Can’t Agree with Co-Owners on Property? Here’s How Partition Lawsuits Work in Missouri
Published in Real Estate on July 21, 2025
Do you co-own a house, land, or family farm in Missouri—and now you’re stuck? Maybe you want to sell, but the other owner doesn’t. Maybe someone’s living there while you get nothing. If you’re at a standstill, Missouri law offers a way forward. It’s called a partition lawsuit, and it allows the court to divide or sell the property when… READ MORE
Why Do Lawyers Argue So Much When 95% of Cases Settle?
Published in Medical Malpractice,Personal Injury on June 24, 2025
By Craig Heidemann Somewhere around the third discovery dispute or the fifteenth email about deposition scheduling, it hits you: this case is going to settle. Everyone knows it. The lawyers. The clients. The court. And yet, we press on. We write long emails, attend case management conferences, file motions to compel over marginal documents, and posture like we’re months away… READ MORE
Missouri Rejects Florida’s “Free Kill” Law Approach
Published in Medical Malpractice on June 18, 2025
Free Kill Law: Florida’s Unconventional Approach to Addressing Medical Liability Exposure In late May, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed HB 6017, a bill that would have allowed the parents of deceased adult children and adult children of deceased parents to sue for noneconomic damages related to pain, suffering, and loss resulting from medical malpractice. Commonly referred to as “Free Kill… READ MORE
$300,000 TVCF Award for Wrongful Death Victim
Published in Uncategorized on January 22, 2025
Recently, Craig Heidemann secured a $300,000.00 award from the Missouri Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund (TVCF) for his client after her husband was assaulted and died in an attack at a restaurant in Dade County, Missouri. The award was the maximum amount allowable. The TVCF was established to compensate those who have been injured due to the negligence or re cklessness… READ MORE
Douglas, Haun & Heidemann Shifts Legal Focus From General Practice to More Concentrated Areas of Practice, Including Litigation, Family Law and More
Published in Firm News on December 6, 2024
With over a century of experience, Douglas, Haun & Heidemann has transitioned from offering a wide range of legal services as a general practice firm, to concentrating on key areas of the law, including ligation, family law, estate planning, real estate, and probate law. The team at Douglas, Haun & Heidemann includes two members of its founding family: Patrick Douglas… READ MORE
$4.5 Million Wrongful Death Judgment for Asphyxiated Infant
Published in Firm News,Verdicts and Settlements on December 2, 2024
For the last year, our litigation team represented two parents whose newborn infant son suffered a tragic death while under the care of a Missouri foster parent. The child died from asphyxia while co-sleeping with the defendant on a couch, contrary to established foster care safety regulations and training. Recently, the Greene County Circuit Court entered a judgment in favor… READ MORE
Avoid Regret – Preserve the Evidence
Published in Personal Injury on November 22, 2024
Preserving Evidence to Strengthen Your Personal Injury Claim If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, preserving evidence is critical to building a strong personal injury claim. Solid evidence can make all the difference in securing fair compensation for accident victims. Our Springfield car accident lawyers will help you gather and preserve the right evidence. Why Preserving Evidence Matters… READ MORE
Financial Advisors Have Rights When Terminated by FINRA Employer
Published in Uncategorized on October 29, 2024
FINRA requires employers to detail why an employee left a firm in the securities industry on a Form U5. A recent case resulted in a $29 million Pennsylvania state court jury defamation verdict in favor of a terminated employee because the language on the terminated employee’s Form U5 was found to be untrue and damaging to the former employee’s reputation.… READ MORE
Making a Good Argument
Published in Personal Injury on October 29, 2024
Legal Insight Alert! As a trial attorneys, we often see the impact of strong arguments versus weak ones. One of the weakest tactics? The ad hominem attack – it’s been around for centuries. With ad hominem, Instead of addressing the actual issue, it targets the person, distracting from the real debate. Lawyers know personal attacks don’t strengthen a case—they weaken… READ MORE
Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed in Niangua Police Shooting
Published in Firm News,Personal Injury on May 21, 2024
Melinda Austin, the mother of Niangua Resident Dylan Austin, filed a multi-million dollar seven count federal civil rights lawsuit against Niangua Police Department officer Dwayne McAtee. McAtee pursed Dylan Austin into his Webster County home on March 13, 2024 without a warrant and shot him in the bedroom in front of his mother. Melinda Austin alleges that McAtee waged… READ MORE