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May 2018 815-726-9999 | www.blocklaw.com THEBKMS BULLETIN
Marvelous Moms Here’s to the Wonderful Mothers in Life
Before I got into law, my goal was to be a professional baseball player. I spent years on the diamond, all through my childhood and well into college. And my mom supported me the whole way. I remember going up to bat and being able to hear my mom in the stands, cheering for me louder than anyone else. As a kid, I couldn’t have been more embarrassed. Now I really appreciate her support. She was at every game, drove me to every practice, and was always there for my brother and me, no matter how busy she was. My mom and dad started a business together when I was young, and Mom was president of the company. She ran the books and took charge of all the administrative work. Yet she still managed to get home every night and make sure my brother and I ate a healthy dinner and got our homework done before bed.
loves seeing the girls and lending a hand whenever we need one.
beforehand, and driving the kids wherever they need to go, while also working full-time and taking on numerous side projects. She’s a photographer, does graphic design work for local companies, and keeps our house from burning down in all the madness. Our life is a constant state of organized chaos, but Jennifer makes it look easy. She can juggle more things at once than anyone I know. I think most people can say they know a mom who made their life better. I’m fortunate enough to know two! Being a mom can be a thankless job, but it’s through their tireless efforts that so many people are able to grow and achieve more than would have ever been possible. This Mother’s Day, I want to raise a glass to all the amazing moms out there. May you (finally) get the recognition you deserve.
I don’t think I fully appreciated everything my mom did until my wife and I had our kids. My wife, Jennifer, is phenomenal. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. We have two young daughters, so emotions can run pretty high in our house. Fortunately, Jennifer is always
“I THINK MOST PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY KNOW A MOM WHO MADE THEIR LIFE BETTER. I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW TWO!”
We never had a doubt that our mom was going to be there when we needed her. Mom supported us in everything, whether we wanted her to be there or not. When I decided I wanted to be a lawyer, she was still one of my biggest cheerleaders. And as great as she was as a mom, she’s somehow an even more supportive grandmother to my daughters. She
there to explain to me what’s really going on. The problem is never what I think it is. I literally couldn’t do it without her! On top of being a translator for me, Jennifer is constantly on the move. I couldn’t do half the things she does in a day! Completely dedicated to our two girls, Jennifer is at every dance competition, doing hair and makeup
–Brya n Shell
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Food SubscriptionBoxes Trying New Cuisine Has Never Been Easier
Eating the same foods over and over gets old, but it’s often hard to be adventurous when you don’t want to waste money on unappetizing food. Enter the food subscription box. When you sign up for a food subscription box, you’ll have the opportunity to sample new foods without committing much money — or time at the grocery store — to the cause. Here are two tasty food subscription boxes that’ll make your mouth water. TRY THE WORLD
Unfortunately, Graze is not suitable for people with allergies. Their snacks are packed in a facility that also processes nuts, wheat, milk, soy, and egg, and cross- contamination is a strong possibility. Graze prices depend on the services and products you select, but a standard subscription starts at $13.99 per box. Like Try the World, you can purchase snacks separately from their online shop. Customers can pause their subscription for up to 12 weeks or cancel their deliveries at any time. Trying new food should be a fun, stress- free experience. Food subscription boxes allow you to sample new snacks and create foreign meals cheaply and from the comfort of your own home. Try a box the next time you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen.
shop. Customers can pause or cancel their subscription any time, and pricing depends on the length of your subscription. GRAZE If you like variety, exciting flavor combinations, and wholesome snacks approved by a nutritionist, you’ll love Graze. With this food box subscription, customers create a personalized snacking experience, something that many food subscription services don’t offer! Once you set your preferences, Graze handpicks eight snacks for your box. After you’ve tried your snacks, you can tell Graze how well they know your taste buds.
