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 JUNE 2021
H ere ’ s what O ur A ttorneys have been up to
All Illinois county courts are now conducting trials. This is excellent news for our clients. I’d like to update you on our attorneys and what they are doing.
Noted as one of the preeminent attorneys in Chicago, Jack Cannon has resolved dozens of workers’ compensation cases in the last year. During the pandemic, Jack did not miss a beat. Jack is also handling major wrongful death and truck accident cases in Cook County. Last but not least, Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato has become a star in the vaccine injury practice area. Check out her videos on our YouTube channel. In addition to being a terrific advocate for our clients, Rhonda is also an excellent teacher and makes complex ideas simple.
Pat Cummings recently tried an arbitration and secured an award that was nine times the insurance company’s original offer. Pat is scheduled to try a number of high-profile cases in the next six months. In the past 90 days, Pat filed a number of cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. Pat
is La Maquina (The Machine). He just keeps investigating cases and making them better each day. He also published a book last year called “How to Avoid a Trucking Nightmare.” Want a free copy? Text “TRUCKING NIGHTMARE” to (312) 847-2428.
Our clients have waited patiently for the courts to open. We are grateful to the citizens of Illinois who serve as jurors, the judges, and all the court personnel that help to make trials a reality. We will be writing updates on our trials soon. Happy summer, everyone.
In the last 12 months, Jonathan Svitak, Jr. has expanded his practice in a major way. Jon heads up our vaccine practice. In addition to filing over 100 petitions in the U.S. Court of Claims in Washington, D.C., Jon is scheduled to try a number of personal injury cases in Cook County. Jon also wrote and published a book last year, “Understanding the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.” In April, he
Grateful to serve you,
hosted a webinar on the VICP. Check out all of his videos on Shannon Law Group’s YouTube channel. Lastly, if you’d like a free copy of Jon’s book, text “VICP” to (312) 847-2428.
Pat Anderson has been busy working on significant personal injury cases, as well as handling a number of vaccine injury cases in the U.S. Court of Claims. Pat is known for being the firm’s chief brief writer. He also co- hosted the VICP webinar with Jon and Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato.
– Joseph Shannon
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T he S heep R anch In April, Jon, myself, and a handful of our friends traveled to Oregon to play some golf. We had planned our trip more than a year earlier in February 2020, before the world shut down. For most of us, this trip to Bandon Dunes on Oregon’s southern coastline was our first big venture out since being vaccinated and the one thing we looked forward to throughout the pandemic. Bandon Dunes was the brainchild of a Chicago businessman who wanted to bring Scottish links golf to America. Since the first course opened in 1999, Bandon Dunes has become a pilgrimage site for many American golfers. The resort now hosts five spectacular 18-hole courses — four of which are right on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Beyond the terrific golf courses, Bandon Dunes prides itself on the “no frills” golf environment that has existed for centuries in Scotland, which made it a perfect venue for a weekend with friends I hadn’t seen much during the pandemic. I had been to Bandon Dunes once before with my dad and his friends. But before this trip, I had never played the newest course: The Sheep Ranch. The Sheep Ranch opened with highly favorable reviews in June 2020. Before it was developed into a full-fledged 18-hole course, the Sheep Ranch site had a number of greens and fairways on the cliffs but no structured routing. People in
the know could gain access to the site and play the various holes in any order they saw fit. After many years of consideration, the Bandon Dunes owner finally built a set course on the site and opened it for public play. I was so excited to play Sheep Ranch because it had more than a mile of oceanfront cliffs and nine greens that were on the coast. By comparison, the other thee coastal courses at Bandon have one-mile combined oceanfront. There are too many unbelievably good holes to talk about, so I will just share my favorite highlight. On the ninth hole, we saw a large bird soaring overhead and settling onto a tree near the green. As we got closer, we realized it was a bald eagle in a nest overlooking the course. It must have been a good omen because the very next hole, I scored one of the few eagles in my lifetime.
