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Rollover car accidents usually entail some of the most catastrophic injuries and often result in a totaled vehicle. In the immediate aftermath, you may be unsure about what you should do next to handle the burden of unexpected expenses. Injured Minnesota drivers should be aware of their right to seek compensation in a personal injury lawsuit for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you have suffered a serious injury or lost a loved one in a Minnesota rollover car accident, time is of the essence when it comes to filing a personal injury claim for damages. The best way to protect your future claim is to get in contact with a qualified Minneapolis rollover car accident lawyer as soon as possible. At Sand Law, our knowledgeable Minnesota car accident attorneys can offer you expert legal guidance and the resources you need to recover maximum compensation. Reach out to our team today to schedule a free case evaluation to discuss your Minneapolis rollover car accident. Call us at 651-291-7263. Or contact us online.
It’s common knowledge that car accidents are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Rollover car accidents are one of the most dangerous types of car accidents. Data on rollover auto accidents consistently tells the same story. While rollover car accidents are rare, they can too often be deadly.
Consumer Reports describes rollover car accidents as “one of the worst things that can happen to you on the road”. They also note that less than 5% of serious car crashes are considered rollover accidents, but rollover car accidents account for about a third of all fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants involved in auto accidents.
In Minnesota specifically, the Department of Public Safety reports 2,788 rollover car accidents in 2020. These rollover auto accidents constituted nearly 18% of all fatal car accidents in Minnesota that year, and 24% of fatal alcohol-related crashes. Minnesota drivers should be aware of the risks posed by rollover car accidents and reduce dangerous driving behaviors accordingly.
A rollover car accident happens when a vehicle is turned over onto its side or even flipped into its roof. In some cases, a vehicle may roll multiple times before coming to a stop, thrashing the occupants around and causing devastating injuries.
Rollover car accidents can be divided into two main categories, which are tripped and untripped. In a tripped rollover car accident, the vehicle in question is knocked off balance when it encounters an obstacle such as a median, guardrail, curb, road hazard, or car. This is compared to an untripped rollover accident, where the vehicle rolls without encountering an obstruction. For example, a semi-truck with a heavy load might tip while rounding a curve.
Certain types of vehicles are at a higher risk for rollover accidents based on their center of gravity, a product of their height and weight. Vehicles like SUVs, vans, and trucks tend to have a higher rollover risk than the average passenger car because when they are knocked off balance, the weight concentrated towards the top of their vehicle acts as a detriment. At that point, it’s difficult to stop the momentum, and the vehicle may tip over onto its side or continue rolling.
Most of the common causes of rollover car accidents are related to reckless driving behaviors and general negligence on the part of the driver.
When a Minneapolis driver decides to drink and drive, they are endangering the other motorists and road users around them. As referenced earlier, nearly a quarter of the fatal car crashes in Minnesota were rollover accidents in 2020, indicating that alcohol is a frequent catalyst. Alcohol impedes your judgment and driving instincts, reduces motor control, and even inhibits your vision, all of which are critical to safe driving behavior. Drunk motorists may lose control and swerve into medians or curbs, initiating a tripped rollover accident, or speed around a curve and roll down an embankment.
Minneapolis drivers who make quick turns, speed while traveling on curving or narrow roads like I-35 W, and fail to reduce distractions like texting can cause rollover car accidents. For example, a truck driver who is adjusting their navigating equipment may not recognize that they are coming up on a tight turn and fail to reduce their speed appropriately. When they take the curve too fast, the weight of their vehicle shifts and causes them to tip over.
Neglecting to care for your vehicle can increase your risk of being involved in a rollover car accident. If you are driving around on damaged or worn-out tires, you have diminished your vehicle’s ability to brake safely, which can be critical when you are trying to slow down to make a sharp turn or account for windy conditions.
In some cases, a rollover car accident is initiated when one vehicle collides with another and knocks it off balance enough that it tips over. Typically, a side impact is necessary to cultivate enough momentum to knock a vehicle over. This is especially a concern for top-heavy vehicles.
Unfortunately, rollover auto accident injuries have a tendency to cause extensive injuries. Additionally, medical assistance may be delayed as it can be more difficult to safely remove car occupants from the vehicle, which may exacerbate injuries. Injuries in a rollover car accident can take weeks or months to heal, require serious interventions like surgery, and may still result in permanent disability even after treatment.
Rollover accidents can be incredibly traumatic for anyone involved. This can result in mental or emotional injuries such as PTSD. Enduring invasive and painful treatment for serious physical injuries can also lead to mental health illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Invisible injuries are just as legitimate as physical injuries, and we encourage you to seek treatment for both as soon as you can after an accident.
If you delay seeking treatment, you can jeopardize your claim with the negligent driver’s insurance company. They will use your delay as evidence that you have exaggerated your injuries or you deliberately allowed them to become more severe in a ploy to falsely inflate the value of your damages.
As discussed earlier, when a rollover car accident involves another vehicle, the accident is typically attributable to negligent driver behavior. In cases of poor road maintenance, the local or state agency responsible for upkeep could face negligence accusations.
Minnesota allows drivers to share the blame and still recover damages in a personal injury lawsuit, so even if you are partially at fault for your rollover car accident, don’t give up hope of recovering compensation. According to Minnesota law, an injured party may recuperate a portion of their costs as long as they were less at fault than the other party. Each party is assigned a percentage of the fault, and the driver with the lesser percentage can recover a settlement minus the percentage of fault they contributed.
Your personal injury lawyer will be responsible for ascertaining and establishing liability. They may use police reports, traffic camera footage, photos and videos of the scene, eyewitness testimony, medical records, and other forms of evidence to demonstrate that the other party is to blame for your damages.
Proving liability requires that several criteria be met. First, the defendant must have owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. Their actions must then be shown to have violated that agreement to behave cautiously and responsibly towards the plaintiff. The breach of duty, like speeding or driving while drunk, must then be established as the cause of the accident that resulted in the plaintiff’s injuries. The injuries must be directly related to the rollover car accident. Finally, the damages must be shown to be an extension of the injuries incurred by the plaintiff.
