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 651-291-7263 or contact us online.
Minneapolis Rear-End Car Accident Statistics
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.
Causes of Rear-End Accidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota
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.
Common Causes of Rear-End Car Accidents
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Drunk driving
- Aggressive driving and road rage
- Disregarding traffic laws
- Poor road maintenance
Other factors, such as adverse weather, may contribute to rear-end car accidents. However, this type of collision is overwhelmingly caused by reckless driving. If you’ve been injured in a Minneapolis rear-end car crash, you may be able to recover the value of your damages from the insurance company of the negligent driver.
Injuries Associated with Minneapolis Rear-End Accidents
Not all rear-end car accidents are simple fender-benders. The severity of your injuries and your recovery depend on:
- how hard you were hit by the car behind you
- whether or not you were wearing a seatbelt
- how soon you received proper treatment
After a rear-end car accident, some Minnesota drivers and their passengers are left with chronic pain, loss of sensation or function, and other debilitating health issues.
Examples of Rear-end Car Accident Injuries
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain injury
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- Fractured and broken bones
- Lacerations and contusions
- Crush injuries and amputations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal injuries
As Minneapolis personal injury lawyers, we often see insurance companies attempt to undermine claims for damages. Insurance companies want to pay out as little as they have to in order to avoid cutting into their profits. The insurance company may suggest that you failed to mitigate your damages. Or that your injuries are less severe than you claim. Unfortunately, these tactics can be effective in reducing your settlement if you have delayed seeking treatment for your injuries. We always encourage our clients to receive medical attention as soon as it is safe to do so after a Minneapolis rear-end collision to protect their health and their future claim.
Who’s at Fault for a Rear-End Car Accident?
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.
Is Brake Checking Illegal in Minnesota?
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.
Receiving Compensation for Your Damages After a Minneapolis Rear-End Accident
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.
Contact the Minneapolis Rear-End Car Accident Lawyers of Sand Law Today
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.