Hiring a Truck Accident Lawyer in Wisconsin
Truck safety and insurance rules in Wisconsin, the deadline to sue, how lawyers usually charge (contingency fees), how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Wisconsin: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Wisconsin SCR 20:1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, and clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. SCR 20:1.5(d) bars contingent fees in any action affecting the family (including divorce, legal separation, annulment, paternity, support and maintenance, custody and placement, property division, termination of parental rights and adoption), except to collect past-due support, maintenance or property division, and for representing a defendant in a criminal case or any proceeding that could result in deprivation of liberty. Source: Wis. SCR 20:1.5(c)-(d) |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The State Bar of Wisconsin's Fee Arbitration Program may be available when you and your lawyer disagree about the amount charged for legal representation, including costs or expenses. The panel's decision is final and binding, subject only to appeal rights under Chapter 788 of the Wisconsin Statutes; having a lawyer at the hearing is optional. A nonrefundable application fee of $35 to $150 per party applies. Contact feearb@wisbar.org; the Office of Lawyer Regulation does not handle fee disputes. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, administered through the State Bar of Wisconsin, may reimburse clients who suffered financial loss due to the dishonest conduct of their attorney, up to the Fund's maximum amount. The committee meets three times a year and sets application deadlines for each meeting. File through the State Bar's File a Claim page; an informational brochure is available in English, Spanish and Hmong. Contact WLFCP@wisbar.org. |
Wisconsin rules to know first
| Truck safety and insurance rules | Wisconsin's Department of Transportation must prescribe rules on safety of operations and drivers' hours of labor for motor carriers, with limits on applying federal rules (49 CFR 390, 391, 392, 395 and 397) to certain farm trucks and horse-trailer combinations. Covered carriers must file proof of liability insurance; the minimum is the federal level under 49 USC 13906(a)(1), except $300,000 for a vehicle of 10,000 pounds or less not carrying listed hazardous materials. For interstate trucks, federal minimum insurance is set in 49 CFR 387.9. Read in the 2023-24 Wisconsin Statutes PDF on docs.legis.wisconsin.gov (updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247, published 10-1-26). |
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| Fault rule | Modified comparative negligence (51% bar). An injured person's negligence does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the negligence of the person from whom recovery is sought; damages are reduced in proportion. The injured person's negligence is compared separately against each defendant. A defendant less than 51% at fault pays only its percentage share. Source: Wis. Stat. § 895.045(1) |
| Damage caps | No general cap on compensatory damages in ordinary personal injury cases was found. Wisconsin caps noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases, loss-of-society damages in wrongful death cases ($500,000 for a minor, $350,000 for an adult), punitive damages, and damages against governments. |
| Deadline to sue | Three years for an action to recover damages for injuries to the person, including injuries from a motor vehicle accident. Source: Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a) |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar of Wisconsin's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) connects the public with a trained legal assistant (not legal advice) who assesses your situation and points you to the most appropriate resource; if you need an attorney, LRS refers you to one in your area interested in your type of legal issue. Referred attorneys agree to charge no more than $20 for the first 30-minute consultation; regular fees apply after that. Phone: (800) 362-9082. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Wisconsin Court System's Lawyer Status and History site lets the public search Wisconsin lawyers by name, State Bar number, law firm, city, state, law school or graduation year; the Office of Lawyer Regulation lists it for lawyer status and history. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances against Wisconsin lawyers go to the Supreme Court's Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). File by phone at (608) 267-7274 or (877) 315-6941, option 1 (not available to incarcerated persons); by mailing a letter or the LR-004 grievance form to Office of Lawyer Regulation, P.O. Box 1648, Madison, WI 53701-1648; or by emailing the form and documents to olr.intake@wicourts.gov. Grievances are against individual attorneys, not firms. OLR's preliminary evaluation may forward the matter, resolve a minor dispute, close it, or refer it for investigation, diversion or a consent reprimand; investigated matters can go to the Preliminary Review Committee, which can authorize a complaint in the Supreme Court. Some cases take 30 to 90 days, complex ones one to two years. You generally cannot learn whether grievances were filed, but OLR will disclose public discipline and formal complaints filed with the Supreme Court. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Action of Wisconsin provides free civil legal help to people who qualify. Apply online or call (855) 947-2529 (about 20 minutes); intake asks about income, assets, household size and the legal issue, applying does not guarantee services, and people who are not accepted get referrals to other resources. The Wisconsin courts' Self-Help Law Center offers forms and information for people representing themselves (not legal advice). LSC lists Legal Action of Wisconsin as its Wisconsin grantee. Self-Help Law Center: https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/index.htm; LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.