DOG BITES AREN’T ALWAYS DOG BITES: St. Paul, Minnesota Personal Injury Attorneys explain

Personal Injury Attorney in St. Paul Discusses Dog Bites

Agressive Dogs Don't Have To Bite To Injure

True or False:  In Minnesota you can bring a personal injury claim under the dog bite statute even if you were not bitten by a dog. 

 

 TRUE. 

 

 Surprised?  

 

Under Minnesota Statute 347.22, “if a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the owner may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained.  The term “owner” includes any person harboring or keeping a dog, but the owner shall be primarily liable.  The term “dog” includes both male and female of the canine species.”

Everyone automatically assumes that in order to be injured by a dog, you have to have sustained a bite.  This is not the case.  Several years ago, I was involved in a case where the victim suffered a knee injury while grilling a steak.  When the victim took the steak off the grill, the dog—seeing an opportunity that just could not be missed—lunged for the steak.  In the frenzy, the dog knocked the victim over.  Even though the victim was not bitten, she had the right to recover under the “dog bite” statute because she was injured by a dog. 

Don’t write off your injury case just because you were not bitten by the dog.  Make sure you know your rights.  The personal injury attorneys at Champion Law, LLC  are experienced in handling these types of cases and encourage you to call them for a free consultation.

Kimberly G. Behm

Attorney at Law
Champion Law LLC
3252 Rice Street
St. Paul, MN  55126
651-766-5886
f – 651-766-5235 

kim@champion-law.com  

www.champion-law.com

St. Paul, Minnesota Personal Injury Attorneys forecast: SUNNY SKIES WITH A THREAT OF DOG BITE

Summer.  To most of us it means grilling out, biking around the lakes, camping and spending time with friends and family in the backyard.

Non-Agressive Dog Being Agressive

Unfortunately, it can also mean puncture wounds, stitches, medical bills and permanent scarring.  Dog bites are a reality.  These attacks are much more prevalent in the summer months and an overwhelming proportion of them require medical treatment.

When it comes to dog bites, the exception is the rule.  It is impossible to predict which dog will bite and under what circumstances.  Although if you ask around, you will find that many people feel otherwise.

Whether these dog-bite myths are born of media-generated fear or just some kind of cultural hoo-hah I don’t know, but I will briefly address the top three misconceptions:

Misconception #1:  Only dogs of a particular breed bite. 

Unfortunately, you cannot assess the risk of attack based solely on the type of dog.  Yes, studies have been done to try to show that a certain breed may be more predisposed to bite than another.  However, there are so many other factors and variables that come into play when a dog attacks.  In short:  don’t rely on breed alone. 

Misconception #2:   A dog owner cannot be held liable unless his/her dog bit someone in the past

In Minnesota there is no “one free bite” rule.  A victim can pursue a dog owner regardless of whether his/her dog was aggressive and/or attacked someone in the past. 

Misconception #3:  A dog has to be provoked to attack.

No.  In fact, a majority of dog bites are unprovoked.  Dogs bite for all sorts of reasons—not just if they are teased or taunted.  Even the nicest dogs can get spooked—think 4th of July—-and may attack an innocent bystander out of fear or confusion.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your distance and/or request that the dog be put inside away from your gathering. 

Relax.  We’re not telling you to call off the family reunion (sorry to disappoint). However, you do need to be aware of the risk of an attack and understand your rights should you or someone you know become a victim.  The injury attorneys at Champion Law, LLC successfully handle dog bite cases and are happy to consult with you about your particular situation.

Don’t write off your injury case just because you were not bitten by the dog.  Make sure you know your rights.  The personal injury attorneys at Champion Law, LLC are experienced in handling these types of cases and encourage you to call them for a free consultation.

Kimberly G. Behm 

Attorney at Law
Champion Law LLC
3252 Rice Street
St. Paul, MN  55126
651-766-5886
f – 651-766-5235 

kim@champion-law.com

www.champion-law.com

St. Paul, Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyers caution: HOT DISH AND CAR CRASHES DO NOT MIX

Car Crash Advice From a St. Paul MN Personal Injury Lawyer

Being in the business of helping injured victims has taught us a thing or two about clients.  Midwestern clients that is.  We’ve all heard the cliché about those of us living in the heartland refusing an offer of hot dish at least three times before deciding that “maybe just a little” would be okay—as our stomach growls—“if it isn’t too much trouble”.  Unfortunately, this mentality extends to crash victims. 

 We Midwesterners have a reputation for being tough.  For not needing help.  For not getting injured.   And if we do get hurt?  Well, we make darn sure we don’t complain about it.   All too often the crash attorneys at Champion Law, LLC ask an injured client how he or she is feeling only to have that client respond, “Not too bad”.  If only multiple fractures, wearing a halo brace and being bedridden were so easy. 

