Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.

Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. is a full-service nationwide subrogation and insurance litigation

(“MWL”) coordinates a National Subrogation Recovery Program involving representation of more than 250 insurance carriers, third-party administrators (TPAs), and self-insured entities in all lines of subrogation, including personal lines insurance, automobile, Med Pay/PIP, transportation and cargo, workers’ compensation, property, fire, group health, casualty, fidelity and surety bonds, inland and

ocean marine, ERISA, longshore and harbor workers’ compensation, product liability, aviation, hospital liens, group health and disability, conversion claims, mistaken payment of benefits and recovery of premiums. MWL is headquartered in Hartford, Wisconsin with a branch office in New Orleans, Louisiana, Orange County, California, Austin, Texas, Jacksonville, FL, and Denver, Colorado. Services and Benefits of Using MWL

By utilizing national subrogation counsel, you are not dealing with hundreds of attorneys across the country. You have one point of contact for file updates and one point of contact calling for authorization on settlement negotiations – you remain in the driver’s seat at all times. We are not your typical “file forwarder” firm which, in our opinion, does subrogation an injustice. Rather, we apply our expertise and experience as the industry leaders in subrogation and our local counsel, if needed, serve as our “boots on the ground” getting pleadings filed and attending routine hearings, etc. We stay heavily involved with each file, from the initial investigation to settlement or verdict. If local counsel is needed, you are still only paying for one attorney as we share the agreed upon contingency fee with our local counsel and, if the file is hourly, we make sure no work is duplicated. MWL has spent considerable time and effort developing a local counsel network of legal professionals throughout each state in the country. We can instantly tap into that knowledge in helping you evaluate the subrogation potential of your files. MWL has an extensive subrogation research bank which consists of every subrogation case and issue we have ever encountered. Rather than re-inventing the wheel for each file, we have most of the answers to complicated subrogation issues at our fingertips. We have a database of thousands of experts in every discipline and price range imaginable, which we have meticulously gathered and assembled over the past 35 years, so we are able to select the right expert at the right price regardless of the venue. MWL will conduct an investigation of subrogation potential whenever there is a serious injury or catastrophic property loss, even in instances in which it appears that there is no visible source of recovery. It is paramount that this investigation is initiated while memories are fresh, witnesses are available, and the evidence has not been destroyed or tampered with. Our expansive collection of expert witnesses covers the nation and allows us to get the best quality professionals involved early and at the right price. If an investigation is warranted in a file or an expert needs to be obtained, MWL will discuss same with you and obtain authorization prior to proceeding. We take the $1,500 automobile collision case as seriously as the $50 million plant explosion, workers' compensation quadriplegic third-party action, or the casualty CAT loss. Product liability files referred to MWL are handling by MWL attorneys who also have engineering degrees. We are known for turning over every stone to find third-party liability - even in areas traditionally turned down by other firms due to possible Act of God defenses, such as floods, windstorms, and naturally-occurring fires. Our four largest recoveries - all in the ten figure range - share one similarity. The client in each of them had written off any subrogation potential. This is where our strength lies - recognizing and acting promptly on even the slightest third-party liability potential, when others would have closed their files or given up. MWL is a full-service subrogation law firm - our webinars, website, subrogation charts, subrogation laws by state, file referral feature, subrogation books, and newsletters are just the tip of the iceberg as far as perks we have to offer our clients. We believe that education is the key to successful subrogating so we work with and educate our clients through every phase of the claim’s life. All of this mixed with aggressive and cost-effective actions are a recipe for successful subrogating and larger recoveries. For more information on our services, please visit our website at www.mwl-law.com.

Before Pete Fowler became one of the country's leading construction defect experts, he was wearing leopard skin spandex ...
06/17/2026

Before Pete Fowler became one of the country's leading construction defect experts, he was wearing leopard skin spandex in a rock band. These days, he trades the stage for the witness stand — and the performance instincts translate perfectly.

In the latest episode of the Subrogation Support Network, Ashton Kirsch sits down with Pete to talk construction defect claims, fire loss subrogation, expert retention, and the post-COVID construction surge that's driving more claims than ever.

Tune in now:
🎧 Spotify: https://ow.ly/63Ur50Y0pXJ
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://ow.ly/wTUT50Y0pXI

When the City of Amarillo's municipal landfill caught fire in May 2026, it wasn't just a tragedy for 52 families who los...
06/10/2026

When the City of Amarillo's municipal landfill caught fire in May 2026, it wasn't just a tragedy for 52 families who lost their homes — it was a subrogation opportunity that insurance carriers cannot afford to miss. And a ticking clock they cannot afford to ignore.

The fire, nicknamed the "Stinky Fire," spread from a landfill that had already been cited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for improperly covering deposited waste. With a documented regulatory violation and a government-owned facility at the origin point, carriers who paid property claims on affected homes have a credible subrogation target: the City of Amarillo.

The complication? Claims against Texas governmental entities are governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act, which imposes strict pre-suit notice requirements and short deadlines. Miss the window, and the recovery opportunity disappears.

