In September, 2012, following a seven-day trial, Meagher & Geer lawyers Michael Hutchens and Lenae Pederson achieved a defense verdict for their client, an engineering firm, in an action in Wisconsin state court. The case involved an allegation that the engineering firm had negligently designed improvements to a county road. The plaintiff, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was severely injured when he lost control of his vehicle, slid off the road, and traveled at least 180 feet in the roadside ditch before crashing into a retaining wall supporting a cattle-farm driveway. The retaining wall was outside the clear zone, defined as the roadside border area that needs to be free of obstacles for errant drivers, like the plaintiff. Plaintiff argued that the engineering firm should have done more than was required by the road-design guidelines to shield drivers from the wall. The jury found that the plaintiff was 100% at fault for the injuries he sustained and that the engineering firm was not negligent.

A skilled litigator, Mike has handled more than 90 jury trials. He focuses his practice on complex civil litigation involving products liability, construction liability, and defense of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Mike is recognized in the list of Minnesota Super Lawyers® in the area of construction litigation, and in 2007 was listed as one of the Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyers. He holds the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, AV® Preeminent ™ (AV is a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies). He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

Lenae  focuses her practice on complex civil litigation – with an emphasis on disputes related to design professionals and products liability. When representing architects and engineers, Lenae has defended against professional negligence claims associated with water and sewer systems, pneumatic conveying systems, retaining walls and bridge design. In her products-liability practice, she has defended manufacturers and distributors against claims involving construction equipment, the lemon law, recreational vehicles, and large and small machinery.  In addition, she has defended a wide range of contractors against construction-defect claims. She has been named a Rising Star by Minnesota Super Lawyers.