Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha) have introduced SB182/AB200, which will help bring Wisconsin’s lemon law back into the mainstream with a number of reasonable changes. The bill’s introduction has drawn national attention, as Wisconsin is known for having the worst lemon law in the country. Wisconsin is the only state in […]
Assembly Advances Civil Justice Legislation
Date Wed, May. 8, 2013 - 4:56pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Assembly has passed three bills, AB 19, AB 27 and AB 139, that will improve Wisconsin’s litigation climate, making Wisconsin a more attractive place to do business. Video of the floor debate is available from WisconsinEye. Personal Injury Trust Claims Transparency (AB 19): The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency and […]
Civil Justice Bills Headed to the Floor
Date Fri, May. 3, 2013 - 8:41am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Assembly has scheduled a floor vote on three civil justice bills for Wednesday, May 8. Personal Injury Trust Claims Transparency (AB 19): The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency and prevent fraud involving personal injury trusts by creating certain discovery requirements during litigation. Numerous types of personal injury trusts have been […]
The Truth About the Trust Bill
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:12pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Civil Justice Council (WCJC) fully supports and has the utmost respect for the men and women who have served in the military and protected our country. We also have the utmost sympathy for veterans who are injured as a result of their service. The WCJC would not support legislation that attempts to unfairly […]
Let Jury Decide on Reimbursement
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:09pm By Hamilton
Members of the WCJC executive committee had an editorial on collateral source legislation, Senate Bill 22 / Assembly Bill 29, published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Let Jury Decide on Reimbursement Under current Wisconsin law, plaintiffs and their attorneys reap significant windfalls in personal injury cases because the jury never gets to see evidence of […]
Legislature Considers Lemon Law Reforms
Date Wed, May. 1, 2013 - 4:02pm By Hamilton
A coalition of vehicle manufacturers and dealers, including Hamilton Consulting clients, are supporting a Lemon Law reform bill being circulated by Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) and Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha). In their request for co-authors for the bill, the groups set forth their rational for supporting the legislation: Wisconsin is universally known among automobile, motorcycle, […]
Civil Justice Reform Bills Moving Forward
Date Fri, Apr. 19, 2013 - 9:07am By Hamilton
The past few weeks have been very active on the civil justice reform front. The Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees have held a number of public hearings on bills supported by various Hamilton Consulting clients related to the state’s civil justice system. Eliminating Phantom Damages AB 29/SB 22, authored by Rep. Andre Jacque and Sen. […]
Legislature Considers Civil Justice Reforms
Date Wed, Apr. 3, 2013 - 9:20am By Hamilton
The 2011-12 Legislative Session was a watershed year for civil justice reforms in Wisconsin, but that does not mean that there are no concerns remaining. A number of civil justice related bills have been introduced and are working their way through the system. Limiting Phantom Damages Rep. André Jacque and Sen. Paul Farrow have introduced […]
Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Audit Released
Date Tue, Apr. 2, 2013 - 3:51pm By Hamilton
The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) recently completed its triennial audit of the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund, housed at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. The Fund provides participating physicians and other health care providers in Wisconsin with secondary medical malpractice insurance to cover claims that exceed the coverage limits of […]
Wall Street Journal Article Exposes Asbestos Claims Fraud
Date Tue, Mar. 12, 2013 - 12:02pm By Hamilton
The Wall Street Journal on Monday, March 11 published an in-depth article – “As Asbestos Claims Rise, So Do Worries About Fraud” (subscription required) – which reported on the numerous anomalies in the world of asbestos litigation. Specifically, the WSJ reporters noted the significant rise in the number of claims filed with asbestos trust funds, […]