Car Accidents and Unintended Consequences
January 4, 2011 | Jon P. EricksonSome times when a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident they end up getting a traffic ticket such as a careless driving ticket. This can happen even if a police officer didn’t witness the accident. They might give you a ticket there at the scene of the accident, or send you one in the mail. A careless driving ticket or other misdemeanor moving traffic violation is a crime with a statutory maximum of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. The potential biggest problem from a conviction for such an offense is probably the collateral consequence of its effect on your motor vehicle insurance rates. It may make sense financially to hire a lawyer to fight this charge to try and prevent such a conviction. There may also be problems should you be sued civilly by the driver(s) of the other motor vehicles involved. We at BGS recommend you talk to our lawyers about this to help you make a decision on what to do. There are even potential felony charges from being involved in a motor vehicle accident such as Criminal Vehicular Homicide or Injury charges. One should always hire a lawyer in these types of cases. We have the legal expertise to handle both your motor vehicle accident…
Read MoreThe Diaper Drive & BGS
January 4, 2011 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.Barna, Guzy & Steffen law firm has made a strong commitment to serving worthy pro bono clients. Among the firm’s active pro bono attorneys is Kip Peterson, whose practice focuses on corporate law and business transactions. One of the non-profit corporations Kip has worked with is The Diaper Drive. This organization supports families in need in our community and BGS considers it a privilege to represent this cause. The Diaper Drive began when Kristen Grode was cleaning out a closet at home and found several packages of disposable diapers her children had outgrown. Kristen set out to research where she could donate the diapers and discovered that there was a tremendous need for such items but no organization existed to fill the need. Just as the recession has increased the demand on food shelves for things to eat, the need for diapers has also grown. In fact, statistics show that 1 in 3 American mothers struggle to provide diapers for their children. However, diapers are not covered by WIC or food stamps. As the mother of two young children, Kristen recognized the need and began calling friends and family for donations. Before long The Diaper Drive was born. The Diaper Drive collects disposable diapers, sanitary wipes, and other toiletries and distributes them to…
Read MoreCar Insurance: What Do The Numbers Mean and What is "Full Coverage" Any Way?
December 21, 2010 | John T. BuchmanPeople often purchase car insurance early in life and seldom revisit their insurance coverage with their agents. People often ask me, “How much coverage do I have?” or “What do the numbers mean?” Many are confident they have adequate insurance because they purchased “full coverage,” but what does that really mean? What do the Numbers Mean? Minnesota law regulates car insurance policies issued in Minnesota and sets various minimum coverages and types of mandatory as well as permissive coverages. If you look at your insurance card or declarations page from your insurer, you may see numbers such as: $100,000/$300,000/$50,000, P20A, 100,000/$300,000 UM/UIM (or U/W). So what do these numbers mean? Insurance coverages generally fall into three categories: liability; personal injury protection “PIP” or no fault; and uninsured/under insured motorist coverage. Liability Liability coverage protects you from lawsuits against you or an insured under your policy for car crashes for which you/they are legally responsible. In the above example, the most the insurance company would pay on your behalf is $100,000 per person for bodily injuries they suffer; $300,000 total for everyone injured in any one collision and $50,000 in property damage (including cars, roadside light poles, etc.). (You can and should consider higher coverages). PIP or No-Fault This is the coverage that exists…
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