 The problem with our pattern of niceties is that it doesn’t do us any favors in the examining room or in the courtroom.  When victims withhold information from their treating medical providers or diminish their symptoms they do not receive the care they need.  In turn, their medical records do not reflect the true extent of their injuries and associated symptoms.  And there we have it folks—an injured victim who is trying to “tough it out” and medical records that look like nothing much is wrong.  In other words, an insurance defense attorney’s dream. 

So, the crash attorneys at Champion Law, LLC urge you to step out of the Midwestern box.  Don’t be ashamed to talk about your injuries and what you are experiencing.  Your health and your personal injury case depend on it. 

 

Kimberly G. Behm

Attorney at Law
Champion Law LLC
3252 Rice Street
St. Paul, MN  55126
651-766-5886
f – 651-766-5235

kim@champion-law.com

www.champion-law.com

ATTENTION GYM RATS: THE PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEYS AT CHAMPION LAW SPEAK OUT ON EXERCISE EQUIPMENT THAT COULD AMPUTATE YOUR FINGERS

On April 27, 2009, the CPSC and Paramount Fitness  announced a recall of a leg curl machine after receiving reports of the machine amputating and crushing fingers.  The defective product is the Paramount Fitness PL2100 leg curl machine - a machine designed to work the hamstrings. After hearing about the crushing and amputation injuries in the field, Paramount admitted it had a problem with a design flaw – one that would lead to product liability for the company – that allows people to get their hand caught between the cylindrical counter weight and the frame of the fitness machine. 

 So if you have one of these machines at home or use one at the gym, stop!

Contact Paramount and get the machine fixed.  If you’ve already been hurt by one of these defective leg curl machines, call the St. Paul, Minnesota product liability attorneys at Champion Law LLC.  Nate Bjerke, the head of litigation at Champion Law, worked for years defending manufacturers like Paramount in product liability lawsuits, but now works exclusively for people like you who have been injured by dangerous and defective products.

So call product liability attorney Nate Bjerke at 651.766.5886 or visit Champion Law’s web-site to learn more about the firm or discuss your case over e-mail.

MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEY, NATE BJERKE OF CHAMPION LAW, SPEAKS OUT ON ZIMMER DUROM CUP HIP IMPLANTS

I have blogged about Zimmer Durom Cup Hip implants in the past [INSERT A LINK TO THE BLOG HERE].  Briefly, Zimmer instituted a “stop sale” on its Durom Cup hip implants on July 24, 2008.  The Zimmer Durom Cup sale freeze was prompted by a letter sent to Zimmer and surgeons across the country by a leading orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles, Dr. Larry Dorr.  Dr. Dorr, who had used the Zimmer Durom Cup implant on over a hundred patients, began noticing a high failure rate in the Durom Cup.  In a letter to his colleagues at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, Dr. Dorr noted the following concerning the Zimmer Durom cup implants:

• The failure rate was very high in the first two years after the Zimmer Durom cup was implanted;
• Symptoms were classic for loose implants;
• The cups would “just pop free”;
• He did not believe the fixation surface on the cups was good;
• The cups were not properly seating to the pelvic bone; and
• He stopped using the cups after the first time he had to replace a Zimmer Durom Cup implant.

Dr. Dorr wrote this letter concerning the Zimmer Durom Cup hip implant on April 22, 2008 and Zimmer finally stopped selling the Durom Cup implant on July 24, 2008.  Zimmer sent a letter to doctors and patients recommending that doctors monitor their Durom Cup patients closely.   

Zimmer seemed to be taking a step in the right direction when by offering to pay for revision surgeries for people who had the bad hips in exchange for a complete release of any additional claims.  (As a product liability attorney, I don’t think this is adequate because it does not account for rehabilitation expenses, lost wages, or compensation for the time lost and pain a patient suffers.)  It seems now that Zimmer has hardened it stance.  In a case Champion Law is handling, Zimmer refused to pay for the revision surgery ahead of time like they reportedly had done in the past.  Why Zimmer is taking this stance is anyone’s guess – it seems odd in light of the clear product problems. 

In light of this stance by Zimmer, Nate Bjerke and his law firm, Champion Law LLC, are gearing up for a fight.  If you or someone you know had a defective Zimmer Durom Cup implant go bad, call product liability attorney Nate Bjerke of Champion Law LLC at 866-778-2919 or 651-766-5886 or e-mail us by logging on to http://www.champion-law.com/.  We promise to answer your questions without the pushy sales pitch.

