(888) 232-1274 Milwaukee Family Chiropractic?

(888) 232-1274 is a phone number for what appears to be an outfit attempting to contact personal injury car accident victims.  Callers from 888-232-1274 identify themselves as working on behalf of Milwaukee Family Chiropractic.  These Milwaukee Family Chiropractic reps include: Mr. Presley, Yolanda, Tanya, and Shalanda.  Individuals calling from this phone number contact people after Wisconsin motor vehicle accidents.  In fact, they even call individuals as far away as Madison, Wisconsin.

After googling, I found this site.  Anonymous web users report individuals stating they were called the day after a traffic accident and received multiple calls from same number, 888-232-1274.  Others report receiving ambiguous messages stating they were "calling in regards to your accident."  Most everyone reports that callers leave no company name.  Often, people called were not even injured. Some opine that Milwaukee Family Chiropractic is working on behalf of unethical personal injury lawyers. I say unethical because in Wisconsin it is unethical for personal injury attorneys or reps to cold call accident victims.  I hope that this is not the situation, but based on the information below it appears they may be working with at least one Wisconsin lawyer.

I googled "Milwaukee Family Chiropractic" because one report I received regarding its involvement was from a known source and I found this site.  Interestingly, comments there give sordid details about this outfit and have serious allegations including the involvement of a personal injury attorney.

If you get a call from (888) 232-1274, ignore it and don't respond.  In fact, if you get any cold calls from doctors, lawyers, chiropractors, clinics, or anyone else, other than your own car insurer, do not talk to them or respond.  If you're seriously hurt after a car accident, get a referral from a lawyer you trust for reputable lawyers who focus on personal injury cases.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Wisconsin Car Insurance Law Proposal

Oshkosh newspaper has a solid editorial: Go slow on rolling back insurance law. It has a great quote:

"Ask anyone who has had significant injuries from a car crash and they'll tell you that a $50,000 limit on personal injury, much less $25,000, doesn't come close to covering the cost of hospital treatment, recovery and rehabilitation. Rolling back the insurance requirement merely furthers the harm done to those already injured in an accident."

A hand full of legislators want to go back to the car insurance levels in Wisconsin that were enacted in 1982. What? The also want to revisit the law which give greater protection to those severely injured or killed by drivers who fail to carry insurance (uninsured) and drivers who carry the lowest legal limits (underinsured). When Wisconsin 4th Cheapest State for Car Insurance, it makes no sense at all to do this. Unfortunately, legislators hope to punish trial lawyers with this law, but the fact is changing these laws hurts Wisconsin families.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Wisconsin 4th Cheapest State for Car Insurance

With last year's changes in the laws benefiting Wisconsin car drivers, there's been talk on talk radio in Milwaukee about griping car insurance. The changes were great for anyone seriously injured in car accident in Wisconsin, but weren't so great for car insurance companies, which continue to try to lobby politicians for ending the law. Specifically helped by the new laws are those hit by uninsured drivers, those hit by drivers with little car insurance, and those who own multiple cars.

So here's some news for consumers, based on data directly from insurance industry, and it contradicts the nonsense: Wisconsin is the 4th cheapest state for car insurance. Only Ohio, Vermont and Maine are cheaper. Here's the link to insure.com which did this study.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Insurance Settlement Scam on Attorneys

Having read various emails directed to me and on lawyers listservs, I thought I'd link to this lawyers settlement scam story. Below are tips from secretservice.gov:

How do I report a case of advance fee fraud (also known as "4-1-9 fraud")?

The perpetrators of advance fee fraud, known internationally as "4-1-9 fraud" (after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses these schemes), are often very creative and innovative. A large number of victims are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses to share in multi-million dollar windfall profits for no apparent reason.

If you have suffered a significant financial loss related to advance fee fraud, please contact your local Secret Service field office. Telephone numbers are available in the Field Office Directory on this website or may also be found on the inside cover of your local telephone directory. Any investigation regarding this type of fraud will be conducted on a case by case basis at the discretion of the local Secret Service and U.S. Attorney's Office.

If you ever receive an e-mail or fax from someone you do not know requesting your assistance in a financial transaction, such as the transfer of a large sum of money into an account, or claiming you are the next of kin to an wealthy person who has died, or the winner of some obscure lottery, DO NOT respond. These requests are typically sent through public servers via a generic "spammed" e-mail message. Usually, the sender does not yet know your personal e-mail address and is depending on you to respond. Once you reply, whether you intend to string them along or tell them you are not interested, they will often continue to e-mail you in an attempt to harass or intimidate you. If you receive an unsolicited e-mail of this nature, the best course is to simply delete the message.

Due to a number of aggravating circumstances, such as the use of false names, addresses, stolen/cloned/prepaid cell phones and remote email addresses, verifying the location of and subsequent prosecution of these persons or groups is difficult. The act of sending an email soliciting strangers' assistance in a financial transaction is not, in itself, a crime. The installation of a credible spam filter and contacting your Internet Service Provider may help deter these unsolicited emails. However, there is currently no available program to completely block these types of messages.

How can I protect myself against check fraud?

