Fireworks Without the “Fireworks” June 25, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: fireworks injury, wisconsin personal injury, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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July 4th is next week. Let’s make is a safe and uneventful 4th.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission approximately 10,000 people were injured badly enough to need emergency room care in 2007 because of fireworks. About 64% of those fireworks-related injuries occurred around July 4th.
Hands (2,000), eyes (1,400) and legs (1,200) were the most injured.
I’ve had the fortune of being trained by the Bartolotta Fireworks company of Wisconsin. A few years ago I was the guy setting off fireworks for municipal 4th of July fireworks. Believe me, there are more than enough ways that someone can injured oneself and others. Listen to your common sense when dealing with fireworks.
If you were injured because of a private or municipal fireworks mishap feel free to contact me. I’ll give you my honest opinion on the situation.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Sheboygan, Jefferson, Beloit and Wauwatosa.
Finally Some “Good” News June 14, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Allstate Insurance, auto accident, wisconsin personal injury, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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Allstate recently conducted a survey about fatal teen crashes.
The metro area including Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis is one of the 10 LEAST deadly teen driving hotspots according to Allstate Insurance and its research foundation. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL also falls in the least deadly category.
There is bad news for Wisconsin vacationers. The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area is the greatest “hotspot for fatal teen crashes.”
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Crivitz, Kenosha, Janesville and Wauwatosa.
Go Webster Wisconsin! June 13, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Last Comic Standing, Mary Mack
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Totally off the subject. If there is an opportunity (I’ll remind you if need be) please watch and support Mary Mack of Webster, Wisconsin. She is a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. For those of you curious Webster is between Siren and Danbury, Wisconsin. It’s west of Spooner, Wisconsin. Seriously, it is northeast of St. Paul and Minneapolis in the Northwest corner of Wisconsin. I think Mary Mack calls it the “taxidermy part” of Wisconsin.
Anyway, I’m always in favor of the home team. In this case it’s the home state comedian.
Stay tuned and support Mary Mack.
Hurray for Tony Staskunas of West Allis, WI. June 12, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury, Personal Groth.Tags: Drunk Drivers, wisconsin personal injury
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I like Tony. He was opposing counsel in an estate dispute a number of years ago. He is one of Wisconsin’s Legislators that has a “full time” job besides his job representing West Allis and surrounding areas in Madison.
But now I like him even more. He is one of 5 Wisconsin Legislators who have proposed making 1st time drunk drivers subject to an interlock device. An ignition interlock system makes a driver blow into a tube to check their blood alcohol content before they are able to drive. Good job Tony Staskunas.
I hope that the drunk drivers are the ones that pay for these devices and NOT the rest of us.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel states that he proposes that the maker of the interlock systems be forced to set up a fund to pay for the drivers who can’t pay for it themselves. Why penalize the makers of the companies? The drivers should be the ones penalized. Again, why not put them in prison or work release (working somewhere where they don’t have to drive obviously) until they pay for the interlock system. When they pay for it they can join the rest of free society.
Just my two cents.
Since I’ve Written So Much On Drunk Drivers… June 12, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Drunk Driving, restitution, wisconsin personal injury
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I might as well write about the other side of the coin. The victims. In particular, compensation. Compensation for injuries comes from two main areas, insurance companies for the at fault party (or uninsured motorist coverage which stands in the shoes of the at fault party) and restitution (i.e. the criminal courts). I wrote an article recently about Restitution for victims of drunken driving collisions. Here’s a section from it:
In Wisconsin a few years ago, 326 people died and 6,221 were injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. Approximately 42 percent of all fatal crashes in Wisconsin involved alcohol. Helping the victims of drunk drivers involves knowledge of civil and criminal procedure. With restitution you may be able to obtain companesation for medical bills, wage loss, mileage and other “certain” damages well in advance of a civil settlement or trial.
WIS. STATS. 973.20
A judge imposing sentence is required to order full or partial restitution unless he finds a “substantial reason not to do so.” Trial courts should be liberal in finding whether an injury relates to a defendant’s conduct. A trial court may “take a defendant’s entire course of conduct into consideration” including “all facts and reasonable inferences concerning the defendant’s activity related to the “crime” for which [he] was convicted, not just those facts necessary to support the elements of the crime.
