The woman, Jessica Howe, was charged today with criminal vehicular homicide in Anoka County.

A reconstruction of the accident determined that Howe was driving 55 miles per hour when the speed limit was 40. According to the accident report, Howe’s car left no skid marks, meaning she did not even try to stop, which makes sense since she said she was looking for her cell phone.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety:

Each year in Minnesota, distracted or inattentive driving is a factor in one in four crashes, resulting in at least 70 deaths and 9,000 serious injuries. The Office of Traffic Safety estimates these numbers are vastly underreported due to law enforcement’s challenge in determining distraction as a crash factor.

Talking on a cell phone while driving is an especially dangerous form of driver distraction. A few states have made it illegal to use a cell phone while driving.  In Minnesota, texting while driving is prohibited but talking on a cell phone while driving is still not illegal with a few exceptions.  It is time to ban cell phone use while driving.

For more information, please see “Accident Caused by a Cell Phone.”

Dead are Jeremy M. Cox, 32, of Houston, Minn., and his daughter, Isabel Cox, 3. His baby son was also in the SUV and suffered what the state patrol classified as “minor injuries.”

As a father of young children, I know the mother is living every parent’s nightmare.  Sadly, there are a number of legal issues that need to be addressed quickly in wrongful death cases.  State and federal forms need to be filed, property needs to be transferred, and a personal injury attorney has to be hired to gather and preserve evidence.

I have represented many families who lost loved ones in accidents.  Please feel lfree to call me for help at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).  Because our law firm has had numerous multi-million-dollar recoveries for our clients, we have the resources to take on insurance companies in wrongful death cases.

Altura, Minnesota car accident: Three teenage girls died on County Rd. 27 on April 23 and a fourth was injured. The girls were found in a ditch where their pickup truck had overturned.  Authorities told local news sources that it did not seem as if the girls were wearing seat belts.

Onamia, Minnesota car accident: A teenage girl was killed at the intersection of Hwy 27 and Hwy 169 Saturday night when her vehicle crossed Highway 169 while she was traveling eastbound on 27. She had stopped at a stopsign and proceeded into the intersection when a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck her Chevrolet Lumina broadside.

Cambridge, Minnesota car accident: In the deadliest car wreck of the three-day period, six people died near County Road 70 on Highway 95 early Sunday morning. The driver, a 16-year-old girl who reportedly had just gotten her license weeks prior, was the only survivor. The four passengers in the Pontiac Grand Am were killed when the car struck an oncoming SUV head-on. The two men in the SUV were killed in the head-on collision. News sources report alcohol was involved.

Bloomington, Minnesota car accident: A 23-year-old Burnsville woman was killed when her Honda hit a bridge pillar at high speed near the intersection of Interstate 494 and Interstate 35W.

Minnesota car accident attorneys at Pritzker Olsen law firm investigate the circumstances surrounding fatal car accidents and car accident injuries on behalf of victims and their families. Our attorneys learn as much as they can about their clients’ cases so they can obtain the maximum car crash settlement possible. A car accident settlement in a fatal accident case could include:

• Funeral expenses
• Medical expenses
• Potential earnings
• Loss of advice, comfort, assistance, protection, counsel and society
• Punitive damages against the defendant if the defendants actions show deliberate disregard of others’ rights or safety.

News sources:

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_31e11456-501a-11df-a00d-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.brainerddispatch.com/stories/042610/new_20100426023.shtml

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/92041709.html?page=2&c=y

“Families are grieving today and looking for answers,” stated Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has won millions of dollars for families who lost loved ones in commercial truck accidents.  “When a semi truck crashes into another vehicle, the result is usually serious injury and death.  What we need to find out in this case is how fast the beer truck was going, whether the driver was distracted and how much sleep the driver had.  It can take a lot of digging to find the answers.”

Pritzker Olsen attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman recently obtained a hard-fought $2,560,000 semi truck accident settlement for a husband and wife whose car was hit from behind by the semi.  To win the case, our Minneapolis, MN law firm hired an expert to make a video reconstruction of the accident.