-Don't give your checking account number to people you don't know, even if they claim they are from your bank.
-Reveal checking account information only to businesses you know to be reputable.
-Report lost or stolen checks immediately.
-Properly store or dispose of canceled checks and guard new checks.
-Report any inquiries or suspicious behavior to your bank, who will take measures to protect your account and notify proper authorities.
-Do not leave your automated teller machine receipt at the ATM; it may contain account information.
-Check your bank statements carefully and often.
-Use direct deposit.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Help Increase Auto Insurance Liability Limits in Wisconsin

With the legal minimum insurance in Wisconsin at $25,000, you could easily be seriously injured in a car accident through no fault of your own and later find out the other driver doesn't have enough car insurance to pay for your medical bills. Governor Doyle has proposed increasing the liability limits for auto insurance. Wisconsin has had the same minimum rates of liability coverage since 1982.

Higher limits are necessary and even automobile insurers admit that higher liability limits will make it easier for health insurers and healthcare providers to be paid. Please take time to send a short email to your State Representative and State Senator just by clicking here to read the message and send it.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Wisconsin Car Insurance Reform

Driving Auto Insurance Reform in Wisconsin discusses Governor Doyle's car insurance proposal. It makes excellent points about the fact that car accident victims are greatly effected by (1) health care costs skyrocketing 250%-300% and (2) the cost of cars increasing since 1982, the last time Wisconsin addressed its minimum car insurance limits. I've heard Milwaukee area talk-show pundits complain about the bill, but I'm sure the two most popular - Sykes and Belling - both have limits that exceed those proposed by Gov. Doyle - $100,000 per individual, $300,000 per incident.

Call your state legislator and senator and tell them to support reforming car insurance in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Wisconsin IME Doctors

In Defense "Independent" Medical Examinations and Medical Defense Doctors, I blogged on IME doctors in Wisconsin and an outfit brokering Wisconsin IME docs. Today's New York Times' Exams of Injured Workers Fuel Mutual Mistrust peaked my curiousity and so this time, instead of picking on the same firm as the last two posts, I'm blogging on Medical Systems, Inc. and Medical Impressions, two "IME" brokers here in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Medical Systems, Inc. website is medicalsystemsusa.com. They hold themselves out as a resource to insurance claims adjusters and corporate defense lawyers. They publish online dates doctors are available for IMEs for the next 3 months, and as can be seen, some Wisconsin doctors have little time to see real patients. Perhaps physicians can make a lot of money doing IMEs for insurance companies and corporate defense lawyers. As of the date of this blog, the current list of Wisconsin physicians being brokered by Medical Systems, Inc. included:

Dr. Steven Anderson
Dr. Hany Afran
Dr. James Agre
Dr. Aftab Ansari
Dr. Mark Aschliman
Dr. Paul Barkhaus
Dr. David Bartlett
Dr. James Barnett
Dr. Stephen Barron
Dr. Gita Baruah
Dr. Barry Bast
Dr. Benjamin Begley
Dr. James Berman
Dr. Henry Bernstein
Dr. David Blake
Dr. Crain Bliwas
Dr. Robert Braco
Dr. Arlene Braker
Dr. Russell Brethauer
Dr. Fredrik Broekhuizen
Leo Bronston (Chiro)
Dr. Dennis Brown
Dr. Steven Brown
Dr. Joseph Burgarino
Dr. Robert Buss
Dr. Paul Caillier
Dr. Paul Cederberg
Dr. Gorden Clark
Dr. Steven Cohen
Dr. Edward Coleman
Dr. Gary Conger
Dr. Thomas Connor
Dr. Curtis Crimmins
Dr. Steven Dankle
Dr. Omar Darr
Dr. Walter Davison
Dr. Jack Deckard
Dr. John DeGiovanni
Dr. Steven Donatello
Dr. David Dorman
Dr. Thomas Drake
Dr. Roy Dunlap
Kevin Dunn (Chiro)
Dr. William Dzwierzynski
Dr. Dennis Elmergreen
Dr. Donald Feinsilver
Dr. Anthony Ferguson
Dr. Marvin Fetter
Dr. Bradley Fideler
Dr. Richard Fleck
Dr. Robert Friedrich
Dr. Kimball Fuiks
Danny Futch (Chiro)
Dr. Eric Gaenslen
Dr. Balaraju Gandhavadi
Dr. James Gmeiner
Dr. Daniel Goeckner
Dr. David Goodman
Dr. Steven Grindel
Dr. Brad Grunert
Dr. Gary Guten
Dr. Ahmad Haffar
Dr. Jerome Hagens
Dr. Thomas Hammeke
Dr. Jerome Hanson
Dr. Gerald Harris
Dr. David Haskell
Dr. Patrick Healy
Dr. Eric Heiligenstein
Dr. Bruce Herman
Dr. Sidney Herszenson
Tony Hielle (Chiro)
Dr. Robert Hirschmann
Dr. Sang Hong
Dr. Jacques Hussussian
Mark Jacquette (Chiro)
Dr. Subbanna Jayprakash
Dr. Richard Karr
Dr. Sean Keane
Dr. William Kelley
Dr. Thomas Kidder
Dennis King (Chiro)
Dr. Steven Klein
Dr. Jennifer Klopfstein
Dr. Steven Koenig
Dr. Harvey Kohn
Dr. John Krebsbach
Dr. James Langenkamp
Dr. Calvin Langmade
Dr. Mark Lanser
Dr. Allan Levin
Dr. Scott Levin
Dr. Stuart Levy
Dr. Jonathan Lewis
Dr. Michael Lischak
Dr. Boyd Lumsden
Dr. Thomas Lyons
Dr. Daniel Maryland
Dr. Hani Matloub
Dr. Robert McCabe
Dr. Peter Medved
Dr. Mark Meier
Jay Meverden (Chiro)
Dr. Jeffrey Minikel
Dr. Aroor Moorthy
Dr. Craig Moe
Dr. James Mullen
Dr. David Nash
Robert Newman (Chiro)
Dr. Christopher Noonan
Dr. Michael Nordstrom
Dr. Marc Novom
Gregory Nystrom (Chiro)
Dr. Ellen O'Brien
Dan Olson (Chiro)
Dr. Reid Olson
Dr. Michael Orth
Dr. David Osmon
Daniel Page (Chiro)
Dr. Douglas Palmer
Dr. Steven Pals
Dr. Thomas Pietrocarlo
Dr. Neal Pollack
Dr. Kenneth Robbins
Dr. Stephen Robbins
Dr. Rajit Saluja
Dr. Marvin Sattler
Dr. Steven Schnoll
Dr. Donald Schuster
Dr. James Sehloff
Dr. James Self
Robert Servias (Chiro)
Dr. Andrew Seter
Frederick Sheppard (Chiro)
Dr. Mysore Shivaram
Dr. John Siegert
Dr. Jane Sliwinski
Dr. Kwang Soo
Dr. Morris Soriano
Dr. Michael Spierer
Dr. Ron Stark
Dr. Richard Steliga
Dr. Robert Stern
Dr. James Stiehl
Dr. Cass Terry
Dr. David Toivonen
Dr. Sridhar Vasudevan
Dr. Patrick Walsh
Dr. Kevin Weidman
Dr. James White
Dr. Mark Wikenheiser
Dr. Terrence Wilkins
Dr. John Williams
Dr. Alison Wilmeth
Dr. William Wirostko
Randall Wojciehoski (D.O.)
Dr. Walter Wong
Dr. Jeffrey Zigun
Dr. Diane Zwicke

