News And Blog Posts From Our Wisconsin Law Firm

Although no one ever plans to have a car accident, the risk of a crash exists every time you get behind the wheel. While you certainly do not want to anticipate an injury, if you do suffer an injury after a car crash, you should have a basic idea of what to do.

Oftentimes in motor vehicle accidents, injuries occur due to the negligence of another driver. If you suffer an injury due to the carelessness of another driver, such as distracted driving or driving while intoxicated, you may have grounds for pursuing specific types of compensation and damages as a result.

If you heard that you may be held responsible if a dangerous feature on your property harms a neighborhood child, this might conflict with what you know about trespassing. Nobody, including children, should come onto your property without your permission, so it isn’t your fault if a child enters your yard and gets hurt, right? Unfortunately, you could be wrong in this case. You and other Wisconsin residents need to understand how attractive nuisance law differs from trespassing law.

FindLaw explains that the law recognizes that children do not always obey rules, especially when they are younger or influenced by their peers. Therefore, attractive nuisance laws exist to protect neighborhood children from dangers on private property.

When you co-parent children with someone who lives in a different household, it is good to be on the same page as far as bedtimes, house rules and internet use go. This consistency helps keep children on an even keel, but children can thrive even when their lives are different at both homes.

Of course, disagreements with your co-parent over these issues bother you, but there might not be much you can do about it when your child is at the other house. However, what about elaborate gifts? Say that you want to give your child a top-of-the-line phone while your co-parent prefers a budget phone. The opposite type of situation could apply, in which your co-parent purchases your teen an expensive car while you prefer a budget model. How can co-parents handle such disagreements, especially since the child will want to bring the gift into both households?

A few weeks ago, a tragedy at a Payless ShoeSource claimed the life of a toddler. You may have heard about the well-publicized story, in which a wall mirror fell on top of the girl when she was shopping with her mother; she later died of her injuries. Investigators determined the company had not ensured proper mounting of the mirror on the wall. You and other Wisconsin parents are very cautious about keeping your homes safe for your young children, but there are some common dangers that you may not be aware of.

When you childproofed your home, you probably blocked unused electrical outlets and put locks on cabinet doors that contained harmful objects. While these are certainly effective and responsible safety measures, you might have missed other hazards. Did you know, for example, that a child is seen in a U.S. hospital every 45 minutes due to a television set falling on top of him or her? It may be easy to think that modern flat-screen TVs are not dangerous, but they are heavy, and a child can easily topple one if you do not properly secure it. Safety authorities recommend that parents secure their televisions to the wall with strong brackets or position them on cabinets that a child cannot pull over, out of reach.