Getting into a car accident can be devastating, no matter the size of the vehicle. But accidents involving passenger vehicles and large trucks can cause particularly severe injuries and fatalities. The average 18-wheel semi-truck weighs around 80,000 pounds, while a passenger car only weighs around 3,000 pounds.
While large truck crashes aren’t as common as car versus car accidents, they still occur every day in the United States. In 2018, 4,136 people died because of large truck accidents. 67% percent of these deaths were people in passenger cars, while 16% were truck occupants, and 15% were pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Dealing with insurance companies can be tricky. There are often many different parties involved in truck accidents, depending on the cause of the accident and the number of liable parties. However, you can rest assured that most semi-trucks and commercial trucks are well-insured.
You could be dealing with a variety of different people, including the insurance companies for the manufacturers of the truck, the company the driver works for, the driver’s personal insurance, and possibly others like a mechanic or safety inspector.
Truck accident cases are notoriously tricky for this reason specifically. That’s why it’s important to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer who knows how to investigate and pursue truck accident cases successfully.
When you get into an accident, it’s easy to feel angry and upset about what happened to you. These are completely understandable emotions. Determining liability for truck accidents is a bit more complex than for a car accident, but an experienced attorney can determine fault through a thorough investigation.
Sand Law will help you get to the bottom of the cause of your accident and who is liable. For example, if the brakes went out, the company that does repairs or even the company that performs safety checks may be liable for your accident.
It is also common for truckers to violate federal regulations in order to deliver more loads or to make a faster time. This can be a drowsy driver or a trucker who is under the influence of illegal drugs. Additionally, truckers can be particularly prone to distracted driving since they spend so much time on the road.
There are many different causes of large truck accidents and many different parties that could be liable.
Understanding the common causes and types of truck accidents can help you to understand how or why your injury occured. The following are some common causes of truck accidents in Minneapolis.
Driver error is common in car accidents: someone was speeding, driving recklessly, or going over the speed limit. The same is true of truck accidents. Truck drivers can cause an accident due to their own negligence, like DUI, speeding, reckless or aggressive driving, or distracted driving.
Defective truck parts can also be a common cause of semi-truck accidents. These types of accidents most often occur because of a manufacturer error or mechanic error. This includes things like unchecked brakes, a loose spare tire, or a faulty trailer hitch.
Manufacturers, mechanics, and trucking companies could all be held responsible for these types of truck accidents. It’s also possible that the team who performs the safety check on the truck could also be liable.
Semi-trucks that are unsafely loaded can threaten the safety of other drivers on the road. This includes trailer loads that are not properly secured or loose cargo that can fall off a truck. It also includes trucks that are overloaded and are, therefore, at risk of rolling over or preventing safe braking.
In order to prevent truck accidents, there are regulations regarding proper loadings, like weight limits, number of tie-downs, and trailer and truck requirements for specific types of cargo.
It is the responsibility of truck drivers and trucking companies to ensure the safe loading of cargo on their trucks. When they fail to do so, and it causes an accident, the victim may be able to pursue compensation for their injuries.
Because there are so many parties involved and so many different factors at play, it can be hard to determine exactly what the one true cause of an accident was. That’s where Sand Law comes in to investigate your accident with the help of professionals to determine cause and liability.
Because trucks are so much larger than passenger cars, an injury from a large truck accident can be much more severe than a regular car accident injury.
Truck accident injuries often include:
Of course, there’s always a chance that some may only suffer minor injuries, but with the scale of these accidents, more severe injuries are common.
With accidents like this, victims can also experience injuries that appear days or even weeks after the accident occurred. This is because, with some injuries, the damage isn’t always apparent at first. This is especially common in internal injuries, head injuries, and neck injuries. Once the shock and adrenaline wear off, injuries that were not at first apparent often appear. Because of this, it is important to get medical treatment right away, regardless of if you are feeling pain right after the accident.
[WHAT TO DO AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT CHECKLIST]
Semi-truck accidents can cause serious injuries that result in high medical bills and lost wages. While the financial cost is large and can be a burden, there are other costs victims have to deal with, too. For example, the mental cost of a truck accident can be incredibly hard to handle.
A catastrophic injury, like a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, can greatly affect one’s quality of life. You may need to change their daily routine in order to accommodate their new injury. You may not be able to perform the same tasks on your own and may need assistance from an outside caretaker.
Mental health impacts may be great when a change like this is required. You may experience an increase in depression, anxiety, and insomnia as you adjust. While these things are totally normal for you to feel after an accident, you still deserve to receive compensation for your hardship.
As we have mentioned, truck accidents can cause serious injuries, which translate into higher costs, greater damages, and increased stress. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you get compensation for your injuries so that you are not suffering under the weight of these bills on your own. Damages from a truck accident can include economic and non-economic damages.
For economic damages, you can recover money for medical bills, including doctor visits, hospital bills, and physical and mental therapy. You can also recover any lost wages you may have accumulated in the time that you’ve been injured. Economic damages also include compensation for any in-home care that you may have needed due to your injury. This can include child care or any other fees you may have paid for help with everyday tasks because of your limitations.
Non-economic damages include things like pain and suffering, loss of future wages, and lost earning capacity. These types of damages also include mental anguish and suffering that is common after serious accidents.
Compensation, whether it be for economic or non-economic damages, is different for every person and depends on the specific facts of their case and injuries.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a large truck accident, the experienced Minnesota Truck Accident Attorneys are ready and willing to help you receive the compensation that you deserve. You worry about recovering from your injuries, and let us worry about the insurance companies.
For more information or for a free case evaluation, please contact us online or at 651-362-4162.
On average, over 200 motor vehicle accidents occur in Minnesota every day. In 2015, for example, there were over 74,000 car crashes. These 74,000 auto accidents left almost 30,000 Minnesotans injured and 411 people dead. The total estimated economic impact of motor vehicle accidents in Minnesota was over $1.7 Billion. A significant portion of these motor vehicle accidents occurs in Minneapolis and St. Paul or the surrounding metro areas. Hiring a Minneapolis car accident attorney can help you to navigate the mess created by a car accident.