Medical Impressions website is medicalimpressions.com. They don't publish online dates doctors are available for IMEs. However, they do have the current list of Wisconsin doctors being brokered by Medical Impressions:

Allergy
Steven Cohen, M.D. Milwaukee
Gary Steven, M.D. Milwaukee

Anesthesiology
Steven Donatello, M.D. Milwaukee

Cardiology
Syhas Shelgikar, M.D. Milwaukee
Melish A. Thompson, M.D. Milwaukee
Diane Zwicke, M.D. Milwaukee

Chiropractic
Kelly Andrews, D.C. Madison
Greg Bernard, D.C. Hudson
Kevin Dunn, D.C. Milwaukee, Madison, Fond du Lac
Gary Fischer, D.C. Onalaska
Daniel Futch, D.C. Madison
Dane Laughlin, D.C. Superior
Craig Martin, D.C. Appleton
Jay Meverden, D.C. Wausau
Robert Newman, D.C. Milwaukee, Madison
Gregory Nystrom, D.C. Appleton, Green Bay, Wausau
Daniel Olson, D.C. Madison
Robert Servais, D.C. Green Bay
Michael Utschig, D.C. Madison
Gregory Whitcomb, D.C. Milwaukee

Dentistry
Jeff Jones, D.D.S. Rice Lake
Michael Kowalski, D.D.S. Waukesha
Steven Schnoll, D.D.S. Milwaukee

Dermatology
James Barnett, M.D. Milwaukee
Sidney Herszenson, M.D. Milwaukee
Donald Schuster, M.D. Madison

Ear, Nose & Throat
Steven Dankle, M.D. Milwaukee
Roy Dunlap, M.D. Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids
David Friedland, M.D. Milwaukee
Peter Medved, M.D. Milwaukee
Michael Nordstrom, M.D. Milwaukee
Frederic Schmidt, M.D. Green Bay

General Surgery
Steward Gifford, M.D. Green Bay
William Kelley, M.D. Milwaukee
Michael Rainiero, M.D. Janesville
Richard Steliga, M.D. Milwaukee
Brent Wogahn, M.D. Rice Lake

Hand Surgery
Jon Cherney, M.D. Appleton
Curtis Crimmins, M.D. Milwaukee
Andreas Doermann, M.D. Milwaukee
William Dzwierzynski, M.D. Milwaukee
Steven Grindel, M.D. Milwaukee
Boyd Lumsden, M.D. Appleton
Hani Matloub, M.D. Milwaukee
John Schneider, M.D. Milwaukee
John Siegert, M.D. Milwaukee
David Toivonen, M.D. Appleton
James White, M.D. Milwaukee
Terrence Wilkins, M.D. Milwaukee

Hematology
David Blake, M.D. Milwaukee

Infectious Disease
David Wagner, M.D. Milwaukee

Internal Medicine
David Blake, M.D. Milwaukee
James Levin, M.D. Madison
Reid Olson, M.D. Madison
Randal Wojciehoski, D.O. Stevens Point, Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Duluth, Wausau, Green Bay, Appleton, Madison

