Brooks M. Hazelton - Bemidji, MN

I was raised in Bemidji, Minnesota. In 2011, I married my wife Lauren from Anchorage, Alaska. In 2013 I joined my dad’s law practice but hung my own shingle in the 49th state. We lived full-time in Alaska until 2017, when we had our first child. Then we returned to Bemidji to raise our kids. We now have three. Lauren is an optometrist and owns the only locally owned eye clinic in Bemidji. White Spruce Optometry.

My passions include my family, and like many northern Minnesotans and Alaskans, I love to hunt, fish, and play outside. Fortunately, my job is also a passion. My job is to advocate for the injured and the families of those who are wrongfully killed. In my daily practice, I work across from defense lawyers and insurance adjusters. The fire lit inside of me early in my career. In 2015, I represented a woman in Alaska. It was an injury claim that all the other lawyers she spoke with rejected. My client’s significant medical condition resulted from a relatively low speed rear-end collision. She had been representing herself, her husband had left her, and I couldn’t say no. State Farm Insurance Company was our opponent. Unwilling to be fair, they offered $6,000 of go-away money to settle my client’s claim. I spent a year working on the case headed for a trial. My dad flew to Alaska, and we tried the case for three weeks to an Anchorage jury. When we were done, my dad flew home to Bemidji before the jury verdict came. We were called to the courtroom for the verdict, and it totaled $620,526. My client collapsed into my arms in tears of joy. It wasn’t about the money; it was that she was heard, and she was believed.

From that day forward, I knew I was doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do. And I was energized to be the best at it. Aside from the trial skills, I enjoy getting to know my clients. We often have a very personal relationship as I help them navigate, likely one of the worst experiences of their life. I take that job seriously and enjoy finding the right strategy for each client to maximize their recovery while maintaining their quality of life and mitigating their risk. I can often settle my client’s case for a fair amount of money without stepping into a courtroom. But if we need to go there, we are prepared, and the insurance industry knows that.

I am licensed in Minnesota and Alaska. My practice has been limited to personal injury and wrongful death claims for over a decade. I emphasize wrongful death because, for many in my field, they are some of the most challenging claims to present effectively and to resolve fairly. But I can because my focus is on relationship loss and the presentation of that loss. I have represented parents who have lost their young children and adults who have lost their elderly parents. And sadly, many other relationships between. Not one is the same, and I handle each to their unique circumstances.

Recently, I have expanded my practice. Over the years, I have recognized the value of civility and professionalism in the legal process. There are usually good people represented by hard-working and caring advocates on both sides of a dispute. Although most of my practice continues to be as an advocate for plaintiffs. I believe in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system, and my experience in both trial and ADR has led me down the path to becoming a qualified neutral on the Minnesota Supreme Court’s civil mediation roster. Alternative dispute resolutions, like mediation, often provide significant benefits in these emotionally charged and financially taxing cases. I am mutually selected as a mediator. When I am hired as a mediator, I carefully prepare for each mediation by reviewing case details and listening to all parties, working towards settlements that meet their needs.