Wisconsin Personal Injury Law Firm

Murphy & Prachthauser

One Plaza East Building
330 East Kilbourn Avenue, Suite 1200
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
USA

(414) 271-1011 or (888) 271-1022

(414) 271-9987

www.murphyprachthauser.com

Contact Keith R. Stachowiak

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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

Murphy & Prachthauser is one of Wisconsin’s most respected personal injury law firms. For more than 30 years, the Milwaukee personal injury lawyers at Murphy & Prachthauser have represented persons injured by the negligence of others. The firms’ attorneys have won multi-million dollar awards or settlements for dozens of clients.

Our attorneys have achieved national and local recognition. The firm has received the highest possible rating for ability and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell, a peer review service that has been publishing its lawyer ratings for over a century. At Murphy & Prachthauser we practice personal injury law the way it should be practiced – motivated and equipped to do our best for you. We take pride in being good lawyers who help people.

Year this Office was Established: 1979

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Vehicle Defect; Liability Accident; Underage Drinking Negligence; Water Park Accident; Dental Malpractice; Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury; Dram Shop

Practice Areas Description

Our areas of expertise includes:

- Auto Accident

Milwaukee Auto Accident Lawyer – Attorney

Motor vehicle accidents involving autos, trucks and motorcycles happen almost every minute of every day. Many result in severe personal injuries and death. Our auto accident attorneys understand that in an auto accident case, there is often more than one party who is responsible. Sometimes the injured person is partially to blame. All drivers have a responsibility to comply with the rules of the road, and must comply with the rule of “ordinary care.” If more than one person is negligent in causing an auto accident, a jury is asked to compare the negligence of everyone responsible for causing the vehicle accident. If a person suffers injury in a car accident as a result of the negligence of another, he or she is entitled to make a claim for damages.

- Truck Accident

Truck accident cases start with the same rules of the road that apply to automobile accident cases. Truck drivers must yield the right of way under specified circumstances, operate at a reasonable and prudent speed, and maintain control of their vehicles. Truck accidents happen almost every day. Many result in severe personal injuries and death. Our truck accident attorneys understand that in a truck accident case, there is often more than one party who is responsible. Sometimes the injured person is partially to blame. If a person suffers injury in a truck accident as a result of the negligence of a truck driver, he or she is entitled to make a claim for damages. The categories of damages include wage or earnings losses, medical, hospital and related expenses, and pain, suffering and disability.

- Motorcycle Accident

In 2008, there were over 125,000 motorcycle accidents in the State of Wisconsin, a number that has been relatively stable since 2003. Yet, motorcycle accidents can be the most devastating of all vehicle related accidents. Wisconsin has some special rules concerning liability for cyclists who chose not to wear a helmet. Formerly, a biker not wearing a helmet could have their damages reduced or eliminated if they failed to wear a helmet, and that failure increased or enhanced their injuries. Current law states that failure by a person who operates or is a passenger on a motorcycle, an all-terrain vehicle, or snowmobile, either on or off a highway, to use protective headgear shall not reduce recovery for injuries or damages by the person or the person’s legal representative in any civil action. There are certain exceptions, for example those under age 18 and those with learning permits.

- Liability Lawyer

Generally, every person has a responsibility to act with “ordinary care.” Ordinary care is defined as the care which a reasonable person would use in similar circumstances. If a person is not using ordinary care, that person is considered negligent. Another way of stating this “ordinary care” test is that if a person, without intending to do any harm, does something or fails to do something that a reasonable person would recognize as creating an unreasonable risk of injury or damage to another. If that failure to exercise ordinary care causes injury to someone else, they can be held liable for damages. Examples of these “ordinary care” cases our Milwaukee personal injury lawyers handle include: Boating accidents; Underage drinking negligence; Dog bites; Slip & fall; train accidents; Water park accidents.

