John Dornik

Shareholder | johndornik@siegelbrill.com | 612-337-6100

Click on the links below to see John talk about these practice areas:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents    • Wrongful Death (Medical Malpractice)

• Wrongful Death (Motor Vehicle Accident)    • Aviation Law

• Medical Malpractice    • Product Liability

“Representing injury victims at their greatest time of need, and helping them receive compensation for their medical bills, wage loss, and their loss of the enjoyment of life, is the greatest honor and privilege I have ever known.”

As a Certified Civil Trial Specialist, certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association, John has tried medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, product liability, wrongful death, aviation and sexual assault cases to juries over the past three decades. John is particularly gifted at telling his client’s story with compassion and empathy, in language jurors connect with. His success is a result of his sincere interest in his client’s problems and his commitment to communicating the facts and the law accurately, with integrity and compassion.

John recognizes that his clients need both an advocate and a counselor in the litigation process. Litigation can be difficult and emotional, and John takes his role of leading clients through every phase of a claim very seriously:

He has secured seven figure recoveries for clients in motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, aviation, medical malpractice, and product liability.

Some of John’s representative cases include:

  • Representing a motorcyclist who was struck by a commercial carrier, resulting in the loss of one of the young man’s legs. The $3.5 million that John recovered for his client helped pay his significant medical costs and helped alleviate the concern about his loss of future earning capacity.
  • Representing a young boy whose meningitis was misdiagnosed, resulting in injuries that will limit him for the rest of his life. At the conclusion of a four-week trial, John obtained a recovery of $2.1 million dollars to help with future medical expenses and compensate the boy for future loss of enjoyment of life.
  • Representing a family involved in an aviation incident where one family member died as a result and two other family members survived but were injured. After extensive litigation, the case was resolved and the family received a settlement of approximately $7 million dollars.
  • Representing the family of a man who died after the plane he was piloting crashed. John discovered that a faulty part in the engine was responsible for the accident. As a result of this product liability/wrongful death claim he secured a settlement of $4.5 million for the loss of support and relationship for the family.

EDUCATION

University of Minnesota, J.D. (cum laude)
St. Mary’s College, B.A. (magna cum laude)

ACHIEVEMENTS / INVOLVEMENT

  • Named to the Power 30 by Minnesota Lawyer in 2021 and 2022
  • Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School teaching Product Liability Law
  • Selected as the Best Lawyers in America for multiple years: Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Selected as the Best Lawyers Minneapolis Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs "Lawyer of the Year"
  • Selected as Lawyer of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer magazine multiple years
  • Named as the sole recipient of the Professional Excellence Award by the MSBA in 2017
  • Selected as a Super Lawyer every year for over 20 years  
  • President, Hennepin County Bar Association, (2003-2004)
  • House of Delegates, American Bar Association (1995-1999, 2008-2014)
  • Board of Governors, Minnesota State Bar Association (1994-1996, 2003-2010)
  • Chair, General Policy Committee, Minnesota State Bar Association (2015-present)
  • Chair, Legislative Committee, Minnesota State Bar Association (2004-2008)
  • Chair, New Lawyers’ Section, Minnesota State Bar Association (1993-1994)

LICENSES / MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Civil Trial Specialist; certified by Minnesota State Bar Association
Licensed to practice in Minnesota state and federal courts
American Bar Association
Minnesota Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Minnesota Association for Justice

INTERESTS

Reading, running, sports and fishing