The total impact of traffic accidents on Minnesota as a whole is huge. However, the impact on each individual involved in an accident is also very significant.
Drivers that are injured in motor vehicle accidents (whether that be in a car accident, motorcycle accident, or some other vehicle) can incur massive damages. Many people experience these types of damages after a car accident:
Unfortunately, some serious motor vehicle accidents cause injuries that lead to permanent disability.
Obtaining compensation for the total, long-term costs resulting from a Minneapolis car accident requires an analysis of both the current costs and damages of the accident; and the anticipated future costs of the accident, like future surgeries, medically necessary equipment, etc.
A car accident can, unfortunately, cause a wide variety of different injuries. Injuries can range from minor to severe or even life-threatening. Common types of car accident injuries include:
And unfortunately, in some cases, a car accident can lead to death. Death may occur at the scene of the accident or because of complex or complicated injuries.
Often, filing an insurance claim for car repairs is only the beginning of a long process to recover costs and losses arising from a car accident. Because Minnesota is a “no-fault” state, finding the right insurance company to hold responsible can be difficult.
Depending on the details of the incident and the injury, primary coverage will almost always come from your own insurance policy, even if the accident was the other driver’s fault. This seems convenient at first, as your initial expenses are likely to be paid without much hassle.
However, with Minneapolis car accident-related injuries, insurance policy limits are quickly reached. Many injuries require ongoing treatment, including surgery and physical therapy. Your insurer may cover the cost of initial treatment. But you could be left on your own to cover medical care and surgeries exceeding the policy. Plus, future medical expenses or lost wages.
In some cases, you may need to initiate legal action against your insurer to get the compensation you deserve. In other cases, you may need to file a suit to motivate the at-fault driver’s insurer to cooperate. Additionally, it is not unheard of to also file a lawsuit against a third party, like the maker of the car, tires, or another defective part.
There are a lot of different car accident attorneys in Minnesota, especially in big cities like Minneapolis. However, some are better than others, and some have more resources than others. Finding an experienced and qualified personal injury attorney relies on the best tool ever invented for researching a business’s credentials: the Internet.
Check out their reviews, check the attorney’s status on the Minnesota Bar website, and read a few of the articles online to see if they know what they’re talking about. You can also view their profile on AVVO, Super Lawyers, Better Business Bureau, and other similar sites.
Sand Law works on something known as a contingency fee basis. This means that if we accept a case, we do so with the understanding that we will probably be able to get the client a settlement or court-awarded compensation. The “contingency” part means that our fee is contingent (or depends) on whether or not we get money for our client first.
However, if, for some unseen reason, the client doesn’t receive any financial compensation, then we do not charge that client a fee of any type. That client would literally pay nothing.
Of course, that is not the desired outcome for the client or their attorney; in fact, it is only the desired outcome for the other party’s insurance company.
So what is our fee? Well, Sand Law charges the same fee that all personal injury firms in Minnesota charge, which is 33% to 40% of the client’s settlement amount.
We charge:
Insurance companies want you to think that hiring a personal injury attorney is not necessary. They will tell you that an injury attorney will just take a chunk of your money and that if you pursue the claim on your own, you would get to keep 100% of it. The reason insurance companies don’t want you to hire an attorney is that that improves their odds of not paying injury victims maximum compensation for their damages.
But a study by IRC, or the Insurance Research Counsel, found that, on average, accident injury victims who had the same exact injury that decided to hire a personal injury lawyer had settlements that were 3.5 times more than injured parties who handled their claim on their own.
Looking at the 3.5 times figure, we find that:
That means that even after paying the attorney, you would still make more than twice what you would have on your own.
Insurance companies want you to represent yourself for this exact reason: they will have to pay less, increasing their profits, if you don’t have an attorney.
Sand Law’s personal injury attorneys have extensive experience in litigating motor vehicle accident claims in the Twin Cities and around the state of Minnesota. We will ensure that your claim is handled efficiently and expeditiously.
Insurance companies tend to rely on complications and paperwork to avoid paying full compensation. By engaging an experienced attorney, you can cut through the red tape and bureaucracy and get the compensation that you deserve.
In addition to the measurable monetary damages from your car accident, like the cost of
you may be entitled to compensation for
Any offer you receive from an insurance company will not include compensation for these types of damages. Pain and suffering damages can be equal to or even greater than the actual medical expenses.
Our lawyers can also work with you to reduce the amount of money you owe your healthcare providers after you receive a settlement or jury award. Insurance companies have a right to recover costs that they have already paid, and you can bet they will try to claim their share of your settlement.
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or anywhere in the metro area, contact Sand Law today to discuss how we may be able to help you. It is important to act quickly and to document all details related to your accident and your injury. We understand that the most important thing for you to do following an injury is to focus on your recovery. With our representation, you can focus on what matters most and get back to full health.
You can contact Sand Law LLC by filling out our online contact form or by calling 651-291-7263 today. We look forward to hearing from you.
Even though distracted driving is usually associated with younger drivers, anyone can be guilty. Veteran truck drivers have caused devastating accidents while talking on the phone while behind the wheel, or even trying to send a text. Even a momentary lack of focus while operating a vehicle can have catastrophic results.
Distracted driving is a real problem. Not only in Minneapolis, but throughout Minnesota and the US. If you’ve been hurt in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be able to obtain a significant amount of compensation. Contact Sand Law to get in touch with one of our distracted driving lawyers. We have decades of experience representing clients who’ve been injured due to the negligence of others. And we’re ready to put that experience to work for you.
To schedule a free consultation, call us at 651-291-7263 or contact us online.
No matter what time of the year it may be, whether it’s a beautiful summer day or a frigid day in the middle of winter, distracted driving is always a huge issue. This is especially the case in a big city such as Minneapolis.
An average of 166 people either lose their lives, or are severely injured, in Minneapolis traffic accidents. Distracted driving is one of the five behaviors that are most often blamed on these crashes. Others include speeding, running red lights, failing to yield the right-of-way, and driving while impaired. It’s estimated that 9% of deaths in Minneapolis vehicle accidents in 2016 occurred due to distracted driving – and 14% of those fatalities were attributed to use of a cell phone.
