Madison Legal Issues Blog

What drives someone to commit a white collar crime?

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in criminal defense on Friday, August 16, 2019.

White collar crimes involve things like embezzlement, fraud, money laundering and other similar acts. They often provoke a lot of strong emotional reactions these days, in part because so many people have been victimized by large pyramid schemes, insider trading scandals, corporate theft and insurance fraud. The penalties for most white collar crimes have become increasingly fierce, judges and juries are largely unsympathetic and the public opinion can be brutal.

So, why do people take the risk? What drives someone to take that kind of risk or make that kind of mistake?

Fatigue is a common factor in semitrailer crashes

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP on Tuesday, August 13, 2019.

You might think that the more someone drives, the better she or she will be at driving. However, this is not always the case.

While those who drive semitrailers are professionals, they may be spending so much time on the road that they get complacent with safety. Truck driver fatigue is a common factor in trucking collisions, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Who ends up on Social Security Disability?

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in social security disability on Thursday, August 1, 2019.

When clients come into our office to file for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, they're often going through the absolute worst time of their lives. Not only are they coping with the physical or mental issues that prevent them from working -- along with tremendous financial stress -- but they also often feel guilty or embarrassed.

However, this is something every applicant for disability benefits needs to hear: Having a disabling condition is not a personal failure. Filing for benefits from Social Security is not asking for a handout.

Want a good divorce? Focus on what matters the most

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in family law on Friday, July 19, 2019.

Choosing to divorce isn't easy -- but it's just the first of a long series of choices you will need to make as you move forward. In many ways, every divorce is just a series of "A" and "B" choices that each individual has to make regarding things like marital property, debts, spousal support, child support, visitation schedules and parenting plans.

How do you go about making these choices?

Who is responsible for injuries from fireworks?

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in personal injury on Friday, July 5, 2019.

Every year, hospitals around the nation brace for a sudden onslaught of injury victims on and around the Fourth of July. Approximately 91,000 injury victims seek medical care on July 4 and July 5 each year due to various injuries -- many of them related to fireworks. In fact, more than half of all fireworks injuries take place during the first eight days of July.

According to an 18-year study of hospital records, fireworks injuries often involve thermal burns, bruises and cuts. Fireworks can cause eye, face, hand and finger injuries.

Recovering from traumatic brain injury

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.

Can you imagine waking up after a car crash and finding yourself unable to move your legs? What if you couldn’t speak? Would you let it affect you when the surgeon tells your family they’ll need to wait a year to see if you might ever walk again? How much courage and resolve do you think you would need to push for recovery?

The Indy Star recently covered the story of one Indiana teen who showed such courage and resolve. The young man had been a star basketball player before he got involved in a crippling car accident. After the first responders pulled him out of his car and brought him to the hospital, his fractured skull and traumatic brain injury left him unable to walk or speak.

'Criminal Rule 26' soon to change Indiana's justice system

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in criminal defense on Friday, June 21, 2019.

Bail for criminal defendants around the nation has become a hugely debated issue -- but not for the reason you might think.

Many defense attorneys and civil rights advocates believe that the cash bail system is unfair. By allowing those who can afford to pay for bail (or, at least, a bail bondsman's services), the system creates two classes of defendants. There's a group that can afford to keep their lives relatively intact while they await trial and another group that often ends up sitting in jail for months while the wheels of justice slowly turn around.

Rubberneckers are putting first responders in danger

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in workers' compensation on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

If you're a first responder who regularly visits accident scenes on the side of the road (or even in the road), you probably already know what new research is confirming: "Rubbernecking" drivers are a threat to your well-being and safety.

Rubbernecking is the term used to describe drivers who spend more time with their eyes glued to an accident they're passing on the road than they do to the road itself. It's another form of distracted driving -- and it's particularly dangerous to first responders. Many times, police officers, firefighters, medics and tow truck drivers are concentrating on their jobs -- which they should be -- but that doesn't leave them a lot of ability to look out for a driver who has veered out of their lane while gawking at an accident scene.

Your duty to get treated and a Social Security Disability claim

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP posted in social security disability on Friday, May 24, 2019.

When you file for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, one of the questions that the disability examiner is going to ask is, "Have you gotten treatment for your condition?"

It's an important question.

Considerations for co-parenting during summer months

On behalf of Alcorn, Sage, Schwartz & Magrath LLP on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

After a divorce or child custody dispute, summers can be challenging for both co-parents and children to adjust to shifting schedules and new traditions. While Indiana parents must develop and agree on a parenting plan, adjusting to this plan in summer months may be more complicated than you anticipated.

No matter how much time has passed, it may never be easy to spend part of the summer apart from your child. However, there are considerations to implement to keep the summer months as fun and conflict-free as possible for you, your child and your child’s other parent: