James B. Kazan, Esq.
Partner
Phone: 603-644-4357Fax: 603-624-2550
E-Mail: jkazan@kskmlaw.com
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Practice Area Specialties:
Experience You Can Count On
Jim has 30 years of experience litigating and trying cases in New Hampshire. He has tried civil cases in the United States District Court for New Hampshire as well as the State trial courts in every New Hampshire county. His experience includes all manner of personal injury cases, products liability, medical malpractice, employment and contract law cases, and business litigation. Jim also is experienced in insurance coverage disputes and appellate work.
As a Personal Injury Lawyer:
Attorney Kazan has represented hundreds of personal injury claimants in New Hampshire. Such claims typically arise from unsafe motor vehicle operation, as well as defective or dangerous premises or products, but such a claim can arise from any injury caused by the carelessness of others. Individuals may not be immediately aware that an injury or loss can be traced to another's carelessness. For that reason it is wise to speak to an experienced attorney if you have a reasonable suspicion that some other person or company has caused you to suffer bodily injury.
As a Medical Malpractice Lawyer:
Jim has extensive experience litigating cases based on injuries caused by the negligence of medical professionals (whether doctors, nurses or hospitals). Jim has represented plaintiffs in these types of cases for 30 years. These cases involve a complexity not present in many other types of injury cases. Professional negligence by health professionals requires proof that the professional's behavior amounted to carelessness, taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances in a case.
As an Insurance Coverage Attorney:
Jim has served as Assistant Commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department and is an expert on insurance coverage disputes. Insurance coverage questions typically involve intricate rules and a specialized understanding of certain types of insurance policies. Jim has litigated several insurance coverage disputes before the Supreme Court of New Hampshire.
As a Trial and Appellate Attorney:
Jim served as a law clerk to federal and state appeals courts: namely, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the New Hampshire Supreme Court. This experience has given him a career-long interest in appellate work. Jim has represented numerous clients throughout his career in appeals to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
Personal and Career Highlights
Jim grew up in White Plains, New York, graduating from White Plains High School in 1964. He went on to attend Dartmouth College and New York University, graduating in 1968 from the Washington Square College of NYU with a major in English and the social sciences.
Jim attended law school at the University of Iowa College of Law, graduating "with high distinction" in 1973. He spent several years in the Midwest, joining the Missouri Bar in 1974 and serving as a law clerk and Senior Staff Attorney to the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.
Pursuing a longstanding desire to practice in New England, Jim was admitted to the Bar of New Hampshire in 1977 and started his New Hampshire practice as a law clerk to Justices Duncan and Bois of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. From there he went to the New Hampshire Insurance, serving as the Assistant Commissioner of the Department. Jim followed that experience with the private practice of law, with which he has now been engaged for approximately 30 years.
In addition to his private practice, Jim has been appointed a Bar Examiner by the New Hampshire Supreme Court and has served as a court-approved Mediator, in both volunteer and non-volunteer capacities. Jim's areas of practice include personal injury, medical negligence, contract litigation, general civil litigation, and appellate practice.
Jim lives in Bow, New Hampshire, with his wife Rissa. Their two children are grown, but Jim works with young people in various capacities. He was involved as a mentor to youth in the Concord (NH) "Friends" program, and has led school teams in "Odyssey of the Mind" competitions. He is an active member of Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, having served two years as the Temple president. For more than a decade, he has taught "World Religions" to the Temple's eighth and ninth graders.