The problem is just as bad in other areas of the state. An astounding 39,000 wrecks due to distracted driving took place between 2016-2020 – one out of every nine accidents. There were 155 fatalities during this time frame, and another 960 serious injuries.
The numbers for the United States as a whole are just as disturbing. In 2019 alone, 3,100 people lost their lives, and another 424,000 were severely hurt in accidents that were blamed on distracted driving. Amazingly, about 20% of the people who were killed in distracted driving-related accidents weren’t even in a vehicle. They were either riding a bike, walking, or outside of a car for some other reason.
There are obviously far too many car accidents in Minnesota each year, no matter what the cause. But when someone is hurt or tragically killed just because someone couldn’t keep their focus on the road, that makes an accident that much worse. The three main types of distractions are manual, visual and cognitive. Here’s a brief look at each.
This is where someone takes their hand off of a steering wheel, even for just a moment. Examples include drinking and eating, changing the radio station, getting something out of a wallet or purse, or smoking a cigarette. Any of these behaviors could quickly lead to a driver losing control of their vehicle.
Minnesota is obviously a beautiful state, and there’s a lot to see in Minneapolis. But save your sightseeing for when you’re in the passenger seat. Visual distractions also include checking a handheld device, using your phone, and turning your head to talk to someone in the car.
This is any type of distraction that involves losing focus on the task at hand – driving in the safest manner possible. This could mean talking or texting, being preoccupied with your job, or simply staring out the window daydreaming. Even though your eyes are on the road, your mind is somewhere else. And that’s can be dangerous for everyone involved. Without proper focus, it’ll be harder to react to a sudden change in the road.
The law is very clear in regard to distracted driving in Minneapolis and throughout Minnesota. The state’s so-called “Hands Free” law imposes severe penalties for those who drive while reading or sending texts and/or emails while their vehicle is either in motion, or part of the flow of traffic.
Even a first offense can cost more than $120, while second and subsequent tickets will cost violators more than $300. This is in addition to a very likely increase in their auto insurance rates. But the penalties get exponentially more serious if a violator hurts or kills someone while violating the Hands Free law. If this happens, they could be charged with criminal vehicular operation or even homicide.
There are a lot of things you’ll need to know if you’re ever involved in an accident caused by a distracted driver. Maybe the most important is that if you’re going to have a chance to obtain the compensation you deserve, you’re going to have to prove the driver’s distraction directly led to your injury.
In order to do that, you’re going to need the help of a skilled attorney.
The best way to prove the at-fault driver was texting and driving will be to obtain their phone records. If there were witnesses, they may be able to testify that the driver was using their phone at the time of the wreck. Nearby surveillance cameras may have also caught footage of what led to the accident. An attorney will be able to not only get those phone records, but also any surveillance camera footage that could help strengthen your case.
There are a lot of very simple things that people can do to reduce the risk of causing a distracted driving accident. The easiest is to just turn off their smartphone while driving. Others include having a passenger act as their navigator (instead of looking at a GPS device), and only eating and drinking when you’re in a restaurant parking lot, or at a rest stop.
The distracted driving attorneys with Sand Law are standing by to help you get the money you deserve. Call us at 651-291-7263 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
When you’ve been injured in a Minneapolis T-bone car accident, affording medical treatment should be the last thing on your mind. Unfortunately, the actions of a negligent driver may have left you suffering from the financial burden of severe injuries and property damage. On top of that, you have physical and emotional consequences. If you were injured by a negligent driver, you have the right to pursue compensation for damages in a Minneapolis car accident lawsuit.
The car accident lawyers of Sand Law are prepared to negotiate on your behalf. We have the financial resources and legal insight to establish a convincing case for liability. And to recover compensation for your damages. Our team offers a free case evaluation where you can discuss your case with one of our Minneapolis T-bone car accident lawyers and receive personalized legal advice.
If you were injured in a Minneapolis car accident, contact Sand Law for a free case evaluation. You can call us at 651-291-7263 or contact us online.
A T-bone car accident is named for the visual that the two cars involved in the accident create. In a T-bone auto accident, the front of one vehicle runs into the side of another vehicle, forming a T shape. The entire impact of the first car is consolidated into an area with less protection, which can result in catastrophic injuries and property damage.
T-bone auto accidents are most common at locations where two roads intersect. Examples of intersections may include places where a driveway leads out to a road, traffic interchanges, and 3 way stops, to name a few. Essentially, anywhere that one vehicle crosses or turns in front of another vehicle presents an opportunity for a T-bone car accident to occur.
Some states, including Minnesota, have made it a point to construct more roundabouts to reduce the rate of car accidents like T-bone auto accidents. However, it is not possible to eliminate every opportunity for a T-bone collision, which is why Minneapolis drivers should know what to expect if they are involved in a T-bone car accident.
Like most car accidents, T-bone car accidents are typically the results of negligent driving behavior. Minneapolis drivers have a responsibility to one another to abide by traffic laws and safely maneuver their vehicles. When they fail to uphold their duty of care, a Minneapolis car accident can result in serious injury or even death.
In some cases, T-bone accidents are the result of a simple error in judgment. However, it is significantly easier to misjudge the speed of an oncoming car or anticipate a changing traffic signal if you are impaired, distracted, or behaving recklessly. For example, a drowsy driver may blow through a stop sign and slam into the passenger side door of another car at full speed, causing extensive damage and injury.
As previously discussed, the impact of a T-bone auto accident concentrates the force being applied to the other car, which often means that the resulting injuries are more serious. Treatment can entail invasive medical procedures, require expensive medications or accommodations, and prevent you from working while you recover.
Some injuries cause life-altering damage, such as disfigurement or paralysis. In the worst-case scenario, a T-bone car accident can claim lives. According to Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety, in 2020, 394 people died and 20,529 were injured in Minnesota car accidents.
As soon as you are out of harm’s way, you should seek treatment from a medical provider. They will be able to identify any injuries you have sustained and administer the appropriate treatment before your condition worsens. It’s also beneficial to have medical records detailing your injuries. These will come in handy when you’re ready to file a personal injury claim.
