AREAS OF PRACTICE
Crop Insurance Disputes. Ben handles crop insurance disputes for farmers across the nation. He is one of only a handful of attorneys in the country experienced in this area. Ben has experience handling all kinds of disputes and has successfully handled cases for farmers who have been denied coverage or who have received settlement offers that are too low. He also represents farmers against insurance agents who have either been negligent in securing crop insurance coverage for farmers or who have misrepresented coverage.
Personal Injury and workers’ compensation. Ben handles personal injury and wrongful death claims, including cases involving dangerous products, medical malpractice, auto and tractor-trailer accidents, slips, trips and falls, insurance disputes, workers’ compensation, construction, farming and industrial accidents, boating accidents and motorcycle accidents.
Appeals. Ben handles most of the firm’s appeals. He has successfully argued appeals before the Missouri Supreme Court and the Missouri Court of Appeals in a wide range of cases, including insurance disputes, probate cases, divorce and family law cases, workers’ compensation cases and personal injury cases. He is available to associate with other attorneys to help with appeals.
COURTS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
Ben has been admitted to practice law in the states of Missouri and Kansas. Federal courts include U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
He has also had the privilege of practicing in several other states on a case by case basis by associating with lawyers in those states, including Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, California, and Washington.
EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND RECOGNITION
Ben is a shareholder with the firm. Ben received his Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Montana. He attended law school at the University of Kansas, graduating in 2004. During law school, Ben served as Editor-in-Chief of the Kansas Law Review, and at graduation, he was honored with the Justice Lloyd Kagey Award for distinguished service in the law school. He is a member of the Order of the Coif.
Ben has been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers as one of the top 40 under 40 trial lawyers. In 2015, he was recognized as a Rising Star by the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers, and has earned a 9.9 rating from Avvo, a nationally-recognized attorney ranking and referral site.
Ben is a member of the Missouri Bar Association and the St. Joseph Bar Association. Ben is also a member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the American Association for Justice, the American Agricultural Law Association and the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Ben lives in St. Joseph, Mo., with his wife, Erin, and daughters, Isabelle, Ella Mae, and Frankee. Ben and his family are members of McCarthy Baptist Church in St. Joseph, where Ben serves as a Sunday school teacher and deacon. Ben was born in Springfield, Illinois and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He moved to St. Joseph in 2004 after graduating from law school and has been with the firm ever since.
During law school, Ben quickly realized that he wanted to represent people who had suffered injuries or who had lost a loved one because of another person’s negligence. He felt like he could use his creativity and compassion to make a difference. The cases Ben has handled have allowed him to reach that goal. He enjoys taking on a client’s cause and achieving justice.
In his spare time, Ben enjoys activities with his family, reading, running, and doing CrossFit at B-FIT CrossFit in St. Joseph.
