For more than 75 years, the Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyers of Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC have worked tirelessly fighting for the legal rights of hundreds of Minnesota residents who have suffered serious physical and emotional injuries, and survivors of those who have died due to others’ negligence.  At our firm, every personal injury attorney takes pride in providing quality and personalized representation to our clients within the following areas:

• Catastrophic Injury
• Slip and Fall/Premises Liability
• Auto Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Railroad Injuries/FELA
• Product Liability
• Aviation Accidents
• Wrongful Death

Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC dates back to 1929 when Carl L. Yaeger, Sr., the firm's founder, was named partner in the firm of Davis, Michel & Yaeger. In the 1950s, two of Carl's sons, Carl, Jr. and Bill joined the firm and soon after the name became Yaeger & Yaeger.  Bill Jungbauer and Ron Barczak began working at Yaeger & Yaeger in the late 1970s. By 1985, Bill and Ron were active partners in the growing law firm and are now senior partners.

The firm currently has a national reputation for success in our representation of railroad workers injured on the job, seeking compensation under the Federal Employers' Liability Act or FELA.  Recognized as one of the premier FELA firms, we have handled thousands of FELA cases and related actions under the Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSSA) and the Federal Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA).  We represent injured railroaders in state and federal courts in more than 40 states.

Extraordinary Dedication Equals Extraordinary Results:
We make your needs our top priority.  When you retain a Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer at our firm, you will have an attorney who is well respected in the legal community and with insurance adjusters.  We are aggressive and tenacious when fighting for our clients, but are also kind, understanding and sensitive with them.  We know that hard work, compassion and attention to detail are the foundation of every successful settlement or verdict we achieve.

We get results--both in court and at the negotiating table. We know how to take on corporations, railroads, and their well-funded insurance companies and we have recovered hundreds of millions on behalf of our clients. Our many years of experience and nationwide presence means injured people and their families have access to the highest quality legal services.

One of our skilled Minneapolis Personal Injury Attorneys will manage all aspects of your case, including complex investigations, vital research, processing of medical bills, contacting insurance companies and engaging in negotiations on behalf of accident victims.  From beginning to end, we guide personal injury victims through an often intimidating, tedious process of challenging corporations and insurance companies until a fair settlement is reached.

SETTLEMENTS AND VERDICTS

• Confidential settlements for several families injured during a spill of anhydrous ammonia during a CP rail derailment near Minot, North Dakota.  The YJB team produced evidence sufficient to underscore CP's negligence and fault in multiple respects such as: violations of multiple federal safety regulations; CP used old, worn out, undersized 100 pound rail despite knowing it was inadequate, substandard, and inappropriate  for such use; CP failed to follow its own internal rule regarding the inspection, maintenance and repair of continuous welded rail; and CP discontinued ultrasonic testing which would have detected the cracked joint bar and prevented the derailment, among others.
  
  
• A $2.6 million insurance bad faith verdict in Kissondath v. U.S. Fire Ins. Co., 620 N.W. 2d 909 (Minn. Ct, App. 2001). In that case, a man and his wife were sitting in their parked pickup truck when they were struck and injured by a taxicab.
  

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Dangerous or defective conditions may be large or small, temporary or permanent.  Therefore, investigation of the claim is essential to a successful case.  Temporary conditions such as water on the floor of a grocery store, or snow and ice on the stairs of a restaurant need to be investigated quickly.

Automobile Accidents:
A car accident is a collision involving an automobile and anything that causes damage to the automobile, including other automobiles, telephone poles, buildings and trees. Sometimes a car accident may also refer to an automobile striking a human or animal. Car accidents — also called traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents and crashes — kill an estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year, and injure about forty times this number.

Defective Products:
Products liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer.  Products liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, motor vehicle defects, recreational products, pharmaceuticals and other defective products and equipment.  A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for product liability.  Damages can be recovered under one of the following categories:  strict products liability; negligence or breach of warranty.   

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death.  In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one.  Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived.  It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost.  Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a railroad or other accident, contact a Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer at Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC today at 866-781-1590, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange for your initial consultation.  We will help you understand your rights and explain what you need to do to get the medical treatment and financial recovery you need to put your life back together. 

Professional Profile

A Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer of Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC will provide you with exceptional representation in automobile, products liability, general negligence and aviation cases.  When you are seriously injured, you need solid advice that you can trust.  At Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC, we have more than 75 years of experience and a national reputation for quality legal representation.

Michael Weiner is a partner in the firm and has been helping accident victims and their families nationwide since 1981.  He is a skilled trial attorney with extensive experience in the areas of personal injury, railroad, products liability, and civil appeals. He has handled a number of landmark cases, including cases expanding the rights of injured railroad employees and the victims of defective products.  He joined Yaeger, Jungbauer & Barczak in 1993.  Attorney Weiner is a member of the Order of the Barristers and the Association of Trial Lawyers in America.  He is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education programs and has written numerous articles for legal publications. Mr. Weiner is an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN.

Robert T. Dolan is a partner with the firm.  He has experience in the areas of personal injury, railroad, product liability, wrongful death, and criminal defense law. Mr. Dolan has been helping accident victims and their families since 1972, having tried well over 200 cases in his career. He joined the firm in 1995 and has attained the highest possible legal ability rating (AV) from Martindale-Hubbell, the national rating organization for attorneys. Attorney Dolan is also a qualified mediator and arbitrator, and a dedicated supporter and volunteer at the Courage Center and Camp Courage in Minneapolis, Minn., an organization dedicated to empowering people with physical disabilities to reach their full potential.

Paula Jossart began working as a law clerk at Yaeger, Jungbauer & Barczak in 1997 while in law school.  She has worked at our Minneapolis office as a personal injury lawyer since 1999. Prior to working at the firm, Attorney Jossart was the editor of a newspaper chain in North Dakota, her home state. Her undergraduate degree is in Journalism and Spanish. Attorney Jossart focuses her practice on litigating personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, railroad accidents, and wrongful death claims, as well as FELA cases. Recently, Ms. Jossart obtained a jury verdict in the amount of $12.5 million on a case that she had been working on for five years. According to Attorney Jossart, "our attorneys are not afraid to push the boundaries, not afraid to go to the limit of trying a case if need be so that you can have your day in court.  We offer agressive, competent representation because we care and believe in each one of our clients."  In her spare time, Ms. Jossart enjoys playing with her young daughters and jogging.

Erik D. Willer is an associate attorney with the firm. He began working for Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC as a clerk while studying at the University of Minnesota Law School. Erik finds that the experience and depth of knowledge of the attorneys and paralegals at Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC is an invaluable resource for properly addressing his clients' needs.  Erik is honored to be part of the Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC tradition of standing up for the rights of clients in FELA and personal injury cases.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a railroad or other accident, contact a Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer at Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC today at 866-781-1590, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange for your initial consultation.  We will help you understand your rights and explain what you need to do to get the medical treatment and financial recovery you need to put your life back together.

FIRM ADDRESS:
Yaeger Jungbauer & Barczak, PLC
745 Kasota Ave. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: 866-781-1590
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:
Michael Weiner
Robert T. Dolan
Paula M. Jossart
Erik D. Willer

MICHAEL WEINER

EDUCATION:

• William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1981, J.D. Doctor of Jurisprudence. Honors: Cum Laude
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1977, B.Elec.St., Bachelor of Elected Studies
  

COURTS ADMITTED:

• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 10th District
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th District
• U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1981
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1984
• Minnesota, 1981

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1981 - Present, Member
• Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys
• Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, 1981 - Present, Member of Board of Governors

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS:

• Weiner & Kvas, Partner, 1991 - 1993
• DeParcq, Hunegs, Stone, Koenig & Reid, Associate, 1981 - 1991

• Legal Advice Clinics

PUBLICATIONS:

• Right to Punitive Damages in Minnesota in the Absence of a Personal Injury, 27 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev 1043, 2000
• No-Fault Tort Thresholds, The Plaintiff's Perspective, 24 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 985, 1998
• Weiner and Steenson, Products Liability, MTLA Cause of Action Manual, 3rd ed.
• Legal Computer Operator Malpractice: A New Tort, Hennepin County Lawyer, Nov./Dec., 1986
• Meeting the Statutory Tort Threshold, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Summer, 1994
• Judges Speak Out, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Spring, 1995
• Punitive Damages in Minnesota, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Fall, 1995

