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

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.

The injured party can ask for punitive damages, which, depending on the circumstances, can be significant.  For example, our Minnesota car accident lawyers won $6,000,000 on behalf of a 26 year-old female passenger whose right leg was amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver.  Contact Attorney Fred Pritzker about this and other settlements and verdicts for victims of drunk driving accidents.

Even though there are severe criminal and civil consequences, drunk driving continues to be a problem in Minnesota.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, July Operation NightCAP (nighttime concentrated alcohol patrol) DWI enforcement campaigns resulted in 196 DWI arrests — the highest monthly total for DWI arrests in 2009. NightCAP is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

NightCAP targets the 13 deadliest counties for impaired driving: Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright. During 2005–2007, these counties accounted for more than half of the state’s alcohol-related deaths (272) and serious injuries (663).

NightCAP efforts have generated 1,284 DWI arrests since enhanced DWI patrols began in fall 2008: Anoka (372), Blue Earth (89), Crow Wing (26), Dakota (61), Hennepin (270), Itasca (36), Ramsey (165), Rice (43), St. Louis (61), Sherburne (66), Stearns (36), Washington (36) and Wright (23).

Attorney

It was the worst of at least nine fatal accidents that occurred in Minnesota over Memorial Day weekend. Together, 12 people died.

The driver who was charged in the Minnesota quadruple fatal accident was Christopher Frisch, whom the State Patrol  said was intoxicated. Frisch told investigators he had been drinking and fell asleep behind the wheel before broadsiding the mini-van at the intersection of state highways 30 and 63.  The crash killed Terry Milholland, 45, of Beecher, Ill.; his 5-week-old son, Raymond Milholland; Heidi Newell, 19, and Jarah Beers, 23, both of Rochester.

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.

The Minnesota fatal car accident lawyers at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys have years of experience representing victims and survivors of serious motor vehicle crashes. When alcohol is involved in a crash, the firm investigates for possible dram shop claims against bars and other retailers who may have 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. Over the years, Pritzker Olsen has collected tens of millions of dollars for crash victims and their next of kin.

According to a press release from the State Patrol, the four-day Memorial Day weekend was extremely busy for law enforcement personnel. Of the 12 people who died in crashes on public roads, 10 of the deaths were handled by state troopers.

The patrol said it responded to a total of 56 personal injury crashes, 212 property damage crashes and 497 driving complaints. Sixty-three individuals were arrested for driving while intoxicated and 11 were arrested on various narcotics charges, the press release said.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said it was the deadliest Memorial Day weekend for motor vehicle accidents since 1996, when 13 people died. Two of the people who died this year were female passengers on motorcycles.

For more information about Pritzker Olsen,  call 1-888-377-8900 (Toll Free) or write to us online for a free case consultation.

Statewide on St. Patrick’s Day, alcohol-related crashes accounted for seven of 12 traffic deaths and another 13 serious injuries from 2005-2007, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Each year in Minnesota, alcohol-related crashes account for around 200 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries, statistics show.

Minnesota car accident lawyers at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys represent injured victims of these senseless accidents, always investigating for dram shop liability. Our lawyers can help you determine if a dram shop violation played a role in your accident in time to take action under the statute of  limitations.

PritzkerOlsen is a premier Minnesota law firm. The firm has recovered numerous settlements and verdicts in excess of $1,000,000.

Lt. Matt Langer of the State Patrol said in a press release about DWI enforcement on St. Patrick’s Day that “there is a history of partying on St. Patrick’s Day, but not a history of planning for a sober driver.”

He said the extra DWI patrols will be deployed in the following counties, which usually account for more than half of the state’s alcohol-related crashes causing death and injury: Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright.

The five counties are Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne and Stearns.

According to the Winter 2009 newsletter of the Office of Traffic Safety, law enforcement officers will target various traffic corridors and mark them with illuminated “DWI Arrest Zone” signs. The officers also will patrol other roads in search of motorists who attempt to circumnavigate the high-visibility DWI enforcement areas.

As car accident lawyers who represent injury victims of alcohol-related crashes, the firm of PritzkerOlsen Attorneys applauds the measure. In 2008, a series of special DWI enforcement efforts resulted in 52,833 vehicle stops resulting in more than 3,000 DWI arrests — one arrest per 17 traffic stops.

Under Minnesota Statute, Section 169A, it is a violation of Minnesota law to drive with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more.  If someone violates this law, it is prima facie evidence of negligence in a civil case (Minnesota Statutes, Section 169.96 (2006).

In a civil action against a drunk driver, the injured party can ask for punitive damages, which, depending on the circumstances, can be significant.  For example, PritzkerOlsen won $6,000,000 on behalf of a 26 year-old female passenger whose right leg was traumatically amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver.

Special DWI enforcement initiatives can help reduce the chances of such accidents ever happening.

According to the Office of Traffic Safety, the state’s 13 deadliest counties for impaired driving are Anoka, Blue Earth, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Itasca, Ramsey, Rice, St. Louis, Sherburne, Stearns, Washington and Wright. The 13 counties accounted for nearly half of the state’s alcohol-related deaths (272) and serious injuries (663) during 2005-2007.

In law enforcement circles, St. Patrick’s Day has its own set of statistics that a good car accident lawyer knows from experience.

Statewide on St. Patrick’s Day, alcohol-related car accidents accounted for seven of 13 traffic deaths over the three most recent years for which statistics are available: 2005-2007.

During that same period, 1,575 impaired drivers were arrested for DWI.
With that in mind, State Troopers, city police departments and sheriff’s deputies are encouraging St. Patrick’ Day pub-goers and partiers to plan ahead for a sober ride home.

Officers in many municipalities and counties across the state will increase patrols in search of unlucky leprechauns who choose to drink and drive on St. Patrick’s Day.

Under Minnesota Statute, Section 169A, it is a violation of Minnesota law to drive with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more. If someone violates this law, it is prima facie evidence of negligence in a civil case (Minnesota Statutes, Section 169.96 (2006). In a civil action against a drunk driver, the injured party can ask for punitive damages, which, depending on the circumstances, can be significant.

The car accident lawyers at PritzkerOlsen Attorneys are deeply experienced in representing car accident victims and their survivors. Very often, our investigators find a dram shop claim is part of an auto accident case. When a dram shop claim is part of a fatal car accident case, our lawyers know how to fight for fair compensation.