Just playing the Sheep Ranch was my highlight of the trip, but beating my friend, Mike, made the day that much sweeter. If you ever have an opportunity to do it, I cannot recommend playing the Sheep Ranch enough. You will not be disappointed.
– Pat Cummings
Are You Breaking the Law When You Ride Your Motorcycle Without a Helmet in Illinois?
In Illinois, you are not required by law to wear your helmet when riding a motorcycle. It is currently only one of two states with no motorcycle helmet laws in the country. You are, however, required to wear proper eye protection if the bike is not equipped with a windshield. The statute that required motorcyclists and passengers to wear a helmet was repealed in 1969. Proponents of removing the mandatory helmet law believed that it was up to the responsibility of each rider to decide for themselves whether or not to wear a helmet.
At Shannon Law Group, we encourage everyone to wear helmets while riding motorcycles, even if the law doesn’t require you to. These helmets should meet the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS). Here’s some food for thought: Wearing a motorcycle helmet helps prevent serious head injuries or even death in the event of a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2017 Motorcycle Crash Statistics Report, helmets saved the lives of 1,872 motorcyclists that year. If all riders had worn helmets, an additional 749 lives could have been saved. Helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcyclists. In other words, for every 100 motorcycle riders killed in crashes while not wearing helmets, 37 riders could have been saved if all 100 had worn helmets.
As highway safety advocates, our job is to educate the public in order to prevent serious injury and death from accidents. So, consider wearing a helmet next time you ride a motorcycle.
– Patrick Anderson
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On Nov. 9, 2020, my wife, Sam, and I were blessed to welcome our baby boy — Jonah James. He came into the world at 2:22 p.m., weighing 9 lbs. 3 oz. and stretching to 21 inches long. As I write this article, he has just turned six months old, and I can hardly believe it. He’s starting to roll around, babble, and even develop a little personality (although I can only get him to giggle once at the same joke). It’s been an incredible experience watching him develop over these six months. Every week brings something new, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. I’ve often heard people talk about how your perspective changes after the birth of a child. And in some ways, I would agree. My attitude toward the world around me did not change drastically. I certainly did not gain some inherent wisdom after Jonah was born (just ask my wife). What I will say is that my world shrunk. I still see infinite possibilities for myself and my family, but my focus is narrower. What can I do to help Jonah become the best person he can be? How can I help Sam? Luckily for me, I have help. Sam has been the most incredible mom. Whether it’s making sure he gets enough sleep or enough to eat or is hitting his milestones, she’s always on top of everything. She’s read every book or article and watched every video. I am so grateful to have such an amazing partner as we begin parenthood together. I also have great role models. My parents raised four kids and made it look easy. I’m lucky to have them, as well as Sam’s parents, to lean on for help. MEET JONAH JAMES
Selflessness is something I’ve always admired in other people. Putting the needs and desires of others before your own. It’s a trait I’ve seen in my own parents, friends, and coworkers. What having Jonah has taught me is that being truly selfless doesn’t
mean sacrificing everything. I still have ambition and goals, but the motivation has changed. I’m doing it for them now — Jonah, Sam, and whoever else we may be blessed with next.
Love you, Jonah.
– Jonathan Svitak
SLG PATAGONIA PULLOVER GIVEAWAY: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO ENTER!
This June, we’re giving away an SLG Patagonia pullover to one of our YouTube subscribers! Our Patagonia pullovers are super cozy — even during the summer. They’re perfect for late night camping or watching fireworks. For a chance to win, text YOUTUBE to 312-847-2428 and click the link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel by Wednesday, June 30.
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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
Here’s What Our Attorneys Have Been Up To
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The Sheep Ranch
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Are You Breaking the Law When You Ride Your Motorcycle Without a Helmet in Illinois?
page 3
Meet Jonah James
SUDOKU
NEW BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!
TEXT “SETTLE” TO (312) 847-2428 TO GET YOUR COPY NOW!
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