Milwaukee Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Underage drinking is a serious problem in Milwaukee and across the rest of Wisconsin. Underage binge drinking is not only detrimental to the health and safety of the drinker, but it is also detrimental to the health of innocent road travelers when underage drinkers get behind the wheel of a car. Young drunk drivers do account for a percentage of fatal drunk driving accidents across the state every year.

Law in Wisconsin requires teenagers to have an adult sponsor sign the teen’s license application to ensure that victims of accidents caused by teenagers are able to pursue financial recovery. This law allows for the victim of a drunk driving accident caused by a minor teen to pursue financial recovery through the insurance carried by the sponsor, typically a parent, of the teen.

It can be frustrating looking for a destination, closely eyeing the passing buildings and addresses only to quickly blow passed an intended destination. Upon passing the destination, many drivers will make a U-turn to circle back -- of course, it is only safe to do this when such a maneuver is legal and safe. Unfortunately, many drivers in Milwaukee will turn around after neglecting to properly check that the path is clear.

The circumstances that led one Milwaukee driver to make a U-turn on North Hopkins Avenue on Saturday remain uncertain. However, the aftermath is clear: the driver turned in front of a motorcyclist, impacting the rider and causing a fatal motorcycle accident. The motorcyclist was transported from the scene of the accident to a hospital where he could not overcome his catastrophic injuries. The 23-year-old victim passed away shortly after impact.

In Milwaukee and across the rest of the state of Wisconsin, drivers have an obligation to share the road. There are also bikers, walkers, runners and other road travelers that drivers must be attentive to. While a car accident always has the potential for devastation, that risk is hugely elevated when a party involved in an accident is not afforded the protection of a car, a seatbelt, an airbag or anything else.

Unfortunately, a Milwaukee County pedestrian was hit by a car last Friday morning. In a frightening string of events that led to a strange series of collisions, a driver failed to yield the right of way, striking a second driver. Following impact, the second driver appears to have swerved into oncoming traffic, and then a block later left the roadway and struck an innocent teenage pedestrian, and then finally came to rest after striking an additional parked car and tree. While these events were terrifying for all involved, it does appear that all will thankfully make a full recovery. While the extent of the 15-year-old pedestrian’s injuries was not detailed in a local report, he is said to be in stable condition at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Most senior citizens want to maintain some sense of independence as they age, even once it becomes clear that they are no longer able to live safely on their own. It is for this reason that many seniors in Wisconsin choose to move into "independent living" senior housing developments.

Independent living developments provide a sense of community and togetherness without the hospital-like atmosphere that can sometimes accompany life in a nursing home. However, it is important to remember that independent living communities aren't always set up to provide the same level of care that a person could get in a nursing home, especially during an emergency.