ST. PAUL MINNESOTA CAR CRASH – NOT CAR ACCIDENT – ATTORNEYS EXPLAIN WHY THE WORD “ACCIDENT” USUALLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE

Car Insurance Companies and Car “Accidents” – A St. Paul Minnesota Attorney’s View

Something has been bothering us for years:  Insurance companies defending car crash cases always use the word “accident” when describing crashes their insured’s caused.  Why, you may be asking yourself, do the car crash attorneys at Champion Law care?  Because the insurance industry’s use of the word “accident” is no accident.  They use the word “accident” to take blame away and by extension, to lower the amount they have to pay on a claim.  The word “accident” means “an unfortunate event that happens by chance.”  And that’s what the insurance industry wants injury victims and juries to think: people who suffer personal injuries aren’t victims of bad driving, but rather they were injured by an unfortunate event that happens by chance.  In other words, stuff happens and we should all just move on with our lives. 

 But the car crash lawyers – sometimes mistakenly called car accident lawyers by the insurance companies – of Champion Law LLC don’t use the word “accident” when discussing the events that injure their clients.  Instead, we use the word “crash”.  Using the word crash makes it more clear that our clients were hurt because someone made choices.  By definition, bad choices don’t cause “accidents” – bad choices predictably cause bad things to happen.  For example, if a driver makes a choice to look for something on the floor of their car, adjust the radio when coming to an intersection, put on makeup while driving, trying to clear a yellowish/redish light, etc., those choices come with a predictable bad outcome – a car crash.  Crashes happen because of bad choices – not because of chance. 

The car crash lawyers at Champion Law – Robert Roe, Nate Bjerke and Kim Behm – take this attitude and attention to detail in every car crash case we handle.  If you have been hurt in a car crash, don’t play the insurance company’s game.  This is no accident and you shouldn’t settle for compensation commensurate with a “stuff happens” attitude. 

 

 

Nate Bjerke

Champion Law LLC

3252 Rice Street

St. Paul, MN 55126

(t)651.766.5886

(f)651.766.5235

www.champion-law.com

 

Licensed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and California

PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEYS DISCUSS INFANT CHILD SEAT RECALL

Child Seat Recall

On April 24, 2009, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall of yet another child seat.  This product defect relates to seats manufactured by Team-Tex America.  The defective child seats being recalled are certain Babyride infant child restraint systems, Model 374199, manufactured on December 18, 2008. The belt routing label with the “horizontal reference line” is incorrectly placed on the child restraint system which fails to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, “Child Restraints Systems.”

 If the belt isn’t routed properly, the child can be hurt or killed in a crash.  If you have questions about whether your seat is subject to the recall, contact Team-Tex at 1-877-912-1313.  Or call the product liability and safety lawyers at Champion Law LLC.  We love fighting for people who have been hurt by dangerous and defective products.  But we’d rather help you and your family to avoid getting hurt in the first place.  You can call us anytime at 651.766.5886 or visit our website.

ATTENTION SPECIALIZED BIKE RIDERS: BEWARE OF PRODUCT LIABILITY DEFECTS!

Minnesota and Wisconsin Product Liability Lawyer Is Concerned With Your Safety.

 

You’re an experience rider.  You paid good money for your Specialized bike.

(Probably lots and lots of money.)  So don’t get tossed when the bike fails you! You need to know about recalls on Specialized handlebars and cable-stops before you get hurt.  Or, if you’ve already been hurt because of one of these product defects, you need to know that attorney Nate Bjerke and the product liability lawyers at Champion Law LLC can tell you about your rights and claims. 

The first Specialized recall relates to breaking handlebars.  This recall involves HL handlebars on the following 2009 Specialized bicycles: Cross Trail Comp, Myka HT Comp, Myka HT Elite, Rockhopper, Rockhopper Comp and Rockhopper Comp 29. The model number of the HL handlebar is ALR-13 NTFOV and is located underneath the right hand grip of the handlebar. One rider had the handlebars break, causing a crash and head trauma. 

 

 

  

 

The second recall relates to the cable stop.  The cable stop on some bikes can loosen.  The recall is for the following bikes: 2004 Roubaix Comp 18, 2004 Roubaix Comp 27, 2004 Roubaix Pro 18, and 2004 Roubaix Pro frameset models.

 

 

2004 Roubaix Pro

 

2004 Roubiax Comp

  

Single Rivet Cable Stop IS Recalled

 

Double Rivet Cable Stop Is Not Recalled

 

Only bicycles with a single rivet fastening the cable stop to the frame are subject to recall. The cable stop is attached through bonding materials and a single rivet mounted at the front of the bicycle. The cables pass through eyelets in the cable stop on the down tube. Bicycles with a double rivet fastening the cable stop to the frame are not subject to recall. The model names of the recalled bicycles can be found on the top tube of the bicycles. One rider had the cable stop loosen, lost control and ended up with fractures and surgery.  

