Fatal Accident in 35W Construction Zone Reminder to Use Caution
A tragic accident on 35W in Burnsville is a reminder that drivers need to use extra caution in construction zones.
Today, two electrical workers for Egan Co. were killed by a car that left the road and hit them as they were working alongside northbound Interstate 35W in Burnsville. According to news reports, the men were working on electrical lines buried along the freeway.
The driver of the car was Kirk Daemos, a 21-year-old from Ramore, Missouri, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. He was not injured. The worker who survived, critically injured, was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center.
According to the State Patrol, Daemos lost control and struck the workers partway down the embankment on 35W at McAndrews Road. The State Patrol has not stated whether alcohol played a role in the accident. At this point, the investigation of this fatal accident is only preliminary.
The families of these workers should interview attorneys as soon as possible to determine who to hire to represent them. A good accident attorney will immediately begin an independent investigation of the accident and do the following:
- Visit the scene of the accident
- Inspect the car to determine if there were any defective parts that contributed to the accident
- Determine if the driver had been drinking, and if so, if a bar, restaurant or liquor store had sold him alcohol before the accident
- Determine if safety measures could have been taken to prevent the accident
- Obtain copies of relevant documents, including the accident report, medical records, etc.
- Obtain insurance information.
One of our attorneys can meet you where it is convenient with no obligation. We want you to be comfortable with the attorney you hire, and that often means interviewing a few attorneys to determine who you trust. Contact our attorneys for a free consultation.
Source: http://www.twincities.com/ci_19109622
Wrong Way Driver Accident – Lawyer for Injury and Wrongful Death
Frequently, accidents involving wrong way drivers are caused by distracted driving. Our Minnesota car accident lawyers have handled numerous cases involving distracted drivers.
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There are many types of distractions that cause drivers to put lives at risk including, eating, drinking, reading, watching TV, as well as portable electronic device usage. (Cell phone usage, both talking and texting, has emerged as a serious threat to safety on our roads.) There are also less obvious forms of distractions such as daydreaming or dealing with strong emotions that can present potentially dangerous situations for drivers.
If you were injured or a loved one was injured or killed in a Minnesota auto accident that was not your fault, you deserve fair compensation for your injuries or loss. Call toll free 1-888-377-8900 to discuss a MN car accident personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.
Wrong Way Driver Negligence
If there is sufficient evidence to prove that a wrong way driver involved in an accident was distracted, that will generally result in a finding of driver negligence. The four elements of driver negligence are:
- Duty
- Breach of Duty
- Direct or Proximate Cause
- Injury
Each of the above elements must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence. Pritzker Olsen auto accident attorneys have years of experience with Minnesota auto accident cases and a record of success. We know how to gather evidence and use it to build a winning case.
Minnesota Car Accident Lawyer
The lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. For information about your rights and remedies following a MN car accident, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.
Our attorneys represent families in car accident wrongful death cases throughout Minnesota, including in the following cities: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Moorhead, Mankato, Blaine, Anoka, South St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Roseville, Brainerd, Bloomington, Eagan, Eden Prarie, Apple Valley, Maple Grove, Jackson, Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Stillwater, Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Austin, Worthington, Woodbury, Maplewood, Golden Valley, Shoreview, St. Cloud, Arden Hills, Brooklyn Park, Forest Lake.
Cars Rear-Ended by 18 Wheeler Causes Fatal Wreck
According to the State Patrol’s MN fatal accident report, westbound traffic was slowing down for a backup caused by a car fire. “The semi was coming in too fast for the slowdown and the following crash occurred,” the State Patrol said in its report.
In this detailed area of law, the truck accident attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have proven expertise in performing independent accident investigation and sorting out liability issues to assure victims just compensation for injuries, pain and suffering that stem from another driver not being in control of a commercial vehicle.
Drunk Driving May be Cause of Fatal Head-On Accident in Minneapolis
Minneapolis police are awaiting test results to determine if Connie Stroud was drunk when she drove the wrong way on an I-94 ramp and hit the Vang family’s car head on. An unborn child was killed, and the mother, Tao Thao, is still in critical condition. Yia Vang, Tao Thao’s husband, and five children between the ages of 3 and 10 were also injured in the crash.
Tao Thao has been the sole breadwinner in the family since Yia Vang was laid off of his welding job.
A benefit fund has been set up in Yia Vang’s name. Donations can be taken at all Wells Fargo locations.
Lao Thao, Tao Thao’s brother has asked the community for help because the Vang family is not able to buy food or clothes or to pay for housing.
