A new bill that would limit the liability imputed to a parent or other adult sponsor of a minor’s driver’s license was reviewed during a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on the Judiciary this week. Assembly Bill 540/Senate Bill 408, which was introduced by Senator Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) and Representative Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin), […]
Legislation Would Limit Liability for Sponsors of Minor Drivers
Date Fri, Dec. 11, 2015 - 10:44am By Hamilton
U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform: Frivolous Lawsuits Have Serious Consequences
Date Fri, Nov. 20, 2015 - 12:16pm By Hamilton
According to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, the United States legal system is the most costly in the world, making it a major factor in a business’ decision-making process, such as where to expand or relocate. In this podcast, Harold Kim, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, discusses […]
Structured Settlements Bill Signed Into Law
Date Fri, Nov. 13, 2015 - 10:43am By Hamilton
Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 129 into law this week, creating a new set of statues to govern the transfer of structured settlement payments. With the bill’s signing, Wisconsin joined 48 other states that previously had structured settlement transfer provisions already in place. In response to structured settlement rules at the federal level codified […]
Legislature Moves Bill to Change “Dog Bite” Statute
Date Thu, Oct. 29, 2015 - 3:29pm By Hamilton
Senator Frank Lasee (R-De Pere) introduced Senate Bill 286 on October 2. This bill proposes to change Wisconsin’s long standing, and flawed, “dog bite” statute. Under current law, Wis. Stat. § 174.02(1)(b) mandates double damages for dogs that cause injury to people, domestic animals, or property if they have previously done so. Current law does not take […]
Federal Government Publishes Controversial Clean Power Plan Rule
Date Thu, Oct. 29, 2015 - 3:08pm By Hamilton
A coalition of 24 states filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging the Obama Administration’s signature environmental regulation, the Clean Power Plan, in response to the regulation being published in the Federal Register last Friday, October 23. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is leading the litigation against the plan which he has called, “the single […]
Waters of the U.S. Rule
Date Thu, Oct. 1, 2015 - 2:29pm By Hamilton
On May 27, 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its finalized Waters of the United States rule just over a year after it released its proposed rule. This rule was proposed to clarify the EPA’s jurisdiction over the nation’s waterways under the Clean Water Act after the Supreme Court’s decisions in Solid Waste Agency […]
U.S. Senate Takes on “Litigation Finance” Industry
Date Thu, Sep. 17, 2015 - 2:51pm By Hamilton
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Senate Majority Whip, are calling for more transparency in the litigation finance industry. Litigation finance firms fund plaintiffs to pursue lawsuits, taking a cut of the recovery if plaintiffs win or settle with the defendants. Critics of the industry say that firms […]
Wisconsin Slips in Institute for Legal Reform’s Rankings of State Liability Systems
Date Thu, Sep. 17, 2015 - 2:50pm By Hamilton
Rankings Drop Driven in Part by Judicial Behavior The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) routinely conducts a survey of in-house general counsels, senior litigators, and other senior executives at companies with at least $100 million in annual revenues with recent litigation experience in each state (within the last four years). 75% of survey […]
Talgo, State, Settle Lawsuit Over Trains
Date Fri, Sep. 4, 2015 - 10:00am By Hamilton
A three-year-old lawsuit between the state and Spanish train manufacturer Talgo was recently settled for approximately $50 million. The state could end up getting $9.7 million of the settlement back if Talgo sells the two trains the state was previously contracted to buy. The case had been set to go to trial in December, but […]
New Legislation on Motor Vehicle Liability
Date Sun, May. 31, 2015 - 8:06pm By Hamilton
2015 Wisconsin Assembly Bill 92 (AB 92) increases monetary fines, creates a new criminal penalty, and limits the types of damages that are recoverable in lawsuits that derive from car crashes for those who do not have automotive liability insurance. In March, Representatives Sanfelippo, Spiros, Weatherston, Tom Larson, Kapenga, and Jim Ott introduced AB 92 […]