- Medical Malpractice

Medical negligence or “malpractice” occurs when a physician or healthcare provider either fails to do something that should have been done or does something that should not have been done which results in injury or death. The experience of our medical malpractice attorneys allows us to help clients determine whether or not malpractice has occurred. Our Milwaukee medical malpractice attorney team aggressively investigates and pursues claims for catastrophic injuries and death arising out of: Birth Trauma; Delay in Diagnosing Heart Attack; Failure to Diagnose Cancer and Other Diseases; Inappropriate or Negligently Performed Surgery; Anesthesia Injuries / Death; Disfigurement; Inappropriate or Dangerous Treatment Practices; Pharmaceutical Injuries and Prescription Drug Errors.

- Nursing Home Injury

We have represented many families whose loved ones have suffered from the inadequate care provided by the staff at nursing homes. In some instances, the patient had been assigned to the particular nursing home based on insurance considerations; in many instances, the family had done all they could to insure that their loved one would be given good care in the nursing home they chose. Recent cases have included several instances where the neglect and improper care for bed sores led to massive infection. We have successfully handled cases where nursing home residents sustained fractures following falls which occurred due to insufficient monitoring by the staff. In several cases, confused nursing home residents have come to be injured when inadequate alarms or door guards allowed them to wander into unsafe areas. The Milwaukee area nursing home lawyers of Murphy & Prachthauser would be happy to review the circumstances of the nursing home care provided to your family member.

- Product Liability

Our products liability lawyers understand that in Wisconsin, a plaintiff in a products liability case must first prove that the product is defective and unreasonably dangerous. Product defect claims against a manufacturer or supplier are based on design defects, manufacturing defects, and defects in marketing. Design defects exist before the product is manufactured. Manufacturing defects happen while the product is being constructed or produced. Marketing defects arise from improper instructions and failure to warn consumers about a dangerous aspect of the product. In addition to proving a defect, a claimant must prove that the product is “unreasonably dangerous.”

- Defective Drug Injury

In the rush to bring new products to market, manufacturers sometimes distribute their products before they have been properly tested or evaluated for safety. Sometimes manufacturers have their products approved using studies that were financed by themselves instead of an independent third party, and the results are biased. Our Milwaukee defective drug injury lawyers have represented people who have made claims against the manufacturers of the prescription drugs Paxil, Vioxx, Baycoll, Bextra, and the diet drug Fen-Phen. With so many drugs entering the market each year and the marked increase in television and print advertising by drug manufacturers, it is more important than ever to understand what medications you are taking.

- Vehicle Defect

It is a truism that motor vehicle accidents are going to happen and that most such accidents are “caused” by drivers. However, the “cause” of an accident is not always the legal cause of all of the occupants’ injuries. “Enhanced injuries” are often sustained because the vehicle was not crashworthy. The concept of a crashworthy vehicle derives from the aviation field and refers to the capacity of a vehicle to protect all its occupants from injuries in an otherwise survivable crash. Crashworthiness is a measure of the vehicle’s capacity to protect all its occupants from injuries in every type of impact. Our firm has tried many cases involving uncrashworthy vehicles, where injuries have been enhanced or increased due to defects in the vehicle.

- Workers Compensation

If you have been injured or become ill because of something that happened at work, you are probably covered under Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation laws. Nearly all Wisconsin employers are required to carry worker’s compensation insurance so that their employees are covered. The few notable exceptions are some employers with less than three employees, some farmers, and some volunteer organizations. In addition, injuries suffered by federal employees, such as post office workers, members of the military, certain railroad employees, and seamen, are not covered by Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation laws. It is important to consult with a Milwaukee worker’s compensation lawyer to determine whether your employer carries the correct workers compensation insurance.

Attorneys

	Mr. Mark D. Baus Attorney Accident, Animal Bites, Automotive, Back and Neck Injury, Bicycle Accident		Mr. Kevin J. Kukor Attorney Accident, Animal Bites, Automotive, Back and Neck Injury, Bicycle Accident
	Mr. Thadd J. Llaurado Attorney Accident, Animal Bites, Automotive, Back and Neck Injury, Bicycle Accident		Mr. Don C. Prachthauser Attorney Accident, Animal Bites, Automotive, Back and Neck Injury, Bicycle Accident
	Mr. Keith R. Stachowiak Attorney Accident, Animal Bites, Automotive, Back and Neck Injury, Bicycle Accident		Mr. Joe Zimmermann Attorney Appellate Practice, Automotive, Bus Accidents, Business Formation, Business Law