Northeast Wisconsin Personal Injury And Social Security Disability Blog

DUI's and speeding lead to crashes and car accident injuries

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in car accident injuries on Thursday, June 14, 2018.

Speeding is a major factor in the severity of car accident injuries in Sheboygan and throughout Northeast Wisconsin. When a vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed and there is a crash, the likelihood is that there will be substantial damage and major injuries. The investigation is vital to understanding exactly what happened and why. This is especially important when the injuries require hospitalization and medical treatment or even lead to a fatality.

A multi-vehicle accident at around 6:30 a.m. caused one driver to suffer from a brain bleed and was due to another driver speeding. The investigation shows that a 20-year-old driving a silver vehicle caused the early morning accident. The man stated that he was speeding because he was hearing a voice exhorting him to "go faster." A law enforcement officer had spotted the vehicle speeding and then heard the accident. There were three vehicles in the accident, in addition to the silver vehicle.

What if my Social Security Disability is being reviewed?

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in social security disability on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

For residents of Northeast Wisconsin who are getting Social Security Disability benefits, receiving a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that the case is going to have a medical review can be a scary occurrence. Knowing the details of this process is imperative as the benefits can be stopped, if the SSA believes it is warranted.

The SSA will take certain steps to determine of the person still meets the criteria to get benefits. The medical condition will be reviewed in this process. If the person's medical issues or condition has not improved and the disability prevents the ability to work, the benefits will continue.

Most drunk drivers do not know how much is too much

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. on Monday, May 21, 2018.

If you are the victim in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, you may sustain injuries that could possibly change your life. You are not only concerned but enraged. What was this person thinking? Why did he get behind the wheel?

The truth is, many people think that driving after enjoying a couple of drinks is no big deal. However, did you know that body weight and gender play a big role in the level of intoxication?

Semitruck accident injuries stem from speeding and other issues

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in semitruck accident injuries on Thursday, May 17, 2018.

Northeast Wisconsin residents will be fully aware that large trucks can be dangerous. These vehicles are common on the roads and while they perform an important service of transporting goods across the nation, there is no denying how much damage they can do when there is a truck crash. Those who suffer semitruck accident injuries can face long recovery time and permanent damage. Families can be left without a loved one after a crash with one of these large vehicles. While most truckers operate their vehicles in a safe manner and follow all the rules of the road, there are many who do not. Studies examine the risk these vehicles carry with them and new results indicate that several factors are present lending to the damage they can do.

SmartDrive Systems collected data of truckers and formulated its SmartIQ Speeding Drivers Snapshot for Truckers. Its goal is to assess the link between truckers who speed and other dangerous behaviors. According to the data, truckers who speed were 45 percent likelier to be in a near crash. They were 54 percent likelier to go over the center line of the road or cross the median. And they were three times likelier to follow other vehicles at an unsafe distance.

Car accident injuries and death in hit-and-runs a growing issue

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in car accident injuries on Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

There is a rising concern over the number of hit-and-run accidents in Wisconsin and across the U.S. Anecdotal evidence is saying that there have been many such crashes in Milwaukee and in other areas of the state. Since 2013, in Milwaukee alone, there has been a consistent rise in the number of accidents overall and the percentage of those accidents that are hit-and-runs. 24 percent of accidents were hit-and-runs in 2013. By the end of 2017, that had grown to 29 percent.

These numbers are bolstered by a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that details the nationwide epidemic of hit-and-run crashes. In 2016, there were 2,049 fatalities in hit-and-run accidents in the U.S. That is an increase of 60 percent from 2009 and is also the most ever recorded. 65 percent of people who died in a hit-and-run were on a bicycle or were pedestrians. The executive director of the foundation expressed concerns over the trend of these kinds of crashes.

Should I appeal a Social Security Disability claim denial?

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in social security disability on Friday, April 20, 2018.

When a person in Northeast Wisconsin has an illness or injury that he or she believes warrants Social Security Disability benefits, it can be a troublesome time to find out that the claim was denied. Many people are discouraged when they are initially denied and will decide not to take advantage of the multi-layered appeals process that people have available to them when they are seeking SSD benefits. The Social Security Administration wants to make certain that anyone whose issues justifies benefits is approved, so appealing is a wise step.

Understanding the different levels of appeal is key, as is having legal assistance when doing so. With an appeal, the case will be looked at again in its entirety. When there is a mistake and the decision was found to have been wrong, it can be changed and the applicant can get benefits. Regardless of whether the denial was for medical or non-medical reasons, it is possible to ask for an appeal. It must be in writing and the SSA must get it within 60 days from the date at which the denial decision was received.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in blog on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

The reality of asbestos exposure through talcum powder has gained increased attention recently in the court system. Civil suits resulted in notable case losses for company Johnson & Johnson, including one this April with an award of 37 million dollars.

Mesothelioma, a currently incurable form of cancer, can form due to exposure to asbestos over a number of years. When tiny particles of the substance get into the lungs and stomach through breathing and swallowing them, an initial irritation occurs that may turn into cancer later on. Many times it takes decades after exposure for symptoms to appear.

Distracted driving could be major cause of car accident injuries

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in car accident injuries on Friday, April 6, 2018.

When there is an auto accident in Northeast Wisconsin, it has become common for it to be due to a distracted driver. It has gotten to the point where people who are in a crash will automatically and reflexively think that it was because the other driver was texting, talking on his or her cellphone, or just surfing the web. Many are under the impression that they can multitask and do so safely. Unfortunately, they cannot and it can lead to a car crash with injuries and death. A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety examined this troublesome phenomenon as well as other risky behaviors.

The statistics were accrued via voluntary survey. Eighty-eight percent of drivers think that distracted driving is increasing. As an issue, it has far surpassed other dangerous behaviors such as aggressive drivers and drivers under the influence. Since 2013, there has been a 30 percent increase in drivers who admit to using a cellphone while driving. Forty-nine percent stated they had recently spoken on a cellphone while behind the wheel. Close to 35 percent said they texted or emailed. This is simultaneous to 58 percent of drivers saying that they believe talking on a cellphone places them in danger. 78 percent view texting as a significant danger.

Woman's career forever changed after slip and fall accident

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in slip-and-fall accident injuries on Monday, March 26, 2018.

While the following story didn't occur here in Wisconsin, the circumstances are still important because any slip and fall in the country could cause similar, or even worse, harm to a victim. The case is out of the Quad Cities in Iowa, and it dates back to January 2010.

The victim is a woman who worked as a traveling software consultant. She was staying at a Marriott-owned hotel during the winter when she exited the hotel and walked along the premises, only to slip and fall on some ice. The resulting injury, a broken right ankle that was described as "shattered" in the lawsuit, required multiple surgeries to fix, and even after all of that medical treatment, the woman still had a severe limp in her right leg. Arthritis also set in to her right ankle, leading to chronic pain.

Steps if you are in an accident with an uninsured driver

On behalf of Alpert & Fellows, L.L.P. posted in blog on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

Wisconsin sees its fair share of dangerous car accidents on its roadways. In 2016 alone, over 129,000 crashes took place, according to the state's Department of Transportation.

There are things you should do after every accident. However, things become messier when one of the drivers lacks auto insurance. This is particularly frustrating if the uninsured driver is the one at fault, and you may not know how to handle the situation at the scene. Here are key steps to take following an auto accident with an uninsured driver.