If you have one of these bikes, stop riding it!  Call your dealer and get the parts replaced – Specialized will pick up the tab. 

 If we’re getting to you too late and you’ve already been hurt, call Nate Bjerke, or one of the other lawyers at his firm, Champion Law LLC at 866-778-2919. 

 

Why should you call Nate Bjerke instead of some other lawyer?  Because Nate and Champion Law know product liability cases inside and out.  Nate used to defend giant manufacturing companies and knows that even when they recall products, they don’t always treat people who have been hurt by those defective products fairly. Champion Law levels the playing field.  

 

 

 

 

 

Had An Accident? When Is It Time To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?

MN Personal Injury Lawyers Discuss Having Had An Accident

If you have suffered an accident, you may be entitled to personal injury.

A car accident may seriously compromise your quality of life if your injuries are serious, or affect your ability to work. This may further have a financial impact on you, and result in psychological stress.

In such a case, you may make a claim for Personal Injury Compensation.

Personal Injury Compensation is meant to pay the damages of any personal injury. A car accident is a personal injury, and you are eligible for Personal Injury Compensation if it was not your fault. First, you should notify the police of the situation. Also, immediately report the incident to your insurance company and doctor. Your doctor should evaluate your health and write up a medical report, which would be needed if you take the matter to court. You should also record the details of the accident on your own, and if there are any eyewitnesses, you should get their accounts and their contact numbers for further contact.

It is best to hire a personal injury specialist to carry your case forward if you decide to go ahead with filing for compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Champion-Law will work hard to see that you receive 100% of the compensation you deserve. Our firm is one of the industry’s most respected liability attorneys and one of the most successful personal injury attorneys in Minnesota.

All too often injury victims are discouraged with taking legal action out of fear of dealing with big insurance companies. With so much involved, many people just plain give up. They think they cannot possibly go up against the companies possibly because of their lack of knowledge. It can be a very intimidating ordeal.

At Champion-Law, we form a partnership with you. By working as a team, your fears and concerns are addressed by lawyers who take your case as serious as you do. Representing personal injury victims is what we do. The personal injury attorneys at Champion-Law are experienced in knowing how to build and negotiate with the insurance companies. In addition, if it necessary, we will take your case to trial. We take the time to listen to you and your individual concerns.

Knowing what to do and your rights is important. Choosing the right attorney is even more important. Champion-Law personal injury attorneys and our support staff is here for you through the entire process. Our reputation is that of outstanding results.

Champion-Law has put together a free booklet, “The 5 Traps That Can Kill Your Personal Injury Case”. We invite you to take the time to read its valuable messages to determine if an attorney is the right choice for you. It is all about what to do and what you need to know in the event of an accident.

Call us at Champion-Law today for a free consult. We will discuss your personal situation and you can decide if an attorney is right for you. 651-766-5886 or 866-778-2919

Feel free to visit our website at www.champion-law.com to get your free copy of “The 5 Traps That Can Kill Your Personal Injury Case”.  We are here to help so you can heal!

 

Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer

MN and WI Personal Injury Lawyers On Automobile Accident Law

Unfortunately, at some time in our lives, most of us will experience an automobile accident. When you are in a car accident, even if you are not injured, there are certain things that you should and should not do. If you are involved in litigation arising from a car accident, you will benefit from consulting Personal injury lawyer.

Automobile Accident Law

·         Stay At The Scene

·         Safeguard The Injured

·         Obtain Information

·         Do Not Admit Fault

·         Get Medical Care

The personal injury attorneys at Champion Law are experienced in knowing how to build and negotiate your case with the insurance companies, and if necessary, know how to take your case to trial. They know the governing laws backwards and forwards. Insurance companies will typically do everything they can to take advantage of you and try to effect the lowest possible settlement. Our attorneys are in a good position to help you obtain a favorable settlement that significantly exceeds what you can obtain on your own.

We have put together a free booklet The 5 Traps That Can Kill Your Personal Injury Case as an aide in determining if an attorney is the right choice for you.

At Champion Law, we can help you:

·         Receive payment for your medical bills

·         Collect compensation for lost time from work

·         See to it that you and your family is taken care of

·         File your paperwork

·         Make calls on your behalf

·         Answer all of your questions as they arise

·         Receive 100% of the compensation you deserve

Contact us at Champion Law today at 651-766-5886 or 866-778-2919 for a free consult. Or visit our website at www.champion-law.com to request our free booklet, The 5 Traps That Can Kill Your Personal Injury Case