Neurology
Paul Barkhaus, M.D. Milwaukee
Conrad Nievera, M.D. Milwaukee
Mark Novom, M.D. Milwaukee
L. Cass Terry, M.D. Milwaukee

NeuroPsychology
Paul Caillier, Ph.D. Eau Claire

NeuroSurgery
Jack Deckard, M.D. Milwaukee
Steven Delheimer, M.D. Waukesha
Yash Pannu, M.D. Milwaukee
Marc Soriano, M.D. Madison

Occupational Medicine
Donald Bodeau, M.D. Eau Claire
Michael Borkowski, M.D. Milwaukee, Green Bay
Gina Buono, M.D. Milwaukee
Robert Braco, M.D. Beloit
Scott Dresden, M.D. Burlington
David Drury, M.D. Milwaukee, Appleton
Andrew Floren, M.D. Eau Claire
Brian Harrison, M.D. Appleton
Stephen Lindahl, M.D. Janesville
John Williams, M.D. Wausau

Occupational Therapy
Eric Blankenheim, O.T. Appleton
Julie Peeters, O.T. Appleton

Opthalmology
Walter Gager, M.D. Milwaukee
James Wise, M.D. Madison

Orthopedic Surgery
Aftab Ansari, M.D. Green Bay, Milwaukee
Mark Aschliman, M.D. Milwaukee
Stephen Barron, M.D. Eau Claire, Wausau, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Madison, LaCrosse
David Bartlett, M.D. Madison
Paul Cederberg, M.D. Eau Claire, Wausau, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Madison, LaCrosse
Gorden Clark, M.D. Milwaukee, Madison, Wausau, Appleton, Green Bay, Eau Claire, Tomah
Roger Daley, M.D. Milwaukee
Omar Darr, M.D. Milwaukee
Eric Gaenslen, M.D. Milwaukee
James Gmeiner, M.D. Appleton
Gary Guten, M.D. Milwaukee
Jerome Hagens, M.D. Appleton
Jacques Hussussian, M.D. Milwaukee, Fond du Lac
Roger Johnson, M.D. Milwaukee
Richard Karr, M.D. Milwaukee
Sean Keane, M.D. Milwaukee
Navjot Kohli, M.D. Milwaukee, Madison, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Wausau, Eau Claire
James Langenkamp, M.D. Milwaukee
Robert McCabe, M.D. Milwaukee
Donald Middleton, M.D. Milwaukee
Jeffrey Minikel, M.D. Milwaukee
Craig Moe, M.D. Milwaukee
Christopher Noonan, M.D. Milwaukee
Michael Orth, M.D. Madison, Green Bay, Wausau, Eau Claire, Milwaukee
Douglas Palmer, M.D. Madison
Raj Rao, M.D. Milwaukee
Stephen Robbins, M.D. Milwaukee
James Rydlewicz, M.D. Milwaukee
Rajit Saluja, M.D. Milwaukee
James Self, M.D. Madison
James Stiehl, M.D. Milwaukee
Mark Wikenheiser, M.D. St. Croix Falls

Physiatry
Dennis Brown, M.D. Milwaukee
Steven Kirkhorn, M.D. Marshfield, Wausau
Jerome Lerner, M.D. Milwaukee
John Revord, M.D. Appleton
Sridhar Vasudevan, M.D. Milwaukee, Madison, Wausau, Eau Claire, Green Bay

Physical Medicine
John Revord, M.D. Appleton
Randall Schultz, M.D. Appleton
Richard Staehler, M.D. Appleton
Robert Zoeller, M.D. Oconomowoc

Podiatry
Keith Beck, D.P.M. Milwaukee
Magali Fournier, D.P.M Wausau
Ian Furnes, D.P.M. Fond du Lac, Chilton
Randal Wojciehoski, D.O. Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Eau Claire, Duluth, Wausau, Green Bay, Appleton

Psychiatry
David Black, M.D. Milwaukee
Donald Feinsilver, M.D. Milwaukee
Brad Grunert, Ph.D. Milwaukee, Eau Claire, Wausau
Kenneth Robbins, M.D. Madison
Michael Spierer, M.D. Madison

Psychiatry (Neuro)
Paul Caillier, M.D. Eau Claire

Psychology
Calvin Langmade, M.D. Milwaukee

Pulmonology
Steven Brown, M.D. Milwaukee
Stuart Levy, M.D. Milwaukee
Reid Olson, M.D. Madison
James Sehloff, M.D. Madison
Linus Santo Tomas, M.D. Milwaukee

Radiology
Albert Alter, M.D. Madison

Rheumatology
David Blake, M.D. Milwaukee

Urology
Elliott Silbar, M.D. Milwaukee

Aside from noting how often some Wisconsin doctors appear on Medical Systems, Inc.'s calendar, it's interesting to see how much travelling some physicians are willing to do - as indicated by Medical Impressions "city" designation - just to get IME business from insurance claims adjusters and corporate defense lawyers.

