On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, May 18, 2012
Many Wisconsin drivers take the benefits of crash-testing for granted. When we get in our cars to go to work in the morning, we know that the manufacturer has already tested how a crash will impact our bodies. Thanks to federal regulations, cars on the road in Wisconsin must meet basic safety standards and have specific features that help prevent accidents and minimize injuries in the event of an accident.
Information about what happens inside of the car during a crash is first gathered through the use of crash-test dummies. Originally made out of plaster in the late 1940s, crash test dummies have been a central figure in the evolution of motor vehicle safety. Testing of this kind became increasingly important as Americans began to venture out onto the interstate highway system in the mid 1950s, and the range of possibilities for car accidents expanded significantly.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Premises Liability on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
There are a few basic services that Wisconsin residents expect from local government. Among the things we have come to expect from cities, proper maintenance of a safe outdoor environment is one of them. Private property owners have a duty to keep outdoor areas safe for visitors or to at least warn of known hazards. The same is true of the city, which is entrusted with maintaining public property on behalf of the residents.
However, these days cash-strapped city governments around the country are struggling to keep pace with need and maintain the same level of service that people are used to. One area that is suffering in particular is tree maintenance. Few people expect to be injured by a falling tree branch, but there have been notable accidents in recent years that have called attention to this serious issue.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, May 10, 2012
For most Wisconsin drivers, obeying traffic signals and signaling turns are second nature. Most people have learned that these types of habits make driving safer and decrease your risk of a car accident. Yet, for many of the brave men and women returning from war, safe driving has come to mean the exact opposite.
A new study shows that veterans are more likely to be involved in a car accident than other drivers. One reason for this is suspected to be military training on how to drive in a war zone. In those situations, it is safer to speed through intersections and avoid traffic, using sudden unpredictable turns and high speeds to avoid danger.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Premises Liability on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wisconsin residents know how dangerous sidewalks, parking lots, and roads can be during the winter. Conditions can become very slippery when ice and snow accumulate, especially later in the season when there are many layers of sometimes clear ice.
Property owners in Wisconsin all have a duty to keep their sidewalks and parking areas safe for visitors, even in the winter. Visitors also have an obligation to be careful, but often a serious injury results from more than just clumsiness on the ice. Earlier this year, one Madison area man sustained significant injuries in a Walmart parking lot that he says was not properly cleared of snow and ice.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Nursing Home Negligence on Thursday, May 3, 2012
With the growing awareness about dementia and Alzheimer's, many Wisconsin readers may already know that the cognitive conditions can cause patients to become unpredictable and sometimes violent. In nursing homes, where there is a high concentration of patients with dementia, employees often struggle to find ways to keep patients and their coworkers safe from accidental violent outbursts.
One of the ways that many nursing homes all over the country have been dealing with this is through the use of antipsychotic medications, which can effectively pacify patients temporarily. However, these medications are not intended for this use and have not been approved by the FDA for dementia patients.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, April 30, 2012
A couple living outside of Milwaukee in the Waterford area were shocked earlier this month when a car crashed into their living room. The home is apparently located at a tricky intersection and the couple has had several cars in their yard before, but none that have made it to the house.
This car accident occurred at about 9:45pm and the driver was allegedly intoxicated at the time. According to police reports, the driver was unable to navigate the turn near the home and drove about 350 feet onto the property before hitting a tree. The car spun around and went backwards about 80 more feet before it crashed into the living room. The homeowners were not injured. Police reports indicate that the driver broke her arm.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Motorcycle Accidents on Friday, April 27, 2012
A moped driver who was hit by a police car this fall is suing Wood County, the local sheriff's department, the deputy that hit him and the insurance companies. The man was apparently driving down a highway when a deputy in a squad car approached and hit him head-on, causing the man to fall onto the hood of the vehicle and then onto the road. The lawsuit filings allege that the deputy had taken his eyes off of the road to use his cell phone when he hit the man.
There are no records from the deputy's cell phone that indicate that he was calling or texting at that time, but he did receive a citation for inattentive driving as a result of the crash.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, April 23, 2012
Teenagers from all over the state will gather in the Wisconsin Dells this week to participate in a conversation and convention about driver safety and texting while driving. The program partners local high schools with the Wisconsin State Patrol, along with other organizations, to create the first annual "Teen State Summit."
There have been many studies that confirm that distracted or inattentive driving causes many car accidents each year. This is a particularly serious problem for new drivers, who are generally more susceptible to distraction than experienced drivers. Combined with teens who are constantly trying to keep up with friends and monitor their social media applications, and there is a serious risk of injury from a distracted driving car accident.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Two Milwaukee police officers were injured over the weekend when their squad car was unexpectedly hit head-on. Authorities say that they suspect the driver of the other vehicle was drunk when he caused the car crash. The officers are not severely injured. The accident took place on W. North Avenue.
The police department says that the driver of the other car was 37-years-old and male, and that he was not injured in the accident but was taken to the hospital for evaluation. The officers were on their way to respond to a call when the driver, coming towards them, struck a different vehicle on the other side of the street and then swerved into their lane.
On behalf of Jacquart & Lowe, S.C. posted in Premises Liability on Monday, April 16, 2012
Nationwide home improvement giant Lowes has agreed to a settlement with a young boy who was injured in one of their stores three years ago. The boy slipped and fell on a wet floor and fractured his leg. The total settlement amount is said to be about $50,000, although the retail giant has said that they want to keep the details mostly confidential.
The case against the nationwide home improvement store is not surprising, since these types of properties have many potential hazards. A premises liability case, often referred to as a slip and fall case, can be brought by someone who was hurt by a dangerous condition on someone else's property.
