Minnesota Car Accident Law Firm
Pritzker Olsen Attorneys Car Accident Blog

School Bus Accident in Minneapolis Injures Elderly Man

May 26, 2008 -- A Minneapolis school bus hit an 81-year-old man who was walking in a crosswalk with a walk sign and a green light. The school bus was waiting at a stoplight, then turned left when the light turned green. According to Minneapolis police, the bus driver didn’t see the man.

The man is in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center.

The bus involved in the accident is owned and operated by Minneapolis Suburban Bus Company, and contracted by the Minneapolis Public Schools. This means that the man injured in this accident may have claims against both Minneapolis Suburban Bus Company and Minneapolis Public Schools.

Contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys for a free consultation regarding medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress and disability: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.

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Rochester MN Accident Lawyer

Our MN accident lawyers represent accident victims and their families in Rochester, MN and throughout Minnesota. Pritzker Olsen Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman were named Minnesota "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics (August 2009 edition). Fred Pritzker was also named a "Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer" and a "Top 40 Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer." He is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2010 edition). Contact us about a Rochester, MN accident.

Accident Victim Compensation

  • Medical expenses. Minnesota no-fault law requires insurance companies to provide no-fault coverage of up to $20,000 in medical expenses (Minn. Stat. Sec. 65B.41). To get medical expenses paid beyond that amount, an injured person must seek payment from the insurance company of the at-fault driver.
  • Pain and suffering. Minnesota no-fault does not cover pain and suffering compensation. People injured in an accident must seek pain and suffering compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance company. Pain and suffering includes money payments for physical pain, emotional distress, disfigurement and disability.
  • Lost wages. Minnesota no-fault insurance may cover up to $20,000 of lost wages. For amounts not covered by no-fault, the injured person may seek compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance company.

Accident Wrongful Death Compensation

Accident DeathIf someone dies in a Minnesota car accident, the family can sue the parties at fault for compensation. Minnesota law provides some basic MN no-fault survivors' benefits, but compensation in accident death cases can be hundreds of thousands of dollars—even millions of dollars—beyond these basic survivors' benefits.

Accident death cases in Minnesota are governed by Minnesota Statutes, sec. 573.02 and case law interpreting the statute. Under Minnesota law, families may be entitled to compensation for the following:

  • Funeral expenses
  • Medical expenses, past and future
  • Earnings, past and potential, that the decedent would have provided his loved ones if not for the wrongful death
  • Loss of advice, care, comfort and companionship the deceased would have provided had he or she lived
  • Punitive damages, upon clear and convincing evidence that the acts of the defendant showed deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others.

CONTACT PRITZKER OLSEN ATTORNEYS ABOUT ACCIDENT COMPENSATION >>

Broadside Accident in Olmsted County Kills Four and Injures Two
Four people died in a drunk driving accident in Olmsted County on May 23, two were critically injured. The victims were in a van that was broadsided at the intersection of highway 36 and highway 30 by a drunk driver. The driver of the van, Terry Milholland of Beecher, Illinois, was killed along with passengers Heidi Newell and Jarah Beers of Rochester, MN., and Raymond Milholland from Minnesota. The other two passengers, Rita Seha and Carter Newell of Rochester, are in the hospital in critical condition.

Rochester, MN Family Injured in Head-On Collision
Christina Sheldon, Kenneth Sheldon, and two children, all from Rochester, MN were injured when another car driving westbound on highway 14 in Olmsted County, swerved into the eastbound lane and hit the Ford Focus driven by Ms. Sheldon. Christina Sheldon, is in critical condition. The accident happened May 23, 2009.

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Broadside Accident in Olmsted County, MN

Four people died in a crash in Olmsted County on Saturday, two were critically injured.

The victims were in a van that was broadsided at the intersection of highway 36 and highway 30 by a driver who had consumed alcohol. The driver, Christopher Frisch of Winona, MN, who was not apparently injured, was arrested. Alcohol was not detected on any of the victims.

The driver of the van, Terry Milholland of Beecher, Illinois, was killed along with passengers Heidi Newell and Jarah Beers of Rochester, MN., and Raymond Milholland from Minnesota. The other two passengers, Rita Seha and Carter Newell of Rochester, are in the hospital in critical condition.

