Animal Attack Quarantine October 15, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Dog Attack Information.Tags: dog bite, Wisconsin Dog Bite Attorney, Wisconsin Dog Bite Law, Wisconsin Dog Bites
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Sauk County discusses the law that mandates that any owner of a dog or cat must quarantine their animal if it attacks.
In short, if your dog or cat bites someone it is Wisconsin law that the animal be quarantined so it can be observed for rabies. Obviously, you should call the police first and then work with them and your veterinarian to make sure the animal that attacked is up to date on all vaccines.
Remember that the owner of the animal is responsible for the costs of the quarantine. So, be sure to read your insurance policy to see if this will be covered under your home owner’s insurance policy.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Kansasville, Beloit, Sheboygan, Wauwatosa and Oconto.
You’re Not Always in Good Hands October 13, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: Allstate Insurance, car accident, hiring a lawyer, injury settlement, insurance settlement, Personal Injury Attorney, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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Either take less money or wait years until Allstate is forced to settle. That is what has been reported about Allstate’s claims practices. (Remember the ad: when you have Allstate Insurance you are “Always in Good Hands”).
Yesterday, I was talking with a friend whose client was hesitant to hire a personal injury attorney. Simply asking the powerful question, “Why?”
I think the answer to “Why hire an attorney” is answered in that story. It discovered a few things about Allstate’s injury claims:
First, the company evaluates claims with a computer program designed to reduce payouts by as much as 20 percent of what the company once paid for the same injuries.
Second, Allstate pushes policyholders to accept quick settlements without the help of lawyers. Policyholders who try to fight for more money face Allstate attorneys coached to refuse to negotiate and to drag out litigation.
A former Allstate attorney described their tactics:
They put pressure on people by establishing that they are a bully in the market.
I recommend you read the article or other blogs about the article. Many other insurance companies are now using Allstate’s computer program or programs just like it. If you have any questions about their tactics feel free to post a comment or contact me.
Don’t forget to read my previous post entitled “Why Hire a Personal Injury Attorney.”
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in West Allis, Crivitz, Plymouth, and Germantown.
800,000 Dog Bite Victims Need Medical Attention Annually October 9, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: dog bite, rottweiler dog bite, Wisconsin Dog Bite Attorney, Wisconsin Dog Bite Law, Wisconsin Dog Bites
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That’s the American Veterinary Medical Association talking. For what it’s worth 800,000 is approximately the population of San Fransisco.
The AVMA goes on to say that dogs attack children more than adults. Check out the site. I recommend it.
And please, take their advice. If you are bit by a dog or if your dog bites please contact the police. Why? Because it’s important that the proper authorities are notified in order to ascertain whether the dog has rabies. Isn’t it better safe than sorry?
I have a client who was bit by a rottweiler while at a motorcycle race. The owner never came forward. My client gave the police a lot of information while in pain from the bite. The police conducted an investigation that resulted in almost a dozen page report. But, no dog. After my client returned home from the hospital he did remember the rottweiler’s owner’s motorcycle number. Using that and google we were able to find the owner and help the police find the dog. Finally, after the police caught up with the owner she admitted to owning the dog and to the bite.
Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier if the dog owner took responsibility from the get go? It would have saved taxpayer money and a lot of stress and unnecessary trouble.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in West Allis, Eagle, Crivitz, Plymouth, and Germantown.
What’s In Your Homeowner’s Insurance? October 8, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: homeowners policy, insurance settlement, umbrella policy
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According to a recent study a majority of Americans don’t know what’s in their homeowners policy. Does your insurance supplement your auto policy? What is your deductible? Is your insurance replacement value increased along with your home renovations?
Take this opportunity to look long and hard at your policy. Review it before you need to use it! Don’t forget to check out my previous post about umbrella coverage.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Lomira, Twin Lakes, Wauwatosa and Milton.
Personal Injury Paparazzi? October 7, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: injury settlement, insurance settlement, wisconsin personal injury, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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It sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it? Why have a professional photographer take pictures of a personal injury victim? Well, in every case that involves scars, permanent bruises or disability the at fault insurance company asks for pictures to evaluate the claim.
Why not have the injured victim just meet with the at fault adjuster? Many times the adjuster is in some far off office, hours from injured victim. Usually, insurance companies have “round table” discussions about these types of injuries. This means that a bunch of adjusters will get together one day and pass around photographs of scars, permanent bruises etc. and give their opinion of the “value” a jury would award for the injury. That is how at fault adjusters come around to offering a personal injury settlement.
So, back to the professional photographer. An injured party needs to have pictures that truly represent the injuries. Just as if they were standing there in the conference room with the adjusters “round tabling” the claim.
Don’t get me wrong, nowadays many digital cameras will do a great job and take quality pictures. But, in order to give the at fault adjuster as true a representation of the injuries I’d recommend a professional photographer.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Oostburg, Marinette, Wisconsin Dells and Wauwatosa.
Editorial on Drunk Driving October 6, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: Drunk Drivers, Drunk Driving, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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Mike Nichols wrote an editorial last Saturday about drunk driving. It was kind of a follow up to his story on the collision Cimermancic caused.
I agree with the jist of Mike’s editorial: Drunk drivers in Wisconsin get way too many chances to get back in their cars, drunk, and endanger the rest of us.
New Blog on the Block October 2, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Marquette University Law School
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You may already know (if you visit Jon Groth in a Nutshell) that I attended Marquette University Law School. If you didn’t know, now you know. Anyway, MU Law has a new blog. Now you’ll know what Law Professors are thinking about.
Update on Cimermancic September 30, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: Drunk Driver, Drunk Drivers, Drunk Driving, Wisconsin car accident lawyer, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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A while ago I posted about a young man who had a long history of Operating After Revocation and drunk driving. While driving drunk (BAC .168) he drove the wrong way on the highway and hit my client head on.
He was sentenced by Judge Mac Davis last week, September 26, 2008. The sentence included one year in jail with work release privileges and 5 years probation.
The Journal Sentinel sent a reporter to the sentencing hearing:
Driver gets one year in wrong-way crash
Waukesha — A Richfield man who was intoxicated on Jan. 8 when he drove the wrong way on Highway 41/45 and collided head-on with another vehicle, seriously injuring the driver of that car, has been sentenced to one year in jail with work release privileges.
John D. Cimermancic, 26, pleaded guilty in July to injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and was sentenced Friday by Waukesha County Circuit Judge J. Mac Davis.
According to the criminal complaint, the crash occurred about 11:40 p.m. Jan. 8 on Highway 41/45 at County Line Road in Menomonee Falls.
Two vehicles crashed head-on in the northbound lanes of the highway.
What the Journal Sentinel didn’t report was some outrageous comments by John Cimermancic’s attorney. This attorney said he didn’t believe that prison does much as a deterrent. I just don’t get this comment. Look at Mark Benson for example. He wasn’t supposed to be on the road. His license was revoked. That didn’t stop him from driving? If he was in prison would we be talking about how he killed a mother and her kids?
The same goes for this case. John Cimermancic should NOT have been on the road. He didn’t have a license and didn’t own a car. He borrowed his girlfriend’s car and got drunk and drove the wrong way on the highway. Prison is a deterrent in the sense that it takes a multiple drunk driver off of the road. That in itself deters drunk driving. It should be said that in September of 2007 John Cimermancic was charged with drunk driving.
Judge Davis was thoughtful and, at least it appeared to me, that he was concerned about the victim in this case. He said that impact on the victim is very substantial and that nothing we can do will make the victim whole. Judge Davis disagreed with Cimermancic’s attorney, saying there is more protection of the public if the defendant is in prison.
But Judge Davis points out, if Cimermancic is out working there is the potential for the victim to be compensated sooner rather than later.
Cimermancic is now a felon. He can’t vote. Can’t own a gun. Must maintain sobriety. Must attend AA or some other program. Must maintain full time employment. Loses his driver’s license for 2 years. And he must pay restitution starting immediately.
As a father I feel badly for the family of the John Cimermancic. He was pretty badly injured also. He is an Iraq war veteran. He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Judge Davis he has a better chance of successful rehabilitation because of his family support.
All in all this is a terrible situation. Was the Judge’s decision on sentencing correct? Let me think about it. Ask me when my kids turn 16. I’m sure I’ll have a different opinion then.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Kansasville, Marinette, Milton and Wauwatosa.
No TXT while DRVNG in CA September 29, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in FAQ Personal Injury.Tags: auto accident, Wisconsin car accident lawyer, wisconsin personal injury
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The Governator just signed a bill banning texting and emailing while driving. If you are caught texting or emailing while driving in California you will be fined $20 the first time and $50 each subsequent offense.
The bill was drafted, in part, after a study that showed that most Americans who text also text while driving.
I can’t imagine it will be long before a bill like this is introduced in Wisconsin.
Jon Groth is a Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney handling cases throughout Wisconsin and most recently in Crivitz, Janesville, Plymouth, Wauwatosa and Germantown.
Nursing Homes In Wisconsin September 27, 2008
Posted by Attorney Jonathan Groth in Personal Groth.Tags: Nursing Home Abuse, Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney
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The PKS blog has a good post from September 24, 2008 about a recent report published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the worst Nursing Homes in America. Four of them are found in Wisconsin.
A large part of our practice is Nursing Home Abuse. I have a lot of family in Marinette, Wisconsin and have some knowledge of the Luther Home there. If you have any questions about nursing home abuse feel free to contact me.
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