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Woodbury Truck Accident Attorneys

A collision of any kind on the road is a terrifying prospect – even the smallest cars can do major damage to each other when they collide at speed. Crashes involving large trucks like eighteen-wheelers, however, can be a whole new level of nightmarish. If you were injured in a Woodbury truck accident, contact the experienced lawyers at Sand Law LLC.

In 2017, over 4,000 people were killed in accidents involving large trucks. Even if the crash isn’t fatal, often the injuries sustained are debilitating and permanent due to the sheer size and force of a truck smashing into a passenger vehicle. Accidents of this kind often result in spinal cord damage, whiplash, brain injuries, and chronic pain that can last for years or a lifetime – injuries that can make day-to-day life difficult, maybe even impossible.

While no amount of financial compensation can erase the trauma of the experience, it can help in the immediate and long-term aftermath. Medical bills for your injuries can climb to six figures or more. You deserve to be compensated for the income lost from your injuries, and our experienced team of truck accident lawyers can help you get it.

Causes Of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are frequently caused by driver error, also referred to as “negligence.” If a person was acting with negligence, it simply means that they didn’t take proper care in their actions. Negligent people often don’t mean to cause harm to another person. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t legally responsible for the damage they cause.

Common instances of driver negligence include the following:

  • Texting while driving or engaging in other distractions
  • Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Lack of awareness
  • Speeding
  • Road rage or aggressive driving
  • Running a red light or stop sign
  • Failing to look before merging or changing lanes
  • Tailgating
  • Exhaustion or fatigue

However, in some rare circumstances, truck accidents may be caused by a third party. Potential third parties include mechanics, manufacturers of vehicles and parts, or rental companies. For example, if you’re driving and defective brakes cause you to crash, the manufacturer of the brakes may be held responsible.

Other potentially liable parties include:

  • Trucking companies
  • Truck rental companies
  • Loading teams
  • Manufacturers

Damages You Can Recover After A Woodbury Truck Accident

Unfortunately, treating a truck accident injury can be incredibly expensive. Some victims pay up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for their injuries over the course of their lifetime. Thankfully, by working with Sand Law, you’ll be able to recover the damages that you’ve incurred as a result of the accident.

You can recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning capacity. That includes any medical bills related to the accident and your injuries, even in-home care or medical equipment. Future lost wages and future medical bills can also be recovered. Lost earning capacity damages are awarded if you are unable to return to your same job or work the same amount of time in the future.

Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and more. These types of damages are more abstract and can be more difficult to calculate. Most lawyers calculate these damages by looking at the change to your quality of life. The greater the change you’ve experienced, the more compensation they’ll ask for.

In the case of death, a loved one may be able to claim wrongful death damages such as funeral and burial costs. They may also be able to claim other damages on behalf of their loved one, such as pain and suffering and lost wages.

What To Do After A Woodbury Truck Accident

Woodbury truck accidents are messy situations by nature. Often, victims are stuck in their vehicles, incapacitated, unable to do anything but wait for paramedics and law enforcement to arrive. Other truck collisions involve injuries in which the car driver can still move around. When the damage is on this level, often, the injuries sustained are minor and do not hinder the occupants’ ability to take action after the crash.

There are steps you can take in the immediate aftermath of any accident, truck accidents included, that can help prove who caused it. You can also collect important insurance information from the other drivers, and begin the official report with the police, and gather witness information.

The details collected at the scene of the crash are essential when insurance companies become involved. Drivers will sometimes simply leave a scene without calling the police, only for the full extent of their injuries to reveal themselves days or weeks later. Evidence at the site of the crash may go unaccounted for and may render it impossible to prove who was at fault for the collision.

To prevent costing yourself money, be sure to follow these steps after any truck accident, no matter how minor it may seem:

  • Evaluate your situation. Take every precaution after the crash to not make any injuries you or others have any worse. The size difference in vehicles involved means the odds are not in your favor. You and your passengers will have the most severe injuries, not the truck driver in his multi-ton rig. If you are unable to exit your vehicle or reach your phone, don’t force it. Have the truck driver or a bystander call the paramedics, then sit tight and wait for them to arrive and take over. In this scenario, this is what you need to do.
  • Move to safety. If you and/or your passenger’s injuries are not immediately life-threatening, there is more you can do. Move to the side of the road so as to let traffic go past, and, if you’re able or can enlist nearby bystanders for help, move your vehicle to the side of the road.
  • Collect basic information. Talk to the truck operator, and get all of the contact information you can. Write down the plate number on the truck, the license number, the company they work for, the ID number on the truck, their personal phone number if you can, and any other information that’s pertinent.
  • Contact the police. When the police arrive, give your report to them, and be as exact as you can. Gather contact information of any bystanders on the scene who witnessed the crash.
  • Seek medical attention. Go to the emergency room as soon as possible. Doctors will be able to find injuries you yourself may not be aware of.
  • Notify your insurance company. Contact your insurance provider to inform them of the incident. Just give them the basics and don’t agree to record a statement or sign anything.
  • Contact an attorney. Finally, call an experienced attorney who can begin helping you with the legal process if the truck driver’s negligence was at fault for the accident.

Contact A Woodbury Truck Accident Attorney

Sand Law is here to assist you if you have been injured in a Woodbury Truck Accident. We have worked with many injured truck accident victims and assure you that we will pursue your claim aggressively and with the professional service we have become known for. Sand Law will seek to receive maximum compensation for your commercial truck accident injury so that you can recover physically and mentally.

To arrange a free consultation with a top-rated injury attorney, please call us at 651-291-SAND (651-362-4173) or contact us online to request your free consultation and case evaluation. We look forward to hearing from you and to seeing how we can help your family. There is no fee unless we obtain compensation for your injury.

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Experienced Car Accident Attorneys In Woodbury, Minnesota Are Ready To Help!

In US cities like Woodbury, Minnesota, it is common for people to drive their cars every day. Whether it’s driving to and from work, taking the kids to school, or running errands, the last thing we want to happen is a car accident. They are usually far from our minds, but with how common collisions are, perhaps they shouldn’t be.

Serious car accidents happen every day in Woodbury, Minnesota, and across the US. Some of the incidents leave the victims with a few bruises, but others can leave a driver dealing with severe injuries.

If you have been injured in a Woodbury car accident due to someone else’s negligence, speak with an experienced Minnesota personal injury lawyer.