Check out Randall Wojciehoski, he appears quite often on the Medical Systems calendars and on Medical Impressions page he'll travel 400 miles going from Duluth, MN to Milwaukee, WI. Randall Wojciehoski also appeared on my Defense "Independent" Medical Examinations and Medical Defense Doctors blogs. Curiously, he also has more areas of expertise than most of the listed Wisconsin IME doctors.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Governor Doyle's Car Insurance Proposal

In 1995, insurance companies in the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance conned state legislators and the governor into believing that if they changed the law Wisconsin citizens would pay less in car insurance rates. Well, the bill became law and car insurance rates never went up. Oh, does that sound to good to be true? Exactly. What really happened was that Wisconsin citizens LOST many rights they had under their insurance policies and of course, car insurance rates WENT UP.

Here are WIA's members:

A I G
Allied Insurance
Allstate Insurance
American Family Insurance
Ameriprise Auto & Home Ins
Auto Club Insurance Assn
Badger Mutual Insurance
Capitol Indemnity Corp
C N A
Church Mutual Insurance
CUNA Mutual Insurance Group
Farmers Insurance
1st Auto & Casualty Insurance Co
General Reinsurance Corp Kemper Auto & Home
Germantown Mutual Insurance
Homestead Mutual Insurance Co
Integrity Mutual Insurance
Ixonia Mutual Insurance Co
Jewelers Mutual Insurance
League of Wisc Municipalities Mutual
Liberty Mutual Group
Manitowoc Mutual Insurance
Maple Valley Mutual Insurance
McMillan/Warner Mutual Ins
Mount Morris Mutual
Nationwide Indemnity
Old Republic Surety Co
Partners Mutual Insurance Co
ProAssurance Progressive Northern Insurance Cos
QBE Regional/General Casualty
Racine County Mutual Insurance Co
Rural Mutual Insurance Co
SECURA Insurance
Sentry Insurance
S F M
Sheboygan Falls Insurance
Society Insurance
State Auto Insurance Cos
State Farm Insurance
Sugar Creek Mutual Insurance Co
Travelers
United Wisconsin Insurance Co
Waukesha Cty Mutual Insurance
WEA Property & Casualty Co
West Bend Mutual Insurance
Western National Mutual Ins Co
Wilson Mutual Insurance
Wisconsin American Mutual Insurance Co
Wisconsin Assn of Mutual Insurance Cos
Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Co
Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co
Wisconsin Reinsurance Corp

Recall Insurance Company Tricks and my recent Car Insurance post.

The Governor's bill, which is in the budget, reverses the insurance companies' 1995 nonsense giving back Wisconsin citizens the rights that were taken away and raises car insurance limits from the 25-year-old $25,000 minimum to $100,000. Who's looking out for you? It's not Wisconsin’s property and casualty insurers. Here, it is absolutely Governor Doyle!

Contact your legislator and let him or her know that you SUPPORT Governor Doyle's Truth in Auto Insurance Law.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Ingenix Lawsuit Settled

UnitedHealth Care through an outfit called Ingenix allegedly engaged in some insurance company behaviors I've mentioned. So it settled the lawsuit relating to that paying $350,000,000.00 to resolve class action lawsuits and $50,000,000.00 to the NY AG.

I found one interesting aspect of such lawsuits to be the hypocrisy of doctors bringing the cases since they are typically the ones seeking to limit your rights in medical malpractice litigation.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

BUY Uninsured & Underinsured Car Insurance!

Today's news had a scary story about how the bad economy is causing drivers to let their car insurance lapse. On my firm's web site, we talk about Wisconsin Car Insurance & Umbrella FAQs.

In light of today's news, I can't impress on you enough the urgent need to have Uninsured Motorist Coverage (“UM”) as well as Underinsured Motorist Coverage (“UIM”) in case you are in a Wisconsin car accident (or car accident elsewhere for that matter). I've seen some horrible car accident injuries and the worst accidents are very frequently caused by someone who has minimal car insurance limits of say $25,000 or $50,000. Often my clients think their agent gave them "full coverage," but that's far from true.

UM and UIM car insurance protects you! Buy it for yourself to protect you from Wisconsin drivers who have no car insurance or little car insurance. I tell friends to carry UM and UIM car insurance limits of at least $250,000. With the increased cost of medical car and horrible changes in Wisconsin law (lobbied for by companies like American Family, State Farm, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, Sentry, etc.), limits of $100,000 are not enough. In fact, if your family income is more than $100,000, it certainly makes sense to have an umbrella insurance policy with UM and UIM coverage for $1,000,000 or $2,000,000.

Why so much? If your family is driving to Grandma's for Christmas and an uninsured driver crosses the center line and hits you head on, which I've seen, you can easily have insurance claims that amount to $1,000,000 or $2,000,000. And if such a horrific car accident should happen, don't trust the good hands of your insurer to pay your family fairly because as Allstate Claims Manual shows those represented by personal injury lawyers settle claims for about 3 times more than those who do not have reputable personal injury lawyers.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Insurance Company Tricks

I've blogged on insurance companies discussing their ways, but a new report from the American Association for Justice formalizes and confirms some of what I've said. Check out Tricks of the Trade.

Here's the executive summary (minus the footnotes) of behaviors:

"The U.S. insurance industry has trillions of dollars in assets, enjoys average profits of over $30 billion a year, and pays its CEOs more than any other industry. But insurance companies still engage in dirty tricks and unethical behavior to boost their bottom line even further.

