‘Know Your Rights’ law firm celebrates 50+ years

As the law firm of Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey, Ltd., enters its 51st year, President Harry Sieben, Jr., says its services are needed more than ever.

“I’m proud of what I do,” Sieben said in an interview with Workday Minnesota. “Victims need help. If they didn’t have trial lawyers who would represent them on a contingent fee, they wouldn’t get anything.”

Clint Grose and John Von Holtum started the firm in Worthington, Minnesota, in 1952, and in 1960 put their major focus on personal injury cases, making their firm one of the first in the country to do so. Over the years, the firm has steadily grown, moved its headquarters to Minneapolis and took on landmark cases.

Harry Sieben, Jr.

In 1971, Grose won the first $1 million personal injury verdict in Minnesota, in a case involving a journeyman carpenter. Since then, the firm has won more than 40 cases with verdicts or settlements exceeding $1 million.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that attorneys could advertise, the firm was one of the first to do so. They sponsored radio commercials and became known as the “Know Your Rights” law firm.

In addition to his courtroom work, Sieben served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1971 to 1985 and held its highest leadership post, Speaker of the House. In 1983, he became president of the law firm.

Rights under attack
Trial lawyers have come under attack in recent years with some politicians promoting legislation to limit the awards in personal injury and other civil cases. That’s the wrong approach, Sieben maintains. As corporations get larger and become more multinational, these rights need to be preserved, he said.

While much attention is given to monetary awards, court cases play an important role in preventing and reducing further injury, he said. The safety of all-terrain vehicles is one example, he said.

Manufacturers were loathe to stop production of three-wheel ATVs, until a series of court cases exposed the unsafe nature of these vehicles – and cost these companies money. No three-wheel ATVs are sold in the United States now, although they still can be found on the market in some foreign countries.

Another example involves a case that Sieben puts at the top of his list of accomplishments. In 1978, he won a $2.25 million verdict for a Minnesota man who had become paraplegic in a small plane crash. It was the largest personal injury award up to that time.

“We proved the seats in the airplane were not as crash-resistant and crush-resistant as they should have been,” Sieben recalled. The case led to changes in the way airplane seats are made.

“Plaintiffs’ lawyers have done a good job of showing manufacturers if they cut corners and make unsafe products, they have to suffer the consequences,” Sieben said.

New challenges
Although it does not handle cases for union organizations, the firm of Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey has built strong ties to the labor movement. “Many unions refer their members who are injured to us,” Sieben said.

As a legislator, he advocated for stronger workers’ compensation laws to protect those injured on the job. As a brigadier general in the Minnesota Air National Guard, Sieben serves with many union members.

Dave Roe, president emeritus of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, is the firm’s liaison with organized labor and works with unions on a range of legislative, safety and community activities.

Sieben, known as “Tex” to friends and family, said the challenges of the future will in many ways be similar to those of the past. Injuries will continue to happen, unfortunately, although their nature may change. Safety experts report an explosion in musculoskeletal problems related to poor worksite design. More and more workers are filing both workers’ compensation claims and product liability suits regarding these injuries.

Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey will “continue to hire bright young people” who have become both courtroom and community leaders and will always seek out new, innovative ways to represent working people, Sieben said. “We’re proud of what we’ve done and we want to continue doing it.”

For more information

Visit the law firm’s website, www.knowyourrights.com

Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum & Carey is a sponsor of Workday Minnesota. For more, visit our sponsor page.

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