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BIOGRAPHY

JAMES LINDELL

Partner

Phone:

612-339-8811
888-339-8811 (Toll Free)

Fax:

612-349-6806

Email:

[email protected]

Jim Lindell has specialized in civil litigation during his entire career and is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Mr. Lindell has been voted a Super Lawyer® in the areas of personal injury and workers’ compensation in annual polls of Minnesota lawyers conducted by Minnesota Law & Politics and Mpls/St. Paul magazine. Jim was invited to membership in the American Society of Legal Advocates, and in 2012 was named Attorney of the Year by The Minnesota Lawyer. He practices in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Jim is a native of Litchfield, Minnesota. Contributing to his effectiveness in his practice is his broad scope of work experience, including:

United States Army, 1st Lt. 1966-1969
Management positions in federal and state government
Staff aide to the governor of Minnesota
Construction
Firefighting (smoke jumping) for the U.S. Forest Service
Life-long interest in flying, private pilot license since 1985.

Mr. Lindell is highly regarded by both clients and fellow attorneys. He enjoys a busy workers’ compensation and personal injury practice and receives numerous referrals of those cases from attorneys in other specialties. He is active in the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers of Minnesota and has served as a board member, officer and dean of that organization. Lindell is rated “a.v.” by Martindale Hubble – the highest rating of competence and ethics available. He is also a qualified neutral arbitrator and mediator.

When Jim is not practicing law, he is challenging himself anew. Working on his Wisconsin cabin (which he built from the ground up with his dad), learning to speak Russian, and learning to play the piano are his most recent endeavors.

Besides the firm’s main office in downtown Minneapolis, Jim maintains an office at his lake home in Webb Lake, Wisconsin.

Cases:

Medical malpractice – Jury finds doctor negligent in care of post-surgical infection. Result – $584,000 in damages awarded.
Negligence – Commercial vehicle collision results in leg amputation. Result – $2.2 million settlement.
Workers’ compensation – Injured carpet layer wins workers’ compensation claim on appeal and secures large personal injury settlement to boot. Result – The workers’ compensation recovery totaled over $165,000 and the third party claim against the negligent driver responsible for the crash settled in mediation for $935,000.
Wrongful Death – Defendant’s excuse in mail carrier’s death disproved. Result – $1.3 million settlement, including $300,000 which the Defendant had to pay from his own pocket.

Areas of Practice

Personal Injury
Workers’ Compensation
Medical Malpractice

Litigation Percentage

85% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certified Legal Specialties

Civil Trial Law, Minnesota Bar Association, 1990

Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 1977
Wisconsin
U.S. District Court District of Minnesota
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1982
U.S. Supreme Court, 1984

Education

University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- J.D. – 1977
International Studies, The American University, Washington
- M.A. – 1970
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- B.A. – 1966

Honors and Awards

Voted Super Lawyer® (in top 5% of Minnesota lawyers) every year, 1998 – 2014
Rated AV, highest rating of Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating service, for ethical standards and legal ability since 1998 (top 14% of lawyers in America)
Member of the American Society of Legal Advocates, by invitation extended to less than 2% of lawyers nationwide
Named one of Minnesota’s top 40 workers’ compensation lawyers by Mpls/St. Paul magazine and Minnesota Law & Politics
Named Attorney of the Year for 2012 by The Minnesota Lawyer

Professional Associations and Memberships

Minnesota Association for Justice, Member
American Association for Justice, Member
Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
Wisconsin State Bar Association, Member
Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers, Member

Languages

Russian

Partner

CASES

Medical malpractice - Jury finds doctor negligent in care of post-surgical infection.

17 year old client underwent open reduction of his fractured ankle with the use of plates and screws by Defendant medical clinic’s orthopedic surgeon. After surgery, the wound became badly infected. Instead of referring our client to an infectious disease specialist or asking a plastic surgeon with infection control expertise, the orthopedic surgeon kept the patient to himself, and tried and failed on two different occasions to surgically remove the infection on the client’s ankle. On both attempts the surgeon sutured the wound tightly closed, encapsulating a still active infection. When it became obvious the wound remained badly infected, our client was referred to a plastic surgeon who performed emergency surgery to save his endangered limb. The new physician cured the infection and performed tissue transfer reconstructive surgery to close our client’s large resulting wound. Represented by Jim Lindell. Following a weeklong trial, the jury in a rural Minnesota county awarded our client $584,000 in damages.

Negligence - Commercial vehicle collision results in leg amputation.

Our client was a passenger in a dump truck which was rear-ended by a semi driver at 70 mph, forcing our client’s vehicle off the freeway and into a ditch where it rolled several times. He suffered a crushed leg which was amputated below the knee as well as a traumatic brain injury. Represented by Jim Lindell. After a very complicated case in Federal court, in which we employed experts in vocational rehabilitation, medicine, neuropsychology, tax law and economics, we settled the case in three stages for proceeds totaling over $2.2 million. Result – $2.2 million settlement.

Workers’ compensation - Injured carpet layer wins workers’ compensation claim on appeal and secures large personal injury settlement to boot.

Our client, a union floor coverer, was seriously injured in a car crash while driving home after work. Though our client was driving a company vehicle, the workers’ compensation insurer denied benefits claiming our client was merely commuting to his home at the end of his shift, a well-known defense that normally would take the case out of the scope of workers’ compensation. We argued that the general rule of commuting did not apply since our client was transporting the company’s tools and material to and from the work site, essentially using the company truck as a “shop on wheels”. An arbitrator ruled against us and we appealed. In a significant expansion of law favoring commuters who were nevertheless still in the service of their employer, the workers’ compensation Court of Appeals reversed the arbitrator and awarded all benefits claimed by our client. The decision was sustained at the Supreme Court. Represented by Jim Lindell. The workers’ compensation recovery totaled over $165,000 and the third party claim against the negligent driver responsible for the crash settled in mediation for $935,000. Result – The workers’ compensation recovery totaled over $165,000 and the third party claim against the negligent driver responsible for the crash settled in mediation for $935,000.

Wrongful Death - Defendant’s excuse in mail carrier’s death disproved.

Our client’s husband, a rural mail carrier, was killed while placing mail in a rural mailbox when his vehicle was rear-ended by a day-dreaming motorist at highway speed. The Defendant denied negligence, alleging that he suffered a medical emergency immediately prior to the crash and was not responsible for his erratic driving. A thorough investigation of his medical background and depositions of the killer, his wife and his mistress disproved the Defendant’s alleged medical emergency. We advised the Defendant that the case would never settle for the $1 million he had in insurance coverage and that he had better hire personal counsel. Represented by Jim Lindell. The case settled before trial for $1.3 million, including $300,000 which the Defendant had to pay from his own pocket. Result – $1.3 million settlement, including $300,000 which the Defendant had to pay from his own pocket.

AWARDS

Voted Super Lawyer® (in top 5% of Minnesota lawyers) every year, 1998 – 2014
Rated AV, highest rating of Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating service, for ethical standards and legal ability since 1998 (top 14% of lawyers in America)
Member of the American Society of Legal Advocates, by invitation extended to less than 2% of lawyers nationwide
Named one of Minnesota’s top 40 workers’ compensation lawyers by Mpls/St. Paul magazine and Minnesota Law & Politics
Named Attorney of the Year for 2012 by The Minnesota Lawyer

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