Our latest post breaks down the liability theory, the notice requirements, and what carriers need to do right now: https://www.mwl-law.com/amarillo-stinky-fire-may-present-significant-subrogation-opportunities-with-potential-notice-deadline-complications/

Insurers handling losses arising from the Amarillo "Stinky Fire" should act quickly to evaluate and preserve potential recovery claims.

Big news for Michigan no-fault carriers! 🚨The Michigan Court of Appeals just changed the game for PIP subrogation. In Ca...
06/03/2026

Big news for Michigan no-fault carriers! 🚨

The Michigan Court of Appeals just changed the game for PIP subrogation. In Call v. L & KJ Enterprises, the court ruled that PIP carriers CAN now directly sue non-motorist tortfeasors, like negligent property owners or contractors, to recover benefits paid.

This opens up recovery opportunities that were previously off the table. But it also comes with new complications that require strategic planning from day one.

Read our full analysis on the blog: https://www.mwl-law.com/michigan-court-creates-new-pip-subrogation-opportunity/

The Utah Supreme Court just resolved a long-standing ambiguity that has frustrated workers' comp and subrogation profess...
03/25/2026

The Utah Supreme Court just resolved a long-standing ambiguity that has frustrated workers' comp and subrogation professionals for years. In HB Construction v. Labor Commission of Utah, the Court made clear: if a carrier wants to claim a future credit after a third-party recovery, it has to pay for it — including a proportional share of attorney fees. Our latest article explains exactly what changed and what it means for your practice.

🔗 https://www.mwl-law.com/no-free-ride-on-future-benefits-utah-requires-workers-compensation-carriers-to-pay-for-the-future-credit-they-claim/

The Utah Supreme Court has issued an important decision for workers’ compensation and subrogation professionals navigating third-party recoveries and future credits.

📢 Join us for our upcoming Webinar, Product Liability Update: Spring 2026!The product liability landscape is constantly ...
03/24/2026

📢 Join us for our upcoming Webinar, Product Liability Update: Spring 2026!

The product liability landscape is constantly evolving, and 2026 is certainly no exception. Rich Schuster and Joseph Schimp, will share valuable insights for insurance adjusters and legal professionals handling these types of claims.

📅 Thursday, March 26, 2026
⏰ 1:00 PM CDT

Register now to secure your spot!
🔗 https://ow.ly/Z6go50YynI7

**Please note: This webinar does not provide CE or CLE credit, but WILL deliver practical, actionable information for adjusters who handle product liability claims.**

03/11/2026

Most states allow workers' compensation carriers to assert a future credit when an injured employee recovers from a third party, but knowing the credit exists and knowing how to calculate it correctly are two very different things. The Alabama Supreme Court's decision in Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Harrington pulls back the curtain on the mechanics that practitioners too often get wrong. Our latest blog breaks it all down.

🔗 https://www.mwl-law.com/the-anatomy-of-a-workers-compensation-credit-following-a-third-party-recovery/

Join us in Orlando! 🎉MWL's Ashton Kirsch will be presenting at the CLM Annual Conference, March 25–27 at Disney’s Corona...
02/13/2026

Join us in Orlando! 🎉

MWL's Ashton Kirsch will be presenting at the CLM Annual Conference, March 25–27 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. We are honored to serve on a panel discussing timely issues impacting the insurance and claims community.

If you’re attending CLM 2026, be sure to add Ashton's session to your agenda—we’d love to see you there.
https://invt.io/1lxb2mgp726

Choosing the lowest contingency fee may feel like smart cost control—but it can quietly erode overall recovery. In this ...
01/27/2026

Choosing the lowest contingency fee may feel like smart cost control—but it can quietly erode overall recovery. In this article, Nicholas DeStefanis explores the cognitive biases that drive subrogation decision-making and why “cheaper” often becomes the most expensive mistake in the long run.

Read the full article:
https://ow.ly/hh7V50Y3OWt

Litigation is rarely cheap, but often necessary in the context of disputed insurance claims.

Great settlements aren’t accidental—they’re engineered.In the latest episode of Subrogation Support Network, Ashton Kirs...
01/21/2026

Great settlements aren’t accidental—they’re engineered.

In the latest episode of Subrogation Support Network, Ashton Kirsch and mediator/professor Lee Mendelson unpack the negotiation strategies, mediation timing, and preparation tactics that consistently move cases to resolution.

From BATNA to early mediation to virtual vs. in-person sessions, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for claims professionals and attorneys alike.

Catch the conversation here👇
🎧 Spotify: https://ow.ly/3EyB50Y0pXK
🎧 Apple Podcast: https://ow.ly/6jqM50Y0pXL

In cargo subrogation, the language of the contract often matters more than the loss itself. In Federal Insurance Co. v. ...
01/02/2026

In cargo subrogation, the language of the contract often matters more than the loss itself. In Federal Insurance Co. v. MSC Mediterranean Shipping, the Southern District of New York underscored how a pallet can be treated as a “package” under COGSA—impacting liability limits and recovery potential. This decision highlights why careful scrutiny of bills of lading and contract terms is critical before advancing a claim.

Claims professionals handling ocean shipments will benefit from this practical examination of packaging definitions, liability caps, and documentation review.

Read the full article here:
👉 https://ow.ly/kIVZ50XMP1v

Address

1111 E Sumner Street
Hartford, WI
53027

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+18006379176

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