Shannon Law Group, P.C.

Where Compassion Meets Justice

Prolonged Recovery
from Your Car Crash?

Getting the Insurance

Company to Pay Gets Tricky
If youve been in a car crash, you likely experienced back and neck pain. Even insurance companies will agree, having your
body thrashed around in a violent crash causes pain, stiffness, and often requires some medical treatment.
However, if youre experiencing a prolonged recovery, insurance companies are quick to deny your treatment. Generally,
they will first argue that your prolonged treatment wasnt necessary and that you are malingering (a fancy way to say that
youre faking it).
Next, they may claim that you had some type of pre-existing issue that is really the cause of the pain. Remember that back
twinge you had three years ago while helping your brother move? Well, if you got some physical therapy for it, the insurance will claim thats really why you got all of that treatment after your crash.
If for some reason you had delayed receiving care after your crash, the insurance company will also argue that the treatment simply was unrelated to the crash. For example, if you didnt go to the ER after your crash because you didnt have
health insurance, that may be held against you.
That said, if youve been in a car crash, and your recovery is more complicated than you had hoped, give us a call. We can
either help you by representing you, or give you assistance in dealing with the insurance company.
At our firm one of our core values is empowerment through education. Since our consultations are free, youre only hurting yourself if you dont make the call!

Notre Dame Ticket Giveaway Winner

The winner of our July giveaway is Dr. Jim Rago and his family.
Congratulations Rago Family!

September 2015 News

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Shannon Law Group, P.C. Hobson Professional Center, 3550 Hobson Rd., Ste 203, Woodridge, IL 60517
(312) 578-9501 www.ShannonLawGroup.com

Caution Urged with NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly utilized over-thecounter and prescription pain relievers that many people may want to take a second
look at, depending on their circumstances. Mounting evidence suggests that these
pharmaceuticals increase a persons risk of heart attack and stroke.
The Food and Drug Administration thinks the evidence is noteworthy, as they recently
ordered drug manufacturers to toughen the warning labels on these medications.
Aspirin was not included on the new warning labels, since it has been found to lower
cardiovascular risks in some patients.
Taking an occasional NSAID here and there should not be a problem for someone who
has a healthy heart if they follow the correct dosages. However, chronic users or those
who already have heart issues elevate their risk of heart attack or stroke anywhere
from 1050 percent, depending on the drug and the dosage being used.
Researchers believe that NSAIDs alter the lining of blood vessels, opening the door to blood-clot formation. Common
NSAIDs include Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen); Aleve (naproxen); and the prescription drug Celebrex. Multi-symptom cold
medications, many of which contain NSAIDs, often fly under the radar, catching people unaware.
For people whom NSAIDs have brought relief from severe arthritis pain, the best course of action is to consult with their
doctor. In some cases, the risks of NSAID use are outweighed by the benefits of diminished pain.
Awareness of the issue, good doctor-patient communication, and exploring the options to NSAID use are the keys to successfully navigating the potential NSAID minefield.

Vaccine Injury Court

Vaccines save lives by preventing disease in the people who receive them. The majority of people
who receive vaccines have no serious problems. However, vaccines, like any medicines, can
cause serious problems, including allergic reactions. In those rare cases, the federal program
known at the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) provides compensation to
people found to be injured by certain vaccines.
In the 1980s, after several reports of the serious side effects of certain vaccines, particularly the Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus vaccine, many Americans questioned their safety.
Patients began filing many lawsuits against vaccine companies, hospitals and doctors. As a
result, several vaccine companies elected to stop making them altogether, which led to vaccine
shortages and jeopardized the health of the nation. To remedy this problem and to compensate those
injured by childhood vaccines, Congress enacted the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The
Act also provides a forum for adults injured by vaccines.
These injuries must be filed within a certain timeframe. If you are considering filing an action, review the statute closely. It
can be found on the Internet at: http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html . Should you have any questions
about the process, please feel free to give us a call. Shannon Law Group, P.C. is licensed to practice in the Court of
Federal Claims, where these cases are heard.