The causal link for restitution purposes is met “when the defendant’s criminal act set into motion events that resulted in teh damage or injury.” Where the crime results in personal injury, the restitution order may include all “special damages.” (e.g. medical and related expenses, physical therapy, and mental health care, lost income, and reasonable out of pocket expenses).
I’ll talk more about this in later posts. I think it’s important for victims and attorneys of victims to remember all of the avenues to compensate those injured by drunk drivers.
Sooner Would Be Better! May 29, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Drunk Drivers, Drunk Driving, personal injury, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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Just in case anyone didn’t really believe Wisconsin’s laws are inadequate regarding multiple drunk driving offenses check this out.
The Sheboygan Pressreports that a man was recently convicted of his 10th drunk driving offense. Now this won’t make the headlines like the Doctor Mark Benson case from Waukesha. But, I hope some state legislator is taking notes and educates the rest about our flimsy drunken driving laws. It’s a fact, people are going to continue to be injured and killed by drunk drivers unless these drivers are taken off the roads.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Waukesha, Beaver Dam, Wauwatosa and Wausaukee.
A Nurse Nearly Ripped His Ear Off… May 23, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Nursing Home Abuse, wisconsin personal injury, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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We represent people involved in many kinds of accidents and incidents. This incident is one of the most outrageous. In fact, every one of our nursing home abuse cases is outrageous. How a nursing home can stand back and let its residents get abused or wilt away is beyond me.
This case involves a nurse that physically abused a patient. She grabbed his ear and nearly ripped it off. His cartilage and skin were injured. Needless to say, its reprehensible that a patient would be abused by a caregiver. Let’s hope our elected officials feel the same way.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Racine, Wauwatosa, Kenosha and Janesville.
Hit and Run and Ran May 22, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: auto accident, car accident, Uninsured Motorist Coverage, wisconsin personal injury
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Let’s say someone is hit by a car and the car doesn’t stop. We know it as a “Hit and Run.” Many times the police, with the help of witnesses, are able to find the car that caused the collision. But what if the car hits and runs and ultimately gets away. Or if the car that causes the collision has no insurance. If you’re injured who pays for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and inconvenience.
In Wisconsin, if you have auto insurance you will also have Uninsured Motorist coverage. Wisconsin law allows the car accident victim to make a claim against their own auto insurance. After the Uninsured Motorist coverage pays for your injuries the insurance company has the right and ability to investigate further and get paid back from the driver of the hit and run vehicle.
Remember to talk with your insurance agent about your coverage. Ask about the limits of your uninsured motorist coverage. It’s important to have enough coverage to fully compensate you just in case you are hit by a driver that flees the scene of an accident or does not have any insurance.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Racine, Green Bay, Plymouth and Wauwatosa.
WI Drunk Driver Petition May 15, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury, Personal Groth.Tags: Drunk Driver, Drunk Driver Petition, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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I’ve posted before about Mark Benson the former Wisconsin Doctor who has a history of injuring and killing innocent victims on the road. Badgerblogger has drafted a petition that I encourage everyone to read and sign:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Bukosky/
Personally, I think we need to take drunk drivers off of the roads and into jail/prison. (I’ve posted about this before…what happens if the drunk driver borrows someone elses car? They’ll still be drunk and behind the wheel). But, I think the idea behind this petition about drunk drivers is at least a start. Please take the time to sign it. Or better yet, call your legislator!
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Wauwatosa, West Allis, Crivitz and Kenosha.
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The Power of Comments June 4, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: comments
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Media has changed. Changed a lot. Long gone are the days where you pick up a newspaper and if you disagree or want to comment you tapped out a response on your typewriter. Now, most every newspaper is online. Also, most every newspaper allows comments on their articles.
Bloggers take advantage of these “immediate responses.” I must get dozens of comments a day on this blog. Many of them are pure spam. Meaning they are most likely computer generated to boost someone else’s webpage ranking. But, some are good, informative and helpful.
The Janesville Gazette recently discussed the comment phenomena. I agree with the Gazette. It may be annoying to have to wade through all of the spam comments but it is worth it to read the real meaningful comments.
So, long story short, comment, comment and keep commenting. I do read the comments. It’s what keeps making this “new media” better and better.
www.jonpgroth.com
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in West Allis, Wauwatosa, Janesville and Milwaukee.