Interview While in Mediation: Featuring Everett Heard

By Trey Mills on February 27, 2009

On February 24, 2009, I participated in a mediation of a case on behalf of my clients, Everett and Virginia Heard, against Electrolux Home Products. During the seven or more hours that Everett and I spent together (Mrs. Heard was at home sick), I learned a great deal about his past careers and adventures.

Fortunately/unfortunately, depending on how you approach the issue, there can be some down time in a mediation, a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Everett and I took that opportunity to talk about women, love, life, the pursuit of happiness, my recent break up, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. I decided to try and memorialize some our bigger discussions in a question and answer format.

What did you find to be the most interesting point with the mediation process?

Everett Heard*: Patience. I would have given them a price of take it or leave it and I am out of here. So patience.

What have you found to be the must frustrating?

For me, all the stuff that they (Defendant’s attorneys) said was true but it wasn’t my fault. I had just forgotten some of the details. (Considering the incident occurred so long after the deposition was taken).

What would you tell someone that was about to start this process?

If I came to you with this problem. I would have had to have my facts better. I didn’t have the facts there and that is what killed our case. Make sure what you say is what is on record. (Or can be documented).

With life in general, what is something you would like to pass on to others?

Live your life. Bible says that, “You are not guaranteed another day.” (James 4 v 13-15 & Psalm 90) Live your life as if each day was your last. If you want to go somewhere, go. You want to love someone, love them. If you want a new car, buy the thing. Worry about the payments as they come. Wait on love, it will come to you. You don’t have to go to it. Wait to have children when you are both ready and ensure that love is there.

Always show affection to the woman you love, even if it is just a telephone call. You can never tell someone you love them too many times. A bouquet of flowers, box of candy.

I would give the world to be you. Successful. Handsome dude. With your whole life ahead of you. (I’m just writing down what he said).

*Mr. Everett Heard currently resides with his wife, Virginia, in Georgia. Mr. Heard has served his country in the Navy, worked as a salesman in varying service related industries, has driven tractor trailers, and been tested and tried with a lot of what 60+ years of life can throw at someone, including but not limited to the death of his first wife in a motor vehicle accident & the recent death of his daughter. Please keep the Heard family in your prayers.

Trey MillsPartner

Floyd S. “Trey” Mills III knows that suffering a personal injury through no fault of your own can be a nightmare for the victim and…

Floyd S. “Trey” Mills III knows that suffering a personal injury through no fault of your own can be a nightmare for the victim and his or her family

Mr. Mills was born on April 24, 1978. His parents, Floyd S. “Butch” Mills, Jr. and Patricia Yarborough Mills, were originally from Newberry, South Carolina, and soon after the birth of Mr. Mills, his parents brought him back to be raised in the same county they grew up in.

Education

Mr. Mills attended Newberry Academy from grades K-3, Gallman Elementary 4th grade, Rikard Elementary 5-6th grade, Mid-Carolina Middle School 7-8th grades, Mid-Carolina High School from 9-12th grades, Clemson University, and Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.

Health Crisis

While Mr. Mills was a junior in high school he was chosen by his school to be a representative to Boys State. This was a great honor and would have been an even better experience except, while at Boys State, Mr. Mills became unusually ill with blackouts, night sweats, and back pain. Fortunately for Mr. Mills, his mother was an ER nurse at Lexington Medical Center, but unfortunately, for Mr. Mills that did not change his diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Along with his diagnosis, Mr. Mills received a prognosis of two weeks.

Obviously, Mr. Mills has been blessed with his second chance at life and those who have been wronged by health care insurance companies and other types of insurance companies can feel confident in knowing that Mr. Mills can not only empathize with them but fight fervently for their side. Mr. Mills’ cancer experience and his mother’s arduous yet unsuccessful battle against lung cancer were very trying times. However, those real-world battles and experiences were nothing compared to the administrative and billing wars he had to encounter with Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance. It seems BCBS would deny any charge over $1,000 without rational reasoning therefore prompting Mr. Mills to go to law school and carry the torch for those that were too ill to fight for themselves while the school yard bully beat them down.

College

Mr. Mills went on to Clemson University where he was very active in student activities along with academic accomplishments. Mr. Mills was invited to join Calhoun Honor’s College, Sigma Pi fraternity, Golden Key National Honor Society, Student Government, IPTAY Student Advisory Board, and Tiger Brotherhood. Mr. Mills also worked as a student employee with IPTAY Scholarship Fund under the direction of Bert Henderson, formerly the Associate Athletic Director of Planned Giving at Clemson University.

Early Life

Mr. Mills was unsure of where his hard work and life experiences would best provide an adequate return to the outpouring of kindness he received during his cancer experience. Having received many blessings from the American Red Cross, Mr. Mills went on to be an Apheresis Donor Recruiter under the supervision of Barry Pollard at the American Red Cross Blood Donor Services in Columbia, SC after graduating Clemson University.

Running from his true calling, Mr. Mills fled to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Having spent a semester of college in Madrid, Spain, Mr. Mills thought he should be assisting foreign countries. Mr. Mills was certified by the Vancouver Language Centre in Guadalajara for his TEFL training. Mr. Mills was in Guadalajara only a few months when September 11, 2001 occurred and helped him focus on his life priorities.

Law School

Mr. Mills went on to law school at Mercer University and clerked each summer trying to determine how he could best serve those less fortunate. The corporate law firms never truly provided him with that personal feeling of assisting the common person in need. It wasn’t until Mr. Mills became the first law clerk of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association under the supervision of Linda Franklin and lobbyist Michael Gunn that he realized where his education, life experience, drive, and hard work could truly benefit those who have been personally and directly affected by the negligence of another. Mr. Mills wanted to be a coveted and much needed plaintiff’s trial attorney. More importantly Mr. Mills realized the power of the faceless insurance companies, misinformed legislative members, and the true power of money and lobbyist in dictating laws.

What’s the one service you pay for all your life but you are actually penalized if you ever have to use it? Insurance.

Trammell & Mills

Mr. Ernie Trammell gave Mr. Mills his big break at leveling the playing field against the faceless and heartless insurance companies. Mr. Mills works tirelessly every day in an effort to bring justice to those who have been wronged. Mr. Mills has worked on both sides of the law and has been through some harrowing life experiences. Mr. Mills has been tested and tried by many of the more traumatic events that life has to offer and now provides his services to the public.

Who would you rather have on your side? Someone whose resolve has been tested and tried? Or someone who has intertwined their morality and greed in such a way that they can’t tell one from the other?

Why haven’t you hired Mr. Mills to be your attorney yet?

Would you listen to the devil on how to get to Heaven? Then why listen to insurance adjusters?

South Carolina Injury Law Journal

Interview While in Mediation: Featuring Everett Heard

Education

Health Crisis

College

Early Life

Law School

Trammell & Mills

Education

Health Crisis

College

Early Life

Law School

Trammell & Mills

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