Agenda / Content Covered

10:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
Presenters: Kelly L. Centofanti and Ronald G. Pezze Jr.

1. Crash Basics for Attorneys
   10:00 - 10:45
   
   1. Accident Reconstruction: What You Must Know
   2. Accident Scene Investigation Strategies
   3. Common Injuries and Their Mechanisms
   4. Case and Client Screening
2. Calculating and Documenting Damages
   10:45 - 11:15
   
   1. Key Factors and Formulas
   2. Medical Expenses
   3. Property Damage and Diminished Value
   4. Lost Earnings and Earning Capacity
   5. Pain and Suffering
   6. Loss of Consortium
   7. Punitive Damages
   8. Colossus/Insurance Adjustment Software
3. Insurance (with Focus on UM/UIM Coverage and Bad Faith)
   11:30 - 12:15
   
   1. Auto Insurance Policies: Interpretation, Issues and Hidden Treasures
   2. Unraveling UM/UIM Coverage
   3. When the Damages Exceed Insurance Coverage
   4. Insurance Bad Faith
4. Liens and Subrogation
   12:15 - 1:00
   
   1. Types of Liens: Rules and Procedures
      1. Medical Liens
      2. Health Insurance Liens
      3. Medicare and Medicaid
      4. Workers' Comp & Other Liens
   2. Medicare Set Asides: Protecting Medicare's Future Interests
   3. Finding and Investigating All Potential Liens
   4. Communicating with Lien Holders - Best Practices
   5. Negotiating Liens (and Keeping More Settlement Money)
   6. Documenting and Paying Liens Out of a Settlement
5. Negotiating with Auto Insurance Companies
   1:30 - 2:15
   
   1. Demand Letters
   2. Reserves and Adjuster Authority
   3. Negotiating with the Adjuster
   4. Tips for Successful Mediation
   5. Settlement Agreements
6. Pleadings, Discovery and Evidence
   2:15 - 3:00
   
   1. The Complaint, Answer and Defenses
   2. Disclosures and Discovery
   3. Witness Statements and Testimony
   4. Reports and Public Records
   5. Medical Records
   6. Doctor Depositions
   7. Smartphone Evidence
   8. GPS, Black Box, DriveCam and Other Telematics
   9. Demonstrative Evidence
7. Taking the Auto Accident Case to Trial
   3:15 - 4:00
   
   1. Preparation Checklist
   2. Jury Selection (with Sample Voir Dire Questions)
   3. Opening Statements
   4. Witness Testimony and Evidence Presentation
   5. Closing Arguments and Jury Instructions
8. Legal Ethics - Keeping Your Record and Conscience Clear
   4:00 - 5:00
   
   1. Conflicts of Interest
   2. Attorney's Fees
   3. Client Trust Accounts
   4. Confidentiality
   5. Legal Marketing and Advertising Ethics

Accreditation Details:

KELLY L. CENTOFANTI is the managing partner of Centofanti Law, S.C., where her practice focuses on personal injury litigation on the plaintiff's side. Ms. Centofanti handles cases involving medical, legal and other professional negligence; malpractice; nursing home neglect and abuse; insurance bad faith; motor vehicle and boating accidents; and premises liability. She has lectured at numerous seminars, CLE programs and classes at Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. In addition, Ms. Centofanti has served on the faculty of six National College of Advocacy Trial Skills colleges (essentials, Houston; medical malpractice, Safety Harbor; depositions, Atlanta; direct and cross-examination, Phoenix and Knoxville; advanced depositions, Denver). She has spoken at two American Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) national conventions. Ms. Centofanti edited a chapter in the State Bar of Wisconsin book, The Law of Damages in Wisconsin, and has appeared on the State Bar of Wisconsin's Law Talk cable show, both as a guest and host. She has served as chair of numerous state bar committees, and has been involved in many other committees and boards. Ms. Centofanti has served as president of the Milwaukee Bar Association; secretary of the State Bar of Wisconsin; president of the Association for Women Lawyers; and chair of the Milwaukee Bar Association Litigation, Civil Bench/Bar and Judicial Selection committees. Ms. Centofanti earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University and her Juris Doctorate degree, magna cum laude, from Marquette University Law School.

RONALD G. PEZZE JR. is a shareholder at Ratzel, Pytlik & Pezze, LLC. His practice is concentrated in civil litigation. He routinely represents insurance companies and their insureds in the defense of liability claims, insurance contract interpretation issues, claims of bad faith, and other complex insurance coverage matters. Other areas of practice include casualty insurance law, property insurance law, employment practices liability, products liability law, copyright law, commercial litigation, construction law, and general negligence law. Mr. Pezze has argued cases before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court; and has lectured at numerous seminars and CLE programs on a variety of substantive and procedural topics. He has been certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Pezze's professional affiliations include the Defense Research Institute, State Bar of Wisconsin's Litigation Section chair, Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Defense Counsel. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by his peers, as well as listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007. He is admitted to all Wisconsin state courts; the United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit; and the U.S. District Court for Eastern and Western districts of Wisconsin. Mr. Pezze earned his B.S. degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School.