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Car accidents are as American as apple pie, and in 2008 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that about 5.8 million police-reported traffic accidents occurred throughout the country’s roads. That same year, AAA reported that car accidents alone cost Americans about $164.2 billion every year. More locally, in Minnesota, car accident numbers are just as bleak.
In 2015, there were 74,772 reported traffic accidents brought to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. That same year 411 people died in Minnesota and 29,981 people were injured in car accidents. The 411 traffic fatalities in 2015 was a 13.9 percent increase from the previous year, and with these numbers likely to continue to rise, there are clear indications that traffic fatalities throughout Minnesota has become an epidemic.
The fact is Minnesota has struggled to lower these incidents. There have been successes over the years. There are fewer crashes involving speeding with better monitoring. A lack of seat belt related to fatalities has dropped 14 percent with increased education and awareness. Obviously, there is still more work to do.
Many have heard of this system, but don’t fully understand the meaning. For example, say you have a fender-bender in St. Paul. With this, you have to turn everything over to your own insurance company. This happens regardless of who is at fault. Many accidents are minor and handled with little legal intervention. With no significant injuries or issues, the insurance company settles the claim.
There are exceptions that allow a liability claim or personal injury lawsuit. In Minnesota one must meet one of two requirements:
1) The medical expenses must total more than $4,000 after the crash.
2) A liability claim or personal injury lawsuit is within legal rights if the victim suffered a permanent injury, a permanent scarring, or disfigurement. A 60-day period of disability is also a reasonable exception. If there one or both of these occur, the door for legal options opens.
This is something many don’t consider when considering legal options. However, this is important. In the state of Minnesota, a person generally has six years to file a lawsuit. This time period starts from the date of the accident. If this time runs out, then a person has lost the ability to bring a claim or suit.
Many times the blame for the accident gets decided in court. The person at fault pays for the costs including medical bills, lost wages, vehicle repair, and any pain or suffering caused by the accident. However, many times the court reveals that the plaintiff, the person bringing the case, is partially at fault.
This does happen sometimes. When it does, Minnesota has a modified comparative fault rule. This comes into play when the court decides both parties share some fault for the accident. For example, a jury finds the plaintiff 30 percent responsible for the crash. This means the plaintiff will still receive 70 percent of the total calculated damages.
If the fault is found below 50 percent, the plaintiff receives some damages. However, if both parties are found 50 percent responsible, or the plaintiff is found over 50 percent responsible, the plaintiff receives no damages. This rule is different from many other states. Many other states reward some damages even if both parties are equally responsible.
People don’t think about how fast a car accident happens. One minute, you are driving home after work. In less than a second, everything changes. They are terrifying and frustrating to deal with. Luckily, many accidents occur with no extreme property damage or personal injury. They end up scaring drivers more than hurting them. However, do you know your legal rights when this isn’t the case?
With such statistics, it is obvious why your legal rights need to be understood. Having a car accident isn’t inevitable. However, there is an obvious possibility of it happening.
If you or a loved one has suffered an accident, contact us today online or call us at 651-291-7263 to schedule a free consultation. Don’t let time run out. Contact the award-winning car accident lawyers at Sand Law and let us help you to understand what legal options are available to you.
Millions of Americans are injured in traffic accidents each year. In Minnesota alone, there are more than two hundred crashes on an average day resulting in dozens of injuries. In addition to incurring billions of dollars in costs for hospitalization, surgery, chiropractic care, and other medical treatment, injured people may lose the ability to work. It may take months following a car accident to realize the full extent of the injury.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help ensure that the insurance companies fully cover the loss – from the initial hospital visit to future medical expenses and lost wages.
Car accidents commonly cause head injuries. Even with proper seatbelt usage, a collision can cause the head to strike the steering wheel, dashboard, or other parts of the vehicle. Injuries to the head may consist of immediate pain, cuts, scrapes, and bruises. However, the most significant aspect of a head injury may be below the surface of the skin. A blow to the head may result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacting the patient’s ability to sleep, causing confusion, memory loss, and even resulting in permanent cognitive disability.
People suffering from a concussion or TBI may encounter difficulties returning to work or ability to manage their daily tasks. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to obtain compensation for TBI-related injuries, because insurance companies know that it is harder prove an injury to a jury when it is not visible. Further, the disability caused by a TBI may be harder to demonstrate than, for example, a disability caused by a broken bone. The personal injury lawyers at Sand Law, LLC effectively collaborate with medical experts to understand complex injuries and then explain the extent of the injury to a jury. This process allows us to seek the maximum recovery possible in your case.
