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.
Head On Collision Wrongful Death
Rural highways, mostly two-lane highways, are dangerous. According to the Federal Highway Administration, rural roads have more that 50% of Minnesota’s fatalities with only 25% of the population.
If you have been injured in a head on collision or a loved one has been killed in an accident on one of Minnesota’s dangerous highways (Highway 8, U.S. 14), you need legal representation to obtain a measure of justice and maximize your compensation. Pritzker Olsen car accident personal injury and wrongful death lawyers have won tens of millions for accident victims and their families. Call today: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free).
FREE CONSULTATION with an attorney >>>
Head On Collision Wrongful Death Compensation
When someone dies in a Minnesota head on collision due to the negligence of another, the family can recover monetary damages for the head-on collision wrongful death under Minnesota no-fault law and Minnesota’s wrongful death statute, Minnesota Statutes, Section 573.02. Under the MN wrongful death statute, damages are limited to financial loss resulting from the death. Damages may include:
- Reasonable funeral expenses
- Medical expenses
- Loss of potential earnings
- Loss of advice, assistance, comfort, counsel, protection and society
In Minnesota, damages for pain and suffering and emotional stress are not available in a car accident wrongful death case. However, with an experienced attorney, this will not prevent just compensation for the spouse and next of kin.
Head-On Collisions on Rural Two-Lane Highways
Many variables may contribute to rural highway dangers and head on collisions. As rural population and traffic increases, there are usually very few safety improvements made to rural highways to accommodate the additional flow of traffic (e.g., traffic lights, left turn lanes, right turn lanes). Other factors that may contribute to rural highway dangers and head on collisions include:
- speeding
- alcohol use
- more teens and seniors on two-lane roads
- complacent drivers (Drivers may feel safer closer to home and drive inattentively or without a seat belt.)
- road rage (Impatient drivers may attempt to pass slow-moving traffic in an unsafe manner and cause a head on collision and death.)
- blind intersections
- growing congestion
Highway 14, between New Ulm and Rochester, may be the deadliest rural highway in Minnesota. Over the last 20 years, more than 125 people have died on Highway 14.¹ In 2008 the University of Minnesota launched a new interactive website where people can find and view the deadliest roads in Minnesota and the United States.
Highway 8, from Forest Lake to Taylors Falls is another death trap, especially in the Lindstrom area which has over-capacity traffic levels.² Although the number of accidents have dropped in recent years on Highway 8, due to the addition of traffic signals and dedicated right and left turn lanes, every year there several serious and/or fatal accidents.
Minnesota Attorney for Head On Collision Wrongful Death
Minnesota car accident attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman were named Minnesota Super Lawyers by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Our attorneys are actively involved in the legal community, frequently speaking on car accident issues, including traumatic brain injury, use of expert witnesses, pain and suffering compensation, presentation of evidence in court and other matters. Attorney Fred Pritzker has also been named a Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Put our expertise to work for you. Call our toll free number, 1-888-377-8900, or submit our online contact form.
¹ ushighway14.com/
² www.dot.state.mn.us/
MN Lawyer for Rear Ended by Semitrailer Truck
PritzkerOlsen, P.A. is a nationally-recognized Minnesota law firm and represents clients throughout Minnesota and the United States. Minnesota car accident lawyers Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman have been voted Super Lawyers by their peers. Fred Pritzker has also been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America. To contact one of our lawyers for a free consultation about a car accident injury or death, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.
Who Can You Sue in a Rear Ended by Semitrailer Crash
Being rear ended by a semitrailer is a violent crash. Very often these accidents are caused by inattentive drivers. Recently, there was a rear end collision near St. Cloud, Minnesota that involved 5 vehicles and resulted in 2 fatalities, 2 people were hospitalized in critical condition and 3 people sustained non life-threatening injuries.
The question then becomes, “Who can you sue if you are rear ended by a semi truck?” That is where experienced legal representation becomes critical. A skilled attorney will sort out who the liable parties (parties that can be sued) are in order to obtain the deserved compensation for you and your family. The liable parties in a truck accident lawsuit may include:
- the owner of the truck cab
- the owner of the truck trailer
- the owner of the freight
- the driver of the truck
- the driver’s employer
- if there is a parent company, they may be held liable
- the manufacturer of the truck (includes cab, trailer or any part)
- a third part maintenance company, if applicable
- in multi-vehicle accidents, the driver and owner of another vehicle
Semi truck and trucking accident liability is complex. It involves extensive investigation and analysis by the truck accident lawyer. Our law firm has experience sorting out these liability issues and we have the necessary resources to get the job done.
To contact a PritzkerOlsen attorney for a free consultation, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our online form for review by one of our attorneys. We have a proven track record and the resources needed to get you the compensation you deserve.
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Driver Using Cell Phone Rear Ended a Car and Killed a Baby in a Columbia Heights Accident
On March 18, a woman was speeding down Central Avenue in Columbia Heights and looking for the cell phone she had just dropped. She rear-ended a car stopped at an intersection and killed a baby, a 14-month-old. The baby was properly strapped into his car seat, but the force of the impact (remember she was speeding) caused fatal head injuries.
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.”
