BGS ATTORNEY ELECTED AS OFFICIAL OF ANOKA COUNTY BAR ASSOC.
June 12, 2012 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.BGS Attorney Karen K. Kurth has been elected as the Secretary of the Anoka County Bar Association for 2012-2013. Karen practices in the firm’s Employment Law and Business Litigation section focusing her practice on commercial litigation, employment litigation and counseling, construction litigation, real estate litigation, landlord/tenant law, shareholder disputes, and appellate advocacy. Karen’s extensive background in accounting and commercial insurance enhances her ability to evaluate and successfully resolve a broad range of employment and commercial litigation issues. Karen received her J.D. at William Mitchell College of Law in 2002, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar in 2002 and to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in 2004. Karen joined Barna, Guzy, & Steffen as an associate in 2004. The Anoka County Bar Association is the 21st district of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Its membership is primarily made up of attorneys that live or work in Anoka County. The organization seeks to help lawyers become better lawyers by providing social and educational opportunities for its members. It seeks to aid the courts in the administration of justice. It also seeks to provide social information to the public about the law, including connecting people who need legal services with lawyers who practice in relevant practice…
Read MoreMotorcycle Riders: Look Carefully at Your Insurance Coverage
April 12, 2012 | John T. BuchmanOur unseasonably warm weather and early spring certainly has many motorcycle riders out early this year. All motorcyclists should carefully consider their insurance and review their coverage. It’s easy to think that the coverage someone has on their car will be similar to the coverage they have purchased for their motorcycle. However, this is not true in many respects. Under the Minnesota “No-Fault” Law, motorcycles are not defined as “motor vehicles.” Thus, motorcyclists have significantly fewer rights under the No-Fault Act than those who drive cars, trucks, SUVs, etc. Motorcyclists have to pay extra for optional benefits that are required in every automobile policy. For example, motorcyclists have to pay extra for medical expense, wage loss and other similar benefits. A recent Court of Appeals decision has shown another area where some insurance companies have included provisions in their policy that provide less coverage for the dollar than policies provided by other insurance companies. In Farmers Insurance Exchange vs. Eschen; Mike Brown paid for $100,000 in underinsured or UIM coverage for his motorcycle. He was tragically killed when he was hit by a car driven by Gary Arens. Mr. Arens had only $50,000 in coverage. If Mr. Brown had been driving or riding in a car, his family would have received $100,000 in…
Read MoreBuckle Up Campaign
March 28, 2012 | Jon P. EricksonOver the last few months I have written a number of entries on the importance of “buckling up.” The March 27, 2012, Minneapolis Star Tribune, had yet another article on just that. The headline reads in bold letters STRONGER SEAT BELT LAW EQUALS FEWER DEAD. I encourage you to read the full article. It’s relatively short, but very informative. Here is a link to that article – Star Tribune State Local Buckle Up The study was done to see if the “primary seat belt laws” actually were effective. The study done by the University of Minnesota supports that it is. Since the passage of the law in 2009 there have been 68 fewer deaths involving vehicle occupants, 320 fewer injuries, and 432 fewer moderate injuries. “The stronger seat belt law is keeping a lot of Minnesotans out of hospitals and morgues” to quote Lee Munnich the director of the Center for Excellence in Rural Safety. The study also found that since the primary seat belt law took effect that “observed seat belt use” has increased from 87 to 93 percent. We’ve been showing you how seat belt use saves lives, reduces injuries and ultimately saves us all money in medical bills, higher insurance costs and the like. We again take this opportunity to…
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