Writing On Your Rights

An Educational Wisconsin Legal Blog from the Attorneys of Hawks Quindel, S.C.
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By: Hawks Quindel, S.C.

Blog Authors

Chris Donahoe
Carmen Lopez
Donnie Malchow
Gabriel Manzano Nieves
Timothy Maynard
Summer Murshid
Maeve Pirt Meyer
Hawks Quindel
Rankings Rankings
S.C.
Forrest Stewart
Naomi Swain
Brook Tylka
Jessa Victor
Nick Wilkes
Lena Yeakey
Emmett Zimmerman

Latest from Writing On Your Rights

Hawks Quindel attorney Gabriel Manzano was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s November 6, 2026 story, “Scammers target Wisconsin residents with workers’ comp cases,” by Public Investigator reporter Tamia Fowlkes. The article looks at a fraud scheme in which scammers stage fake workers’ compensation hearings, tell injured workers they’ve won their case, and then demand money to release the benefits.

“People with an open workers’ comp claim are often out of work, behind on bills and waiting on money…
Continue Reading Hawks Quindel Attorney Gabriel Manzano Quoted in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Workers’ Comp Hearing Scams

A denial of long-term disability benefits is not necessarily the end of an ERISA claim. Instead, it usually begins one of its most important stages: the administrative appeal.
Two issues deserve immediate attention. First, there is a deadline for appealing. Second, the appeal is an opportunity to develop the evidence supporting your disability claim. Simply telling the insurer that its decision was wrong is rarely enough.
For someone who has spent years or decades in a career and…
Continue Reading Filing an ERISA Appeal — the 180-Day Deadline and the Administrative Record

If you are hurt at work, understanding the Wisconsin workers’ compensation claim process can make an unfamiliar situation easier to navigate. A claim can begin with a single accident, such as a fall or lifting injury, or with an occupational condition that develops gradually after months or years of repetitive work.

The exact path depends on your injury, medical recovery, ability to return to work, and whether the employer or insurance carrier disputes any part of the claim. Some…
Continue Reading 6 Step Guide to Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Claims

 
If you’ve been injured at work in Wisconsin, you might assume that once your workers’ compensation claim is accepted, your medical treatment will be covered.
But what happens if you undergo surgery for your work injury and, afterward, the insurance company argues that the surgery was not actually related to your workplace accident?
That question was addressed in Kimberly Brown v. Shirley Gregory & Jose Vaz, Sangria’s Mexican Grill, a 2025 decision from the Wisconsin Labor and…
Continue Reading Can Workers’ Comp Deny Benefits for a Surgery You Already Had?

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If you believe your employer discriminated against you, it is natural to wonder what your workplace discrimination claim might be worth. Losing a job, promotion, wages, or other opportunities because of discrimination can have significant financial consequences, particularly for an established worker who has spent years building a career.

There is no formula that assigns a standard dollar amount to workplace discrimination. Two employees who experienced similar conduct can have claims with substantially different potential values because their financial…
Continue Reading How Much is a Workplace Discrimination Claim Worth?

If you have an open worker’s compensation claim in Wisconsin, you may receive calls, emails, or messages from individuals claiming they are involved in your case. While some communications may be legitimate, injured workers should know that scammers have recently begun targeting individuals with worker’s compensation claims.

Reports have described scams in which individuals impersonate government officials, judges, attorneys, or other worker’s compensation professionals. In some cases, injured workers have been invited to participate in what appears to…
Continue Reading Beware of Worker’s Compensation Scams in Wisconsin

We are proud to share that Hawks Quindel shareholder Chris Donahoe was published by the State Bar of Wisconsin on September 14, 2026. Her article, “I Took on a Pro Bono Case Outside of My Practice Area — You Should Too,” ran on the State Bar’s Civil Rights & Liberties Blog.
Chris’s practice at Hawks Quindel focuses on employment discrimination, employment law, and sexual harassment. The case she writes about sat well outside that lane. Amid this year’s escalation…
Continue Reading Shareholder Chris Donahoe Published by the State Bar of Wisconsin on Pro Bono Work

