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.
Fatal Minnesota Car Accident on Highway 8
On August 12, a Minnesota car accident near Center City resulted in the death of at least one person. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Plymouth Voyager was heading northbound on Pleasant Valley and ran the stop sign on the corner of Pleasant Valley and Highway 8. The Plymouth crossed Highway 8 and struck a westbound Honda Road Street on the rear bumper.
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.
