Michael D. Hutchens

Michael focuses his practice on complex civil litigation involving products liability, construction liability, and defense of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He has handled more than 90 jury trials. Michael recently won a successful jury verdict in litigation defending the designer of a mission critical data center. Millions of dollars were at stake.

Michael is recognized in the list Minnesota Super Lawyers® in the area of construction litigation and has been selected as a Leading Attorney in a statewide survey conducted by American Research Corporation.

PRODUCTS DEFENDED

• Agricultural equipment including augers, corn pickers, hay balers, silos and milking equipment

• Industrial equipment including ammonia systems, chemical conveying systems, electrical systems and custom-built equipment

• Dock and warehouse equipment including forklifts, manlifts and reach trucks

• Construction equipment including bulldozers, excavators, cranes, skid steer loaders and wheeled vehicles

• Consumer products and vehicles including ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles

PHARMACEUTICALS AND MEDICAL DEVICES DEFENDED

• Fen-Phen (cases in Minnesota and Wisconsin)

• Hormone replacement therapy

• PPA (cases involving severe strokes)

• Metoclopramide (cases involving tardive dyskinesia)

• Antibiotics (cases involving tendon ruptures)

• Consumer medical products

REPRESENTATIVE FIRE AND EXPLOSION CASES

• Ammonia explosion with claims exceeding $100 million for property damage and business interruption

• LP gas explosions in Minnesota and Wisconsin involving severe burns, death and property destruction

• Agricultural facilities suits involving property damage and business interruption

• A wide variety of residential fires involving death, burns, and property damage

REPRESENTATIVE COMMERCIAL LITIGATION CASES

• Business interruption and lost profits claim involving custom food conveying/packaging system

• Multi-million dollar claim involving pneumatic chemical conveying system

• Dispute involving packaging used in commercial food operation with business interruption and lost profits claim

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS INVOLVING CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN PROFESSIONALS

• Defense of Electrical Engineer in $7M Mission Critical data center trial

• Defense of Civil Engineers in quadriplegia cases arising out of Highway design

• Defense of catastrophic personal injury claims arising out of construction projects

• Soils correction cases involving commercial projects

• Delay claims involving commercial projects ranging from condominiums to a sports stadium

• Air quality/HVAC cases involving schools and commercial buildings

• Structural failure cases involving commercial buildings and soil retention systems

• Water infiltration claims involving commercial and residential projects

• Fire and explosion cases arising out of construction projects

REPRESENTATIVE FOOD BORNE ILLNESS CASES

• Represented the manufacturer of peanut butter in what was then the largest food recall case in U.S. history

• Represented the international producer of meat products in an E. coli matter

REPRESENTATIVE CATASTROPHIC INJURY CASES

• Wrongful death

• Loss of limb, hearing and sight

• Paraplegia and quadriplegia

• Brain injuries

• Heart injuries

• Severe burns

• Stroke