Minnesota Dram Shop Laws: Holding Sellers of Liquor Accountable
State Patrol spokesman Capt. Matt Langer told the Star Tribune that Connie Stroud, 42, of Minneapolis, “had way too much to drink to be driving.” She was driving a Toyota pickup truck. Given the size of Ms. Stroud’s vehicle, it is amazing more people from the Vang family were not killed.
It has not been reported where Ms. Stroud drank before she drove, but if it was a “dram shop,” that establishment could be liable for the wrongful death of Jaylee Chang Vang, the unborn child who was killed in the head-on crash, and the injuries suffered by Tao Thao, Yia Vang and the other children.
Minnesota law holds dram shops responsible for the dangerous actions of an intoxicated person when they illegally sell liquor to that person. Dram shops can include bars, liquor stores, restaurants, social clubs, and even private events where liquor is sold.
Under Minnesota Statutes, Section 340.801, Subdivision 1:
A spouse, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured in person, property, or means of support, or who incurs other pecuniary loss by an intoxicated person or by the intoxication of another person, has a right of action in the person’s own name for all damages sustained against a person who caused the intoxication of that person by illegally selling alcoholic beverages.
If your family has been hit by a drunk driver, contact Pritzker Olsen law firm for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.
Pritzker Olsen attorneys have been interviewed and quoted by The Star Tribune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyers USA and other publications. Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman were named Minnesota Super Lawyers by Law & Politics magazine (Aug. 2009), and Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Strain Bus Rollover Kills 2 and Injures 21
It is late, almost the end of this tragic day. Two people are dead and 21 others injured, 3 critically, after a Strain Tours bus driver lost control on Interstate 90 near Austin, Minnesota, crossed over to the wrong land and rolled into the ditch. The bus is owned by Bold Lines, Inc., doing business as Strain Tours.
Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, we all learned more about the accident. Tomorrow the Minnesota State Patrol will probably post more names. We have a few from news reports. Names are important because they give a tragedy a face. Names aren’t just statistics.
One of the passengers on the bus was Bill Kesler, who was related to almost half of the other passengers. Here is what the Star Tribune wrote about him:
On the way home from an Iowa casino, Bill Kesler found out how lucky he really is.
The Rochester man walked away from a bus crash and rollover Wednesday afternoon on Interstate 90 near Austin. Two people aboard were killed, and the 21 others aboard were hurt, three of them critically.
Most of the passengers on board were older adults. Some were ejected as the bus rolled, a State Patrol spokesman said.
Kesler, 64, and his wife were part of a group of 10 coming back from the Diamond Jo Casino, off Interstate 35 near the Iowa-Minnesota border. With them: her four sisters and their husbands.
“We don’t even know what happened,” said Kesler. “It happened so fast. I was sitting toward the back, and the next thing I knew, the bus went over the median and flipped.”
Mr. Kesler walked away, but he has injuries, and they may be worse than he thinks. Some brain injuries take days or weeks to manifest.
We have had clients tell us they did not realize how injured they were and would have settled for inadequate amounts if they had not come to us.
We have recently recovered money for families in several wrongful death cases involving elderly people. Our experience has been that insurance companies place little value on the life of an older person. Our job as attorneys is to prove that they are wrong and that every life has substantial value.
For those who would like a free consultation with one of our Minnesota bus accident lawyers about a Strain Tours lawsuit, we welcome you to call our law firm at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online consultation form.
If you would like to learn more about our lawyers, visit our “About Us” page on our main website, www.pritzkerlaw.com. There is information about each attorney and links to even more information.
Toyota and Lexus Floor Mats Pose Crash Risk Says NHTSA
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today alerted Lexus and Toyota owners about conditions that could cause the accelerator to get stuck open under certain conditions. The agency strongly recommends taking out removable floor mats on the driver’s side in certain models and not to replace them with any other mat, either from Toyota or any other brand.
“This is an urgent matter,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “For everyone’s sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”
NHTSA notes that there continue to be reports of accelerator pedal clearance issues which provide the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position. A stuck accelerator may result in very high vehicle speeds and a crash, which could cause serious injury or death.
NHTSA said that Toyota has announced that it will soon launch a safety recall of various model year vehicles to redress the problem. However the safety agency warned owners to remove all driver-side floor mats from the models listed below immediately as an interim safety measure in advance of the recall.
Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected by this consumer alert are:
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2007-2010 ES 350
- 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350
Today’s advisory was precipitated by continued reports of vehicles accelerating rapidly after release of the accelerator pedal. The incidents appear to be related to factors including the use of a variety of unsecured mats, the particular configuration of the accelerator pedals in these vehicles, and the unique steps needed to shut off the engines in some of these vehicles with keyless ignition.
For a free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers regarding a Toyota or Lexus lawsuit, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form. Attorney Fred Pritzker has recovered multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts in product liability cases. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.