Insurance companies often try to reject or reduce the value of a claim by saying that the injured party failed to seek medical assistance. This indicates that their injuries are less serious than their personal injury lawsuit claims. Don’t give them an easy excuse to diminish the value of your claim. If you need assistance finding a reputable medical provider, a Sand Law car accident lawyer can help connect you with a qualified medical professional.
In a personal injury lawsuit, you can claim compensatory damages to reimburse you for the losses you have incurred. Compensatory damages include economic and non-economic damages. Expenses that have a receipt, or at least an established monetary value, are considered economic damages. Non-economic damages are calculated more subjectively. However, they’re still legitimate losses that can be recognized in a Minneapolis car accident lawsuit.
For example, let’s say that you sustained a spinal cord injury after being involved in a Minneapolis T-bone accident caused by a drunk driver. You need to purchase a wheelchair to get around, you have to take an Uber to your physical therapy appointments, and you are no longer able to play hockey with your friends every weekend.
In this example, the cost of the wheelchair, the amount you spend on Ubers to physical therapy, and the cost of the therapy itself would all be considered economic damages. The loss of quality of life resulting from being unable to play hockey would be categorized as a non-economic damage.
For a party to be considered liable, a car accident attorney must demonstrate that their client was owed a duty of care by the other party. They must also demonstrate that a breach of this obligation led to the accident which caused the plaintiff’s injuries and damages. To ensure that their client is eligible to recover these damages, a Minneapolis personal injury lawyer will likely need to rely on a variety of sources to prove that the defendant is liable.
At Sand Law, we make it a point to put the needs of our injured clients first. We’ll go above and beyond to secure the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. Our team will handle communications with insurance claims adjusters and bill collectors. We’ll gather evidence and create a plan to negotiate maximum compensation for your damages.
In some cases, insurance companies are unwilling to offer what we believe is a fair settlement in pre-trial negotiations. Sand Law’s dedicated car accident lawyers won’t let that stand. Our team is composed of trial attorneys with ample experience litigating complex personal injury claims against insurance companies who want to diminish settlements.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a T-bone car accident, securing a reputable representative should be your next step after seeking medical attention. You can reach us online or by phone at 651-291-7263. The car accident lawyers of Sand Law are ready to champion your claim for damages in a Minneapolis T-bone accident lawsuit so you can rebuild your life.
Side-swipe accidents are particularly troublesome, because they can sometimes be difficult to see coming, and can be hard to avoid. Not only can they destroy vehicles, they can also result in debilitating injuries that are incredibly expensive to treat. If you were injured in a Minneapolis sideswipe or other type of car accident, contact Sand Law.
If you’ve been hurt in this kind of accident, and the other driver (or some other party) is to blame, then the car accident attorneys with Sand Law will be ready to help you obtain compensation. Not only will we protect you from the other driver’s insurance company, we’ll also strive to uncover the evidence it will take to help you win your case.
You should get in touch with our firm as soon as you can so we can immediately begin an investigation. You can call us at 651-291-7263 for a free case evaluation, or you can use our online contact form.
As the name implies, a side-swipe accident takes place when two vehicles are traveling in the same direction, and one slams into the side of the other. Most of the time, one of the drivers commits some type of negligence, as you’ll learn in the next section.
Just about any kind of car accident can happen for a variety of reasons, and side-swipe wrecks are no exception. But one of the biggest culprits is inattention on the part of one of their drivers. These are just a few of the typical reasons side-swipe accidents occur.
Anywhere two or more vehicles are moving in the same direction, there will be a risk for a side-swipe accident. While all car accidents can be dangerous, a side-swipe wreck that takes place on a highway is especially frightening.
The reason is obviously because of the higher speeds involved. Plus, as stated earlier, both drivers are typically taken by complete surprise, and are unprepared as a result. One of the drivers may overcompensate, and could easily lose control of their vehicle. When this happens, other vehicles could easily be involved in a huge chain-reaction accident, which can lead to disaster.
Without a doubt. It’s somewhat ironic that the initial accident usually doesn’t create much of an impact – at least not enough to put drivers or passengers in a lot of danger. It’s what happens afterward, when drivers over-react out of shock and surprise. They can hit other cars, of course, but they can also hit stationary objects, such as guardrails, highway signs, bridge supports and others. This is where the risk of severe injuries – or even worse – increases significantly.
It can sometimes be hard to figure out exactly who’s to blame for a side-swipe accident. Most of the time, the motorist who drifts into another driver’s lane will be held responsible. All motorists, of course, are required to only change lanes when it’s clear they have enough room to do so safely. They not only have to signal, they also must check their blind spots to make sure they don’t hit another vehicle. If the side-swiped car was parked, then, of course, the driver of the moving vehicle will be at fault.
You’re going to need the help of an attorney to prove that you weren’t in any way to blame for the wreck. A seasoned legal representative will be able to show the other driver’s insurance company that the wreck was their fault.
They may, for example, be able to get footage from any nearby surveillance cameras that caught the collision as it happened. If the other driver was texting, your attorney can seek phone records to show they’re to blame because they were distracted.
Being rear-ended by a negligent driver can substantially damage your car and cause injuries that require you to miss work. Instead of focusing on your recovery, you now have to be worried about the financial impact of another party’s reckless behavior on your life.
Fortunately, Minnesota law provides a way for injured parties to recover compensation for their losses. If you can successfully demonstrate that your damages are a result of another party’s negligence, you may be able to secure a settlement that covers expenses like medical bills and lost wages. The rear-end car accident attorneys of Sand Law are fully prepared to advocate for a fair settlement that compensates you for your financial, physical, and emotional losses.
If you were injured in a rear-end car accident in Minneapolis or across Minnesota, contact Sand Law. We offer a free case evaluation with our experienced car accident lawyers. Call us at 651-362-4162 or contact us online.
Rear-end car accidents account for over 40% of all car accidents between multiple motor vehicles. According to this data from the National Safety Council, this makes rear-end auto accidents the most common type of car accident in the U.S, with nearly 350,000 rear-end car accidents reported in 2020.