The current economic turmoil affecting the insurance industry onWall Street has only made the outlook bleaker for consumers living on Main Street. Insurance companies are likely to demand huge rate hikes and
refuse more claims than ever.

Some of America’s most well-known insurance companies—the same ones that spend billions on
advertising to earn your trust—have endeavored to deny claims, delay payments, confuse consumers with incomprehensible insurance-speak, and retroactively refuse anyone who may cost them money.

This report describes some of the most egregious ways the insurance industry attempts to make money at the expense of consumers. These are some of the tricks of the trade:

Denying Claims
Some of the nation’s biggest insurance companies—Allstate, AIG, and State Farm among others—have denied valid claims in an attempt to boost their bottom lines. These companies have rewarded employees who successfully denied claims, replaced employees who
would not, and when all else failed, engaged in outright fraud to avoid paying claims.

Delaying Until Death
Many insurance companies routinely delay claims, knowing full well that many policyholders will simply away in safes. Undoubtedly, the most shameful use of delay tactics has been by long-term care insurers, who often take advantage of their policyholders’ age and ill health. In the words of one regulator, "the bottom line is that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims…They’ll do anything to avoid paying, because if they wait long enough, they know the policyholders will die."

Confusing Consumers
Insurance contracts are some of the most dense and incomprehensible contracts a consumer is ever likely to see. More than half of all states have enacted "plain English" laws for consumer contracts, yet many Americans still do not fully understand the risks they are subject to. After Hurricane Katrina, insurance companies used obscure "anti-concurrent" clauses to get out of paying claims. Consumers who purchased hurricane insurance and thought they were covered suddenly found the coverage eliminated by an obscure clause they could not hope to understand.

Discriminating by Credit Score
Increasingly, insurance companies are using credit reports to dictate the premiums consumers pay, or whether they can even get insurance in the first place. The practice penalizes the poor, senior citizens with little credit, and those who have suffered financial crisis through no fault of their own. Insurance companies have denied fiscally responsible people who paid their bills in cash, but refused renewals because of a lack of credit history. Others have seen auto rate hikes near 600 percent despite clean driving records after falling on economic troubles.

Abandoning the Sick
Health insurers looking to cut costs have taken to canceling retroactively, or rescinding, the policies of people whose conditions have become expensive to treat. Some insurance companies have even offered bonuses to employees who meet "cancellation goals." Rescission targets patients in the midst of treatment when they are at their most vulnerable—even cancer patients in the midst of chemotherapy have been targeted.

Canceling for a Call
Many people are rightly reluctant to make small claims on their home insurance for fear their insurance company will raise their premiums. But few realize that insurance companies often refuse to renew a policy because the policyholder did as little as inquire about the possibility of making a claim. Many times an insurance company will count an inquiry over the phone
as the same as a claim, and then they will do everything in their power to drop the policyholder."


Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Medical Defense Doctors

A while back I blogged on defense medical examinations, which defense lawyers and insurance companies love to call "independent", and I referred to one company's schedule of medical examiners posting it's October-November 2006 schedule.

Here are three recent schedules from the company's website for the lawyer looking for info:

"October/November 2008
***
Appleton / Green Bay / Oshkosh / Neenah
October 20, 2008 Thomas W. Schueppert, M.D. – Ortho. Foot & Ankle Surgeon
October 27, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 3, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 3, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
November 7, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
November 7, 2008 Randal Wojciehoski, D.O., DPM – Internal/ER Med./Podiatry
November 10, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 10, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 11, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 12, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
November 17, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 18, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 18, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 20, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 25, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
December 5, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
Dec. 12 & 15, 2008 Michael R. Nordstrom, M.D. – Otolaryngology
December 16, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Gregory Nystrom, D.C. – Chiropractor
Call for dates Brad K. Grunert, Ph.D. – Psychology

Lakewood
Call for dates William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Duluth, MN(Superior)
October 24, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 3, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
November 18, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 1, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Eau Claire
October 22, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 25, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 6, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 13, 2008 David A. Solfelt, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 13, 2008 Gilbert Westreich, M.D. – Neurology
November 14, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 17, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 19, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
November 20, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
December 5, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
December 9, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Kenosha
November 25, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

LaCrosse/Tomah
October 24, 2008 Michael G. Wirth, D.C. - Chiropractor
October 24, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
November 21, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 1, 2008 Paul L. Liebert, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 5, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 19, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Madison
October 20, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
October 27, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 29, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 3, 2008 David A. Solfelt, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 3, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 8, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
November 14, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 14, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
November 17, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Upper Extremity
November 26, 2008 Morris M. Soriano, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
December 5, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 8, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Upper Extremity
Call for dates Michael R. Nordstrom, M.D. – Otolaryngology
Call for dates David H. Bartlett, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon – Knees & Shoulders
Call for dates James E. Self, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
Call for dates Dan B. Futch, D.C. – Chiropractor