The compassionate and experienced Woodbury car accident lawyers at Sand Law have a reputation for handling Minnesota car accident cases with care, compassion, and zeal. We are willing to do whatever it takes to get our client’s proper compensation and will not settle simply out of convenience.

Insurance companies know that Sand Law is a serious firm; because of this, they often present us with higher offers and fear meeting us in open court. This long-established reputation benefits our clients with higher settlements and a more stress-free experience.

Insurance May Not Be Enough For Your Car Accident Injury

Most people assume that after a car accident, their insurance company will handle their claim with their best interest in mind. After all, this is why you have insurance, right?

But the thing is, insurance companies are in business to make a profit. They are not on your side, and you are not in good hands. The bottom line is the most important thing to them. Because of this, insurance companies, even your own, often trick people into giving statements, signing acceptance letters, or doing anything they can to reduce what they have to pay out.

After a car accident, all your expenses will not be covered. They may fix your car, but you will also need to worry about how you will pay for medical bills, missed work, future medical appointments, life changes, pain and suffering, etc.

If an insurance company, yours or the other driver’s, is willing to pay some of the above expenses, they are probably lowballing those numbers and possibly flat-out denying other parts of the claim. This is why contacting an experienced Woodbury car accident attorney is so important after you are involved in an auto accident.

Common Woodbury Car Accident Injuries

Some car accident victims are lucky and walk away from the incident with little or no injuries, while others suffer from severe and often debilitating injuries. These injuries can change a person’s life, sometimes for years and sometimes for life.

Some of the most common Woodbury car accident injuries include:

  • Whiplash — Whiplash is a common car accident injury caused by the rapid back-and-forth motion caused by car accidents.
  • Scrapes and Cuts — Broken glass, bent metal, and more can cause scrapes and cuts.
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries — A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is caused by a strike to the head. They can be penetrating or non-penetrating. Common TBIs include concussions, coup-contrecoup injuries, and diffuse axonal injuries.
  • Broken Bones — Broken bones are very common in car accidents, especially in the legs and arms.
  • Internal Bleeding — Internal bleeding is a common and dangerous injury, especially because it can be so difficult to identify without a medical examination.
  • Back Pain — Back pain can be devastating, making it difficult to walk and causing chronic pain down the road.
  • Neck Damage — Neck injuries (like whiplash) are common after a car accident because of how fast the head snaps back around when a car is struck.
  • Knee Trauma — Knees can smack against the dashboard or side doors. A knee injury can lead to long-term pain and discomfort.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — Car accidents can cause more than just physical damage. Many car accident victims develop a fear of driving and a stress response to being in vehicles.

How Sand Law Can Help With Your Woodbury Auto Accident

Woodbury car accidents are often caused by negligence or complete disregard for others’ safety from the other driver. They may have been driving while distracted or drunk, driving recklessly or carelessly, or simply disobeying the speed limit. The negligent driver may have been texting, talking on their phone, or scrolling social media. The list is endless, but unfortunately, media or technology-related incidents are becoming one of the most common causes.

Once a negligent driver injures your or your loved ones, an array of medical, legal, financial, and logistical problems begin. Don’t handle these issues alone. Let the lawyers at Sand Law take care of the legal complications so you can focus on your family and your recovery.

Sand Law Is Experienced In Many Types Of Car Accidents

The Woodbury Car Accident Lawyers at Sand Law LLC have the experience and resources you would expect from a top Minnesota personal injury law firm. Our personal injury attorneys have the knowledge and skills to properly represent you and your interests, whether it’s in negotiations, pre-trial, or in a courtroom.

Sand Law handles all car accident-related injuries and incidents, including:

Avoiding Woodbury Car Accident Injuries

While you can’t control other drivers’ behavior, there are a few ways that you can reduce your risk of being involved in a Minnesota car crash.

  • First of all, seatbelts save lives. Always wear one, no matter what.
  • Also, follow the speed limit. A few seconds meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
  • Avoid distractions. The text can wait, and nobody has posted anything interesting to Facebook since 2012.
  • Keep your car and tires and working condition, including lights, brakes, and tire tread.
  • Drive like the other drivers around you are dangerous. Because they are.If you or a loved one do get injured in a Woodbury car crash, you can protect your ability to recover compensation by promptly pursuing medical care.

Seek Medical Treatment Immediately After Your Accident

After a Woodbury Car Accident, seek medical treatment as soon as you can. Even if you feel fine, it is best to have a doctor check you over so that a hidden injury is not waiting to wreck your life at a later date. Sometimes, it takes time for injuries to be noticeable. It is quite possible to be seriously injured in a car accident and not realize it.

To be clear, get a doctor’s opinion right away, no matter what. This doctor’s visit also helps document your injuries so that your attorney can later build a better case for you. If you wait 3 days to get treatment and it turns out you have a herniated disc, it won’t matter how bad it hurts, the opposing council will still use this delay to deny the severity of your injury.

Recovering Your Damages

By filing a car accident lawsuit, you can recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include losses with an attached monetary value, and non-economic damages are more abstract. \

Economic damages include:

  • Medical bills for things like ambulance rides, surgery costs, prescriptions, and more
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity

Non-economic damages include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of consortium
  • Permanent injury or disability
  • Disfigurement or scarring

In the case of death, a loved one can claim wrongful death damages such as funeral and burial costs.

Contact a Woodbury Car Accident Lawyer

The car accident lawyers at Sand Law have office locations in St Paul, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury. We are conveniently located to meet you for a free consultation with a top-rated car accident attorney. Send us a message online or call 651-291-SAND (651-291-7263) today. There is no fee unless we obtain compensation for you!

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Experienced Woodbury Car Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are a common occurrence in the State of Minnesota. Hazardous driving conditions, distracted driving, and other types of negligence can cause all types of motor vehicle accidents, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, and rideshare accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Woodbury motor vehicle accident, do not rely on insurance companies. Call Sand Law’s Woodbury office today for a no-pressure, free consultation at (651) 291-7263.

We understand that motor vehicle accidents of any type create serious hardship, loss, and damages that can be overwhelming physically, mentally, and financially. Motor vehicle accidents involving serious injury or wrongful death should be trusted by experienced motor vehicle accident attorneys so that the insurance companies do not take advantage of the situation with a lowball offer or deny your claim outright.