Shannon Law Group, P.C. (312) 578-9501 www.ShannonLawGroup.com

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A Quick Primer on Illinois

Workers Compensation

Nearly 3.3 million people suffered non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses in the United States
in 2009, and 4,340 workers died from those injuries. Over half of the employees injured on the
job required days away from work, job transfer, or restriction of job duties, which can impose a
serious financial burden on the injured.
Workplace illnesses, such as asbestosis, are typically caused by exposure to harmful substances over a period of weeks, months, years, or more. Illinois workers compensation laws
provide for the following types of benefits: medical care to cure or provide relief for the injury,
temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, vocational rehabilitation, maintenance
benefits during rehabilitation, permanent partial disability, permanent total disability, and death
benefits for surviving family members.

a University of Illinois v.
Kent State 8pm CT

September 5
Feast Day of Blessed Theresa
of Calcutta

September 5
Notre Dame v. Texas 7:30pm EST
September 7
Labor Day
September 11
Patriot Day
September 24
Pope Francis to address
Congress

As soon as you are injured on the job, or your doctor diagnoses a work-related illness, you should
September 27
immediately report it to your employer. If you do not report your injury of illness within 45 days
Feast Day of
(90 days for radiological exposure), you may lose your right to file a workers compensation claim
St. Vincent
altogether. Once notified, your employer must immediately report your claim to its insurance carrier. In
De Paul
Illinois, disputes regarding benefits are filed with the Illinois Workers Compensation Commission, a state
agency established to enforce workplace injury laws. In order to prove a workers compensation claim
Quote of the
in Illinois, an attorney must prove all of the following: 1) Your employer was subject to the Illinois
Month:
Workers Compensation or Occupational Diseases Act when the accident occurred; 2) An employIf we have no peace,
ment relationship existed between you and your employer on the date of your injury; 3) You were
it is because we have
injured or exposed to an occupational disease or toxin while performing duties in the course of
employment; 4) Your injury or illness was caused by the accident of exposure; and 5) You notified
forgotten that we
your employer within the statutorily mandated time period.
belong to each other.

Recipes
from Our
Kitchen

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At Shannon Law Group, P.C., we are committed to assisting clients who have been wrongfully denied workers compensation benefits in Illinois.

Blessed Theresa
of Calcutta

The BEST Cookie Bars

2 sticks butter (softened)
1 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 rectangular pan. Cream the butter until
soft, and then add the sugar, the egg, and finally, the vanilla.
Mix the dry ingredients. Stir into the wet mixture, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
Place dough in the pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly.

Shannon Law Group, P.C. (312) 578-9501 www.ShannonLawGroup.com

Shannon Law Group, P.C.

Hobson Professional Center
3550 Hobson Road, Suite 203
Woodridge, IL 60517
www.shannonlawgroup.com
(312) 578-9501

Prolonged Recovery
from Your Car Crash?
pg 1

This publication is intended to educate the general public about personal injury, medical malpractice, and other issues. It is for information purposes only and is not intended to
be legal advice. Prior to acting on any information contained here, you should seek and retain competent counsel. The information in this newsletter may be freely copied and
distributed as long as the newsletter is copied in its entirety.

BOOK REVIEW

Alexander Hamilton by David Chernow

My wife Michelle knows I love a good book. Well, she gave me a GREAT book: Alexander
Hamilton by David Chernow. I started reading about Hamiltons upbringing as a boy in Nevis, a
backwater island in the Caribbean. Abandoned by his father and left alone when his mother was
imprisoned, somehow young Hamilton survived. Orphaned at the age of 11, Hamilton educated
himself with a family library which included Roman and Greek Classics. He taught himself how
to speak French. The Caribbean town he grew up in knew that Hamilton was special. The towns
folk paid for his voyage to New York to attend Kings College (now Columbia). The rest of this
American experiment is a pure winner.
From Revolutionary War hero and Chief of Staff to General Washington to the principal author
of the Federalist Papers to our countrys first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamiltons life was
jam-packed. Hamiltons early death in a duel at the age of 49 at the hands of the sitting vice
president, Aaron Burr, is the focus of most history books when they address Hamilton. Its too
bad that this man left our country so early. Hamilton and his wife Elizabeth had eight children together. Elizabeth lived for 50 years after Hamiltons death attempting to preserve his name and
heritage in building the United States. Chernows masterpiece is based on top-notch scholarly
research and original works of Hamilton as well as the other Founding Fathers.
The book reveals the greatness of Hamilton as well as his character flaws. As a lover of history, I would have to say that this work is
tied with Chernows biography of George Washington. Both are true masterpieces. Hamilton is a truly American story. It is the story of
an orphan from the Caribbean who came to this country and lived the American dream, but relentlessly worked to shape the course
of American history. I highly recommend this book. If you believe you have accomplished a lot in your life, you might be like me and
think there should be a little more in the tank. After you have done so, ask yourself if Hamilton should be removed from the $10 bill.