When short-term disability (STD) benefits are about to end, many workers assume long-term disability (LTD) will simply pick up where STD leaves off. That assumption can create a costly gap.
The transition from short-term to long-term disability is a new benefit determination, not an automatic continuation of an approved claim. The insurer may require updated medical evidence, new claim forms, occupational information, and proof that you satisfy a different definition of disability.
That makes the final weeks of short-term…
Continue Reading Short-Term to Long-Term Disability Transition Guide

Receiving a long-term disability (LTD) denial can feel overwhelming. After months of medical appointments, paperwork, and waiting for a decision, many people are left wondering what to do next and whether they should appeal on their own or hire a lawyer. The honest answer is: it depends.
Whether you should appeal on your own depends on why your claim was denied, what evidence is already in your file, and what opportunities you have to strengthen your case before your…
Continue Reading Should I Appeal my Long-Term Disability Denial on My Own or Hire a Lawyer?

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We are honored to share that Hawks Quindel’s Milwaukee Employment Discrimination Team has been recognized as the Face of Workplace Justice in Milwaukee Magazine’s August 2026 issue.

While we are grateful for this recognition, what matters most to us is the work behind it. Every day, our attorneys have the privilege of representing employees facing some of the most difficult moments of their careers. Whether someone has experienced discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage theft, or a failure to…
Continue Reading Hawks Quindel’s Milwaukee Employment Team Recognized as the Face of Workplace Justice

If you applied for Social Security disability benefits, were denied, and did not appeal before the deadline, you may be wondering whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) can reopen your prior application. In some cases, SSA may accept a late appeal if you had good cause for missing the deadline. If the prior denial has already become final, however, reopening is a different legal process. Oftentimes, you will first have to file a new application and then persuade SSA…
Continue Reading Can I Reopen My Prior Social Security Disability Application?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) treats SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) benefits and SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits differently. If you receive SSDI benefits, SSA generally won’t reduce your benefits just because you live with a family member who has their own income. However, the rules for SSI are different.
In previous blog posts, we discussed how SSI beneficiaries might see their benefits reduced if they receive help paying for food and shelter, how to avoid such a …
Continue Reading Understanding When Social Security Reduces Supplementary Security Income Benefits: Part 3

Many LTD claimants whose claims get denied plan to handle an appeal on their own and then involve an attorney if the insurer denies their appeal. On the surface, it seems like a good way to save money on legal fees. In reality, it can be one of the most costly decisions in the entire process.
If your claim is governed by ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974)—which most employer-sponsored group LTD policies are—the evidence that…
Continue Reading Why Your Long-Term Disability Appeal May Decide Your Entire Case Before You Ever Get to Court

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic medical condition that is characterized by brain fog, fatigue, muscle weakness, and many other debilitating symptoms that limit a person’s ability to function on a daily basis1. For many people living with MS, the hardest part can often be the uncertainty that follows. While symptoms can vary from person to person, these symptoms can often make sustained employment difficult. When that happens, employer-provided short- and long-term disability benefits plans may be necessary to…
Continue Reading Multiple Sclerosis and the Difficult Road to Long-Term Disability Benefits

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious medical condition that is characterized by severe fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep disturbances, and a range of other debilitating symptoms that can severely limit a person’s ability to work and participate in normal activities1. Unfortunately, those living with ME/CFS often have the difficult reality of proving the disabling effects of a condition that may not be noticeable to others in order to receive long-term disability (LTD) benefits.
Because a lot of the…
Continue Reading ME/CFS and Long-Term Disability Benefits: Understanding the Legal Challenges

Since we last posted about the First Amendment rights of employees in 2012, the law has remained relatively stable but social media has exploded. And for the last 14 years, courts have been trying to figure out how speech made online affects the legal analysis regarding the First Amendment rights of government employees.
For a primer on the First Amendment rights of government employees, go back and look at Attorney Summer Murshid’s post from 2012. However, here are…
Continue Reading Social Media Posts and the First Amendment Rights of Government Employees