Minnesota Motor Vehicle Accident Overview

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that auto accidents with serious injury occur about every 14 seconds in the US; additionally, roughly 37,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents each year. These numbers amount to millions of people who are left seriously injured or permanently disabled with all the financial strain that comes with these types of injuries. A Woodbury motor vehicle accident may involve a:
  • car accident,
  • pedestrian hit and run,
  • semi-truck crash,
  • Collision between a bike and car,
  • bus accident,
  • drunk driving accident,
  • motorcycle crash,
  • or rideshare accidents, like Uber or Lyft.
Additionally, if the motor vehicle accident was caused by a faulty part or malfunction, the injury claim could be a viable option for a third-party product liability claim.

Common Injuries In A Woodbury Motor Vehicle Accident

Woodbury motor vehicle accidents can result in many different types of injuries or death. These injuries can be costly, resulting in thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. While some injuries can be treated quickly, others may require long-term care, multiple surgeries, and in-home care. Serious accidents can result in:
  • Wrongful death
  • Serious injuries
  • Catastrophic burns
  • Broken bones and Amputation
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries,
  • And many other serious injuries.

What Are My Rights In A Woodbury Accident?

If you have been injured in a Woodbury motor vehicle accident, you have the right to seek financial compensation for your losses and injuries, known as damages.

Minnesota personal injury laws allow victims to recover financial compensation for:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Property damage
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress,
  • Disfigurement and Disability.

Recovering the above damages is not an easy task and should not be handled by a person on their own. Insurance companies use a team of lawyers to help them with all their cases and will use this expertise to lower or deny your claim.  In order to prevent this, you should hire an experienced Woodbury accident lawyer that understands both the state laws and the tactics of the insurance companies.

Sand Law has offices in St Paul, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury. We use these three offices in a coordinated way, along with experts, investigators, and accident reconstructionists, to get you the compensation you deserve and to pursue your case to the fullest extent necessary.

Evidence Used In A Motor Vehicle Accident Case

In a car accident case, you’ll need to be able to provide evidence to prove that the other party should be held financially responsible for your losses. If you hire an attorney, they’ll investigate the car accident for you and gather evidence on your behalf. Types of evidence used in motor vehicle accident cases include:
  • Photos and videos (either personal or retrieved from witnesses, security cameras, or dashcams)
  • Witness statements
  • Your personal statement
  • Expert witness testimonies
  • Medical bills
  • Statements from employers

How Do I Know Which Minnesota Lawyer To Hire?

Choosing a Minnesota accident attorney to handle your accident claim is not an easy decision to make. There are so many options out there—from TV and radio commercials to internet ads and nationwide campaigns—that making the right decision can be hard. Settlement mills (firms that handle a large number of cases as quickly as possible, regardless of results) are prolific and have found a million ways to trick clients into handling them. To avoid this, investigate the personal injury attorneys you are considering and take the following into account:
  • Does the law firm have good reviews and ratings? What is their standing with the Minnesota Bar?
  • Does the firm have the resources to investigate your claim, hire proper experts, and fight your claim all the way to litigation?
  • Does the law firm you’re considering have a reputation for taking personal injury cases to court, or do they always settle even if it’s not the best thing for the client?
  • What experience does your lawyer have in handling personal injury cases? Do they also handle family law, business law, criminal law, and anything they can get to make money? This is a sign of a jack of all trades and a master of none. Though attorneys can practice in multiple areas, reputable attorneys would have different attorneys and office locations for these non-injury cases.
  • Does the attorney bother to meet with their clients, or do they just pass off these important meetings to other staff? If an attorney doesn’t meet face to face with a client, there is a good chance they’re a settlement mill.
Sand Law has the necessary financial resources and trial experience to take on the biggest insurance carriers, corporate wrongdoers, and powerful insurance defense firms so that you can get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Sand Law Fights For You

At Sand Law, our motor vehicle accident attorneys have achieved positive results for our many clients over the years. We are a proactive, experienced, and thorough team of attorneys that handles every case we represent seriously, aggressively, and sensitively. While settlement mills are treating their clients like just another customer, we make every effort to show that we care about our clients and that we are willing to go above and beyond for them…because we are. Contact Sand Law today to schedule a free motor vehicle accident consultation to discuss your claim involving:

You Are Sand Law’s Top Priority

Sand Law LLC is your Minnesota personal injury law firm. Our success is directly attributable to our expertise and exceptional dedication to the needs of every client…to your needs. Getting financial compensation for injuries is not just some way to make money like many commercials would lead you to believe; instead, it is a critical step to help compensate a victim for mounting medical bills, income lost due to the inability to work, and the mental and physical pain and suffering caused by your injury. It is very important that you act quickly after you’ve been injured so that insurance companies cannot use the delay against your claim. The sooner you contact the personal injury attorneys at Sand Law, the better. We will help you to preserve evidence, gather witnesses, and address all the important factors to make your motor vehicle accident claim a success.

Contact Experienced Woodbury Accident Attorneys

The personal injury lawyers at Sand Law have office locations in St Paul, Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, and Woodbury. We are conveniently located to meet you for your no-pressure consultation with a top-rated car accident attorney. Send us a message online or call 651-291-SAND (651-291-7263) today. There is no fee unless we obtain compensation on your behalf.
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Woodbury Wrongful Death Attorneys

When our loved ones become seriously injured, the prospect of a full recovery keeps us hopeful. Sadly, many times the damage is irreversible, even fatal. In fact, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Losing someone suddenly can leave you and your family overwhelmed by grief, unexpected medical bills, and funeral expenses. These circumstances are especially stressful if your household relied on the deceased’s income.

While nothing can replace your loved one, you can file a claim against the at-fault party to recover financial losses. If you are considering a wrongful death case, speak to an attorney from Sand Law to find the best course of action for you.

What is Wrongful Death?

In a variety of circumstances, people and businesses owe a duty of care to others. For example, as a motorist, you’re expected to follow traffic laws. Likewise, employers must take certain measures to prevent workplace accidents. When someone fails to uphold a duty of care and the outcome is fatal, it’s considered a wrongful death. Wrongful deaths don’t always happen the day that the injury is sustained. Oftentimes, accident victims suffer from serious injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, back and spinal injuries, and severe burns, for months before passing away. In some cases, delayed injuries may contribute to wrongful death months after a personal injury incident.

If your loved one has passed away due to someone else’s negligence, speak with an experienced Minnesota wrongful death attorney.

