Mr. Petri has been a long-time resident of Indiana. He attended high school in Hammond, Indiana. He later attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, after which he served several years in the U.S. Governmental Service. His experiences in the service inspired him to enroll in law school, and the skills he gained during his service were an invaluable foundation for the practice of law. He graduated from Indiana University School of Law in 1966, and was immediately elected Prosecuting Attorney for Owen County. He served as Prosecuting Attorney until 1974. Since 1974, Mr. Petri has owned and operated his own legal practice, known today as Vernon J. Petri & Associates. Mr. Petri has significant professional and leadership experience. He has served a term as President to the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Association, as well as several years on the organization’s board of directors. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. Lastly, he has served on the National Board of Directors of the Breast Implant Litigation Group of the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Petri has been named to the Million Dollar Forum, which is exclusively reserved for attorneys who earn verdicts and settlements in excess of $1,000,000. Even in the face of adversity, he has consistently obtained favorable verdicts for his clients. In his 40+ years of practice, he has fought to expand the rights of those injured in Indiana by exploring new theories of negligence, and in many cases, appealing them all the way to the Supreme Court of Indiana.

Attorney/Partner, Craig Van Schouwen concentrates his practice in plaintiffs’ Workers’ Compensation law. A former insurance defense attorney, Mr. Van Schouwen “changed sides” in 1995 when he joined the Valparaiso law firm. He has represented injured workers across the nation since that time. A passionate advocate for his clients, Mr. Van Schouwen takes pride in helping people get the medical treatment and benefits they need. He is a frequent lecturer and conducts seminars to educate workers about their rights and benefits. Understanding that the Workers’ Compensation system “isn’t perfect,” Mr. Van Schouwen participates in activities directed at strengthening that system. Committed to helping the families of injured workers, Mr. Van Schouwen serves on the board of directors of Kids’ Chance, a national organization of attorneys, insurance executives, union representatives and Workers’ Compensation Board members, that provides scholarship funding for children whose parent has been injured in a catastrophic workplace accident. A former runner and cyclist, Mr. Van Schouwen has participated in three Chicago Marathons and several hundred-mile bike rides.

Aggressive legal representation NW IN Family Law, W Comp, P Injury & General Practice-Wills, PO etc.