Wisconsin’s so-called dog bite statute entitled “Owner’s Liability for Damage Caused by Dog” is currently set forth in Wis. Stat. § 174.02. Section 174.02(1)(a) deals with a “first bite” of a dog while § 174.02(1)(b) deals with a “second bite” of a dog with the owner or keeper of the dog being required to have…
In the case of Lyle and Carol Hird v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, Appeal No. 2014AP2402, a 2015 Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision dealt with allegations of (1) bad faith; (2) Wis. Stat. § 628.46(1) statutory interest; and (3) Wisconsin’s Offer of Settlement Statute – Wis. Stat. § 807.01. Taking into account the very…
On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, a Western District of North Carolina Federal Court jury returned a defense verdict on behalf of a Taiwanese table saw manufacturer and its U.S. subsidiary, holding that Attorney Richard Schuster’s clients were not negligent in their design of a table saw — a result that is making news across the…
The Court in the case of Dilger v. Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company (“Metropolitan”), Appeal No. 2014AP1851, determined that a claimant, upon proper compliance with the statutory requirements, is entitled to interest pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 628.46(1). In this particular case, the plaintiff, Dilger, was a police officer for the City of Brookfield…
In a lawsuit setting forth a common factual scenario found in many civil cases, the court had an opportunity and did decide with specificity the applicable provisions in Chapter 814 of the Wisconsin Statutes. In the case of Weber v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company (“Auto-Owners”), Appeal No. 2014AP1953, the Appellate Court dealt with a situation wherein…
In a recent Wisconsin case, Smith v. Acuity Insurance, Appeal No. 2014AP1587, the Court was confronted with an interpretation over the “drive other car” exclusion within a policy issued by Acuity Insurance. In this case, the plaintiff, while riding a motorcycle, was involved in a motor vehicle accident with another vehicle who was covered by…
Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.’s (“MWL”) team of seasoned litigators continue to assist employers to defy arduous hurdles presented by third-party contribution suits. When faced with a personal injury claim from an injured employee, defendant-tortfeasors can sometimes go on the offensive. Depending on the circumstances, defendants often use third-party complaints to drag employers and their…
The independent contractor rule in Wisconsin generally provides that “one who contracts for the services of an independent contractor is not liable to others for the acts of the independent contractor.” Lofy v. Joint School District 2, 42 Wis.2d 253, 166 N.W.2d 809 (Wis. 1969). However, an exception to this rule has been found if…
In Wilson Mutual v. Falk, et al., 2014 WI 136, 2014, the insureds were owners and operators of a dairy farm in Washington County, Wisconsin, and the defendants were all neighbors of the insureds. In early 2011, the insureds spread liquid cow manure onto their farm fields for the purpose of fertilization. In an attempt…
In Schaefer v. Taylor and Amica Mutual Ins. Co., 2013 AP 2419 (2014), originating in Dane County, Wisconsin, the plaintiff was injured when the defendant struck her while snowboarding. The defendant was 21 and a full-time student. The defendant’s parents held a homeowner’s policy issued by Amica. The subject policy defined “insured” as “A student…