With the prevalence of rear-end car accidents presenting a clear threat to the safety of drivers nationwide, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration recruited participants for a simulation experiment to gather information about how rear-end auto accidents occur. Their goal was to gain insight that would allow them to develop technology and strategies to reduce the rate of these dangerous car crashes.
One of the most revealing results of the NHTSA experiment was that in scenarios where the participants caused a rear-end car accident in the simulation, 40% were looking out the front windshield when the car in front of them started braking. According to the report, approximately 87% of rear-end car accidents involved driver distraction.
Rear-end car accidents can occur when a Minnesota driver fails to see or recognize the car in front of them coming to a stop. The following driver may also be deliberately tailgating due to distraction, impatience, or impairment. This leaves them with inadequate space to safely brake. Of these reasons, distracted driving is the most commonly associated with rear-end car accidents. But it’s by no means the only negligent driving behavior that can result in a rear-end collision.
Minnesota allows drivers who were partially at fault to recover a percentage of their damages. This is done by subtracting the percentage of blame they’re responsible for. However, this only applies when a driver was less at-fault for the accident than the party they’re pursuing compensation from. This is known as comparative negligence.
In most cases, the driver of the following car is at-fault for the rear-end auto accident. They may have been distracted or impaired at the time of the car accident. This constitutes negligent driving behavior. However, there are other situations where the driver of the car in front may actually be responsible for the auto accident. For example, if their brake lights were out, they had their car in reverse, or they were brake checking at the time of the rear-end collision.
Brake checking can potentially be considered negligent driving under Minnesota law. For instance, if you were involved in a rear-end car accident where the driver in front of you deliberately slammed on their brakes in an attempt to “teach you a lesson” about following too closely or because they became distracted, they may be found liable in a personal injury lawsuit. This can be difficult to prove without the expert assistance of a car accident lawyer who can leverage information like eyewitness statements, photo and video evidence, and accident reconstructions to establish fault.
In a personal injury lawsuit, losses that are eligible for repayment are referred to as compensatory damages. For the party seeking damages, the goal of an accident injury claim is to recover the value of the economic and non-economic costs that they would not have incurred without the actions of a negligent driver.
Economic damages have an established market value. For example, the price of adding a ramp to your house so you can safely access your home on crutches. Common economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. The bills associated with a Minnesota rear-end collision can accumulate quickly and soon become overwhelming.
After being severely injured in a Minnesota car accident, many of our clients also find themselves suffering from non-economic losses. Non-economic losses don’t have a formal price tag, but they are still considered eligible for compensation in some cases. For example, injured plaintiffs could potentially seek damages for pain and suffering or loss of consortium in a wrongful death claim. Speak with an experienced Minneapolis car accident attorney for a more thorough idea of what damages you may be able to claim in a rear-end collision lawsuit.
A rear-end collision can damage much more than your physical health and your vehicle. Many injured clients seek out Sand Law after they realize the magnitude of the financial impact a rear-end car accident is going to have on their life. For years, the rear-end collision attorneys of Sand Law have sought maximum compensation on behalf of our injured clients.
When necessary, our highly sought-after trial attorneys have taken personal injury claims to court to reach a fair settlement. You can depend on the Minneapolis car crash lawyers of Sand Law to provide you with reliable legal advice, utilize our resources to take on powerful insurance companies, and treat you with respect as we seek a fair settlement.
Schedule a free case evaluation with our Minneapolis car accident lawyers today by calling 651-291-7263 or contacting us online. Our team is ready to support you through the personal injury claims process as we negotiate for the compensation you deserve.
After sustaining a severe neck or back injury in an accident, you may find yourself unable to work, participate in recreational activities, or even care for yourself without assistance. Additionally, injuries of this nature are often accompanied by staggering medical bills. If your accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you should not have to pay the price. In fact, under Minnesota law, you may have the right to seek compensation for your damages.
If another party’s negligence led you to sustain a back or neck injury in a motor vehicle accident, on the job, or on someone else’s property it’s time to seek out a reputable Minnesota neck and back injury lawyer. Sand Law offers free case evaluations to prospective clients where we will review your options for pursuing damages and explain the services we offer. You can call us at (651) 362-4162. Or contact us online.
Injuries to the neck and back occur when an outside force damages internal structures, such as nerves and muscles. This is commonly seen in Minnesota car accidents when the body is jerked back and forth. Neck and back injuries may also be caused when an object penetrates the neck or spine, causing trauma.
The neck and back are critical to facilitating movement, enabling sensory input to reach the brain, and supporting the skeletal system. A serious neck or back injury can compromise or permanently destroy those functions by damaging nerves, muscles, and tissue.
The severity of injuries can range widely depending on the precise location of the injury and the amount of force applied. For example, a spinal cord injury at the T-1 vertebrae can cause paraplegia, or paralysis from the chest down, while an injury of the C-2 vertebrae in the neck can induce quadriplegia, resulting in paralysis of the arms and legs.
The severity of your neck or back injury can have a substantial influence on the amount of compensation you are able to recover in a personal injury lawsuit. It can determine the level of pain and suffering you endure. As well as the length of time you experience it. It can also significantly impact the treatment you require, and whether or not you fully recover. For example, you may need multiple surgeries, require physical therapy, and have to learn how to navigate life in a wheelchair.
In terms of how this impacts your Minnesota personal injury claim, for severe injuries, insurance companies will sometimes deliberately offer a significantly lower settlement than what your claim is worth. They do this in the hopes that you will be too overwhelmed by the stress of recovery and bills to put up a meaningful resistance. This is especially a risk with serious back and neck injury claims because they want to avoid paying for a lifetime of care and reduced earning capacity.
When you are looking at weeks or months of lost wages, hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, or a lifetime of pain, you can’t afford to jeopardize your settlement. If your back or neck injury is severe, you’ll likely have less time and energy to devote to pursuing damages, which once again emphasizes the importance of seeking out professional legal assistance. The backing of a personal injury lawyer can make all the difference in your Minneapolis personal injury claim.
