Fault in an accident has a greater effect on personal injury insurance payouts and court awards, depending on the state in which the accident happened. States deal with fault in two ways; one is the fault/no-fault insurance divide, and the other involves comparative negligence. Wisconsin is not a no-fault state, but a state that compares the negligence of the parties.

A personal injury lawsuit requires many hours of work and usually at least a little travel to see the site of the accident. It is not an endeavor that you can handle on your own when you're recovering from injuries sustained during the accident. A personal injury lawyer can take over the duties of gathering evidence, looking for legal precedents, handling settlements, and more.

A personal injury claim often hinges on whether or not the plaintiff's legal team can demonstrate that the plaintiff was harmed due to the actions of the defendant. Part of that process often means proving that the defendant did not act as a person in the same or similar circumstances would be expected to act. To help prove this point, attorneys rely on the reasonable person standard.

Wisconsin laws require you to contact police after you've had an accident if the accident meets certain conditions. Even if it doesn't meet those conditions, you may still want to call the police. Getting a police report after an accident can help your insurance company handle payouts more accurately, and if the accident results in a court case, a police report could be the key to getting personal injury compensation.

What might be a minor incident between two cars can be much worse if one of the affected parties is on a bicycle because the cyclist lacks the protection of a car body. If you are a cyclist and end up being hit by a car, there are some immediate steps you need to take.

Slip and fall injuries may be common, but that does not mean they are minor. Very serious injuries can occur when a person slips and falls. Beyond bumps and bruises, victims can suffer from broken bones, dislocations, and even concussions.

Aggressive driving can be annoying, but it can also turn dangerous very quickly. Your behavior behind the wheel greatly affects how an aggressive-driving situation can turn out. While you can't control all factors, you can remain calm and do your best to get out of the situation unscathed. If you aren't careful, your chances of being involved in a more violent altercation or an accident increase. And if something you're doing tends to attract aggressive behavior, you need to know how to safely defuse potential confrontation.

A settlement allows you and the other party to avoid going to court. Settlements are often favored for their faster resolution and better terms; they allow the defendant to avoid having an official judgment on their record, and in many cases, the settlement terms allow defendants to avoid admitting guilt. For the plaintiff in these cases, settlements bring relatively quick compensation, but the process of finalizing and paying out a settlement still requires time.

Inattentive and distracted driving are well-documented causes of car accidents across the country, including Wisconsin. One lesser discussed example of inattentive driving is driving when fatigued or tired. Drowsy driving is particularly dangerous because drivers are not only distracted but their response times and judgement can also be affected. Drowsy drivers may not recognize dangerous conditions or situations in time to respond, or they may be unable to respond as quickly and effectively as they would be able to if they were well-rested. The National Safety Council reports that driving while fatigued is similar to driving under the influence and can triple a driver's risk of car accidents. Even a few seconds of inattention is enough to result in an accident.

When a loved one has died from what appears to be someone else's negligence, thoughts often turn to a wrongful death lawsuit. The point of the suit is twofold; one, to provide additional punishment to the guilty party through a financial penalty, and two, to get compensation for bills, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost future earnings, and other costs that resulted from the person's death. However, when you can file a wrongful death suit isn't cut and dried.