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Information about the class representatives and how to obtain unemployment benefits that are due disabled workers because of Wisconsin’s illegal SSDI eligibility ban is now available.

Besides this guidance, make sure to review the Department’s well done information about how to obtain the unemployment benefits that are due you.

Recent press coverage of the case is available.

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Continue Reading Class representatives for the Wisconsin SSDI eligibility ban case

The Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council has been meeting for most of 2025 over Department proposals and then proposals from the labor and management representatives.

After the Sept. 18th meeting ended, council members apparently reached agreement, because on the morning of Sept. 24th LRB drafts of agreed-on bills were ready for review by council members.
Note: The minutes of the Sept. 18th meeting show that council members went to caucus and did not return from that caucus to announce…
Continue Reading Advisory Council agreed-on bill does little to nothing for workers or anyone else

Filing a long-term disability (LTD) claim can be an overwhelming process. Even individuals familiar with other related areas of law like Social Security Disability (SSDI) and worker’s compensation are often surprised at how LTD benefits are structured and how many parts of the process work. Insurance carriers rely heavily on policy language and legal standards that favor them, and what may seem straightforward at first often becomes complex once the fine print is applied. 

At Hawks Quindel, our long-term…
Continue Reading Five Common Surprises About Long-Term Disability Benefits

If you have been hurt at work in Wisconsin, you may be wondering if you can get compensated for your pain and suffering. Unfortunately, Wisconsin worker’s compensation law does not provide claims for pain and suffering. However, it is important to be aware of the claims that you can pursue under worker’s compensation and when a different claim may arise.
There is No Claim for “Pain and Suffering” Under Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Law
Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation system is designed…
Continue Reading Pain and Suffering in Wisconsin Work Injuries: Understanding Your Compensation Options

When a loved one is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), life changes in an instant. This extremely rare and aggressive neurodegenerative illness progresses rapidly, leaving families grappling with profound emotional shock while facing an avalanche of practical demands. Between providing care, making end-of-life arrangements, and trying to understand complex insurance policies and benefits, it can feel like you’re navigating an impossible maze at the very moment you have the least capacity to do so. Our hope is that this…
Continue Reading Filing for and Claiming Disability & Survivor Benefits After a CJD Diagnosis

Introduction to FMLA Leave 
 As an employee in Wisconsin, your employer might offer you different types of leave from work—think PTO, vacation, sick, medical leave, parental leave, bereavement, leave without pay, to name a few. If your employer has 50+ employees, you might be covered for medical- or family-related leave under state and/or federal “Family and Medical Leave Act” (FMLA) laws. State and federal FMLA laws allow covered employees to take unpaid medical and/or family leave and also protects…
Continue Reading What Is “FMLA”? And Can I Use It?

Most people know that they can file a worker’s compensation claim if they have a physical injury resulting from work. But what if you have mental health symptoms that are work-related? You might be wondering if you have a worker’s compensation claim relating to a work situation that caused mental health symptoms like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This blog post will break down the general rules for mental health worker’s compensation cases in Wisconsin and other…
Continue Reading Invisible Injuries, Real Claims: Mental Health and Worker’s Compensation Claims in Wisconsin

Do I Get Medicare on SSDI? 
If you are approved for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits, then you have already proven to the federal government that you suffer from disabling health conditions that likely require extensive medical treatment. Health insurance plays an integral role in ensuring that disabled individuals are able to pay for the care they need. Many individuals on SSD benefits are wondering if they get Medicare as part of their benefits. The answer is often yes,…
Continue Reading Do I Get Medicare on SSDI?

In United States ex rel. Feliciano v. Ardoin, a pro se relator filed a qui tam action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). On February 4, 2025, the D.C. Court of Appeals (the “Court”) affirmed a district court’s dismissal ruling that a pro se litigant cannot allege violations of the FCA. In doing so, the Court joined every other court of appeals to have addressed the question.
Background
The FCA, codified at 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, empowers…
Continue Reading D.C. Court of Appeals Joins Prohibition on Pro Se Pursuit of FCA Claims

The Social Security Administration (SSA) warned last week that Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to reduce federal spending may result in “significant workforce reductions” across the agency, which is responsible for processing some 2 million benefit applications per year.  

This comes at a time when the SSA is already short-staffed and dealing with extensive backlog. Indeed, once an individual has submitted their application for social security disability benefits (SSDI), it takes 6 to 8 months to…
Continue Reading Will Cuts to the Social Security Administration Impact my Private Long Term Disability Benefits?  

If you are applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or both, it often takes a significant amount of time to get approved. However, once you are approved, you may receive not only ongoing monthly payments but also a lump-sum award for the months—or even years—during which you were disabled and should have been receiving benefits. 
Exactly how much you might receive in back benefits depends on when you applied, when your disability began, and…
Continue Reading How Much Can I Receive in Social Security Back Benefits?

A Medicare Set-Aside Agreement (“MSA”) is an agreement that allocates a portion of the funds obtained through the settlement of a worker’s compensation claim for deposit into a bank account or annuity in order to fund the future treatment of a workplace injury. In order to protect the interests of Medicare, an injured worker who has settled their claim, is enrolled in or has applied for Medicare, and has been compensated for future treatment as part of a settlement,…
Continue Reading What is a Medicare Set-Aside Agreement

 For most ERISA long-term disability (LTD) cases that proceed to court, the case is decided on a closed administrative record in which the judge can only review the information contained in the insurer’s claim file as of the date it rendered its final decision. In other words, no new evidence can be introduced during the course of the lawsuit. This also means that the judge will not have the opportunity to meet you, ask questions of you, or hear…
Continue Reading How Using Photos in Your LTD Case Can Strengthen Your Claim 

An insurance company’s goal is to make money, which naturally means the number one goal, besides selling insurance policies, is to deny insurance claims. However, if a claimant has a strong case with no plausible reason to deny, insurance companies will sometimes initially approve a claim. This means one of their best tools to cut off claims is surveillance.  
Why do long-term disability insurance companies conduct surveillance? 
If medical records support that a claimant can’t work, an insurance…
Continue Reading I Think My Long-Term Disability Company is Surveilling Me – What Do I Do?

What is constructive discharge and why is it important? 
 Constructive discharge is a legal theory that allows employees to establish an adverse employment action even when they quit their job.  
 This is important because an “adverse employment action” is an essential element of most employment lawsuits. Adverse employment actions are actions taken by an employer which materially change the terms and conditions of an employee’s work life, and do so in a way that places the employee in a…
Continue Reading Can You Sue Your Employer For Wrongful Termination Even If You Quit Your Job? This Legal Theory Says “Maybe.” 

Dentists’ claims for short-and long-term disability (STD and LTD, respectively) benefits are often among the most complex and difficult claims to get (and keep) approved, and also to successfully navigate appeals and lawsuits when they get denied. This article discusses why these types of claims are so difficult, and provides information about what dentists specifically should keep in mind when they are purchasing STD/LTD policies,  applying for STD/LTD benefits, or facing a denial thereof.  
If the topics discussed in…
Continue Reading When Navigating Your Short/Long-term Disability Insurance Claim Feels Like Pulling Teeth: The Particular Considerations And Obstacles Facing Dentists Who Apply For STD/LTD Disability Benefits.