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135 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 2200 Chicago, IL 60603
3550 Hobson Rd., Ste. 403 Woodridge, IL 60517
312-663-7016 | www.shannonlawgroup.com Text: 312-847-2428 JANUARY 2022
THANK YOU SISTER CAROLYN
We all leave a legacy. Sister Carolyn Sieg left a giant legacy for all of us associated with St. Joan of Arc Parish and School. Sister Carolyn was born on Independence Day, 1939. A native of Lisle and St. Joan graduate, Sr. Carolyn was called to her vocation as a Benedictine nun at an early age due to the example of the Benedictine nuns who taught her at St. Joan of Arc. As a young teacher in her 20s, Sister Carolyn was called to be the principal at St. Joan in 1967. She served as the leader of St. Joan for nearly 50 years. Sister Carolyn passed away in early January of this year still working to make the lives around her better. She touched the lives of many with her constant service to God and others, her great leadership, love, compassion, discipline, and daily hard work. Sr. Carolyn didn’t just teach her students, faculty and parents how to live a truly giving life; she lived a life of God first, others second, and herself last. In a very meaningful way, Sr. Caroline had a huge impact on our family. Michelle and I are the products of great Catholic school elementary education. Michelle attended St. Theresa in Palatine, and I attended St. Paul’s in Yakima, Washington. When our oldest, Emma, was starting elementary school, our parish had a waiting list. Michelle went to visit Sr. Carolyn and asked if there was “any room in the inn.” In a truly Catholic move, Sr. Carolyn made room for Emma in the St. Joan “inn.” Being part of this terrific school for 21 years and having all of our six kids attend St. Joan, our children have had the benefit of one of the best elementary education experiences in the world. Our kids celebrated some of the most important sacraments of their lives there. We are grateful to Sr. Carolyn for opening St. Joan’s door to our family. Our law firm has also been blessed by the hard work and dedication of Sr. Carolyn to her school. Patrick Cummings, Jonathan Svitak, Ashleigh Zurek, Katelyn Pater, Katie Remmes, and Lauren Remmes all called Sr. Carolyn their principal. When I asked each of them about their interactions with Sr. Carolyn, each one responded with a warm memory of a person who knew them by name, truly cared for them,
and strived to provide them with the best education possible. We are proud of these St. Joan alums who work at our firm, as they each have been educated in service to others by a master such as Sr. Carolyn. In a magazine article about her retirement, Sr. Carolyn was asked for any words of wisdom for her past and present students and parents. She responded: “I would tell my students and parents to look at everything in a positive manner. Keep Christ as the center of their lives and fully utilize and appreciate the gifts that God has given them.” I will take that advice, Sister. Thank you for being such a role model for all of us. Thank you for giving yourself to all of us and fully utilizing your talents to serve God first, others second and yourself last. Let’s hope you have inspired generations of kids to live their lives just like yours.
With gratitude,
– Joseph Shannon
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ARE PERSONAL INJURY SETTLEMENTS TAXABLE IN ILLINOIS?
When are personal injury settlements taxed in Illinois? A lot of this is up for debate, but some economic damage recovery may be taxable. For example, if a person recovers money for punitive damages, there are some accountants that will tell you that those recoveries would be taxable. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for willful, wanton, or reckless actions, such as driving under the influence or selling a dangerous product. Other types of settlements could be taxable. Talk to a CPA if you have questions about your personal injury settlement. Injured due to someone else’s negligence? Contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer today! If you were injured as a result of someone
When you get a settlement check, you may be wondering if you will have to pay taxes on the amount. Well, let’s be clear, we are not accountants, and we do not give tax advice. But this is what accountants have told us about personal injury settlements. As a general rule, money received for non-economic injuries are typically not subject to taxation. Why is that? According to accountants, these types of recoveries are not considered gross income. The best way I’ve heard it described is this. Say you lost your arm in a crash. The money paid by the defendant is money to replace your lost arm, so you haven’t gained anything. Obviously, if you have specific questions about taxes in regards to your settlement, talk to a certified public account (CPA) in your area. They can guide you through this process. Let’s break this down. What is tax-free? According to accountants, the following is tax-free: • Compensation for physical injury or physical sickness • Compensation for pain and suffering and/or disfigurement (aka non-economic damages) • Compensation for emotional distress due to physical injury or sickness • Compensation for medical expenses
else’s negligence, there is hope. Our personal injury attorneys understand what you’re going through, and we’re here to guide you and your family through this difficult time. Contact us today for a free consultation at (312) 578-9501. We look forward to speaking with you!
