James G. Curtis

Recovered life insurance benefits and bad faith damages from a credit life insurer that had denied benefits. The insured had taken on an assumed identity many years before. Upon his death, the life insurer wrongfully refused to acknowledge that the insured under the policy had died.

Recovered full damages for a business owner in a products liability action against the German manufacturer of a tire vulcanizing machine. The machine had been set up to repair a large tire and burned down the business.

Successfully represented a man whose vacation home in Wisconsin had burned. The fire insurer denied payment and claimed arson, and that the insured had fraudulently misrepresented his personal property and contents losses.

Recovered substantial damages for an insurance company following an explosion and fire at a chemical laboratory. A products liability claim was pursued against the manufacturer of an atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Recovered wrongful death damages for a woman whose husband was killed in a tractor accident involving a neighboring farmer.

Established the law that a seriously injured young woman was entitled to recover both uninsured and underinsured motorist benefits from her parents’ auto insurer.

Hunter v. School District of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, 97 Wis.2d 435, 293 N.W.2d 515 (1980)

City of La Crosse v. Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, 120 Wis.2d 168, 353 N.W.2d 68 (Ct. App. 1984)

Burns v. Milwaukee Mut. Ins. Co., 121 Wis.2d 574, 360 N.W.2d 61 (Ct. App. 1984)

Landsinger v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 142 Wis.2d 138, 417 N.W.2d 899 (Ct. App. 1987)

Reel Enterprises v. City of La Crosse, 146 Wis.2d 662, 431 N.W.2d 743 (Ct. App. 1988)

State ex rel. Cynthia M.S. v. Michael F.C., 181 Wis2d 618, 511 N.W.2d 868 (1994)

Arlt v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 191 Wis.2d 599, 530 N.W.2d 21 (Ct. App. 1995)

Minnesota Fire & Cas. Ins. v. Paper Recyc., WI 64, 244 Wis.2d 290, 627 N.W.2d 527 (2001)

Heather Fischer v. Midwest Sec. Ins. Co., 246, 268 Wis.2d 519, 673 N.W.2d 297 (WI App 2003)

Estate of Richard G. Torres v. Empire Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 2008 WI App 113

Estate of Joanna Randall Brown v. Mathy Construction Co., 2008 WI App 114

Acuity v. Society Ins., 2012 WI App 13, 339 Wis.217, 810 N.W. 2d 812

Fetherston v. Parks, 2014 WI App 2, 352 Wis.2d 472, 842 N.W.2d 481

Wisconsin Bar Association, 1977–Present

La Crosse County Bar Association, 1977–Present, President (1993–1994)

Office of Lawyer Regulation, 2005–2007, Chair, District V Committee

Supreme Court Referee

Mt. Trempealeau Corporation – Board Member

Coulee Catholic Schools Education Commission Chairperson, 2000–2006