Driving Safely
April 12, 2011 | Jon P. EricksonI was driving to work the other morning, and almost collided with a car which apparently was in a “blind spot” for me as I was about to change lanes. I even have those add on blind spot review mirrors attached to my regular review mirrors, but apparently missed seeing the car. It made me once again consider the importance of safe driving. I recall an incident when I was learning how to drive back home. My Dad was with, and I sped up to go through a yield sign out in rural Roseau County. There was a grain truck approaching from my right. My Dad asked, “Why did you do that? Didn’t you see the truck coming?” I said I had gone ahead because I had the right away. He said, “Having a right of way doesn’t help much if you’re dead.” Just after my daughter got her license I told her she had to learn to slow down because she tended to drive too fast especially on corners and etc. About a week later she called to say she had gone in a ditch with the car as she went around a corner near her home. I simply said, “You need to slow down.” We here at BGS see injuries from…
Read MoreMinnesota Mock Trial & BGS
April 5, 2011 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.This past year Attorney Joan M. Quade, division leader for the commercial litigation practice group at BGS, volunteered as a coach to the Spring Lake Park High School’s Mock Trial Team. Mock Trial is a competition where participating schools are given a real legal case which was developed by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Each school’s students then discuss the case and are subsequently assigned to either attorney or witness roles. In some cases, team members may play more than one part. The students prepare the case like an actual trial. They must be able to compete on either the defense or plaintiff/state’s side doing both direct and cross examination and objections just as in a real trial. They practice extensively and compete in simulated trials against other schools. The team consisting of mostly sophomore students did extremely well and one member was awarded a perfect score in one of the competitions. Even though they did not make the State competition this year, members of the Spring Lake Park High School’s Mock Trial team had the opportunity to attend and observe the State Mock Trial Competition in Duluth on March 8, 2011. The legal case used by the Minnesota Mock Trial teams this year was based upon the criminal trial in the Condon…
Read MoreWhat are "No-Fault Benefits"?
March 29, 2011 | Adriel B. VillarrealIf you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident you are entitled to benefits through your insurance company. These benefits are called “No-Fault Benefits” or “Personal Injury Protection Benefits.” As the insured of your policy you may be entitled to them regardless of who was at fault in the automobile accident. Minnesota Statutes provide that all motor vehicle owners must have no-fault coverage for any vehicles operated in Minnesota. These no-fault benefits are available to the insured even if the accident occurs in a state other than Minnesota. Basic No-Fault Benefits consist of the following: $20,000.00 in medical benefits. Medical benefits may include doctor’s examinations/treatment, mileage reimbursement due to medical visits, interpretation services, prescription reimbursement, etc. $20,000.00 in income loss, replacement services, funeral expenses, and survivor’s losses. Replacement services may be claimed if your doctor recommends that you do not perform household duties due to your injuries. As no-fault benefits are available due to an injury, the insurance company can decide to investigate if the insured is entitled to any or additional benefits. This process will begin with the scheduling of a medical examination by an independent medical provider, hired by your insurance company. According to the doctor’s opinion the insurance company may deny payment of additional or past medical bills or…
Read More