5 WINTER DRIVING TIPS To Keep You Safe This Year
Keep your tank full. The American Automobile Association (AAA) recommends that drivers keep at least half a tank of fuel in their vehicles at all times during the winter. That way, you’re prepared if an emergency happens. Avoid using cruise control. When driving on any slippery surface like ice or snow, you should avoid using cruise control. Accelerate and deaccelerate with caution, and always be ready to apply the brakes. Create your winter emergency kit, and store it in your trunk. If you’re venturing out into a winter storm, preparing for an emergency is a must. Always keep cold-weather gear in your car, including warm clothing, extra food and water, a flashlight, a glass scraper, and more. (If you’d like a copy of our book, “Be Prepared,” we’ll send you a copy for free. Just text “PREPARED” to 312-847-2428, and we’ll mail a copy to you — no questions asked.)
When the roads are caked in ice and snow, it’s always best to stay home. But what if you have to go out and trek through the storm? Unfortunately, winter weather conditions often cause the roads and highways to be dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association (NHTSA), there were 440 fatal crashes and an estimated 33,000 injury crashes that happened in wintry conditions in 2019. Here are five tips to follow to keep you and your family safe this year while driving in winter conditions: Slow down and increase your following distance. It’s much harder to control or stop your vehicle while driving in slippery conditions. To avoid a fender bender or running through a red light, drive well below the speed limit and increase your following distance. Keep a safe distance while sharing the road with a snowplow. Don’t get too close to a snowplow on the road. They travel at a reduced speed, make wide turns, stop often, overlap lanes, and exit the road frequently. If you decide to pass a snowplow, use extreme caution.
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NEW YEAR, NEW AUTO INSURANCE POLICY Why You Should Audit Your Policy in 2022
It’s a new year, and it’s also a great time to look at your car insurance policy. Why? Your auto insurance policy protects you and your family’s financial future in the event of a catastrophic car accident. Certain policies offer different protections. In this article, I’ll discuss which three auto insurance policies you should consider adding (or increasing) to safeguard your family. No. 1: Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage protects you when you are involved in a crash with an irresponsible driver
The reality is that there are many people sharing the road with us who do not play by the rules of the road. By purchasing adequate uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, you’re protecting
yourself and your family from these drivers. No. 2: Medical Payments (MedPay) Coverage
Medical payments coverage is part of an auto insurance policy, and it’s often not included on your auto insurance policy by default. This coverage helps pay your or your passengers’ medical expenses after a car accident. MedPay coverage helps pay deductibles or any other medical expenses related to your treatment. We recommend purchasing $15,000 in
who carries no liability insurance coverage. Usually, the amount of uninsured motorist coverage you carry is equal to the amount of bodily injury liability coverage you have on your policy. Similarly, underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage protects you when the bad driver has some insurance coverage, but it is nowhere near enough to cover the damages resulting from your injuries. So, how much UM/UIM insurance coverage should you have? At Shannon Law Group, we recommend carrying a
MedPay coverage to adequately cover any and all additional medical costs that your
insurance doesn’t cover. No. 3: Rental Coverage
Rental coverage helps pay for the cost of a rental vehicle while your car is being repaired after an accident. Depending on the damage, you could be without a vehicle for several weeks.
Having access to a rental vehicle in this scenario is a life saver. Rental coverage often costs less than $10/
minimum of $500,000 in UM/UIM coverage. If you talk to your insurance provider, you may find that the difference in premium payments for higher coverage amounts only cost you an additional $10–$20 each month.
month to purchase through your auto insurer. If you have any questions about your auto insurance policy, feel free to text Joe Shannon at (312) 847-2428.
We’re excited to announce our first vaccine webinar in 2022! Attorneys Jonathan Svitak and Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato will discuss the journey of a vaccine injury claim through the federal court system — and the delays and hurdles that come along the way. The webinar will take place on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. CST. (If you can’t make it, don’t worry — we will publish a recording of this webinar on our YouTube channel shortly after.) To register for this exclusive webinar, text “VACCINE WEBINAR” to (312) 847-2428, and click the link provided. You can also email Brittany at BPeterson@shannonlawgroup.com and request the link. REGISTER NOW: VACCINE WEBINAR ON FEB. 10TH
We hope to see you there!
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Phone: 312-663-7016 Text: 312-847-2428 www.shannonlawgroup.com
135 S. LASALLE ST., STE. 2200 CHICAGO, IL 60603
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Thank You Sister Carolyn
page 1 page 2
Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable in Illinois?
page 2 page 3
Driving Tips to Keep You Safe
New Year, New Auto Insurance Policy
page 3
Register Now for Our Vaccine Webinar
Photo of the Month
SUDOKU
Team SLG had a great time at Pinstripes this month.
Solution at top of this page.
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