Sudden changes in speed or direction, a frequent occurrence in motor vehicle accidents, can cause “whiplash,” resulting in serious damage to muscles, ligaments, and nerves in the neck. This can happen even if airbags and seat-belts prevent an actual blow to the head. Additionally, a collision can cause problems with spinal alignment such as herniated disks or more serious damage to the nervous system – potentially resulting in paralysis or other loss of function. Injuries to the neck and back often require extensive treatment and physical therapy to fully recover. Insurance companies are often unwilling to pay for ongoing chiropractic care or physical therapy. Sand Law’s personal injury attorneys will fight so that any settlements or verdicts provide for a complete recovery.
Car accidents can be emotionally traumatic in addition to causing physical harm. Being involved in an accident, or witnessing a friend or loved one being injured can cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD may require counseling or other treatment. In addition to compensation for medical costs and future treatment, you may be entitled to receive compensation for the emotional distress and mental anguish resulting from a motor vehicle accident.
Receiving the compensation you deserve after being hurt in a car accident can be a hassle as you will likely have to deal with your own insurer as well as the other driver’s insurance company. The insurance companies will attempt to delay the settlement process by requesting additional documentation regarding your treatment, disputing your doctor’s diagnosis, and minimizing your loss.
Sand Law’s experienced motor vehicle accident lawyers will handle all communication with the insurance companies and their attorneys to keep the process moving. If you have been injured in a car accident, we encourage you to contact us today for a free evaluation of your case.
Minnesota winter road conditions are infamously dangerous. Low visibility, less daylight, snow, slush, and ice combine to form hazardous conditions. However, poor road conditions do not excuse a driver’s duty to exercise due care and reasonable caution when operating a vehicle. Drivers who end up in an accident because of negligence or a failure to comply with the law may still be held liable for injuries and damages that they cause.
Regardless of the extreme risk, people continue to use cell phones, drive while intoxicated, or otherwise drive in an unlawful and unsafe manner during the winter. The winter conditions simply make these risky driving habits more dangerous and expose more people to injuries.
Every winter, thousands of people in the Twin Cities and around the state are involved in seemingly minor car accidents. Slippery conditions around intersections result in a lot of “fender benders” and low-speed accidents.
Single-vehicle accidents are also common in the winter as cars slide off the road into the ditch in an attempt to avoid other vehicles.
The damage to the vehicle might be minimal and injuries might not be immediately apparent, but unfortunately, these types of accidents often produce injuries that require treatment over a long period of time.
Some of the most common winter car accident injuries are soft-tissue injuries to the neck caused by “whiplash.” People have a tendency to brush these injuries off, thinking that the pain and soreness will go away with time. Sometimes, this works.
However, many people discover weeks or even months later that the pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility have persisted or worsened. Neck and upper back pain often also produces headaches and causes trouble sleeping. A neck injury can also impair a person’s ability to work.
People find it difficult to obtain compensation through insurance for these types of injuries for a variety of reasons.
First, if the patient did not seek treatment for the injury immediately following the accident, the insurer may deny coverage by claiming the injury was not caused by the accident. Insurance companies also deny or limit injury claims when the vehicle damage is relatively minor. The third method insurers will use to deny claims is to subject the patient to an endless barrage of paperwork and red tape, requiring medical examinations by the insurer’s doctor and dragging out the process in hopes that the patient will give up.
Sand Law is a premier Minnesota personal injury firm with a dedicated litigation team ready to handle any personal injury claim in the Twin Cities and across the state.
Our car accident attorneys have experience dealing with the injury compensation process from beginning to end. Working with Sand Law allows you to pursue the treatment you need to restore your health – without haggling with the insurance company or debating each visit to your medical professional.
We have earned a reputation among insurance adjusters and their defense attorneys for negotiating favorable settlements for our clients early in the litigation process. At the same time, Sand Law is a firm built on litigation and is always ready and willing to go to trial in order to ensure the best outcome for our clients.
It is crucial to have an attorney who is experienced in identifying negligent drivers’ legal liability and holding their insurers responsible for awarding the compensation you deserve for your car accident claim, regardless of whether it was caused by winter road conditions.
If you have been injured in an accident due to another driver’s negligence, contact Sand Law today to find out how we can help.
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