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The People’s Court February 3, 2009

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.
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I always wondered how The People’s Court found their cases.   Thanks to Eric’s blog now we know! 

I’ve added Eric’s blog to my RSS feed.  I suggest you do the same.  He has  some really good stuff.

Snowmobile Safety January 9, 2009

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Injury Law.
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BRP U.S. Inc. recalled some Ski-Doo snowmobiles last year.  Now that we have a bunch of snow in Wisconsin it is time to check your snowmobile (or as Governor Sarah Palin says “Snow Machine”).

Ski-Doo is imported from Finland by the BRP U.S. Inc. company in Sturtevant, Wisconsin.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission has the information and pictures on their website.  The hazard is:

Friction between the fuel hose and the cylinder head cover can cause the hose to pierce. This can cause fuel to leak out, posing a fire hazard.

If you are driving snowmobiles this season be sure to stay safe.  The Wisconsin Association of Snowmobile Clubs has a weekly safety tip.  Check them out and drive safe.

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Milwaukee, West Bend, New Berlin and Wauwatosa.

Click here to submit a Case or Question.

Injury at Work January 8, 2009

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Motorcycle Collisions, Personal Injury Law, Wisconsin Auto Accidents.
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I was asked recently about a worker’s compensation question.  For full disclosure I handle only workplace injuries against third parties.  For example, if you are driving a work vehicle and involved in a car accident I would help you obtain compensation for pain and suffering, mileage to the doctor, doctors bills, property damage, rental vehicle and lost wages etc. This claim is against the at fault driver, i.e. the third party.

In addition to the claim against the at fault driver the injured person has a claim with workers compensation insurance.  These types of claims are called first party claims.  I don’t handle these.  But, I work with attorneys across Wisconsin who do a great job.

Anyway, the question was whether an employer can force an employee to sign a contract to waive any worker’s compensation benefits.

This is what I found from Wisconsin’s Office of the Commissioner of Insurance:

An employer subject to the Act may not withhold or
collect any money from employees or any other
person, including independent contractors and
subcontractors, to pay for worker’s compensation
insurance. To do so is illegal. Also, no agreement by
an employee waiving rights to compensation is valid.
[s. 102.16 (3) and 102.16 (5), Wis. Stat.]

I hope this answers your question!

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Wauwatosa, West Allis, Sheboygan,  Plymouth,  and Germantown.

If you’d like to submit a question or case please complete a case submission form.

Let’s Get to Zero January 7, 2009

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Drunk Driving, Motorcycle Collisions, Personal Injury Law, Wisconsin Auto Accidents.
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The State of Wisconsin is running a serious ad blitz on TV and radio.  The ads talk about the number of deaths and serious injuries that occur daily because of car accidents.  In short the ads talk about cell phones, drinking and not paying attention as bad driving habits that we all can work on.  If we can change our habits there won’t be as many injuries and serious car accidents in Wisconsin.

Their website ZeroInWisconsin.gov says:

Some deaths were caused by speeding while others were a result of drunk driving, or not wearing a seat belt. Tragically, these deaths affect many lives and cause great pain to thousands of people throughout the state. Fortunately, you can help change that number.

There is a bunch of statistics on the page too.   I think I’ve already talked about the death totals from car accidents before.

In short, this is a good time to assess your driving habits and make a New Year’s Resolution to drive more responsibly.  It sounds simple but this is good advice:

By staying within the speed limit, being sober behind the wheel, and buckling up, you can do simple things that can turn more than 500 annual deaths into zero.

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in West Allis, Sheboygan,  Plymouth,  and Germantown.

If you’d like to submit a question or case please complete a case submission form.

Happy New Year January 1, 2009

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.
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Happy 2009!

I’m behind on my blog posts. I apologize. To be honest I’m really enjoying playing with my kids and NOT posting. After the Holidays I’ll be back to my old blogging self.

Merry Christmas December 24, 2008

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.
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Merry Christmas Everyone! (Click to track Santa using NORAD)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Family’s Two Pitbulls Kill Grandpa December 23, 2008

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Dog Attack Information, FAQ Personal Injury.
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It happened in Rubidoux, California (near Los Angeles).   I haven’t seen much reported other than the grandfather stepped outside to smoke a cigarette when he was attacked.  There was one family member at the house but this person could not stop the two pitbulls.   The man died before paramedics could help. 

All I can say is, wow.   That is a tragic story.

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in West Bend, West Allis, New Berlin and Wauwatosa.

Click here to submit a Case or Question.

Unsafe Car Parts from China December 22, 2008

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Injury Law.
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Is there any good news about products coming from China these days?  The New York Times writes about a few serious safety problems found in auto parts manufactured in China:

Child restraints that may come apart in an impact. Fuses that could catch fire when overloaded. Tires susceptible to tread separation.

A consumer safety organization, the Center for Auto Safety, has a whole page dedicated to recent recalls of products made in China.

This next quote really concerns me.  Like many others I tend to believe that some Chinese manufacturers don’t really look to the long term.  They are only concerned about short term profits.

The executive director of the Center for Auto Safety:

said his review convinces him that too many Chinese companies are unfamiliar with — or don’t care about — safety standards in the United States and thus don’t meet them.

Be sure to check out the recent recalls when you get a chance.

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Milwaukee, West Bend, New Berlin and Wauwatosa.

Click here to submit a Case or Question.

Update on Crazy Loophole December 21, 2008

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Injury Law.
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I just blogged about this crazy loophole that Great American Insurance Company is trying to use to get out of paying for a number of wrongful deaths.

The Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Falkenberg wrote an opinion piece about this loophole:

Earlier this week, the Houston Chronicle’s Mary Flood reported that the Cincinnati-based insurer asked a federal court judge to help it avoid a potential $25 million liability in a Houston office fire last year that killed three people. Vocational nurse Misty Ann Weaver lit the fire to hide the fact that she hadn’t met a paperwork deadline.

Now Great American officials are trying to hide from responsibility in the deaths, which isn’t as shocking as the legal argument they’re trying to employ.

Families of the fire victims shouldn’t be compensated for their losses since the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation instead of actual flames, the company argued in a federal court brief.

I can see why the insurance company is trying to avoid paying based on this loophole.  They’ll save a ton of money.  Lisa did a little investigation:

And “fire, lightning and debris removal” were the No. 1 causes for homeowners’ insured losses nationwide at nearly 35 percent in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics were available from the New York-based Insurance Information Institute.

For the sake of the family of the victims I hope Great American Insurance doesn’t win.  Talk about adding insult to injury.

Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Fond du lac, West Bend, Kenosha and Wauwatosa.

Click here to submit a Case or Question.

Nursing Home Ratings Update December 20, 2008

Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.
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I’ve written about nursing homes and the government’s new rating system recently.  I don’t believe I ever posted the link to Medicare.gov’s website that allows you to “find and compare” nursing homes.

While your there you can check out a number of links to helpful information provided by the government.  For example,  links to a nursing home checklist and a guide to choosing a nursing home.