Earlier this month, owner of The Willows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Extendicare Health Services Inc., settled a wrongful death nursing home malpractice lawsuit with the family of former resident 72-year old Cynthia Wilms.  The nursing home has previously been named the worst nursing home in the country for being chronically understaffed and poorly equipped.

Wilms went into The Willows to rehabilitate after having an elective hip surgery on July 30, 2007.  Wilms developed a staph infection in a surgical wound while staying at the home and none of the staff did anything or contacted anyone to help her get better.  On September 13, 2007 Wilms passed away as a result of the nursing home's negligence.

Extendicare will pay Wilms' family $2.25 million plus and undisclosed amount for costs related to the suit.  The settlement is the largest in the history of Wisconsin between a nursing home and a nursing home resident.

At the intersection of Midway Road and Telulah Avenue, a new kind of traffic light will be installed with a flashing yellow arrow.  After several years of studies, the U.S. Department of Transportation determined that a flashing yellow arrow was needed to signal drivers to yield before turning.  The signal will hopefully reduce any right-of-way confusion generated by the green arrow for left turns.

According to Sgt. Pat DeWall of the Appleton Police Department, the majority of accidents in the city occur at intersections.  "So far this year, we've issued 918 citations for failure to yield while making a left turn," stated DeWall.  Others fear that the new traffic signal will create even greater confusion over turning procedure.

The lights are a part of a federal mandate to eventually standardize intersections.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, contact the Appleton motor vehicle accident attorneys of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ® at 800-242-2874 to learn more about your rights.

Allstate's annual survey of safe driving places both of Wisconsin's largest cities in the top quartile.  The study uses Allstate's claims data to rank the country's 200 largest cities.

According to the study, Madison ranked in with the 26th lowest accident rate.  Madison residents are, on average, involved in a car accident every 11 years.  Milwaukee ranked 49th with residents getting in a car accident every 10 years and 7 months.  

Last year, statistics for the two cities were considerably better.  Madison ranked in at 13th and Milwaukee at 19th.  Still, one Allstate representative stated, "We salute Milwaukee's best drivers and recognize their safe driving skills".

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, contact the Appleton auto accident lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ® at 800-242-2874 to learn more about your rights. 

Police have identified a man who died in a Appleton car accident Tuesday night.

According to officials with the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department, 21 year-old Jameson Sasser, of Hollandtown, was behind the wheel of a car that crashed shortly after 8:20 p.m. Tuesday near W176 County KK. Police say Sasser's vehicle left the roadway, entered the north ditch and struck a driveway culvert. The force of the impact sent the car airborne and rolling before it struck a tree.

Outagamaie County Coroner Ruth Wulgaert said Sasser died of multiple blunt force trauma. He was pronounce dead at the scene of the crash after resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

The first officer on the scene started medical treatment and was relieved by first responders and Kaukauna ambulance paramedics, according to Sgt. Mike Heenan of the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and friends.

A pilot is in the hospital after his twin-engine plane crashed near the Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport in Appleton Wednesday.

According to officials with the Sauk County Sheriff's Department, 88 year-old Bill Wenkman, of Wisconsin Dells, was transported to University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison following the crash. Pete Premo, the secretary of the airport pilot's association, said Wenkman was attempting to land his Aerostar craft when he went down in a corn-field about a mile and a half north of the airport. 

The Sheriff's Department and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the wreck. Premo said it appeared the plane came into low, but did not know why. 

Wenkman reportedly has over 70 years of flying experience. He at one time piloted commercial aircraft. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in an aviation accident and is in need of an Appleton Personal Injury Lawyer, please contact Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. ®, by calling (800)-242-2874 to discuss your case,