Super Lawyers - Minnesota 2015

understand,” says Jim Schwebel of rival personal injury firm Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben.

“He has an uncommon level of common sense,” says Sieben.

But Carey’s success comes from more than that, says Schwebel. “It’s about Jim’s integrity. One of the best proofs of that is that on many occasions he’s been selected by both plaintiffs and defense counsel to serve as the sole arbitrator to resolve a case. That’s rare,” he says.

The courtroom can be a macho, adversarial place. Carey can fight, but he can also show compassion.

“Most lawyers have a hard time expressing their feelings about these things, but not Jim,” says Sieben.

He’s realistic about how much what he
does helps clients. “You’re talking about
exchanging money for someone’s loved one,”
Carey says. “It isn’t equal. If you think it is, you
don’t have a heart. We can help people get
their life back on track with compensation
Some lives do turn around. Take
Swarthout. He is thriving again, thanks
to ongoing physical therapy and smart
management of his settlement money. He
and his wife thank Carey. “I used to think
lawyers were all the same until I met Jim,”
Not every case works out. Take the case
of Kevin Harms. “That’s one that still keeps
me up,” Carey says.

Harms was a patient in a psychiatric ward at Mayo Clinic when he went out for a walk one night in 2009 and jumped to his death from a parking ramp. Carey sued for negligence. It was a civil case against Mayo tried in Rochester—tough to win. And he didn’t; Mayo was cleared of liability. But Carey still thinks about it.

His opinion? “This was a relatively young guy going through a bad bout of depression and was let out of a secure ward when he shouldn’t have been,” he says. “It sticks in my craw because we should have won. It’s the one case in my mind where I think about some of my choices. Maybe if I had done this a little different, the outcome would have been different. That’s a hard

CAREY IS 55 AND HAS THREE KIDS OUT

of the house. He has the look of a contented, proud family man—and the look of a TV or movie dad.

Ten years ago, Carey and his wife packed
up their Edina house and moved into a
secluded area in Forest Lake, which reminds
him of his childhood. “It’s beautiful,” he says.
“We don’t have any close neighbors, probably
a quarter mile away, and we have wildlife,
Even though he’s now the managing
partner of the firm, a position granted him
four years ago in a decision Sieben says
was unanimous among the partners, he
still carries a heavy caseload. Carey has
between 80 to 120 files he’s working on,
and a whiteboard in his office with 14 cases
being prepped for trial. He works like he’s
making up for lost time.

HELPING PEOPLE IN THE GREATEST TIME OF NEED

Hunegs, LeNeave & Kvas for over 75 years has devoted its law practice to representation of individuals who are seriously injured and families who have lost loved ones as a result of the carelessness of railroads, bad drivers, airplane crashes, unsafe products, nursing home neglect, trucking accidents, and other wrongful conduct. We take pride in helping our clients put their lives back together and go on to lead meaningful and productive lives.

HLK is a local law firm with a nationally
recognized reputation for proven results.

Results derived from experience, careful planning, thorough preparation, and skill as trial lawyers. HLK has helped the victims of many of the largest train wrecks in the country, including derailments, head-on collisions, chemical and hazardous material releases, and other catastrophic events.

Again this year, Richard G. Hunegs,
Cortney S. LeNeave, Randal W. LeNeave
and William Kvas have been named to
Super Lawyers. The firm’s attorneys have
obtained numerous multimillion-dollar
verdicts and settlements, including one
of the largest reported personal injury
settlements in Minnesota ($24 million)
involving a train derailment and explosion.

HLK lawyers have the knowledge, dedication, ability and experience to help those in greatest need. We are honored by referrals from other lawyers and friends, and we would consider it a privilege to work with you.