Category: Firm News

Ever thought about leaving it all behind and moving to a tropical island? Well, so did Lani Weir’s mom and dad. Except they actually did it.

After honeymooning in Hawaii, her parents moved from their home in Alabama to Honolulu. Jacqueline Noelani Colvin was born soon thereafter. Back then, non-native babies born on the island had to be christened with a native name, so her parents called her Noelani, which means “heavenly sent” in Hawaiian.

“Noelani” was later shorted to Lani, as we all know her now.

Lani is 48% American Indian, as her mother is of the Echota Cherokee Indian Tribe of Alabama. Common-day Echota people are decedents of those who escaped the forced, often brutal migrations of American Indians from their native land during the 1800’s.

When asked of a time in which she was most proud of her Echota heritage, Lani discusses the college scholarships her two boys received from the Tribe. “That was a very proud moment for me, because I have heard a lot about my heritage, but I never really felt it”, she says. “The Tribe proved how important my lineage is with those gifts.”

But the thing that Lani is so proud of – her family, her genes – has a dark side. Not long ago, a gene test Lani had performed revealed a higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer.

“I began speaking with distant family members about my results. It was revealed to me that many women in our family had breast cancer. That made my risk increase even more.”

Lani does not shy away from the tough subject, or her Christian faith. “After lots of prayer, and many conversations with my doctor and my family, I made the decision to undergo a bilateral double mastectomy.” There’s still so much life for her to live, she said. Why should she stop now?

Lani credits her faith, her church, her family, her friends, and her co-workers with providing the support structure she needed to get through the difficult surgery. Unfortunately, the reconstruction phase of her surgery must be re-done.

“When I look in the mirror, I don’t see myself anymore. I see a different body. I want to feel feminine again. I want to be myself again.” Lani takes a deep breath. “You know, you look at yourself in the mirror more often than you think.”

Those feelings of loss and sadness occur regularly, she says. But when they do, her family and her faith are always there ready to pick her back up again.

Good news has come, though. Her second reconstructive surgery will soon proceed. “I’m excited about reconstruction. I think a lot about the body that God has in store for me. He has an image for me to fulfill. I can’t wait to see what it is!”

Whatever the future holds, the many people who love Lani all know she deserves every bit of it.

Lani Weir is the Litigation Paralegal to Spencer T. Kuvin, Esq. Mrs. Weir joined the firm in June 2013.

Regardless of your intentions, when you post information on the internet, it always has the potential to be accessed publicly. Whether you intend for a post, picture, comment, or other message to reach one person or a hundred people, the potential exists for that information to be found – sometimes, rather easily.

Defendants, such as insurance companies, routinely look at our client’s various social media pages, including Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and others. Their goal is to find information that can discredit your legitimate insurance claim, and minimize the true value of your case.

Defendants will also use social media as a means to identify your family and friends, who are other potential sources of information, to help them build their case against you. Because the courts are allowing this practice by Defendants to continue, there have been an increasing number of lawsuits which have been destroyed by what personal injury victims have posted online.

For example, in a recent New York case, a woman was injured when her chair collapsed. She filed a lawsuit, claiming back and neck injuries and “loss of enjoyment of life.” Defendants sought, and were granted, access to the woman’s Facebook profile, even though she had certain privacy settings in place. Subsequently, the Defendant insurance company’s lawyers uncovered photos that depicted the woman traveling and engaging in some activities which the defense argued, fairly or not, were inconsistent with her claims of injuries and damages.

In a case like this, the fact that someone can be injured and still travel and enjoy themselves doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the photos were found, and the Defense built their case around them. When taken out of context and presented to a jury, the implications can swing a case in the Defendant’s favor.

Just because you think something is private doesn’t mean that it is. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. always advise our clients that what they post online may become public information. It’s good practice to have your privacy settings configured to be as private as possible on all social media websites you engage in.

If your case enters litigation, it’s our best advice to refrain completely from referring to your case or injuries on any social media account you may regularly use. In fact, you may want to avoid social media alltogether during the duration of the litigation phase. You just never know what the Defense might discover and use against you.

Spencer Kuvin, Esq. is the Litigation Director and Lead Litigation Attorney at the Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb, P.A. You can reach him at skuvin at 800goldlaw.com.