Weikum Injury Law

When an accident or injury has destroyed someone’s life and livelihood, the last thing they want to do is wait in a lawyer’s office, sitting in a chair that aggravates their pain. They’ve been through enough.

So when a client walks into Weikum Injury Law, they may be pleasantly surprised to be greeted by dressed-down lawyer Jeff Weikum. That surprise quickly gives way to comfort as they shake his hand and take in the open, welcoming office space. At Weikum Injury Law, they’ll enjoy the comfort of an ergonomic chair as the hoodie-clad Weikum leads them through the opening steps of their injury case.

Weikum has been a lawyer for almost 30 years, operating his own firm out of Bismarck, ND. Serving North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota, Weikum has seen his fair share of injury cases, ranging from accidents on the Bakken oil fields to product liability cases.

“We are a little bit more of a boutique law firm–we specialize in doing the cases that are generally considered complex,” Weikum said. “There’s a lot of engineering involved, there’s a lot of medicine involved. There’s a lot of finding the right expert to explain exactly what went wrong at the site and walk the jury through the complications of the medical injuries.”

And the injuries abound; from burns to traumatic brain injuries, Weikum knows how quickly these injuries destroy his clients’ lives and livelihoods. So, when a person is in such a terrible spot, the last thing they should worry about is an unfriendly office with chairs that could aggravate an injury.

Comfort Comes First

Weikum Injury Law’s physical environment hasn’t always been so welcoming–for clients or for employees.  

“We needed more space,” said Weikum. “The four paralegals that are part of our team work in very specific areas within each case, so they need to have their own workspace–but they also need to very quickly collaborate with the other individuals on the team.”  The Open Office concept was a perfect fit for using Herman Miller’s ETHOSPACE Furniture. The window tiles allow for great site lines, yet provide some acoustical privacy at 70 inches high.  

“This is the first truly paperless office I have encountered in 35 years of selling office furniture. I knew Ethospace was the right choice for this office,” said InterOffice Workspace Expert Kyle Hellman.

With help from InterOffice, Jeff Weikum was able to create his dream office–one that balanced privacy with collaboration. He was also able to connect with an old friend. 

“I’ve known Kyle [Hellman] since we used to carry our kids around for Halloween in costumes,” said Weikum. “I’ve worked with him several times over the years. He’s never taken me in the wrong direction.”

Hellman and InterOffice’s Hannah Schumacher provided design, concept & space-planning assistance in relocating Weikum Injury Law’s current office furniture, moving them across town, and setting up the new office in a short time frame.

Everybody walking into the new space is blown away. It's not overdone, it's not stuffy. It's inviting.

Jeff Weikum

From the very beginning of the project, ergonomics was a top priority for Weikum and InterOffice. Not only has Weikum represented injured parties for the better part of three decades, Weikum has suffered from back issues himself. He wanted to make sure his employees are not hurting themselves physically while working for Weikum Injury Law. 

Using Motia Height Adjustable Desks and Herman Miller EMBODY chairs, Weikum Injury Law’s new workspace has the technology needed to keep their employees’ bodies safe and comfortable. Further, as a paperless office, Flo Monitor Arms installed on the desks help keep everyone’s alignment in check as they pore over digital papers.

To give their clients the most comfortable seating possible, Weikum Injury Law is outfitted with Geiger Crosshatch Chairs and Herman Miller Setu Seating.

“In the old days that used to be, you’d go from one office to another office, sitting in phenomenally uncomfortable chairs,” said Weikum. “I watched my clients struggle to sit in those chairs because of their injuries.”

Another highlight for Weikum is the new conference room furniture. In a typical conference room, law office or otherwise, the centerpiece is a big, long, rectangular slab of wood that takes many people to move. At Weikum Injury Law, the long conference table is made up of four modular Herman Miller Mobile Everywhere Tables. These tables can be easily pulled apart and rearranged, turning a traditional conference room into a courtroom for mock trials with very little elbow grease.

It was just a very important thing for them that somebody took the time to say, ‘Hey, your injury has value.

Seeking Justice, Providing Comfort

Weikum didn’t always plan to pursue injury law. He was determined to become a prosecutor–until an opportunity to assist on a case during law school led Weikum to rethink his career track.

After the case, Weikum received a thank you card from a client. The words written in the card were simple, but they’ve stuck with Weikum for more than 30 years: “You’ll never know that you’re my angel.” 

“It completely changed how I looked at helping people,” Weikum said. 

Weikum has dedicated his career to seeking justice for his injured clients, and now, he can also provide them a safe, comfortable space to seek his expertise. 

“Everybody walking into the new space is blown away. It’s not overdone, it’s not stuffy. It’s inviting,” Weikum said. “InterOffice did a fantastic job.”