OTJEN,VAN ERT, LIEB, & WEIR, S.C.

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Contact Info.

Milwaukee Office:
First Financial Centre
700 North Water Street
Suite 800
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
53202-4206
(414) 271-7271
Fax (414) 271-7272





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Firm Structure

Medical Malpractice

Worker's Compensation

General Liability

Representative Clients

Scope of Practice

Attorneys at LawOtjen, Van Ert & Weir, S.C has been providing quality legal services for over 125 years. The Otjen firm specializes in defense litigation, representing insurance companies, insureds and self-insured companies on complex legal matters throughout the State of Wisconsin and the nation, with practice groups devoted to general and products liability, medical malpractice and worker’s compensation defense.



FIRM STRUCTURE

The firm is a service corporation and the shareholders/members of the firm are Todd M. Weir, Lori Gendelman, Joseph Berger, and Daniel L. Zitzer. The associate attorneys are Jason J. Franckowiak, Laurie J. McLeRoy, Karl VanDeHey, Joseph Gibart, Michael L. Johnson and Carrie May Poniewaz. Wayne R. Van Ert is a senior attorney.

We have a number of paralegals, including a registered nurse who is available to consult on complex medical matters, as well as medical investigation and review of medical records. We also have an experienced legal staff providing support for the attorneys and paralegals.

Our practice is organized into three general divisions: medical malpractice defense, worker's compensation defense, and general liability defense (auto, premises and products liability). Particular attorneys work in one of those divisions or sometimes two, allowing each to hone their skills and increase their level of expertise in those areas.



MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Otjen, Van Ert & Weir has been involved in the defense of health care providers in Wisconsin for decades. Currently, two shareholders, Todd Weir and Lori Gendelman devote substantial portions of their practice to the defense of health care providers, representing physicians, hospitals and the Wisconsin Patients Compensation Fund in the defense of medical negligence claims. These shareholders each have been involved in the defense of medical negligence cases for approximately 25 years. They have experience in virtually all types of medical negligence claims that can be brought against health care providers in Wisconsin.



WORKER'S COMPENSATION

The Otjen firm has defended insurance companies and employers in worker's compensation matters since the inception of the Worker's Compensation Act. There are currently five attorneys who practice almost exclusively in worker's compensation. The two shareholders, Joe Berger and Dan Zitzer bring a combined 40 years of experience in worker's compensation defense practice. Our worker's compensation attorneys have extensive experience in handling matters at all levels of the worker's compensation system from the administrative hearing level to appeals before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. They have given seminars for the state bar and other legal education courses, as well as private seminars directly with clients. Our clients range from heavy industry to health care to technology companies.



GENERAL LIABILITY

Otjen, Van Ert & Weir's general liability defense practice encompasses the areas of auto liability (including uninsured and underinsured motorist claims), premises liability, products liability, trucking claims, construction accidents and construction defects, fire loss, environmental liability and toxic torts as well as the defense of non-medical professional claims (architect and engineer, insurance and real estate agents and attorneys). Additionally, we provide insurance coverage expertise in analyzing and litigating coverage issues for our insurance clients at both the trial court and appellate level. We also accept referrals for subrogation and other recovery claims. These cases are handled on a hourly or contingency basis.



REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS

All Nations Insurance Co.; American Country Insurance; American Home Products; Auto Club Ins. Association of Wisconsin; A.O. Smith Corporation; Bituminous Insurance Co.; Brunswick Corporation; C & D Technologies; California State Automobile Association; Car Rental Claims; Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.; Cincinnati Insurance Co.; Crawford & Co.; DaimlerChrysler Corp.; Driver's Direct Insurance Co.; Employer's Mutual Casualty Co.; Gates McDonald; Harleysville Insurance Group; Harnischfeger Corp.; Highlands Insurance Co.; International Truck and Engine; Johnson Controls; Kemper Group; Kohl's Food Stores; Metropolitan Property & Liability Insurance Co.; Nelson Industries; OHIC Ins. Co.; One Beacon Insurance; Pekin Insurance Co.; Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin; Quad/Graphics Inc.; RSKCo.; Safeco Insurance Co.; Secura Insurance; Self Insured Services Co.; Sentry Insurance; Shelby Insurance Co.; Society Insurance; Thomas Industries; United Heartland; West Bend Mutual Insurance Company; Wisconsin County Mutual Insurance Company; Wisconsin Health Care Liability Plan; Wisconsin Patients Compensation Fund; Zurich Ins. Co.



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