Try the World believes that the most authentic way to discover a new culture from the comfort of your own home is through food. With two price points to choose from, Try the World sends you artisanal and gourmet foods from different cultures each month. Each box comes with a “culture guide” that includes the story behind each food, recipes that incorporate the products, and tips to enhance your food-tasting experience. Like most subscription boxes, you can’t choose which country’s foods you’ll sample. However, you can purchase individual items at Try the World’s online
ORDER IN THE COURT! ‘Great’ Fictional Lawyers Who Are Terrible At Their Jobs
Who doesn’t love a good legal drama? Countless movies and TV shows set in courtrooms prove there’s nothing like watching your favorite fictional lawyer win a tough case. Unfortunately, in a real courtroom, many of Hollywood’s “best” lawyers would crash and burn the moment they addressed the judge. Here are three famous fictional attorneys you don’t want on your case. FLETCHER REEDE (‘LIAR LIAR’) Fletcher Reede is a successful attorney who loses his ability to lie right when he’s hired for a messy divorce case. Ultimately, Reede wins the case by telling the truth. His client, Samantha Cole, was only 17 when she got married and signed her prenup. Since minors can’t enter legal contracts, Reede argues the prenup is void. This works in the movie, but in real life, the prenup is actually “voidable.” A voidable contract can be valid if a minor enters adulthood and lets a reasonable amount of time pass without seeking to void the contract. After 15 years of marriage, Cole ratified her prenup. It’s a mistake an experienced attorney like Reede has no business making. SAUL GOODMAN (‘BREAKING BAD’ AND ‘BETTER CALL SAUL’) Fans of the hit TV series “Breaking Bad” and its spinoff show “Better Call Saul” are well aware of how far Saul Goodman will go to
protect his clients. A real “criminal lawyer,” in this case, Goodman’s dedication to his clients isn’t something to admire. Guilty of money laundering, conspiracy to commit murder, and countless acts of fraud, there’s a good chance that if you hired Goodman, you’d end up with a lawyer who got arrested on the day of your trial. MATTHEW MURDOCK (‘DAREDEVIL’) Smart, compassionate, and willing to work for pie to help people in need, Matthew Murdock should be the perfect attorney. Unfortunately, Murdock takes on the mantle of a vigilante at night, and the after-hours superhero work has a negative impact on Murdock’s behavior in the courtroom. In the Netflix series “Daredevil,” Murdock shows up late after a night of fighting crime and is unprepared for the biggest case of his life, thus inadvertently causing his client to sabotage his own case. Watching Daredevil clean up crime makes for great TV, but we’d rather have an attorney who focuses more on winning our case than on judo-kicking bad guys. Real-life attorneys may not be mask-wearing superheroes, but when you hire the attorneys at Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell, you can rest assured your case will get the respect it deserves.
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What’s It Worth? HowWorkers’ Comp Settlements Are Determined: Pt. 1
If you sustain a work-related injury that takes away the use of one body part — such as a hand, leg, or finger — but you retain the use of your body as a whole, you can claim permanent partial disability benefits. The exact amount you’re entitled to will typically be calculated in one of four ways. WAGE DIFFERENTIAL In Illinois, if your injury leaves you unable to make as much money as you could before, you can receive weekly payments equaling 2/3 of the difference between what you used to make and what you make now. For example, if you were a carpenter making $1000 a week, but you can only make $400 a week after your work-related injury, that’s a $600 difference. The wage differential would be $400 a week. Wage differential are limited to a minimum of five years, or until the injured person turns 67. SCHEDULED INJURY In some cases, an injured party is awarded 60 percent of their average weekly wage for a set number of weeks. The length of these weekly payments depends on which part of the employee’s body is affected. For example, someone who lost their pinky toe might receive 13 weeks of payments, while a person who had their arm amputated at the shoulder joint might be awarded 323 weeks.