“The video reconstruction of the accident was the winning element of our case,” stated Pritzker. “Because our law firm is successful, we have the money needed to take on trucking companies and win.  The video in this case cost $25,000, but we won over $2 million dollars.”

Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America.  To contact him, please call 1-888-377-8900 (TOLL FREE) or submit our online form for a free consultation.

Both the driver and passenger were ejected from the Honda on impact, and at least one of them died.  The Minnesota State Patrol has listed this accident as fatal and has not yet provided more information.  Our law firm is representing families who lost loved ones in accidents, and in almost every case, the death was caused by an inattentive driver.

The Minnesota State Patrol report indicating that the driver of the Plymouth ran a stop sign and was at fault for the accident can be used as evidence in a lawsuit seeking compensation for injuries or wrongful death.

The primary issue in this case will be the amount of compensation.

If you would like to discuss how our law firm will fight for justice for you and your family by working to obtain the best possible compensation package for you, please call Attorney Fred Pritzker at 612-338-0202 or 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).  You may also submit our free consultation form.  We are not paid unless you win.

Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman have once again been named “Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics magazine, a Minnesota legal journal.

The accident Saturday was the worst of eight Minnesota fatal accidents that took place over Memorial Day weekend.

The State Patrol identified the driver in the Olmsted County van crash as Christopher S. Frisch. The people who died  in the crash were driver Terry Milholland, 45, of Beecher, Ill., and passengers Heidi Newell, 19, and Jarah Beers, 23, both of Rochester, and Raymond Milholland, age and hometown unknown. The Star Tribune reported that two others were hospitalized with critical injuries: 2-year-old Carter Newell of Rochester and Rita Seha, 43, also of Rochester.

The collision reportedly happened late Saturday at the intersection of state highways 63 and 30.

When someone dies in a Minnesota car wreck caused by the negligence of another, the spouse and next of kin can recover monetary damages under the state’s wrongful death law. And when someone dies in a drunk driver accident in Minnesota, the spouse and next of kin may have a claim for punitive damages.

Minnesota-based Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is a nationally recognized law firm that has the resources to perform its own accident investigations. When alcohol is involved in a crash, the firm researches dram shop claims against bars and other retailers who supplied alcohol to the drunken driver. Our lawyers know how to fight for fair compensation from all responsible parties, including money to cover a client’s pain and suffering.

 Pritzker Olsen has recovered tens of millions of dollars for victims of  motor vehicle accidents that cause serious injury and death, including Minnesota motorcycle accidents. The number of fatal motorcycle accidents in the state has been on the rise.

The Minnesota traffic deaths this weekend included two passenger on motorcycles. One motorcycle was struck by a car on Highway 371 in Cass County. The car was northbound when it braked to avoid hitting another vehicle ahead. Then, according to reports in the Star Tribune, the car swerved into the southbound lane and struck the motorcycle head-on. A couple from Oak Grove, Minnesota, was on the bike.

According to the State Patrol, 59-year-old Judy Hubers died from her injuries. John Hubers, 51, was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. On Monday, Mr. Hubers remained hospitalized in critical condition.

Another six people were killed over the weekend in six separate accidents in Carver County, Fillmore County, Dakota County, Wright County, Olmsted County and Aitkin. 

According to the Star Tribune, one of the six was motorcycle passenger Amber Frandup, 25, of Eagan. She died when the motorcycle she was riding on crashed into the back of a car on the Mendota Bridge in Dakota County.

To contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer or motorcycle accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen, call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

Our professional lives are dedicated to upholding the constitutional rights of our clients including the right to trial by jury. We believe that wrongdoers and their insurance companies should be held accountable for the harms and losses they cause and the families of injury victims should be fairly compensated for the damages they suffer.

