-Star game on Tuesday. There are so many young athletes in their early 20’s that are going to be heroes to their fans for all time, such as Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Ty France, Julio Rodriguez and our very own Ronald Acuna, Jr., and Michael Harris, II. Any time the Pennant Races or the competitors of the National League East and/or a Braves baseball game is on, you will know where to find me. Go Braves!

It is easy for all of us, whether we are 15 or 85 years of age, to become depressed and/or anxious about all the challenges in this crazy world we live in today! Sometimes I take the bait myself and worry or get concerned about a myriad of topics, issues, and the happenings in the world around me, but I have received signals this week from my devotional readings to focus on all my blessings as well as love and generosity.

No matter what our circumstances may be, everyone reading this KellyGram can cite blessings and love all around us! We all know that love is a very incredible tool in our lives! My focus today, from my heart, is on GENEROSITY!

There are too many indicators coming my way not to experience the joys of generosity in my life! I have been richly blessed in all aspects of my life, but I am not speaking of finance or charitable giving. I am speaking of generosity at its MOST basic level – sharing food or material items, giving hugs, kind words, a smile are even more precious to some, the giving away of my time to others especially to family, friends, and anyone I come across.

I am urging my fellow friends who read this blog to ponder this thought and act on it in whatever manner you wish. Just try it!

Happy Friday, Folks!

Today I want to talk about a growing area of practice in our law firm – Construction Defects. With the housing industry boom in Horry, Lexington, and Richland Counties, we are fielding many calls about shoddy construction involving both residential and commercial properties. In many cases, the contractors and subcontractors are either unqualified or they are not paying sufficient attention to the details and are instead trying to get on to the next job while the housing boom is in full gear.

Our Construction Defect litigation team headed by Partner, Brad Hewett, and ably assisted by two attorneys as well as our excellent paralegal team are handling these cases to successful conclusion.

While our primary practice areas remain Personal Injury, Workers Compensation, Disability, and Employment, our work in the field of construction litigation is rapidly growing. If you have had a Construction Defect problem created by a builder, contractor, or remodeler, please give us a call for a free consultation.

Without revealing specific numbers, I have been to many, many July 4th festivities celebrating this great Nation, but I have never been to where I am going on Monday, July 4th – The Lexington County Peach Festival! I have been learning about it and understand it is an all-day celebration at the Gilbert Community Park in Gilbert, SC. It features a peach parade, arts and crafts, food (especially the “Peachy” delights!), a classic car show, all kinds of live entertainment, and ending with a fun display of fireworks. The action kicks off at 8:30 AM and the peach parade starts at 9:30 AM and the Mike Kelly Law Group, under the leadership of our Legal Administrator and lifelong Gilbert resident, Amanda Miller Swearingen, will be spearheading a Mike Kelly Law Group tent full of swag and takeaways.

Come on out and get some goodies from Mike Kelly and company. We look forward to seeing you there.