Types of Wrongful Death Cases

Motor vehicle accidents

Human error contributes to over 90% of serious motor vehicle accidents. However, some car crashes are due to manufacturer errors like faulty brakes or malfunctioning computer systems.

Workplace accidents

Different industries have to follow varying health and safety requirements, including Minnesota OSHA regulations, to protect employees. When a wrongful death happens, an experienced lawyer can help you to discover what rules and regulations were violated.

Medical malpractice

Botched surgeries, misdiagnoses, birth injuries, and misguided treatment plans are some examples of medical malpractice that can lead to a wrongful death. Depending on the circumstance, you may lodge a claim against a hospital, an individual doctor or nurse, or another provider. Your wrongful death attorney can evaluate medical records and preserve other evidence to build a wrongful death case. This will help to determine who is at fault. It can also link their negligence to the fatal injury.

Nursing home negligence

When nursing home residents don’t receive proper care and attention, they are more likely to suffer accidents like slip and falls. The elderly and other vulnerable adults are also easy targets for abusive workers. Since residents of these facilities almost always have compromised health, the at-fault party may point a finger at the pre-existing conditions. A thorough legal investigation can uncover facts to show that the facility is actually negligent.

Childcare negligence

Inadequate training, careless hiring practices, and a lack of supervision are just some of the factors that breed dangerous conditions at school and daycare facilities.

Elements of a Wrongful Death Case

To have a valid wrongful death claim, you have to prove that negligence or an intentional act of malice led to your loved one’s death. Additionally, you will need to demonstrate that the negligent party failed to uphold his or her duty of care, and that the death happened as a result of that failure. As a survivor, you also have to show that you’re suffering financial losses because of the death. Wrongful death attorneys are helpful when it comes to gathering and evaluating the types of evidence you need for a successful case. Your attorney may need to obtain business records, surveillance footage, and expert witness advice to support your claim.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim?

In Minnesota, a surviving spouse and children can file a wrongful death claim. Other immediate family members may also be eligible to file depending on the situation. Parents of the deceased can file a claim alongside a surviving spouse if there are no living children. If there are no surviving parents or children, the deceased’s siblings are able to file a wrongful death claim. If a child has passed away, a parent can file.

Damages for Wrongful Death

Before passing away, an accident victim may have accumulated bills for medical interventions like surgical procedures, diagnostic testing, and hospitalization. Any medical expenses related to the fatal injury can be included in a wrongful death claim.

Survivors can recover compensation for the income the deceased was providing. To get the best value for your claim, your attorney can factor in your loved one’s lifetime earning potential. Compensation for the loss of services is also possible. For example, if your loved one handled all of the lawn care, you may now be paying a landscaper to manage it.

A guilty party may also be charged punitive damages if a harmful act is intentional or especially negligent. For example, a drunk driver or caregiver who commits nursing home abuse may have to pay punitive damages to survivors of the deceased.

Contact a Woodbury Wrongful Death Attorney

If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, Sand Law can help. Our attorneys have secured maximum compensation for countless grieving families. We will review your claim in detail and build a strong case so that you can recover every penny possible. For a free initial consultation, contact us online, through our live chat feature, or by phone at 651 291-7263.

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Get Help For Your Spinal Injury From Experienced Attorneys

Spinal injuries are a type of serious injury that can range from moderate to severe depending on the incident that caused it. An injury like this can be life threatening is a serious category of injury that often causes a strain on patient’s life in many different ways. Brain injuries affect your mental and financial health, along with putting your physical health in jeopardy. It can be hard to deal with the fallout of an accident and injury after they occur, but the attorneys at Sand Law are here to help take the weight off of your shoulders.

Spinal injuries are caused most often because of motor vehicle accidents (including car accidents, commercial trucks, delivery trucks, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists), as well as slip and fall accidents, defective products, and medical malpractice. Victims of these accidents may be able to file a lawsuit if the person who injured them was negligent. This type of case is referred to as a personal injury lawsuit.

Filing a personal injury case for your spinal injury can help you get the compensation that you need and may also offer you some peace of mind. If you’re located in the Woodbury area, one of our experienced attorneys would be happy to help you with your case. Once hired, your attorney can help you with your case, speak to insurance companies on your behalf, and even negotiate a possible settlement for you.

Common Causes Of Spinal Injuries

Spinal injuries can range from moderate to severe depending on the type of accident one was involved in and where the injury occured on the spine. A spinal injury that occurs lower on the spinal column is less likely to result in paralysis, while an injury higher on the spine is more likely to cause permanent damage.

A complete spinal injury refers to the loss of ability to convey messages to or from the brain. In the case of a complete injury, this ability is completely lost. With an incomplete injury, this ability may only be partially lost.

According to the Shepherd Center there are approximately 291,000 people living with spinal cord in the United states and about 17,700 new spinal cord injuries every year.

Spinal Injuries From Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of many different types of severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries. The back and forth movement that occurs when one is struck by a car can greatly injure the neck and spine, often leading to an injury called whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the head and neck move back and forth too rapidly, and there are three million new cases of whiplash each year.

Motor vehicle accidents can also cause spinal injuries that are much more serious than whiplash, like those that cause a vertebrae to break, be crushed, or dislocated, or those that cause the spinal cord to be pinched or severed.

Spinal Injuries From Slip And Falls

Slips and falls are another leading cause of spinal cord injuries. These injuries are especially common in dangerous work environments, like construction or oil field work. Spinal cord injuries can occur when one slips and lands on their back, falls off of a higher level or building, or even when one is struck by an object or against an object.

Slips and falls that lead to spinal injuries are also caused by parking lot hazards, uneven surfaces, wet surfaces, improper maintenance, cracked pavement, poor lighting, weather conditions, and more.

Spinal Injuries From Defective Products

Product defection can cause many different types of accidents, such as commercial truck accidents. Defective products includes things like defective tires, brakes, or other auto parts, as well as unsafe flooring, poorly manufactured construction equipment, or anything that can cause a person harm by being defective.

It’s a company’s responsibility to perform safety checks on their products before releasing them to the public. If a part is known to be unsafe and it is released anyways, or isn’t tested for safety at all before release, the company may be liable for any accidents the product may have caused.

Spinal Injuries From Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice accounts for 4.6% of all spinal injuries and often occurs because of surgical error, misdiagnosis, improper treatment or care, the wrong prescription or dosage of medication, emergency room mistakes, and early discharge from the hospital. Medical malpractice may also cause pre-existing conditions to worsen.

