While a car accident that leads to a mountain of medical bills can happen anywhere, it’s only logical to assume they will happen more often in Minnesota’s biggest cities – Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Bloomington and Brooklyn Park. People in these metro areas tend to be in more accidents simply because there are more vehicles. But no matter where they happen, car wrecks often lead to severe injuries that can result in years of debilitation.
If you’ve suffered an injury in a vehicle accident caused by another motorist, one of the first things you should do is to get in touch with an attorney with Sand Law. Our team of attorneys has years of experience helping car accident victims, and we work passionately to help our clients get every penny of compensation they deserve.
Please talk to one of our legal representatives as soon as possible. You can give us a call at 651-291-7263 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Minnesota Car Accident Statistics
The year 2020 was tragic for a lot of reasons. In Minnesota, 394 people lost their lives in car accidents, even though there were far fewer vehicles on state roads due to the pandemic. This was the highest fatality total since 2015. Excessive speed contributed to 122 accidents that led to deaths, while 105 fatalities were blamed on accident victims who weren’t wearing a seat belt. Drunk driving contributed to 79 deaths, while distracted driving resulted in 32 fatalities.
Most Dangerous City in Minnesota for Auto Accidents
Here’s a look at 2020 accident numbers for Minnesota’s largest cities, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). Minneapolis comes in at No. 1, which makes sense, considering the fact it’s the biggest metro area in the state.
Numbers of Accidents in Large Minnesota Cities
- Minneapolis – Total Crashes: 4,510
- St. Paul – Total Crashes: 2,887
- Rochester – Total Crashes: 1,244
- Bloomington – Total Crashes: 344
- Brooklyn Park – Total Crashes: 601
Auto Accident Injury Statistics
- Minneapolis – Injury Crashes: 1,570/Total Injured: 2,152
- St. Paul – Injury Crashes: 589/Total Injured: 768
- Rochester – Injury Crashes: 345/Total Injured: 450
- Bloomington – Injury Crashes: 169/Total Injured: 232
- Brooklyn Park – Injury Crashes: 268/Total Injured: 371
Car Accident Fatality Statistics (2019)
- Minneapolis – 12
- St. Paul – 10
- Rochester – 3
- Bloomington – 6
- Brooklyn Park – 2
Minnesota Truck Accident Statistics
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, 3,786 accidents involving large trucks occurred in 2020. These crashes led to 1,033 injuries and 58 fatalities. These collisions typically occurred between 6:30 am to 4 pm on weekdays. Interestingly, they usually happened on days where the roads were dry and the weather was clear.
When it comes to obtaining compensation for an injury, it’s typically much more complex after a truck accident than the average car accident. The biggest reason is that there are usually multiple liable parties. The truck driver could be to blame, but the trucking company could also face accountability. That company might have failed to properly inspect the truck, or it could have forced the driver to stay behind the wheel for far too long.
This is one of the many reasons why you should get in touch with the truck accident attorneys with Sand Law. We can perform a detailed investigation into the accident, uncovering the evidence needed in order to make your case as strong as possible.
We know how to determine all of the parties that should be held liable, and we also know how to deal with insurance companies. It’s very likely that the trucking company’s insurance provider will fight extremely aggressively, since trucking policies can be as much as $1 million or more. But we will be just as aggressive in working to help you get the money you have coming to you.
When and Where do Most Minnesota Auto Accidents Occur?
As you probably already know, most car accidents occur during the peak driving times of the day. More people are on the roads during weekdays between 6-9 am and 3-6 pm. They’re going to and from work, and going to and from school (or taking their children to school or picking them up). Traffic accident numbers are substantially lower on weekends.
What might be surprising to you is where most serious accidents take place – not accidents in general, but ones that result in severe injuries and fatalities.
These happen on rural roads much more often than city streets. According to the Minnesota DPS, 70% of all vehicle accident fatalities in the state took place on rural highways. The 80 counties that are considered to be rural areas make up about 50% of the entire population of the state, yet they account for the vast majority of deaths. Of the 394 deaths that occurred in 2020, 278 of them occurred in rural parts of Minnesota.
One of the reasons is that there are so many two-lane highways in these areas. That results in not only a higher risk of a head-on crash, but also illegal, unsafe passing. Here are some of the other reasons that wrecks outside of the biggest cities – Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Bloomington and Brooklyn Park – are so dangerous.
- Rural motorists tend to drive at higher speeds.
- Road conditions are more dangerous.
- Road shoulders aren’t as wide.
- Rural drivers tend not to wear seat belts – according to the DPS, nearly 80% of “unbelted” deaths took place outside of major metro areas.
- Rural motorists are at a greater risk of hitting wildlife.
- It takes longer for critical medical care to arrive to an accident scene in a rural area.
- People drive for longer distances, increasing the chances they’ll drive while fatigued.
Contact Sand Law ASAP If You’re Involved in an Auto Accident in Minnesota
The skilled, experienced attorneys with Sand Law will be standing by if you’ve suffered a severe injury in a car wreck caused by another party’s negligence. You can rest assured we’ll do everything we possibly can to help you obtain full and fair compensation so that you can get on with your recovery.
If you would like to schedule a free review of your case, please use our online form or call 651-291-7263.