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 2021
O ur P ledge for 2021: Y ou B efore U s
“I must decrease so He may increase.” - St. John the Baptist
In these turbulent times, if we choose to follow this way of life, it can be liberating for us. When we get into the habit of constantly serving and building up others and decreasing our personal needs, it follows that our world becomes exponentially better. Paradoxically, the more we become servant leaders, the more our clients win, the team wins, and our families win. Our personal lives become richer because we develop healthy, deep relationships with others. Don’t you think our community will be better off as well?
How do John’s words apply to us 2,000 years later? It all fits in with the “God first, others second, me last” philosophy that was drilled into me throughout all levels of education. As your advocates, our job is to elevate your interests above our own. As the leader at our firm, my job is to constantly serve and increase the skills of every team member. As a husband, my job is to constantly serve my spouse. As a father, my job is to constantly be a role model for my family by serving and not waiting to be served. Trust me, I’ve learned to accept that I fall short consistently in this quest. Does that mean that our striving to decrease should be abandoned? Absolutely not. We should muddle through, forgive our failures, and double down on our efforts to raise the interests of others above our own.
You before us. That’s the way we will serve you in 2021. Grateful to serve you,
– Joseph Shannon
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4 T hings to E xpect W hen Y ou F ile a P ersonal I njury L awsuit Many times, the litigation process can be complex and confusing.
3. Discovery Depositions At some point, you will attend a “deposition.”
Maybe you’ve never filed a personal injury lawsuit or been involved in a legal case before. Before filing a lawsuit, you go through many steps to investigate an accident and gathering enough information
You will have an opportunity to tell the insurance company what happened and how your injuries have impacted your life. Your attorney will be alongside you to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you might have. 4. Trial A trial can last anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the case, the number of parties, the number of witnesses, and other factors. You will need to testify before a jury at trial. Your attorneys will have plenty of time to discuss this process with you and to answer any questions you have before you take the stand. At Shannon Law Group, we know that the only way to make an insurance company pay fair compensation to an injured claimant is by pushing for a trial. That is why we prepare every case as if it will proceed to trial.
But what happens after you file a lawsuit? In this article, I cover four things you should expect after your injury case is filed.
1. Written Discovery After your case is filed, your attorneys will contact you during a process called “written discovery.” Written discovery is a procedure where opposing parties can request information and documents from each other. Your attorney may ask you to provide information, records, and sign certain documents during this process. 2. Gathering Your Medical Records and Bills Your lawyer will need to request all of your medical records and bills related to your injuries. Records and bills are very important in your case. Your medical records help your attorney describe the extent of your injuries to a jury.
To learn more about Patrick, check out his bio on our website. – Pat Anderson
TALCUM POWDER LINKED TO MESOTHELIOMA
In 1892, Johnson & Johnson’s director of scientific affairs, Dr. Frederick B. Kilmer, invented scented talcum-based baby powder that was originally labeled for toilet and nursery. As its popularity increased, J&J’s baby powder became quickly associated with the smell of newborns themselves, as well as with freshness and cleanliness. Many women used baby powder as a personal hygiene product as well. Some talcum-based products may contain asbestos fibers, which have been linked to mesothelioma and other diseases after inhaling or swallowing them. Talcum can often become contaminated with asbestos fibers, as their deposits are located near each other in the earth. Processing plants were not required to test talcum for asbestos like they are today. People who have used talcum-based products are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and ovarian cancer. After being exposed to asbestos fibers in talcum, a victim’s mesothelioma symptoms can take 10–50 years to appear. Now, victims and their families are coming forward and pursuing compensation. In 2018, a St. Louis jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $4.7 billion to 22 women and their families who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer after years of using the company’s
baby powder. In 2020, the Missouri Court of Appeals reduced the verdict to $2 billion. After the loss, J&J finally agreed to pay a total of $100 million to settle roughly 1,000 pending claims.
In 2019, a California woman was awarded $29 million after she developed mesothelioma from J&J’s baby powder.
Documents disclosed in litigation revealed that the company has had concerns about the possibility of asbestos contamination in its talc-based products for at least 50 years but made no effort to warn consumers.
Does talcum powder contain asbestos today?
Today, products that contain talc include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chalk, rubber, and ceramics. There have been several cases of imported products from China containing asbestos in their talc. It’s best to do research before buying products containing talc from other countries as well, because asbestos is not regulated in some countries like China. In 2020, Johnson & Johnson announced it will no longer sell talcum-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada. However, the corporation continues to deny that its popular hygiene product causes health issues.
Want to learn more? Follow us on Facebook to stay updated.
– Joseph Shannon
2 www.shannonlawgroup.com
COVID-19 VACCINE SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE VICP
Because the vaccines for COVID-19 were developed at “warp speed,” some have questioned its safety. Any vaccine that is mass-produced usually undergoes a long process to ensure its safety for the public. However, vaccine manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies worked overtime to develop and test the COVID-19 vaccines so they were ready by the end of 2020. Because of the short time frame, companies also want to make sure they are protected from liability if anyone experiences an adverse reaction. But if everyone will be expected to line up for a COVID-19 vaccine, they should have an opportunity to be compensated if they experience an adverse reaction. So, what recourse do they have? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has already indicated that a COVID-19 vaccine will be covered under its Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). This is not good. Unlike the VICP, there is a higher burden of proof for anyone alleging a vaccine injury in the CICP. And because the CICP does not pay for attorneys’ fees, it is unlikely that a claimant will be able to find an attorney to help him or her navigate the CICP and its obstacles. The VICP also pays out more in compensation than the CICP, and the CICP doesn’t even offer compensation for pain and suffering. On top of all of that, people alleging a vaccine injury in the CICP only have one year to bring a claim before it is time-barred.
We will continue to advocate before the HHS to cover all vaccines through the VICP. Want to help? Email me at jsvitak@shannonlawgroup.com.
– Jonathan Svitak
SUDOKU
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
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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
Our Pledge for 2021: You Before Us
page 1
4 Things to Expect When You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
page 2
Baby Powder Linked to Cancer
page 2 page 3
COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be Covered by the VICP
$100 LOCAL RESTAURANT GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! ENTER NOW!
Every year, we host our Christmas gathering at Quigley’s Irish Pub in downtown Naperville. The food is
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For a chance to win a $100 gift card from one of our favorite local restaurants, text QUIGLEYS to 312-847-2428 by Feb. 28.
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