LOSS OF PERCENTAGE OF A PERSON AS A WHOLE If your injuries are not covered under Illinois’ predetermined injury table, the commission may calculate your “loss of person as a whole” using your age, occupation, skill, pain, and inability to perform certain tasks. They multiply that percentage by 500 weeks and then multiply the weeks by 60 percent of your weekly income. DISFIGUREMENT If a person suffers a work-related injury that has resulted in a serious, permanent change to their physical appearance — such as scars from burns, cuts, or surgery — they can receive payments based on the “value” of their disfigurement. This settlement is valued at 60 percent of the person’s weekly pay multiplied by up to 162 weeks. The amount you are entitled to after a work-related injury varies greatly depending on the severity of your case. For example, none of these methods are used when an injured person is deemed to have a permanent total disability, which we will dive into next month. If you need to figure out what your injures are worth, don’t go it alone. Call 815-726-9999 and reach out to the workers’ comp experts at Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell. We can help you get the benefits you deserve.
WORD SEARCH
GRILLED SKIRT STEAK WITH ASPARAGUS
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak • 2 tablespoons canola oil • 1 pound asparagus
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper • Salt and pepper to taste • Grated pecorino Romano cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat grill to high. Season room-temperature steak with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Any oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, will work. 2. Trim bottom inch of asparagus and season with salt, pepper, and remainder of oil. 3. Cut steak into four portions and grill for 3–5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Skirt steak is thin and will cook quickly. 4. Let steak rest for 10 minutes. While it’s resting, grill asparagus for 6 minutes, turning once. 5. Sprinkle cheese and crushed red pepper on asparagus. Serve alongside steak.
BLOOMING MAYO EMERALD GARDENING GEMINI LILY
MAY DAY MOTHERS DAY NIGHTINGALE SPRING TAURUS WARM
(Inspired by Food Network)
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19 W. Jefferson St. Joliet, IL 60432
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
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INSIDE
1. Happy Mother’s Day! 2. Explore New Cuisine With Food Subscription Boxes
Moms make the world go round. After running the gauntlet of childbirth, they raise and guide us throughout our lives, shouldering the tremendous burden and responsibility of motherhood. Mothers are in turn formidable, kind, powerful, gentle, wise, fierce, patient, supportive, empathetic, driven, and full of love. In honor of Mother’s Day, here are three historic moms who never stopped fighting for what they believed in. Hollywood Lawyers You Don’t Want to Hire 3. How Much is My Workers’ Comp Case Worth? Grilled Skirt Steak With Asparagus 4. 3 of the Most Formidable Moms in History Mothers Shape the World
3 of History’s Bravest Moms
a speaker for women’s rights, delivering her famous impromptu speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” in May of 1851.
IRENA SENDLER (1910–2008) When the Nazis invaded Warsaw in September of 1939, Irena Sendler, a 29-year-old social worker and mother of two, hatched a scheme to rescue Jewish children from the brutal ghettos. Along with many friends and colleagues, she smuggled out nearly 2,500 Jewish orphans, hiding infants on trams and garbage wagons and guiding kids through a labyrinth of secret passageways beneath the city. EMMELINE PANKHURST (1858–1928) Despite being a wife and the mother of five children — two of whom died tragically young — Emmeline Pankhurst became one of the fiercest advocates for women’s suffrage in the late 19th century. After founding the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903, she and her cohorts adopted an aggressive strategy to raise awareness for the issue; they began by buttonholing politicians and staging rallies, then progressed to vandalism, window smashing, and arson. She was instrumental in the movement. Pankhurst lived to see women gain the right to vote in 1928.
SOJOURNER TRUTH (1797–1883) Before she escaped from New York slaveholder John Dumont, Sojourner Truth had at least three of her children sold away from her. When Dumont went back on his promise to emancipate Truth and her infant daughter in 1826, she took the girl and fled to an abolitionist Quaker family, but she was forced to leave her other daughter and her
5-year-old son, Peter, behind. Soon after, she learned that Peter had been illegally sold by Dumont to a slaveholder in Alabama, so she went to court and secured his safe return. It was the first successful case brought by a black woman against a white man in American history. Truth went on to become a prominent abolitionist and
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