Not all back and neck injury claims will be valued the same in terms of damages. For example, let’s consider a driver who is in a rear-end car accident and suffers a minor whiplash injury. They have to wear a neck brace for a week and miss half a day of work to attend a doctor’s appointment. Compare this to a driver who suffered a complete spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, forcing them to forfeit their active lifestyle and career.
The second driver would be able to claim a significantly higher amount in damages as they are looking at potential surgeries, the cost of a wheelchair and home modifications, therapy, and a lifetime of impairment, just to name a few damages. Also, keep in mind that the value of a personal injury claim is considered within the context of an individual plaintiff’s life.
As an example of this principle, let’s again consider two drivers who were involved in car accidents that weren’t their fault. In this example, we’ll assume they both sustained a serious whiplash injury. The first driver works a standard office job and enjoys reading as a hobby. The second driver worked as a lineman and enjoyed fishing as a hobby.
The whiplash injury would interfere with the first driver’s lifestyle and job to a much lesser degree than the second driver’s life. As a result, the second driver would be entitled to more extensive compensation, even for the same injury. Your personal injury lawyer will be able to assist you in calculating the value of your damages by taking into account both your past expenses and future needs.
If your injury occurred at the workplace, there is a separate process for seeking reimbursement, which is known as workers’ compensation. Minnesota workers’ compensation offers employees a no-fault option to streamline the claims process so they can afford the care they need.
The worker’s compensation claims process allows injured employees to recover a portion of medical bills and lost wages regardless of who was to blame for the accident that caused their injuries. Despite its seemingly straightforward approach, the worker’s compensation process can be contentious and complicated. It’s best to seek out the counsel of an experienced Minnesota worker’s compensation attorney to protect your right to compensation.
If you can no longer return to your previous job due to a severe neck or back injury, you may be able to claim damages for the cost of job retraining and even wage discrepancy if your new position pays less than your old one. Unfortunately, some neck and back injuries may completely prevent you from resuming your career altogether.
In that event, a personal injury claim could compensate you for the loss of your career and pay for assistance with finding and training for a new career. An example of a situation where this might apply would be a construction worker who suffers a back injury in a motorcycle accident that severely limits their range of motion. In a personal injury lawsuit, they could potentially demand compensation for the impact of their injury on their career, in addition to the standard medical bills and lost wages.
Neck and back injuries can be some of the most debilitating types of personal injuries, which is why we account for the long-term costs of living with a disability when we file a claim for damages on your behalf. You may no longer be able to drive, cook, clean, work, or participate in your favorite hobbies. Additionally, living with a permanent disability is often accompanied by hefty medical expenses and irritating day-to-day inconveniences.
Sometimes we encounter clients that have become permanently disabled in an accident who are hesitant to ask for such a large sum in a personal injury lawsuit. Please rest assured that it is completely appropriate for you to request compensation for the physical, financial, and emotional losses you have already sustained, as well as the costs you will pay over a lifetime as a result of someone else’s negligence. In fact, it is a right protected under Minnesota law. The personal injury lawyers of Sand Law are prepared to support you every step of the way.
Slip and fall accidents can cause a host of injuries, ranging from mild to severe. These falls can cause a whole array of injuries like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, and lead to complications like paralysis, coma, and even brain death. In fact, one out of every five falls causes a serious injury.
While falls can happen at any age, 60% of all deaths associated with falls involve people 75 years or older. It’s also stated that the severity of injuries goes up with each decade of life, meaning the older you are, the more likely you are to receive serious injuries because of your slip and fall.
Falls are also 100% preventable, if all parties put in effort to keep their properties safe. This includes workplaces, stores, parking lots, and even homes.
Slips and falls are caused by a long list of different things and can occur pretty much anywhere, even in your own home. Slip and fall accidents are caused most often because of someone else’s negligence. If someone fails to clean up a spill or maintain their parking lot, a slip or fall can occur, causing you harm because of their failure to properly maintain a safe environment.
Slips and falls occur because of:
Slip and fall accidents can occur in many different situations, and your case will differ depending on where your accident occurs.
For example, a homeowner will have a lot less to offer in terms of insurance in comparison to a big corporation like Costco or McDonalds. However, bigger corporations deal with lots of these lawsuits, and are more likely to push a low settlement offer and try to avoid taking the case to court.
Slip and fall accidents may occur inside of a restaurant, store, grocery store, or friend’s home, as well as in the workplace, or in a parking lot or nursing home. A slip and fall accident may also occur inside your own home.
Truthfully, a slip and fall accident can occur anywhere, especially if the area is poorly maintained by management.
Determining liability is a key factor in your case, and an important step in filing your lawsuit. Upon the first investigation of your case, when you first meet with your attorney, your attorney will look into who may be liable for your accident.
The liable party is the one who caused your accident because of their own negligence. That negligence can look different depending on your case and how the party was involved. Store owners, workplace managers, and even your friends owe a duty of care to keep their homes, stores, and workplaces free from anything that could cause injury. A breach of this duty can result in your fall and lead to injuries.
Private property, such as the home of a friend or even your own apartment complex, can still be liable for any injuries that occur there. If a friend has you over for dinner and doesn’t take reasonable action to prevent any accidents from occuring, you could file a lawsuit for a slip and fall that occurs while you’re there. For example, if you were to slip on ice outside their house or fall down the stairs because of a broken floor board, they could be liable.
In the case of an accident that occurs in your own apartment building, don’t write off getting compensation just yet, you still may be able to. If your accident occurs because of a maintenance issue you’ve tried to get fixed, this could result in your apartment complex being liable for an accident that occured because of the unsolved maintenance issue. If the accident occurs outside your apartment but still in the complex, they may also be liable.
You could be eligible for compensation for injuries that occur because of a slip and fall in a business. This can include grocery stores, small shops, and anything that’s open to the general public. Any injuries that occur in these places because of the negligence of the owner (for example boxes left in aisles or cracked parking lots) could qualify you for compensation due to their negligence.
