On May 6, 2020, following postponements of all jury and non-jury trials as a result of the pandemic, the Iowa Supreme Court created the Jumpstart Jury Trials Task Force. The Task Force was composed of judges, attorneys, and court personnel from across Iowa and in consultation with public health experts, county officials, and law enforcement […]
Andrew Hall and Aaron Lindebak obtained a summary judgment dismissal for a factory supervisor sued for gross negligence. The case arose from a catastrophic industrial accident that occurred as a result of a malfunctioning machine. In Iowa, the sole remedy for employees injured in work related accidents is to bring a worker’s compensation claim against […]
Ryleigh Keeney grew up in Miles, Iowa and graduated from Loras College in 2017 with degrees in accounting and finance. She received her J.D. from the University of Iowa in 2020 where she served as the Academic Director of the Moot Court Board, was a member of the Organization of Women Law Students and Staff, […]
After years of litigation, including a trip to the Court of Appeals and back, and a two-week trial, the Court of Appeals affirmed the jury’s decision in Nationwide Agribusiness v. PGI, et al. to dismiss the claims against all defendants. The lawsuit originated with the tragic death of a Boone County farmer who was overcome […]
On August 30, 2015, Kathryn Breese and her nine-year-old daughter were riding their bicycles through Dankwardt Park in Burlington, Iowa. While inadvertently riding on a sewer box that was connected to a public pathway, Breese struck a tree and lost control of her bicycle, falling ten feet to the ground, resulting in injuries. Plaintiffs alleged […]
The Iowa Supreme Court, in a May 22, 2020 supervisory order, ordered that all jury trials shall be continued to a date no earlier than September 14, 2020. The Court outlined the priority of cases in its May 22, 2020 supervisory order: emergency matters, criminal cases, and family law matters are given priority. Proceedings not […]
Grefe & Sidney is already handling Coronavirus/COVID-19 related litigation. Countless businesses have been affected by this pandemic, causing disruptions with both demand and supply. Our firm is involved in defending claims that business interruption clauses contained in many insurance policies should be triggered by pandemic related/government ordered closures. In addition, the first of what is […]
The Iowa legislature has revised the”PEXA” rule established in Pexa v. Auto Owners Insurance Co., 686 N.W.2d 150 (Iowa 2004). The Pexa case provided that a jury, in personal injury cases, could consider both the charged amount and the actual amount of past medical bills paid when determining how much to award for past medical expenses. Senate File 2338, […]
Our attorneys and legal staff have been working remotely through our secure remote access program during the Covid-19 outbreak. Our team is excited to announce that almost all Grefe & Sidney employees will be returning to the office starting June 22, as authorized by Governor Reynolds. Grefe & Sidney remains committed to providing high quality […]
Criminal and Civil Cases In the wake of Covid-19, the Iowa Supreme Court has issued a set of orders temporarily suspending civil trials as well as non-emergency criminal trials. Not all court proceedings are impacted by these orders. Trials that are affected are set to resume on: June 1, 2020: criminal non-jury trials June 15, […]
