Personal Injury Attorneys Blogging

Kevin O'Keefe, formerly a Wisconsin personal injury attorney who moved west and out to the blogosophere, has an interesting post: Personal injury lawyer blogs going too far? What do you think?

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Holiday Shopping Online

Below are some tips for smart Christmas shopping on the Internet, but let me begin by stating: if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Now the tips:

1. Check out the seller.
2. Read the site’s privacy policy.
3. Read return policies carefully.
4. Know what you’re getting. Read the product description closely.
5. Don’t fall for a false email or pop-up. Legitimate companies don’t send unsolicited email messages asking for your password or login name, or your financial information.
6. Look for signs a site is safe. When you’re asked to provide payment information, the beginning of the website’s URL address should change from http to shttp or https, indicating that the purchase is encrypted or secured.
7. Secure your computer. At a minimum, your computer should have anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall.
8. Consider how you’ll pay. Credit cards generally are a safe option.
9. Keep a paper trail.
10. Turn your computer off when you’re finished shopping.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Milwaukee Car Accident Verdict Upheld

A $16.8 million jury verdict to a Milwaukee man who was badly injured in a car crash was upheld on Friday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

I know this may become fodder for those that stand against civil justice (because at the time, the man was 79-years-old, now 84, and the woman causing the crash was volunteering for a Milwaukee Archdiocese Church), but there are several items to keep in mind:

1) The defendant ran a red light;
2) The defendant was fully insured up to $40 million;
3) The victim's injuries included:
~ Amputation of one leg;
~ Quadriplegia, paralysis from the neck down;
~ Loss of bladder control;
~ Loss of bowel function;
~ Inability to feed himself;
~ Required 24-hour care;
~ Losing his part-time job as a barber; and
~ $558,366.06 in medical expenses incurred between the time of the crash and trial.
4) The victim was on Medicaid Title 19 and thus, his care was being paid for by taxpayers. As a result of the jury verdict, Medicaid Title 19 will be paid back for all the medical expenses it paid.
5) This insurance company could have SETTLED for $3 million back in 2004 and made a specific choice not to.

So, doesn't this now make sense? Who should be held responsible for this crash the driver's insurer or taxpayers? Don't you think the car insurance company should have settled for $3 million?

Think about the above and this man's horrific injuries before you buy into those that cry fowl regarding this Milwaukee jury verdict.

For $16.8 million, WOULD YOU GIVE UP A LEG AND ALL BODILY FUNCTIONS FROM THE NECK DOWN?

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Doctors move to curb patients' free speech

I previously posted on Wisconsin Doctors ratings and now an outfit called Medical Justice Services, a company that seemingly helps doctors fight medical malpractice claims, has launched a program allegedly aimed a protecting against "online defamation." Perhaps, this outfit has forgotten that if true defamation takes place, doctors have a remedy, it's called the civil justice system. Apparently, the outfit now sells doctors a contract form that doctors can require patients to sign, which forces a patient to notify the doctor of a grievance before going online to post a complaint. What's next? Forcing a patient to notify the doctor of a grievance before complaining to a neighbor or talking to a lawyer.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Insurance Companies again

Ex-Insurance Company Commissioner, Herb Denenberg, writes in his August 01, 2007 column, his opinion that Allstate Insurance Company has plead guilty to a six-count indictment alleging it is the leading insurer when it comes to anti-consumer insurance practices.

I wrote before on how CNN exposed Allstate and I've never been a fan of Allstate. I wrote too about how Sentry Insurance sued an 81-year-old woman for failing to shovel snow, State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate and USAA being accused of trying to take advantage of Katrina Hurricane victims, and about American Family Insurance. Personally, and this is strictly opinion, I think too that Progressive Insurance has become overly aggressive in fighting legitimate claims. Whatever the case, whether it's Allstate, American Family, Nationwide, Progressive, Sentry, USAA, or another insurance company, this is all consistent with my long held opinion about what insurance companies want:

~ Your premiums but not your claims
~ You not to file lawsuits against them that are valid
~ Voters to think they constantly fight bogus lawsuits
~ Everyone to hate lawyers so they never hire one to get justice
~ People to feel guilty for making legitimate claims
~ You to have guilt so you tell your attorney "I'm not the kind of person who files a lawsuit"
~ Jurors to think a person who files a lawsuit is a sham or dishonest
~ Juries minds made up before evidence is heard
~ Your legal rights minimized or removed
~ Their legal rights maximized and preserved
~ Wrongdoing on their part to go unchecked
~ People to feel juries give money away in a lottery jackpot justice system
~ Verdicts for damages to be far less then what is fair
~ Caps on damages to minimize how much justice a person can get
~ And judges who will avoid holding them accountable

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Wisconsin Registered Sexual Offenders

Wisconsin Sex Offenders, Court & Corporate records were a prior topic, but here's a neat website for viewing maps of registered offenders, seeing their photos, addresses and convictions.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Independent Medical Examinations revisited

So after just posting on ratemds.com, I reviewed my other posts with the label "medical examinations." One was on Verity Medical, which has now removed the calendar of all the doctors whose opinions are bought by insurance companies and their defense lawyers.

I did find something interesting on its refer a case page and that's a Printable Request for Service Form - Liability/No-Fault/Personal Injury. From that form, it appears that the insurer's adjuster or defense attorney can guide the expert physician towards what they would like said. Here are the "specific issues" bullet points:

"1. Diagnosis: Please give your impression of the injury or condition claimed as a result of the accident in question. Have the correct diagnoses been made and are they supported by the objective findings?
2. Causation: Are the above-described diagnoses medically causally related to the accident or injury in question?
3. Other Conditions: Please note any pre-existing injuries or conditions. Are any of these affecting the claimant’s recovery from the injuries or conditions alleged as a result of the accident or injury in question?
4. Apportionment: If the accident in question is only partially contributing to the current condition, please indicate and apportion the current condition between this accident and other conditions or events.
5. Past Treatment: Has treatment to date been reasonable and necessary as it relates to
the accident or injury in question?
6. Future Treatment: Is future medical treatment necessary as a result of the accident or injury in question? If yes, please specify the type, frequency, and duration of the suggested
treatment(s) along with your prognosis.
7. Healing Period: Has the claimant reached an end of healing, maximum medical improvement, or pre-injury status as it relates to the accident or injury in question? If yes, please indicate
the date it was reached. If no, please indicate when it can be anticipated.
8. Work Restrictions: Is the claimant capable of working? Please describe temporary or permanent work restrictions, if any, necessary as a result of the accident or injury in question.
9. Daily Living Activities: Is the claimant capable of performing activities of daily living? Please describe the limitations, if any, that exist as a result of the accident or injury in question.
10. Permanence of Injury: Has the accident or injury resulted in any permanent impairment? If yes, please provide your opinion as to the nature and extent of this impairment and rationale to support your opinion."

By the way, I don't mean to pick on Verity Medical, there are many companies like this in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney