Northeast Wisconsin Personal Injury And Social Security Disability Blog

How much will my brain injury cost?

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in catastrophic injuries on Thursday, September 5, 2019.

Brain injuries are costly in many ways. For brain injury victims, it is important for them to understand what the physical, financial and emotional costs will be and what their true losses will amount to.

Brain injuries are one type of catastrophic injury that are not uncommon for car accident victims to suffer. When a car accident victim has suffered a traumatic brain injury, they are looking at a significant disruption to their life, which may require costly medical treatment, time away from work to recover and emotional harm. The impact of a brain injury can also be life-long. The estimated cost of a brain injury ranges from $600,000 to $1.875 million over a lifetime.

Social Security disability appeals basics

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in social security disability on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

Social Security disability is an important resource for disabled individuals to be familiar with because the benefits they can apply for may be able to help with their daily needs. Because most applications for Social Security disability benefits are initially denied, it is also important to be familiar with the Social Security disability appeals process.

Eligibility for Social Security disability benefits is based on a qualifying disability and work history. The disabled applicant must have the necessary work history credits to qualify and must also suffer from a disabling medical condition that is severe enough that it prevents them from working. In addition, the disabling medical condition must be expected to last for 12 months or longer or result in death.

Relief for victims of slip-and-fall accidents

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in slip-and-fall accident injuries on Friday, August 9, 2019.

An unexpected slip-and-fall accident can leave the victim with unexpected, and serious, injuries they may have to suffer with for the rest of their lives. It is important to know that personal injury legal resources are on the victim's side to help with the physical, financial and emotional damages they have suffered when they have been harmed in a slip-and-fall accident.

Slip-and-fall accidents can involve spilled liquids in a store or other location; cracked pavement; uneven or broken steps; icy steps; potholes; unseen obstacles or debris; elevators that are not correctly leveled and in other settings and locations as well. Slip-and-fall accident injuries can include a variety of serious injuries victims may suffer. Victims may find they need help with medical bills they were not prepared for, as well as time away from work recovering, and emotional damages they may endure as a result of all of it.

School zones can be dangerous places for teens

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. on Wednesday, August 7, 2019.

As summer slowly draws to a conclusion, teenagers across Wisconsin prepare for their first days back in the classroom. To get to school, some kids ride with their parents or an experienced bus driver, while others walk. Even though school zones may be safer than other areas, they can also be dangerous.

In 2015, a nonprofit organization called Safe Kids Worldwide studied school zones. The organization’s findings are alarming. While children between the ages of 15 and 19 represent only about a quarter of the total number of children in the United States, they account for roughly half of youth pedestrian fatalities. Some of these fatalities, of course, occur in school zones.

Dangers at swimming pools include more than drowning

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in slip-and-fall accident injuries on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

During these warmer and even downright hot summer months, many residents of Northeast Wisconsin may choose to cool off and have some fun by visiting a swimming pool or a water park. Many aquatic facilities have lots of slides, toys and other fun things for people of all ages to enjoy.

As many can probably guess just by reading some of the warning signs that are posted at pools and water parks, there are a lot of dangers associated with these places that can turn a fun time into a tragic and life-changing nightmare.

Rollback of rest rules proposed while fatalities increase

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in semitruck accident injuries on Thursday, July 11, 2019.

Even in the wake of statistics suggesting that the number of fatal truck accidents on the roads is increasing, the Department of Transportation will propose a relaxation of the hours of service regulations, commonly known as the federal rest rules.

The proposed regulations are currently under review by another federal organization that will give an opinion on the budget impact these changes will have. The details of the proposed changes have not yet been made public. Currently, the rules limit how long a truck driver can operate before having to take a break so as to sleep.

Severe burns are expensive and painful

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in catastrophic injuries on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

One type of catastrophic injury that Northeast Wisconsin residents may suffer because of another person's negligence is a severe burn.

There have been remarkable advances in the world of medicine when it comes to treating wounds for burns. For instance, 40 years ago, a person whose body was more than 20 percent burned had a high likelihood of dying. Now, the overall fatality rate is half what was a generation ago, and even victims with their bodies 90 percent covered in burns can survive.

4 signs you are too drowsy to drive

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. on Friday, June 14, 2019.

Everyone in Wisconsin knows drinking and driving is a bad idea. You may not realize, though, that driving drowsy may be just as dangerous. In fact, according to some experts, trying to drive after being awake for 20 or more hours is roughly the same as having a blood alcohol concentration above the 0.08% legal limit.

Fatigued driving may be the cause of as many as 10% of automobile accidents. Still, admitting to yourself that you are too drowsy to drive may be tough. Fortunately, you can likely watch for some warning signs to know when not to drive. Here are four of them:

One dead, one seriously injured in head-on collision

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in car accident injuries on Thursday, June 13, 2019.

A head-on collision in Northeast Wisconsin left one man dead and another man seriously injured.

The accident happened around the time of the morning commute, and police do not suspect that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Falls are a common cause of spinal cord injuries

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in slip-and-fall accident injuries on Friday, May 31, 2019.

When people think of a slip-and-fall, they may not at first realize how serious these types of accidents can be. After all, in many cases, a slip-and-fall could mean a few bruises or, in the worst case, a broken bone.

However, in some cases, even a fall from a short height or no height all can leave a person disabled. This is because, should one's vertebrae, or back bones, get broken, it could also lead to a spinal cord injury.