According to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department, traffic on County Road 3 in Merrifield had stopped for Jack and other boys and girls to cross the street on Saturday. Sherman Frederick passed the stopped vehicles on the shoulder and his van struck Jack as he was crossing the road. The boy, who was reportedly on a visit to see his grandparents, died at the scene.

Additional charges filed against Frederick include reckless driving and failure to provide proof of insurance.

Car Accident Death

When someone dies in a Minnesota car accident due to the negligence of another, the spouse and next of kin can recover monetary damages for the car accident death under Minnesota Statutes, section 573.  Under the statute, damages are limited to financial loss resulting from the death.

But there is a provision  for punitive damages when there is deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, call the Minnesota car accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys. The firm is nationally recognized and represents clients in Minnesota and throughout the United States. To contact a car accident lawyer at the firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or write to us online for a free case consultation. 

If true, the results would be in line with the number of  Minnesota traffic fatalities last year — 456.

In a press release this week, DPS said 104 people have died in Minnesota road accidents through May 4, including six pedestrians and three motorcyclists. In 2008, the state hit the 100-fatality milestone on April 23.

Cheri Marti, director of  the DPS’ Office of Traffic Safety, noted that the 2009 tally would be lower if more people wore seat belts. She estimated that 700,000 Minnesotans do not wear seat belts.

Of eight traffic deaths statewide in April, for instance, five who died were not wearing seat belts, the DPS said.

“These fatal crashes involving unbelted motorists serve as a wake-up call,” Marti said in the press release. “Whatever your excuse is for not buckling up, these crashes demonstrate an excuse won’t help you when you are involved in a crash.”

Minnesota car accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen have represented car accident victims and survivors for decades. Our attorneys are highly visible in the legal community as frequent speakers on car accident injuries, including traumatic brain injury. 

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash, a Minnesota car accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen can be readily reached by calling 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by completing one of our free online case consultation forms.

The charges against Gregory T. Benedix, 43, relate to his SUV hitting 86-year-old Jerome Meuwissen as he crossed Highway 41 at Second Street in a marked crosswalk on December 3. Meuwissen died from his injuries.

The Star Tribune newspaper reported the charges and said the incident prompted some Chaska residents to rally for a stoplight at the intersection. Minnesota Department of Transportation officials began a safety study but the intersection is still without a stoplight.

If you have been in a Minnesota car accident and the other driver did not yield the right-of-way, you may have a claim against the driver, the owner of the other vehicle and others for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, cost of care and other damages.

To contact PritzkerOlsen, P.A., for a free consultation on your MN car accident, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit the firm’s free online case consultation form.

Those are some of the details in a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court against Tito F. Campbell, 33, of Crystal. Campbell, who has a lengthy criminal record with more than one previous drunk driving citation, was tested with a blood-alcohol level of .16 percent after the fatal collision.

Killed in the crash was 48-year-old Shoua Vang, a church-going mother of six boys, who was an innocent passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband, Zong Xiong. The couple was less than a mile from their home when Campbell exited I-35E at Larpenteur Ave. and was seen running a red light at an estimated 60 mph, the Star Tribune newspaper reported. Zong Xiong was treated at Regions Hospital and released Sunday.

The Star Tribune said Campbell faces three charges: Fleeing police resulting in a death; first-degree drunken driving and fleeing police resulting in great bodily harm.

Under Minnesota Law, when someone dies in a drunk driver accident, the spouse and next of kin may have a claim under MN wrongful death statute. Minnesota car accident attorneys at PritzkerOlsen, P.A., have years of experience in wrongful death cases and are highly visible in the Minnesota legal community.

If you have been in a Minnesota fatal car accident and want to understand your legal rights against insurance companies, dram shops, vehicle manufacturers and others, call PritzkerOlsen at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or go online for a free case consultation.

In the St. Paul fatal accident, driver Tito Campbell had been reported by his ex-girlfriend as having just stolen her car. According to the newspaper, Roseville Police pursued him on Highway 36 at speeds of up to 90 mph, but reportedly stopped the pursuit because Campbell was driving dangerously.