Usually, victims of motor vehicle accidents can work with the defendant insurance company concerning their property damage (PD) on their own when liability is not in question. It’s one of the less contentious aspects of dealing with the insurance company. That’s why most personal injury attorneys don’t need to get involved with that process. If you are ever involved in a motor vehicle accident, there are some things you should know about the PD process. What does property dam

Although we deal with various types of personal injury accidents in our practice, many of our clients are victims of car crashes. With this in mind, we thought it important to describe the top five causes of car crashes, in an effort to create awareness about how to avoid them. In truth, most motor vehicle accidents can be avoided by being a thoughtful, attentive and defensive driver. Top five causes of car crashes and how to avoid them 1. Inattentive or Distracted Driving:

There are many reasons to have a drink. You may want to celebrate the holidays, a birthday, an anniversary, or you may just want to hang out with friends and imbibe. Whatever your reasons, there is no reason to get behind the wheel of a car, if you have been drinking. Consider the consequences before drinking and driving It may seem harmless to have a few drinks and then drive to your next destination; however, it’s not. Here are a few reasons to consider a decision about wh

Car thieves definitely have their favorite vehicles to steal, and they’re not the flashy sports or luxury sedans they go after. Data reveals that car thieves’ favorite vehicles to pilfer are new and used mainstream models. These are the stats for 2017. It will be interesting to see what the favorites will have been for 2018. Vehicles topping the list for car thieves in 2017 The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) recently released their list of the top most stolen cars in

The holidays are a joyful time of year, celebrating with friends and family. Unfortunately, they are also a time of many home fires and personal injuries. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports the following statistics from previous years: The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in two out of every every fire (40%) home tree Christmas tree fires. Mor

It is estimated that every year, airbags save over 1000 lives. Unfortunately, they also kill approximately 100 children. Causes of these fatalities include children sitting in the front seat, not being properly fastened by seat belts, or the seat belts not be fastened at all. Even though airbags are truly extraordinary safety devices, they also pose some real dangers. By understanding what these potential dangers are, we can educate ourselves how to use them properly. Always

For your safety and the safety of others, if you operate a motorcycle, it is imperative that you know Wisconsin’s motorcycle laws. Keep in mind that if you drive your motorcycle in other states, the laws may differ and it is your responsibility to know what those laws are. Wisconsin motorcycle laws There are several laws pertaining to the proper operation of motorcycles in Wisconsin. They include the following. Lane splitting or traffic filtering: Lane splitting, also known a

With a little practice, riding a bicycle is easy; however, avoiding a bicycle accident may be more difficult. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT), motor vehicle driver errors cause over 90% of bicycle accidents in the state. Unfortunately, because a motor vehicle is so much bigger and heavier than a bike, and because a bicyclist is much more physically vulnerable, the chances of being seriously injured or killed when hit are 95%. The types of injurie

An aggressive case of road rage caused a chain-reaction crash on a California highway a few months ago. A sedan cut off a motorcycle when he tried to change lanes. The cyclist tried to kick the car, but the car swerved towards the bike and the bike pulled away. Then the car tried again, missed and hit the barrier. It then crossed the median, knocking over a white truck before spinning out in the middle of the road. The elderly man driving the truck was injured and taken to a

In a recent article, we wrote about “assumption of risk,” which can arise when you’ve been hurt in an accident, but placed yourself in a dangerous situation knowingly. The person who caused the accident, or his insurance company or attorney, will say you contributed to your own injury. If their assertion is correct, and there is clear evidence to support their claim, you will most likely be looking at a reduced monetary settlement. Assumption of risk and contributory negligen

Those involved in personal injury accidents sometimes refer to parking lots as the Wild West. Parking lots produce a veritable show of driving hazards that are not present when driving down a regular street or highway. The obstructions you ordinarily encounter when driving are big trucks, tractor trailers and other large vehicles. You can see them clearly enough to make a judgment as to what to do. You can pass the large vehicle or you can decide to keep a good distance behin

Last year Walmart sued three of their own insurance companies for “bad faith, in connection with a 2014 accident involving comedian Tracy Morgan. Walmart said the companies had not paid their portion of the settlement it reached after one of their drivers caused the accident. By refusing to honor their policies, Walmart alleged “bad faith.” (They were finally reimbursed this year.) What is bad faith? According to the legal dictionaries, bad faith is considered an intentional

Understanding the basics of personal injury law and personal injury claims can be very helpful, if you find yourself or a loved one a victim of an accident caused by another person’s carelessness or negligence. Accidents do happen, and sometimes they are your fault and sometimes it is the fault of someone else. Does this mean all accidents turn into personal injury cases? The answer to that is “no”. How do you know if you have a personal injury claim? A personal injury occurs

It is utterly heart-wrenching for the victim and family when a traumatic brain injury occurs. In some severe cases, the person suffering the TBI is never the same again. Defining a TBI and its causes A TBI is a dysfunction of the brain, and can be caused by a sudden jolt, a violent blow to the head or body, or caused by an object that penetrates the brain, like a bullet. Fortunately, not all traumatic brain injuries are severe. In fact, afull recovery is possible for someone

Regardless of your take on the issue of whether all motorcyclists should wear helmets, the fact remains that they save lives and reduce injuries. Unfortunately, the number of motorcycle fatalities continues to increase. Must you wear a helmet in Wisconsin? The simple answer is “yes” and “no.” Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. sec. 347.485) requires anyone, cyclist or passenger who is under the age of 18 to wear a motorcycle helmet. This also applies to anyone driving with an instruct

There are a lot of informative articles about liability when a driver is injured in a car crash, but not as much has been written about what happens when a passenger is injured. Such information is very important. The big question centersaround who is responsible for paying the passenger’s medical bills and all the other associated costs (lost wages, pain and suffering, death benefits, etc.) when injured or killed while riding in a vehicle. How are the passenger or passenger’

Even though Winnebago County is continuing to create a much more bicycle-friendly and safer environment, there are still dangers that cyclists need to look out for. One is inattentive drivers, and the other is the possibility of getting “doored.” In addition to cyclists having to be hyper-aware of traffic, cars, trucks and pedestrians, they also have to be watchful of people who have just parked their cars and are about to open their doors. Who is liable when a cyclist gets d

It may not be something you think about or want to think about, but playgrounds can be danger places for children. There are several dangers we want to point out so you can keep your child safe on the playground. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, More than 200,000 children ages 14 and under, are treated for playground-related injuries every year in the U.S. Of those, 45 percent are considered severe (breaks, internal injuries, amputations). These in

The dangers of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are well-documented, with more than 14,000 people, including 3,200 children age 15 or younger, killed in ATV crashes in the U.S. since 1980. Unfortunately, over half of the fatalities occur on public or private roads, despite the fact that ATV manufacturers are required to display safety warnings on the vehicles that they are not safe to drive on roadways. Despite the fatalities, injuries and warnings, more than two-thirds of the sta

Motorcycles are wonderful for long or short trips, for the camaraderie of other cyclists, and for their economy. While it is true that most motorcycle accidents are caused by unaware drivers, some personal injury accidents are caused by the lack or improper maintenance of the bike. Unique causes of motorcycle malfunction Motorcycle riders may experience the same types of malfunctions as cars, such as flat tires, running out of gas and dead batteries; however, there are some p