Holding Those Responsible For A Spinal Injury

The liable party for your spinal injury depends on how your accident occured. Basically, the liable party is whoever was negligent in causing your accident. If you were in a car accident and someone crashed into you because they were texting while driving, they would be liable, as texting while driving is an act of negligence. Negligence may also look like distracted driving, driving under the influence, reckless driving, or speeding.

Liability is often less straightforward for commercial truck accident cases. With commercial truck accidents, there may be many reasons why the accident occured. If the brakes malfunctioned it could be the fault of the manufacturer. If the employee fell asleep behind the wheel it could be because the company overscheduled him. These accidents may also be the fault of loaders for improperly loading the vehicle.

Liability and negligence go hand in hand. Whoever acted with negligence and caused your accident is often the party that is liable for your accident. Multiple parties may be liable for your case, and your attorney will help you investigate further to determine who was liable.

Recovering Damages Caused By A Spinal Injury

With any injury comes medical bills and with medical bills comes stress. A good attorney can help assure you that you’ll receive the compensation that you deserve, helping you to rest easy knowing your case is in good hands.

Economic damages refer to any compensation that you may receive to cover costs that you have paid for yourself, or that you have outstanding bills for. Medical bills, like doctors visits, hospital costs, surgery costs, and therapy costs, can all be covered by this compensation. You may also receive compensation for any wages that you lost while out of work.

Non-economic damages refer to the costs that you’ll be paid out for pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and the loss of future wages or the loss of earning capacity. .

How Can A Woodbury Personal Injury Attorney Help?

If you or a loved one has a spinal injury because of a slip and fall, motor vehicle accident, defective product, or medical malpractice, please contact one of our talented attorneys here at Sand Law. With years of experience under our belts, we will make sure that you receive the time and attention your case deserves, and we will work hard to get you the compensation and justice you deserve. For more information, please contact us at (651) 291-7263 or online.

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Woodbury Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys

A traumatic brain injury, also referred to as TBI, can be a life changing injury. These injuries can cause serious changes in one’s life, and are often the result of a few different types of accidents. Car accidents, slip and fall accidents, and medical malpractice are just a few types of accidents that can cause these brain injuries.

While traumatic brain injuries can be minor, such as a concussion, they can also be severe, causing things like coma and in more unfortunate circumstances, death. These injuries can be hard to live with, with many doctors appointments and large bills following the accident.

Unfortunately, brain injuries are fairly common and result in about 3 million cases each year. Of those cases, about 300,000 of them require hospitalization. These injuries can also lead to a large number of disabilities, and they also may cause a financial strain on the patient and patient’s family.

Suffering a brain injury can be a traumatic event for both the patient and the family. These accidents, such as car accidents, are often caused by the negligence of another person. Having to pursue compensation from another person in the form of a lawsuit can add another level of stress to your situation. However, an experienced lawyer will help you to get the compensation—and the justice—that you deserve, without putting too much stress on you and your family.

How Does A Brain Injury Lawsuit Work?

Filing a brain injury lawsuit may seem like a daunting task, especially if you’ve never had to be involved in a lawsuit before. Having an experienced attorney at your side can help lessen the strain. An experienced attorney can help to take a lot of the weight off of your shoulders so you can focus on healing and feeling better after your accident 

The first step in your case will be figuring out exactly what occurred that caused the accident. Once you’re certain that negligence was involved in your accident, you’ll be required to prove four things. These four things are:

  1. Duty of care
  2. Breach of that duty
  3. Causation (of your injuries)
  4. Resulting damages

Duty of care refers to the legal obligation that a person holds to exercise a reasonable level of care to prevent those around them from injury and harm. This duty of care can be as simple as not texting while driving, or even making sure to clean up spills after they happen to prevent accidents.

The breach of that duty of care refers to any negligence the party may have committed that breaches this legal obligation. This breach can refer to the opposing party texting while driving (and thus getting into a car accident with you) or failing to clean up a spill (causing a slip and fall accident). A breach of duty can refer to a doctor misdiagnosing you or giving you the wrong prescription. Duty of care can be breached in any number of ways, and that breach is what causes accidents like those that cause brain injuries.

Causation is the next step, and a simple one. Causation simply means that you are required to prove that the opposing party’s negligence directly caused your injuries. This means that if the other party was texting while driving, you will need to be able to prove that their texting caused the accident that caused your injuries.

You’ll need to be able to prove that you didn’t have the brain injury prior to your accident as well.

And finally, you’ll have to prove that the accident resulted in damages that you are seeking compensation for. This can include medical bills, lost wages, and many other types of damages.

Types Of Brain Injury Cases

Brain injuries can occur in many different accidents, but most often occur from car accidents and slip and fall accidents. Accidents that cause traumatic brain injury can include:

Getting Compensation For A Brain Injury

One files a lawsuit to receive compensation for the damages caused by their brain injury. This compensation is important as it can cover costs like medical bills, lost wages, and even pain and suffering. While we understand that receiving this compensation is a huge, important part of your case, we’re also here to help you get the justice that you deserve for your injury.

When it comes to economic damages, you can recover medical bills (including hospital bills, doctor’s visits, therapy bills, surgery costs, and any other treatment costs you may have needed), loss of wages, and any in-home care costs you may have needed, like child care.

You can also recover damages for non-economic costs, like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and mental and emotional suffering. These damages can be harder to pursue, as there isn’t a direct monetary value attached to your personal pain and suffering costs. But your attorney can help you determine exactly how much you should ask for when it comes to your specific case.

Contact An Experienced Woodbury Brain Injury Attorney

If you, or someone you love, has experienced a traumatic brain injury, the lawyers here at Sand Law are ready and willing to help you get the closure, compensation, and justice that you deserve. We will not only advocate for you, but assure you that you don’t have to go through this alone. For more information and a free case evaluation, please contact our Woodbury office today at (651) 291-7263 or online.

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A Denied Woodbury Workers Compensation Claim Can Be Extremely Stressful

Our world is a chaotic place, and even if you work in a quiet corner office, the possibility exists for you to get hurt on the job. If you work as a lineman, tree trimmer, or construction worker, the odds of getting hurt while at work increase drastically. In the event of any workplace injury, you will need to file a what is known as workers’ compensation claim.

How the process works is simple: if an injury on the job renders you unable to work, you can file a claim for benefits and receive some compensation to make up for lost wages and medical bills. In turn, your employer and coworkers are off the hook for liability for the injury, meaning they can’t further be sued for damages.

However, like most things that have to do with an insurance company, Minnesota’s worker compensation process doesn’t always work so smoothly. Your employer, or the insurance company that takes the claim, might try underhanded tactics to deny or minimize the benefits paid out to you. They may claim the injury didn’t happen on the job, or that it isn’t as serious as you claim. All of this can make the process of getting the full benefits you need time consuming and frustrating.

This is where the use of an experienced workman’s compensation lawyers can help. If your injury is serious enough, you can bet that the employer (to prevent their premiums from going up) and the insurance company (to keep costs low and profits high) will try to deny or diminish your claim. Do not let them take what is rightfully yours, especially when it means the difference between financial security for you and your family.

“Our experienced team will help you get the compensation you deserve while handling all the legal stress so you can focus on getting better!”

What Kind Of Injuries Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?

  • Muscular and bone injuries, such as torn ligaments and fractures from impacts
  • Any sickness or illness resulting from exposure to toxins, such as mesothelioma
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries and other head injuries such as concussions
  • Neck and back injuries, like a spinal cord injury
  • Repetitive motion injuries
  • Loss of hearing or eyesight
  • Or other injuries caused by or at work

Eligibility And Filing For A Workers Comp Claim

The workers’ compensation process varies from state to state and industry to industry, but most employees are covered by a plan of some variety. These plans cover the majority of incidents that can conceivably occur in the workplace, including unintentional injuries, diseases, illnesses, and deaths.

Because the system is no-fault, workers are not required to prove fault for the injuries to recover the benefits they’re entitled to. To make a claim the employee must submit a report of the injury to their employer. In that report, the injured worker should provide details such as:

  • The names of any witnesses to the accident,
  • Where the accident occurred,
  • How the accident, incident, or illness occurred
  • What injuries or damages it caused
  • When it occurred, down to the time of day

Next, the worker needs to seek an evaluation by a medical professional to determine the extent of the injury. Typically, the provider of this will be chosen by the claimant’s employer, however, in Minnesota, claimants can seek a second opinion.

This evaluation is known as an IME, or Independent Medical Examination. In theory, the IME is to determine the exact nature of the worker’s condition and determine the cause of the injury. However, insurance companies may attempt to fault the IME as a way to limit payouts.

This is why it is important to get a second opinion, as sometimes the doctor assigned by the employer may work to protect their financial interests by denying injuries or clearing an employee for work when they aren’t ready.

[Read Sand Law’s Workers Comp Checklist]

Appealing A Workers Comp Denial

If the insurance company denies that an injury occurred, accuses the employee of faking an injury, or blames their injury on a condition that existed already, the worker has a right to appeal the denial of benefit.

In Minnesota, this process requires the filing of a form called an Employee’s Claim Petition through Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry. This is your chance to explain how your workplace injury happened, when it happened, what medical treatments you have received because of your injury, and what benefits you need or have been denied. You will also need to submit a report from a doctor that supports your injury claim.

The experience of an attorney can come in handy here, as they will know what to expect and how to deal with situations that may arise during proceedings–especially since the insurance company and your employer will likely be on hand to rebut evidence.

At the hearing, the worker and their legal representative may present evidence showing that they are entitled to benefits. This usually takes the form of an account of the accident itself and the subsequent medical treatment. Medical records may be used by the attorney, along with a physician’s opinion, to show that the injury was job-related.

Alternative solutions to settle disputes do exist. Mediation may be used outside of the hearing process to craft a creative and mutually acceptable arrangement of modified job responsibilities or financial support.

Experienced Workers Comp Attorneys In Woodbury, Minnesota

If you believe you have a case to make for bad faith actions by your your employer or insurance company related to a worker’s compensation claim, or if you believe your workers’ compensation claim was wrongfully decreased, delayed, or denied, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced lawyers at Sand Law LLC. We can be reached online through our contact form or by calling 651-291-7263. Our experienced team will help you to get you the compensation you deserve while handling all the legal stress so you can focus on getting better!

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Did A Medical Error Cause You Or Your Loved One Serious Injury Or Death?

We put special trust in doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals when we are sick or injured. In turn, they often strive to do the best, most professional job they can. But sometimes, they fail in their duties. Or are negligent and can put your or a family member’s life at risk. Medical malpractice and medical errors relating to healthcare are the third leading cause of death in the United States, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer. If you or a loved one suffered harm as a result of medical malpractice, Sand Law’s experience attorneys can help you get the compensation you deserve.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

When a provider of healthcare delivers medical treatment that falls below the accepted standard of care in the medical community and puts a patient at risk of injury and death. When these thresholds have been met, the medical provider has committed medical malpractice. Therefore, they can be held liable for resulting injuries and other losses.

Common Types Of Medical Malpractice

Some examples of this conduct can include:

  • Anesthesia errors: using an incorrect anesthesia, the wrong dosage of a drug, failing to monitor vital signs or act upon changes in vitals, or using faulty anesthesia equipment
  • Surgical errors: using the wrong instruments, operating on the wrong organ or area of the body
  • Emergency room errors: misreading charts, missing symptoms that result in injury, delaying diagnosis, or giving the wrong medication
  • Hospital malpractice: failing to properly evaluate employee credentials, making an inaccurate diagnosis, neglecting patients, failing to send patients to a correct specialist, or performing pointless surgeries
  • Medical Device Errors: defects in device manufacturing, design failure, inadequate warnings on equipment, misuse of device by staff
  • Misdiagnosis: failing to listen to the patient and take into account all of their symptoms. Failure to recognize symptoms that are obvious signs of serious problems. Failing to examine and take into account a patient’s family and medical history to identify hereditary problems. Or ordering improper tests.
  • Postoperative negligence – If a doctor fails to monitor a patient after a major surgery or treatment, and a harmful condition arises because of this, this can also count as a medical malpractice lawsuit. Some of the condition that can arise because of this can include viral infections, sepsis, internal bleeding, surgery site infections, blood clots, respiratory infections, or necrotizing fasciitis.
  • Other assorted types of medical malpractice include malpractice resulting from specialist care, such as chiropractors, dentists, cosmetic surgeons, or psychiatrists.

Defining Medical Negligence

Medical negligence is the failure to behave with the same level of care that someone of in a similar position would have exercised.  Medical negligence usually relates to some action. However, it can also refer to inaction. This might include failing to administer a drug or treatment when it would have potentially saved a patient’s life.

