Shannon Law Group January 2020

Shannon Law Group January 2020

135 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 2200 Chicago, IL 60603 3550 Hobson Rd., Ste. 403 Woodridge, IL 60517

312-578-9501 | www.shannonlawgroup.com JANUARY 2020

THE INTEGRITY OF OUR CLIENTS

As most of you know, I am the ninth child of Tom and JoAnne Shannon. I was raised in an extremely rich household by two very rich people. To me, one is “rich” if they have integrity. The word integrity connotes folks who are integrated in soul, mind and body. In my book, “rich” folks are comfortable in their own skin. They know they make mistakes, and they seek forgiveness when they inevitably make them. For the most part, they practice what they preach. They are humble servants of others. You know it when you see it. For example, my mother and father treated everyone the same, not caring about the person’s economic status. In fact, they became more sensitive when they knew someone needed more from them. When I look at the great folks we represent at our law firm, I am overcome with the high integrity of the people we represent. I remember some years ago when we represented a young widow with two young children. She had lost her husband in a tragic agricultural incident. She faced a grim future of zero income, running a farm on her own and raising her two kids alone without the love of her life. How was this fiercely independent young woman going to pay for her food, her kids’ education and health care? When I first met her, I didn’t see desperation. I witnessed pure integrity. It was one of the most challenging cases of my career, but because of her humility and grace, we wanted to come through for her family more than anything. I remember meeting a young father of two at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital who was struggling to survive after a semitrailer

drove 70 miles per hour into the back of his stopped sedan on the Stevenson Expressway. I remember being stunned that this young father not only survived and went through excruciating rehab for three months, but that he also showed up to work in a wheelchair three months after the crash to provide for his family. His young wife worked the midnight shift so one of them could be with the kids at all times. Neither of these parents complained about their situation to me. They just faced their tragedy with grace. Even though the case went through a full jury trial and all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court, this young couple remained classy and composed throughout. What a privilege it was to represent them. We represented a mechanic who had spent his 50-year career keeping fleets of vehicles on the roadway. He knew more about vehicles than anyone on the planet. He was on call 24/7. This man of integrity lived to serve his large family and those in his community. People constantly depended on him. During the prime of his retirement, he was diagnosed with

mesothelioma and robbed of spending his golden years with his grandkids. As the mesothelioma took over his life, he never complained once to me. Not once. If ever there was a face of integrity, this was it. I will never forget the humility and grace of this family as long as I live. These are just a few of the stories of the folks we have been blessed to represent over the years. For me, it’s like being home again with the rich folks who raised me. Thank you, God, for allowing me to represent such good people. I speak for everyone here at Shannon Law Group when I say that it is an honor and a privilege to represent these people of integrity and grace. We also feel blessed to have the constitutional right to a jury trial in this country, which allows our clients to share their stories with juries who want to make sure justice is done. We have a number of jury trials coming in 2020. We will be sure to share their stories with you in the coming months. – Joe Shannon

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MEET JACK CANNON! SHANNON LAW GROUP’S NEWEST MEMBER

I am delighted to introduce myself as the newest member of the Shannon Law Group team as Of Counsel. As some of you may know, I was born in the United States and raised in Dublin, Ireland. I returned to the U.S. to attend Loyola University in Chicago, where I played Division I soccer. I spent the next several years as a high-rise concrete laborer with Laborers Local 4. I began attending John Marshall Law School in 1990 and graduated in 1993. I have been practicing personal injury and workers’ compensation law for the past 26 years. I believe my experience in the construction field has helped me better understand and more zealously represent injured workers. In addition to practicing, I also have a passion for educating; I frequently teach on the topic of personal injury, wrongful death and the Illinois

Workers’ Compensation Act, as well as authoring numerous articles for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. I was fortunate to be elected by my peers as President of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association in 2016. My wife Stacey and I have three grown children and reside in north suburban Chicago. When I’m not in the office, I enjoy cooking with my wife, reading, listening to music, exercising and watching soccer. I am also a color commentator on ESPN for Loyola University soccer games. I am grateful to be joining such a tremendous team. I hope to meet a lot of you in the coming year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with a question or legal issue. – Jack Cannon

3 CHANGES TO NOTE 2020 TRUCKING REGULATIONS AIMED AT SAFER ROADS

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, sometimes referred to as DOT regulations, govern just about every interstate trucking company in the country. A new wave of changes to those regulations goes into effect in early 2020. These changes aim to create safer driving environments for all of us who share the roads with large trucks. Here are three positive safety changes coming to the trucking regulations in 2020. 1. UPDATED ENTRY-LEVEL DRIVER TRAINING For the last several decades, DOT regulations have been largely quiet about any training required for commercial drivers — even new drivers. That’s about to change. Starting in February 2020, training requirements for new truck drivers will increase dramatically. Previously, drivers had to pass tests in five categories of truck driving operations. Under the new regulations, drivers must show competence in 31 categories of driving operations. These new regulations also increase the minimum standards for USDOT-certified driver safety training instructors. Starting next month, these instructors must have at least two years of behind- the-wheel experience and a clean motor vehicle record, as well as enhanced “train the trainer” education courses. 2. ALCOHOL AND DRUG CLEARINGHOUSE As of Jan. 6, 2020, all USDOT motor carriers must comply with the DOT Alcohol and Drug Clearinghouse system. The clearinghouse was established to prevent truck drivers who have a history of driving under the influence from lying to new employers about

their history and receiving keys to a new semi-tractor trailer. In order for trucking companies to comply with the clearinghouse rules, they must report all drug and alcohol violations by any of their drivers to the DOT >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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