According to the Chicago Tribune, the City of Chicago will participate in another electric scooter program this summer. The Tribune reports that the program is being reinstated, despite a “controversial” trial last year. Also, the city will have four times as many electric scooters compared to the previous year, and they will be citywide. Chicago…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a subsidiary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, governs interstate trucking nationwide. To provide guidance to trucking companies, the FMCSA issued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs or “federal regs”). Sections 383 and 391 of the FMCSRs outline the minimal requirements for interstate commercial truck drivers. What…

A recent report published by the Center for Economic Justice and the Consumer Federation of America finds that while some auto insurers have provided premium relief and rebates to customers in light of reduced driving due to COVID-19, “most insurers’ auto insurance premium relief has not been sufficient.”  The report, Personal Auto Insurance Premium Relief…

When we evaluate potential vaccine cases, our team at Shannon Law Group likes to look at the potential client’s medical records. In vaccine cases, the medical records play a crucial role in proving a client’s entitlement to compensation, as well as to our own assessment of a petition’s reasonable basis. Obviously, in certain scenarios, we…

In the several months that this novel coronavirus has plagued our country and the world, we’ve learned that the virus has particularly devastating effects on a couple of vulnerable groups: the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Many people who make up those vulnerable populations reside in nursing homes and long-term care facilities throughout…

As of May 27, 2020, 1.74 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of that group, more than 102,000 have died since the coronavirus outbreak. According to a remarkable report from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, 43% of those fatalities have been residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities. That statistic is…

On Friday, May 22, 2020, the Illinois General Assembly approved a bill that lowers the burden of proof for essential employees who contracted COVID-19. This bill makes it easier for them to receive Workers Compensation benefits. This will be the very first bill from the legislature special session that will go to Governor Pritzker’s desk,…

Insurance companies love it when you don’t hire an attorney immediately after an accident.  There are a number of reasons why.  First and foremost, people represented by a lawyer end up with settlements that are two-to-three times larger than those who do not retain attorneys on average. Insurance companies are fully aware of that fact. …

Each week of this global pandemic, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) releases updated data on COVID-19 cases and deaths throughout the state. The IDPH is also responsible for governing nursing homes in Illinois and releases nursing home-specific data. Large Portion of COVID-19 Illinois Deaths Linked to Nursing Homes At this time, the total…

Multinational pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson, has recently decided to discontinue sales of products containing talc throughout North America, including its famous baby powder.  By some, this is seen as a major concession by Johnson & Johnson, which for years has vigorously defended lawsuits throughout the country.  Plaintiffs in those lawsuits allege that talc products…