The 4 elements of medical negligence are:

  1. the healthcare provider had a legal duty to the plaintiff
  2. the healthcare provider breached (or failed to meet) that duty
  3. the victim suffered an injury or death
  4. and that injury or death was a direct cause of the provider’s breach of duty

In a medical malpractice case, it is often to prove that the healthcare provider has a duty to their patient. However, it’s much harder to prove the healthcare provider breached that duty, since medical care is so subjective and often based on many different factors.

Medical Malpractice That Leads To A Wrongful Death

In order to bring about a wrongful death case, one must first be sure to file the claim before the Minnesota statute of limitations runs out. Additionally, the following elements must be present:

  • A human being died;
  • Negligence caused the death, or the intent to cause harm caused the death;
  • The surviving family members now suffer monetary injury because of the death, and;
  • There is a personal representative for the decedent’s estate.

A few common examples of the circumstances that wrongful death claims arise from include the following:

Proceeding With A Minnesota Medical Malpractice Case

Minnesota law requires a medical malpractice lawsuits to have something known as a “Certification of Expert Review” which can make filing a med mal case in Woodbury and through Minnesota a little difficult. Minnesota’s law regarding medical malpractice can be found here: Section 145.682.

Basically, almost any claim or lawsuit regarding malpractice or a medical error or mistake requires the plaintiff’s attorney to file an affidavit stating two things:

  1. that the details of case have been reviewed thoroughly by both the attorney and a qualified medical expert
  2. that at least one or more healthcare providers deviated from the accepted medical standard of care and that deviation caused an injury or death

Minnesota Medical Malpractice Certification Of Expert Review

This is often required in most states. But it is usually not required to be filed at the beginning of the lawsuit. However, in Minnesota, it’s required at the onset of a lawsuit. This can make proceedings a little more difficult. But your attorney will file all paperwork so you don’t have to.

The injured victim’s attorney must also file an affidavit known as an “Identification of Expert” that states which medical experts they plan on using along with a summary of their opinion.

Failing to submit the “Certification of Expert Review” and or the “Identification of Expert” affidavit will almost certainly cause the judge to throw out your medical malpractice lawsuit before it even starts.

Because of this, it is important to have an experienced team of Medical Malpractice Attorneys working on your side that have the resources and networks to get the job done correctly and effectively.

Minnesota Does Not Have A Medical Malpractice Damages Cap

Minnesota currently has no cap on medical malpractice damages, including on compensation for non-economic damages things like pain and suffering. This means injured patient can recover for all their financial losses.

The types of economic losses a medical malpractice victim can seek include:

  • medical expenses, both present and future
  • lost wages lost as a result of the injury
  • pain and suffering
  • mental anguish
  • loss of life’s everyday pleasures (like sex, holding your children, etc)

A medical malpractice or medical negligence attorney will help you navigate the process of compiling information about your case and seek the damages you are entitled to, including punitive medical damages aimed at deterring others from engaging in malicious medical malpractice.

[READ: 10 COMMON QUESTIONS IN A MINNESOTA WRONGFUL DEATH CASE]

Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys In Woodbury

If you believe you have a case to make for a medical malpractice claim, don’t hesitate to contact our experienced lawyers at Sand Law LLC. We can be reached online through our contact form or by calling 651-291-7263. Our experienced team will help you take your case to court and get you the compensation to which you are entitled.

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Was Your Loved One Abused In A Woodbury Nursing Home?

The population of the United States is aging, and later in life, many people find it hard to take care of themselves on their own as they enter their twilight years. An estimated 1.5 million individuals reside in long-term care facilities in this country, with that number expected to grow in the coming years. Most nursing homes strive to provide quality care for their residents. However, a survey indicated that about 44 percent of residents had suffered some form of abuse while living in a nursing home. This is unacceptable and Sand Law’s goal is to see to it that victims get the compensation they need to get their lives, and form care, back to where it should be.

There are many laws in the state of Minnesota regarding nursing home care, with the goal of keeping the standard of care high. But some staff members, and facilities as a whole, can cause harm to residents and seriously injure them, through negligence or intention.

If you believe a loved one in a nursing home has suffered an injury through the actions of the staff, our experience nursing home abuse lawyers can help.

The Many Types Of Nursing Home Abuse

Physical And Emotional Abuse In A Nursing Home

Elderly abuse takes many forms, including physical abuse or emotional abuse. Often, physical abuse and emotional abuse overlap when it comes to those in the care of a facility that they cannot easily leave or escape from. Physical and emotional forms and types of abuse include:

  • Cuts or Bruises
  • Torn clothing
  • Blood on clothes or body
  • Fractures or broken bones
  • Intimidation
  • Yelling or threats
  • Humiliation
  • Ignoring a patient
  • Isolating a patient
  • Injuries to the head or sign of a TBI

In the worse case scenario, physical abuse in a nursing home can lead to wrongful death. This is the most aggressive thing that can happen to a loved one in a nursing home and the last reason you expect your older family member to die.

Neglect In A Nursing Home

If your loved one has been neglected in a Woodbury assisted living facility, you may notice:

  • Missing or too many of a certain medication
  • Dirty cloths
  • Dirty bed or sheets
  • Unclean room
  • Signs of malnourishment
  • Signs of dehydration

Sexual Abuse In A Nursing Home

If your loved one is being sexually abused in a nursing home, you may notice:

  • Injuries the genitals
  • Unusual shyness or wariness to see them nude
  • Symptoms of an STD
  • Missing or disturbed undergarments
  • Your loved one jerking away or flinching when touched
  • Frightened by a certain staff member

Financial Exploitation In A Nursing Home

The most common form of abuse in a nursing home is financial exploitation. Some caregivers use their access to take advantage of a seniors they care for. If your loved one is being abused financially, you may notice:

  • Missing checks or credit cards
  • Missing money
  • Unnecessary concern over money or bills
  • Missing items of value
  • Money transfers that your loved one approved
  • New accounts in your loved one’s name

The elderly are very susceptible to getting swindled out of their money especially as their mental faculties diminish and the world we live in increasingly becomes technologically complicated. 