Construction sites are an incredibly dangerous place, and many workers experience accidents there each year. These accidents can occur because of improper training, defective products, clutter, and more. While workers’ compensation may be offered to cover some costs from a slip and fall accident that occurs in the workplace, it may not be enough to cover all of your damages.
If you were injured because of a slip and fall in any of these places, you could be eligible for compensation for your injuries.
When you’re injured in a slip and fall accident, you’re likely to have medical bills. If your injury is severe, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of debt you’ve collected in such a short amount of time. However, these are all damages that can be recovered in your lawsuit.
You can recover economic damages, such as compensation for any medical bills you may have, including bills for hospital visits, ambulance rides, therapy, surgery costs, and more. You may also receive compensation for any wages you lost while out of work and any wages you could lose in the future because of your injury.
Non-economic damages refers to the compensation that you can receive that isn’t tied to a specific bill or monetary loss. Pain and suffering compensation is given to those who experience a change in their quality of life when comparing their life before and after the accident. The greater this change is, the greater the compensation could be. You can also be compensated for permanent disability or disfigurement, loss of consortium, and loss of earning capacity.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a slip and fall accident in Minneapolis, contact the experienced attorneys at Sand Law. Our attorneys have years of experience working with slip and fall cases and helping victims to get the compensation that they deserve. For more information, please contact us online or at 651-291-7263.
The convenience of ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have taken over the transportation world in the past five years. These companies drive people all around town, to their jobs, to bars, and everywhere in between. But if you’re in an accident while in an Uber or Lyft or while driving for a rideshare company, how does it compare to a regular personal vehicle car accident.
In a recently released report from Uber, they stated that they took an average of 3.1 million trips every day in the United States in 2017 and 2018, for a total of 2.3 billion trips. However, it’s also stated that there were 97 fatal crashes with 107 total deaths in 2017 and 2018.
What’s odd is that they chose not to mention how many non-fatal car crashes occurred. How many people didn’t die but “only” had a paralyzing spinal injury or traumatic brain injury?
With these companies having so many drivers on the roads at all times, they’re bound to get into an accident at some point. But what happens if you get into a car accident with an Uber or Lyft driver? Is it the same as getting into an accident with a regular driver?
If you need further information about your Uber or Lyft accident, you can contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Sand Law in Minneapolis.
A ridesharing company is like a taxi service except the ride comes from a regular person using their own car. From a phone app, you can call a ride for you and your friends. The driver will then pick you up and take you wherever you need to go. But because the person is using their own car and because the driver doesn’t technically work for the rideshare company, getting into an accident while in an Uber or Lyft can be a bit more complicated than getting into an accident with a regular driver.
In some cases, you may be filing your lawsuit against the driver alone, or the company that they work for. It all depends on the type of accident you were involved in and whether or not the driver was “online” at the time. “Online” refers to whether or not the driver has the app on, is waiting to accept a passenger, or is currently transporting a passenger.
There are many different cases in which an accident could occur with a ridesharing driver.
You could be the passenger of the Uber/Lyft and your driver could have gotten into an accident. If the Uber/Lyft driver was at fault for the accident, you may be able to receive compensation from Uber/Lyft.
If the other driver was at fault, you may need to file your lawsuit against them. It depends on the circumstances.
Another scenario could involve you being hit by a rideshare driver. If the Uber/Lyft driver is at fault for the accident, you would take legal action against that driver. Uber/Lyft may or may not be involved depending on the driver’s online status and whether or not there was a passenger in their car.
Another type of accident would involve you being a pedestrian or bicyclist and you get hit by a rideshare driver. In this case you would need to seek compensation from the driver’s personal insurance or from the rideshare company depending on whether they were online or not.
Finally, you may need an injury attorney if you were a driver of a rideshare and you were hit by a negligent driver. In this case, you may or may not be able to get Uber or Lyft to help cover your damages.
Like all big companies, profits often lead the conversation, so if you are struggling to get compensation after being involved in a rideshare car accident, contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
Uber and Lyft function in very similar ways. There are a few different scenarios in which an accident can occur.
In the first scenario, the ridesharing driver has their app offline. This means that they are not currently picking anyone up or waiting to pick someone up. They are not working at this time. If you were to get into an accident with a ridesharing driver who has their app offline, you would deal with that person’s own insurance, and Uber and Lyft would likely not be involved at all.
However, if the app is online and there isn’t a passenger in the car, the employee is technically still on the clock. Uber’s insurance would cover $50,000 in bodily injury per person, $100,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 in property damage per accident.
If there’s a passenger in the Uber at the time, Uber’s insurance would then cover $1,000,000 in third-party liability, any uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury, as well as comprehensive and collision compensation up to the cash value of the car.
It’s important to remember that Uber/Lyft insurance is supplementary, as they still require their drivers to have their own insurance. In most cases, Uber’s insurance will only apply if the driver doesn’t have enough insurance coverage.
After an accident it’s easy to feel helpless like there aren’t many options, or even like you’re drowning in debt from medical bills and other costs. We’re here to tell you that that’s not the case. With an experienced attorney, you can recover damages for your injuries.
[Explanation of Damages in Minnesota]
Medical bills are usually one of the biggest things that victims of accidents are worried about, but you can receive compensation for your medical bills, including hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, therapy, surgery costs, ambulance costs, and any other medical bills that are related to the injuries that you sustained during the accident. You can also receive compensation for any wages you may have lost while you were out of work, and even any wages you may continue to lose.
You can also receive compensation for loss of earning capacity. If your injury prevents you from being able to complete the job you used to be able to do, you can receive compensation for that. Pain and suffering is another big one that you can receive compensation for. This number will depend on how your accident has affected your life and how it will continue to affect your life in the future.
Because accidents with Uber/Lyft drivers can be a bit more complicated than a regular car accident, hiring an attorney is your best bet. An attorney will help to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve. They’ll communicate with insurance companies and investigate your accident on your behalf, giving you the time that you deserve to relax and receive treatment for your injuries.
The attorneys at Sand Law have years of experience working on ridesharing accident cases, and we’re ready and willing to help you take on your case. For more information, or a free case evaluation, please contact us online or at 651-291-7263.