Milwaukee
October 27, 2008 Steven I. Grindel, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Upper Extremity
October 27, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 28, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
November 4, 2008 Timothy S. O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 4, 2008 Randal Wojciehoski, D.O., DPM – Internal/ER Med./Podiatry
November 6, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 7, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
November 11, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
November 12, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 13, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
November 15, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 17, 2008 J. Christopher Noonan, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 24, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
December 6, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 17, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates J. Jay Goodman, M.D. – General/Vascular Surgeon
Call for dates Gary N. Guten, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon – Knee Specialist
Call for dates Mark R. Aschliman, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Anthony A. Ferguson, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon - Foot/Ankle
Call for dates Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
Call for dates Michael R. Nordstrom, M.D. – Otolaryngology
Call for dates Steven Donatello, M.D. – Pain Management

Plainfield
November 18, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine

Wausau/Stevens Point
October 22, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 24, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
October 25, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
November 7, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 17, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 18, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 18, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
November 19, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
November 20, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
November 21, 2008 David A. Solfelt, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
December 5, 2008 Michael G. Wirth, D.C. - Chiropractor
December 6, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
December 12, 2008 Michael R. Nordstrom, M.D. - Otolaryngology
December 15, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon"

"September / October 2008
***NORTHERN ILLINOIS IME’s
ILLINOIS/Chicago Metro IME APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
September 17, 2008 Jeffrey T. Behr, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Paul D. Belich, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for dates Steven C. Delheimer, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
Call for dates Norman Kohn, M.D. – Neurologist
Call for dates Scott A. Kale, M.D. – Internal Medicine

Appleton / Green Bay / Oshkosh / Neenah
September 4, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 8, 2008 Michael C. Reineck, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 9, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 10, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 12, 2008 Michael G. Wirth, D.C. – Chiropractor
September 15, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
September 17, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
September 24, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 25, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
September 27, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 29, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 3, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 7, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 7, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 13, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 14, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 21, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 22, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Lakewood
Call for dates William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Duluth, MN(Superior)
September 2, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
September 17, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 7, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 24, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Eau Claire
September 2, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 8, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 10, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
September 15, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
September 19, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 23, 2008 John M. Williams, Sr., M.D. – Occupational Medicine
September 27, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 30, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 7, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 16, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
October 22, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 22, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Kenosha
September 23, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

LaCrosse/Tomah
September 6, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 24, 2008 Paul L. Liebert, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 26, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 24, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October - call Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Madison
September 12, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 15, 2008 Michael C. Reineck, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 17, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 17, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
September 20, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
September 24, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
September 25, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
September 26, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
October 1, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 1, 2008 Morris M. Soriano, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 10, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
October 14, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 14, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
October 15, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 16, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates David H. Bartlett, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon – Knees & Shoulders
Call for Dates James E. Self, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
Call for Dates Dan B. Futch, D.C. - Chiropractor

Milwaukee
September 11, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 18, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
September 19, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
September 22, 2008 Michael C. Reineck, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 24, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 24, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
September 30, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 2, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 8, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 13, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 15, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 20, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
October 22, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 29, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates J. Jay Goodman, M.D. – General/Vascular Surgeon
Call for Dates Gary N. Guten, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon – Knee Specialist
Call for Dates Mark R. Aschliman, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates Anthony A. Ferguson, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon - Foot/Ankle

Plainfield
September 23, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
October 13, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine

Wausau
September 3, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
September 10, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
September 16, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 1, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 6, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 13, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 15, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
October 18, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
October 21, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
October 22, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
October 23, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
October 29, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist"

"May/June 2008
***
Appleton / Green Bay / Oshkosh / Neenah
May 3, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 7, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
May 14, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
May 15, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 15, 2008 William B. Kelley, M.D. – General Surgeon
May 23, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
May 27, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
May 29, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 30, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
June 2, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 6, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
June 7, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 9, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 10, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 10, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 16, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 23, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 24, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
July 1, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
July 3, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Lakewood
Call for dates William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Duluth, MN(Superior)
May 5, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
May 16, 2008 Randal Wojciehoski, D.O., DPM – Internal/ER Medicine/Podiatry
May 20, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 2, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
June 24, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Eau Claire
May 5, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 8, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 9, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 10, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May21, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
May 22, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
May 28, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 4, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 4, 2008 Randal Wojciehoski, D.O., DPM – Internal/ER Medicine/Podiatry
June 7, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 9, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
June 12, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
June 18, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
June 20, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 30, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

Kenosha – NEW LOCATION
May 19, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon

LaCrosse/Tomah
May 21, 2008 Ellen O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 30, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 13, 2008 Daniel P. Lochmann, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 27, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon

Madison
May 5, 2008 David A. Solfelt, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 6, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 14, 2008 Morris M. Soriano, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
May 14, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 16, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 19, 2008 David A. Solfelt, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 21, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
May 29, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
May 29, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine
June 3, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 4, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
June 11, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 13, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 13, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
June 21, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
Call for Dates David H. Bartlett, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon – Knees & Shoulders
Call for Dates James E. Self, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
Call for Dates Dan B. Futch, D.C. - Chiropractor