Neglectful Abuse In A Nursing Home

Despite the above crimes, most of which are malicious or clearly intentional, a Woodbury nursing home maybe abusing your loved one simply out of neglect, whether intentionally or not. Some types of neglect or reason for neglect include:

  • Neglect of an elderly person’s medical needs. This may include missing medicine doses, ignoring injuries, bedsores, failing to notice infections, failing to help with mobility issues, etc.
  • Neglect of an elderly person’s basic needs. This may include failing to provide the elderly resident with a enough water or food, not helping them to the toilet often enough, etc.
  • Neglect of an elderly person’s hygiene. This may include not helping the resident to shower, bathe, brush their teeth, do their laundry, or leaving them in soiled clothes, etc.
  • Neglect of an elderly person’s emotional state. This may include repeatedly ignoring the resident, leaving your loved one alone for longs periods of time, yelling at them or verbally abusing them, punishing them by withholding basic rights, etc.

Spotting The Signs Of Abuse

In many cases, the victims of nursing home abuse do not report the abuse, or may be unaware that it is even happening. They may not have the capabilities, either mental or physical, to report the abuse. Others may be too intimidated by their abusers, or rely on them too much for other needs. The abusers themselves may threaten additional harm to the resident to keep them from reporting the injuries they have sustained.

For these reasons, family members should always be sure to keep a close eye on their loved ones who live in nursing homes. If you know what to look for, you may be able to spot signs of abuse that the resident is too scared to report, or doesn’t recognize at all.

Common Signs Of Abuse To Look For

  • Wounds of any kind that are unexplained, or that the resident seems reluctant to talk about, from cuts and bruises to broken or fractured bones
  • Similarly unexplained strains or sprains
  • Dirty and/or soiled clothes and bedding
  • A sexually transmitted disease diagnosis
  • Signs of malnutrition
  • Medical issues that go unresolved for long periods of time
  • Medications going missing
  • Personality changes in your loved one, especially a development of a fear of physical contact

If you suspect anything at all is out of the ordinary, inquire with the facility as much as possible to determine if something is happening to your family member.

Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers In Woodbury

As a final step, if you believe you have a case to make for negligence or intentional harm from staff at a nursing home that has affected your loved one living there, don’t hesitate to contact our experienced lawyers at Sand Law LLC. We can be reached online through our contact form, or at 651-291-7263. Our experienced team will help you take your case to court and get you the compensation to which you are entitled.

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Representing Victims Injured In Bicycle Accidents In Woodbury, Minnesota

In today’s modern world, cycling is one of the most productive activities you can do for your personal health. It’s a fantastic way to stay in shape with many documented health benefits, and it can reduce your carbon footprint if you bike more places than you drive. However, the lack of a multi-ton vehicle around you means cyclists are far more at risk of serious injuries if they are involved in a collision on the road. Many car drivers do not respect cyclists, or are unsure of how to handle them. These can result in bicycle accidents that lead to serious injury or death. If you or a loved one has been a bike accident and was injured to the negligence of a driver, contact Sand Law today to see how we can help.

Bicycle Hazards On The Road

Because of the risk of unaware or disrespectful drivers on the road, cyclists must be aware of their surroundings at all times. Motorists often fail to respect cyclists on the road, leading to accidents that could otherwise be easily avoided. Common accidents involving bicycles include:

  • Collisions, especially in turning lanes
  • Speeding accidents (cyclists can be seriously injured even by cars moving at low speeds)
  • Reckless driving incidents, such as if a driver intentionally gets too close to a cyclist on the road
  • Failure to yield to a cyclist
  • Driving under the influence 
  • Poor driving conditions such as rain or fog

Bicycle Accident Injuries

Without the protection of windows, air bags, and a steel frame around them, cyclists are vulnerable to far more than car drivers. All the safety precautions in the world like helmets and knee-pads will do little good if a cyclist collides with a car going highway speeds. Serious injuries can occur even at low speeds, if the cyclist is knocked off their bike and lands on asphalt.

Head Injuries From Bike Accident

Helmets are made to absorb force, but even they have their limits. The most common head injuries concerning bikes are skull fractures and concussions. Particularly hard impacts can lead to traumatic brain injuries.

Neck And Shoulder Injuries From Bike Accident

Landing on the upper torso can dislocate the shoulders or damage the essential vertebrae and nerves in the neck, and could potentially lead to neck-down paralysis.

Spine And Back Injuries From Bike Accident

If you fall head over heels off your bike, you stand a good chance of landing back-first on asphalt or pavement and injuring your spine. Impacts like this can crack vertebrae, slip disks, and tear muscles and spinal nerves. At higher forces, these impacts can break the spine outright.

Eye And Ear Injuries From Bike Accident

A heavy landing on something other than pavement can send debris into the eyes, or could rupture the eardrum from the impact force.

Disability, Paralysis, And Loss Of Limbs From Bike Accident

Contact with a car going at speed can break limbs in a way that they cannot be set right, sever the spine, or cause head trauma that can lead to reduced cognitive and motor function. Limbs may be damaged to a degree so great by the impact or the landing on the road that they may have to be amputated. Neck-down or waist-down paralysis can also occur with high impacts.

Reckless And Negligent Drivers Cause Bicycle Accidents

Most bicycle injuries, even the most minor ones, are the fault of reckless or negligent drivers. A modicum of caution on their part could prevent hundreds of injuries a year. The most common driver behaviors that lead to accidents are things like:

  • Changing lanes or turning without checking for oncoming cyclists
  • Backing out of a driveway or a parking space without looking
  • Not looking before opening a car door, or doing it suddenly in the path of a cyclist and leaving them no time to avoid it
  • “Rolling” through stop signs
  • Driving distracted
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Your Options After A Woodbury Bicycle Accident

Under the Minnesota No Fault Act, Minnesota is one about a dozen “no-fault” states in America. This means that your own personal injury insurance will pay for medical expenses and out-of-pocket expenses after a car accident, up to the policy limit, regardless of who caused the crash. The no-fault system has its advantages, such as if the injuries incurred in the accident are minor.

However, no-fault claims do not allow you to seek monetary compensation for pain and suffering, as well as other non-monetary damages stemming from the accident. To seek those damages, you can file a third-party lawsuit with an insurance company, which could allow you to seek greater amounts of compensation than a no-fault claim might otherwise get you.

Experienced Bicycle Accident Attorneys In Woodbury, Minnesota

Injuries from bicycle accidents can be devastating to the well-being of an individual and their loved ones. If you or a loved one was injured by a negligent driver while riding a bicycle, please contact us online or by calling our Woodbury office at (651) 291-7263. Our team will make sure that the drivers are held responsible for their actions, and that you receive the compensation you deserve.