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Personal Injury - Plaintiff
• Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA) - Employee
• Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA) - Plaintiff
• Locomotive Inspection Act ( LIA) - Plaintiff
• Products Liability Law
• Wrongful Death - Plaintiff
• Litigation & Appeals

• Selected as a "Superlawyer" by Minnesota Journal of Law and Politics, both generally, and as one of the Top Appellate Specialists in the state of Minnesota.
• Order of Barristers, 1981
• Best Lawyers in America - Railroad Law Section, 2006

• Adjunct Professor, WIlliam Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota
• Frequent Lecturer, Continuing Legal Education Programs

• Kissoondath v. U.S. Fire Ins. Co., 620 N.W. 2d 909 (Minn. Ct, App. 2001)
• Short v. Dairyland Ins. Co., 334 N.W. 2d 384 (Minn. 1983)
• Kulavic v. Chicago & Illinois Midland Ry. Co., 1 F 3d 507 (C.S.7 (Ill.) 1993)
• Forster v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 437 N.W. 2d 655 (Minn. 1989)
• Pikop v. Burlington Northern R. Co., 390 N.W. 2d 743 (Minn. 1986)
• Garcia v. Burlington Northern R. Co., 818 F. 2d 713 (C.A. 10 (Colo) 1987)
• Stevens v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., 915 F. 2d 1565 (Table, Text in WESTLAW), Unpublished (4th Cir 1990)
• Melin v. Burlington Northern R. Co., 401 N.W. 2d 418 (Minn. Ct. App 1987)
• Myers v. John Deere Ltd., 683 F. 2d 270 (C.A. 8 (N.D.) 1982)
• Foss v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins. Co., (as Amicus Curiae), 1996 Minn. App. LEXIS 1286 (Minn. Ct. App. 1996)
• Lindsey v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co., (as Amicus Curiae), 775 F. 2d 1322 (5th Cir. 1985)
• Lundman v. McKown (as Amicus Curiae), 530 N.W. 2d, 807, cert. denied, 516 U.S. 1092 (1996) (Minn. Ct. App. 1995)

• Drake University Law School, Des Moines, Iowa, J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
• University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, B.A., 

• Minnesota Law & Politics - Top 40 Alternative Dispute Resolution Arbitrator, 2005 - Present
• Best Lawyers in America - Railroad Law Section, 2006 - Present
• Minnesota Law & Politics Superlawyers

COURTS ADMITTED:

• Minnesota, 1972
• Iowa, 1972
• Montana, 1997
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1979
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1994
• U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1978

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
• Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, Member
• American Board of Trial Advocates, Member

• Member of Hennepin County Human Resources Board
• Volunteer at Courage Center and Camp Courage
• Member of Courage Centers Volunteer Leadership Council
  

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Litigation & Appeals
• Criminal Law
• Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) - Employee
• Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA) - Plaintiff
• Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA) - Plaintiff
• Personal Injury - Plaintiff
• Products Liability Law
• Wrongful Death - Plaintiff

PAULA M. JOSSART

EDUCATION:

• William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1999 J.D.
• University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, 1992 B.A.

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Minnesota Lawyer - Attorney of the Year 2004
• Minnesota Law and Politics, 2006 RIsing Star Super Lawyer

• Spanish

COURTS ADMITTED:

• Minnesota, 1999
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) - Employee
• Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA) - Plaintiff
• Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA) - Plaintiff
• Personal Injury - Plaintiff
• Motor Vehicle Accidents - Plaintiff
• Railroad Accidents - Plaintiff
• Wrongful Death - Plaintiff

ERIK D. WILLER

EDUCATION:

• University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2003 J.D.
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1997 B.A., Political Science

COURTS ADMITTED:

• Minnesota, 2003
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2005

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS:

• Covington & Burling, Legal Assistant, 1998 - 2000
• Smithsonian Institution, Archivist Intern, 1997

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) - Employee
• Federal Safety Appliance Act (FSAA) - Plaintiff
• Locomotive Inspection Act (LIA) - Plaintiff
• Motor Vehicle Accidents - Plaintiff
• Railroad Accidents - Plaintiff
• Slip and Fall - Plaintiff
• Wrongful Death - Plaintiff