Milwaukee
May 12, 2008 Steven I. Grindel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 12, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 14, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 15, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
May 19, 2008 J. Christopher Noonan, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 19, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
May 20, 2008 William D. Moore, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 20, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 27, 2008 Timothy S. O’Brien, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 31, 2008 William T. Monacci, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
June 6, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 7, 2008 Steven P. Friedel, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 9, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 9, 2008 Mark R. Aschliman, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 14, 2008 John S. Xenos, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 17, 2008 Thomas W. Grossman, Jr., M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 20, 2008 Thomas J. O’Brien, M.D. – Ortho. Surgeon/Spine Specialist
July 7, 2008 J. Christopher Noonan, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates J. Jay Goodman, M.D. – General/Vascular Surgeon
Call for Dates Gary N. Guten, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon – Knee Specialist
Call for Dates Mark R. Aschliman, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
Call for Dates Anthony A. Ferguson, M.D. – Ortho Surgeon - Foot/Ankle

Plainfield
June 26, 2008 James C. Foster, M.D., MPH – Occupational Medicine

Wausau
May 6, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 9, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 10, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 22, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
May 22, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
May 28, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
May 30, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
June 5, 2008 Stephen E. Barron, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 7, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
June 9, 2008 Thomas A. Lyons, M.D. – Neurosurgeon
June 11, 2008 Michael A. Weiner, M.D. – Plastic/Hand Surgeon
June 16, 2008 Marc J. Novom, M.D. – Neurologist
June 19, 2008 Paul A. Cederberg, M.D. - Orthopedic Surgeon
June 27, 2008 Sridhar V. Vasudevan, M.D. – Physical Medicine & Rehab
June 30, 2008 William R. Klemme, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
July 1, 2008 Michael W. Orth, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon
July 12, 2008 Kevin J. Kulwicki, M.D. – Orthopedic Surgeon"

One last interesting thing is the company's Printable Request for Service Form - Liability/No-Fault/Personal Injury. If I were deposing one of these doctors, I'd certainly want to see a copy of the one completed by the insurance defense lawyer. Here's the "SPECIFIC ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED" questions the defense lawyer fills out by checking a box next to the applicable number(s) on the personal injury form:

"1. Diagnosis: Please give your impression of the injury or condition claimed as a result of the accident in question. Have the correct diagnoses been made and are they supported by the objective findings?
2. Causation: Are the above-described diagnoses medically causally related to the accident or injury in question?
3. Other Conditions: Please note any pre-existing injuries or conditions. Are any of these affecting the claimant’s recovery from the injuries or conditions alleged as a result of the accident or injury in question?
4. Apportionment: If the accident in question is only partially contributing to the current condition, please indicate and apportion the current condition between this accident and other conditions or events.
5. Past Treatment: Has treatment to date been reasonable and necessary as it relates to the accident or injury in question?
6. Future Treatment: Is future medical treatment necessary as a result of the accident or injury in question? If yes, please specify the type,
frequency, and duration of the suggested treatment(s) along with your prognosis.
7. Healing Period: Has the claimant reached an end of healing, maximum medical improvement, or pre-injury status as it relates to the accident or injury in question? If yes, please indicate the date it was reached. If no, please indicate when it can be anticipated.
8. Work Restrictions: Is the claimant capable of working? Please describe temporary or permanent work restrictions, if any, necessary as a result of the accident or injury in question.
9. Daily Living Activities: Is the claimant capable of performing activities of daily living? Please describe the limitations, if any, that exist as a result of the accident or injury in question.
10. Permanence of Injury: Has the accident or injury resulted in any permanent impairment? If yes, please provide your opinion as to the nature and extent of this impairment and rationale to support your opinion."

Once a box is checked, what do you think the doctor writes in the "IME" report?

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Accident insurers put on the boxing gloves

I saw this from the American Association for Justice and it says what you need to know about Allstate and car accident insurers listed as the worst insurers, like Farmers, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. I might add Progressive, American Family and Sentry Insurance. Car accident insurance companies really want:

~ Premiums not claims
~ To deter valid lawsuits
~ The public to think lawsuits are bogus
~ You to feel guilty for making legitimate claims
~ You to say "I'm not the kind of person who files a lawsuit"
~ Jurors to think plaintiffs are dishonest
~ Your rights minimized and theirs preserved
~ Verdicts for damages to be less than fair
~ Caps on damages
~ And judges who won't hold them accountable.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Worst Insurance Companies

No surprise here that Allstate tops the list of the Worst Insurers for Consumers. Among others listed are Farmers, Liberty Mutual, and State Farm. The report described in the news article confirms much of what I've said about insurers. Buyer beware.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney

Allstate's issues continue

Allstate cuts deal on excess charges in Texas, insureds come last and profits come first. Not a surprise.

Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyer

Allstate's Obstructing Justice

Allstate guarding profits scheme is the title of an article in the Miami Herald today. Seems pretty consistent with what I've said about insurance companies before. Some highlights: "Allstate is facing contempt charges in Missouri -- with a $25,000-a-day fine -- and now it can't sell new auto policies in Florida, in part, because it wants to protect a report written by a corporate consultant." "According to an attorney who has seen the report from consultant McKinsey & Co., it advises Allstate on how to improve profitability: pay less on claims and take a longer time to pay those claims."

No Surprise. CNN exposed Allstate. Sentry Insurance sued an 81-year-old woman for failing to shovel snow. State Farm, Nationwide, Allstate and USAA have been accused of trying to take advantage of Katrina Hurricane victims. And American Family Insurance has extreme profits, denies claims, is pro-tort reform, and pays "when pigs fly.".

Wisconsin Personal Injury Attorney