Robert Bennett is a trial lawyer and has been one for more than 30 years. He has successfully litigated to verdict scores of matters, including cases involving civil rights law and police misconduct, auto and truck accident cases, product liability cases, and commercial disputes of all types, more often on behalf of the plaintiff or claimant.

He is a perennial “Super Lawyer” and was selected by Minnesota Lawyer as one of their "Attorneys of the Year" for 2007 and again in 2008.

He is widely regarded as the premier civil rights attorney in Minnesota. He has achieved unprecedented success for his injured clients against numerous police and law enforcement agencies and their insurers in Minnesota and elsewhere.

Ngo v. Storlie (2007), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $4.5 million
Police shooting case.

Dalglish v. Keener (2003), Superior Court of Carroll County, Georgia
Total Verdict: $4.5 million
30-year old woman, catastrophic personal injury in multi-vehicle accident.

J.A. v. B.B.R. (1996), Steele County District Court, Minnesota
Total Settlement: $3.45 million
Wrongful death/personal injury; commercial truck and automobile accident.

Balandin v. Eagle (2003), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $3.05 million
18 year old on LSD improperly shot twice by Apple Valley police officer; excessive deadly force.

Forster & D’Heilly v. S.O.D. (1990), Hennepin County District Court, Minnesota
Total Settlement: $2.5 million
Two injured in outdoor advertising sign collapse accident.

Chromulak v. Anoka County, et al. (2005) - U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $1.9 million
Prisoner injury.

Sanville v. Scapardine, Pareek and Fleck (2002), U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
Damages: $1.825 million Total Verdict: $2.1 million
§ 1983 violation by prison psychologist and malpractice by psychologist and psychiatrist caused suicide of prison inmate.

Posthumus v. Brey, et al. (2005), Freeborn County District Court, Minnesota
Total Verdict: $1.68 million
Mother and 6-year old daughter seriously injured in motor vehicle collision.

Carlson v. Century Indemnity, et al. (1998), Carver County District Court, Minnesota and U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
see Century Indemnity Co. v. Carlson, 133 F.2d 591, (Eighth Cir., 1998)
Total Settlement: $1.2 million wrongful death caused by commercial truck and automobile collision found to be in interstate commerce.

Mische v. Sauro, et al. (1994), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Verdict: $1,050,000, including compensatory and punitive damages and attorney’s fees
Minnesota’s most famous police misconduct case.

Polley v. City of Minneapolis (2004), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $995,000
Excessive force.

Feist v. Simonson (2000), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $900,000
§1983 high speed chase violation.

Buelow v. DiIoia, et al. (2000), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $800,000 (involved two plaintiffs - father/victim and daughter/victim/witness)
Excessive force case against Washington County Sheriff.

Barsch v. Siera, (2009), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $695,000
Plaintiff, a young woman with a history of being victimized, was sexually assaulted by a Hubbard County Deputy. The Akeley Police Department failed to investigate the matter or even properly report the victim’s allegations. The City of Akeley settled early on in the case for $55,000 and Hubbard County, which was defending and indemnifying the deputy, settled for $640,000.

Martin v. Hennepin County Sheriff (2001), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $552,315
Excessive force case against Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputy.

Olson v. Cottingham, et al. (1996), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $500,000
Excessive force.

Gerdes v. Meyer, (2009), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $475,000
Plaintiff, a 41 year old man who was on social security disability, was in a Brainerd city park after hours in June 2007. A Brainerd Police Officer was called to the park to investigate a noise complaint. The officer found the plaintiff and some of his friends leaving the park on their bicycles and decided to use his to perform a custodial stop on plaintiff. The plaintiff was pedaling his bicycle out of the park when he was tased in the back and crashed his bicycle, injuring his shoulder and back, requiring multiple surgeries and hospitalizations. The defendants moved for summary judgment arguing that the officer acted as a reasonable officer would and was therefore protected by qualified immunity. The Court disagreed and the settlement followed shortly.

King v. Turner, (2007), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Judgment (based on jury trial, including a punitive damages award): $447,000
Fifty-one year old woman suffered two wrist fractures and a dislocation when a sheriff's deputy used excessive force on her in a bingo hall where he had come to arrest her daughter on a bench warrant.

Town v. Thelen, (U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2007)
Plaintiff was a stroke victim with limited comprehension and very diminished speech capabilities. He was stopped for speeding and through a series of missteps by Waite Park Police Officers, ended up with a broken rib and a collapsed lung. The case settled for $365,000 at an early settlement conference.

Meir v. McCormick, (U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2007)
Five Day jury trial involving allegation of excessive force against the police chief for Chatfield, Minnesota. Plaintiff prevailed on his excessive force claim resulting in a total judgment (compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorneys' fees and costs) of $364,308.09.

Enlund v. Reynolds & City of Minneapolis (2001), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $330,000

Hagen v. Palmer, et al (2003), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $327,000

Pierce v. Isaacson, Wayne and City of Minnetonka (2002), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $320,000

Stockton v. Auren and Siedschlag, (2008), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $280,000
Plaintiff, a 57-year old with a history of medical problems including seizures, became confused and disoriented while trying to pay his town home association dues. He ended up at the back door of the wrong unit of his town home association (in his slippers) and the woman inside called the police. The police arrived, and despite our client’s obvious disorientation, lack of aggressiveness, and frail appearance, the police threw him to the ground with so much force that he fractured his hip. The defendant officers moved for summary judgment, claiming their actions were reasonable and that they were protected by qualified immunity. The court disagreed and denied the motion. The case settled shortly thereafter.

Kearney v. Griffin, et al. (2004) - police unreasonable seizure
Total Settlement: $270,000

Besser v. Owens (2008), Carver County District Court, Minnesota
Total Settlement:$250,000
Plaintiff was a rear-seat passenger in an automobile that collided head-on with a school bus.Plaintiff lost several teeth, and suffered scarring on her arm, hip, and face.Plaintiff underwent three bone graftings and numerous dental procedures and oral surgeries.Plaintiff recovered the insurance limits from the driver’s insurance carrier and is now pursuing a claim against her own insurer for underinsured motorist coverage.

Keller v. Olmsted County, et. al., (2008), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement: $225,000 plus payment of over $112,000 in medical bills
Plaintiff was a pretrial detainee in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center when he suffered an ascending aortic dissection, which has a very high mortality rate. Plaintiff had obvious heart-attack symptoms, including collapsing chest pain, shortness of breath, and left arm pain. Despite these symptoms, the detention center staff failed to provide him with medical attention for over 14 hours, greatly increasing plaintiff’s pain and risk of death. Ultimately, he received treatment and made a full recovery.

Plisner v. Sweeney, Fahey, Hanson and City of Little Canada, (2007), U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Total Settlement (after winning partial summary judgment): $90,000
Plaintiff homeowner's Fourth Amendment rights were violated when the City fined him for not consenting to a warrantless search of his home to ensure his sump pump did not flow into the city's sanitary sewer system.

Civil Trial Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1989 - Present
Civil Trial Specialist, Minnesota State Bar Association, 1989 - Present
"Attorney of the Year," Minnesota Lawyer, 2007

Minnesota Bar Association
American Bar Association
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association
Wyoming Bar Association
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 2005 - Present
American Board of Trial Advocates, 2008 - Present

Minnesota, 1976
Wyoming, 1991
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 1976
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1982
U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, 1999
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1999
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2000
U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2005