Drunk Driver Liability

When a drunk driver causes an accident in Minnesota, the injured and families of those killed look to the drivers insurance to compensate them for pain and suffering, emotional distress, medical expenses and lost wages (above MN no-fault limits in applicable situations), and, in some cases, punitive damages. Read more about car accident compensation.

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)).

Liability of Bars, Restaurants and Other "Dram Shops"

Generally, bars, restaurants and other sellers of liquor (referred to in the law as "dram shops") are liable for car accidents in Minnesota when they have violated a law or regulation. This means that the bar, restaurant or other seller of liquor could be responsible for the following:

  • If the victim of the drunk driving accident survives: medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and punitive damages
  • If the victim is killed in the drunk driving accident: funeral expenses, loss of potential earnings, loss of advice and comfort, and punitive damages.

The illegal sale of intoxicating beverages includes the following:

  • Selling liquor to an obviously intoxicated person;
  • Selling liquor without a license to do so;
  • Selling liquor after hours; or
  • Selling liquor to a minor.

Our Minnesota car accident lawyers have successfully obtained significant compensation from dram shops for victims of accidents and their families.

Contact a Minnesota car accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen Attorneys for a free consultation. We can meet you wherever it is convenient for you. Our toll-free number is 1-888-377-8900. If you reach us after business hours, please leave a message with our on-call attorney, and he will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Minneapolis Bicyclist Killed by Truck Driver

A tragic accident that killed a bicyclist near downtown Minneapolis during the morning rush hour Wednesday has put the Twin Cities bicycling community on alert once again to the dangers of inattentive car and truck drivers.

The bicyclist, Dennis Dunn of Minneapolis,was crushed by a commercial truck when the driver turned into the cycling lane on Park Avenue, near East 14th Street.

The accident happened about 7:40 a.m. and investigators were sent to the scene to reconstruct the accident.

As a one-way street with its own bike lane, Park Avenue near downtown is a heavily traveled route for bicyclists during the morning commute.

The accident happened on the same day as a previously scheduled National Ride of Silence for victims of bicycle accidents.

This latest Minnesota fatal bicycle accident is reminiscent of a crash last August that claimed the life of Twin Cities resident Julie Casey, a beautiful person in the prime of her life. Julie was on a ride up north with friends when she was struck by a semi-truck-trailer combination at a busy intersection near Clearwater, Minnesota.

Her husband and children are represented by Minneapolis-based Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, a firm that specializes in obtaining justice for bicyclists involved in collisions with motor vehicles.

Attorney Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the Minnesota bicycle accident law firm, is a former bicycle racer who himself rides to work. In Julie's case, he was able to establish that her death was caused by the negligence of the truck driver and was entirely preventable if the driver had been looking where he was going and paying attention to bicyclists traveling on an adjoining bicycle path. Read about bicycle accident death compensation.

In memory of Julie, and to prevent similar tragedies in the future, Julie’s husband, Jon Sandberg, and a graphic-artist friend of the family designed a bumper sticker to encourage attentiveness from motorists. The LOOK sticker is a fitting tribute to Julie, her family and friends and a reminder to motorists to look out for bicyclists.

For more information about Pritzker Olsen and the firm's strident approach and proven results in representing bicycle accident victims and their families, please call 1-888-377-8900 or complete an online form for a free case consultation.

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Pritzker Olsen attorneys have appeared on national television and have been quoted by national publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Lawyers USA. Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman have been named "Super Lawyers" by Law and Politics magazine (2008 and previous years). Attorney Fred Pritzker is also listed in the current edition (2008) of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit the firm's free consultation form.

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Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Wins Millions for Client

Attorney Fred Pritzker won $6,000,000 for a client whose right leg was amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver. If you have been in an accident with a DUI driver, you may have a cliam against a bar or other place that sells alcohol.

 

Truck Wheel Accident Death

Our law firm recently won $2,850,000 for a family whose loved one was killed by a truck wheel that crashed through a car windshield.  Read about a truck wheel off accident.

 

Tow Truck Accident

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen obtained a $2,750,000 recovery for a 59 year-old truck driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the loss of his left eye and significant disfigurement when the tow chain being used to pull the man’s semi tractor-trailer out of a ditch broke loose from a front-end loader to which it was attached.

 

Semi-Truck Crash Settlement

Pritzker Olsen attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman recently obtained a hard-fought $2,560,000 recovery for a couple who were seriously injured in a semi-truck crash. The husband suffered serious head injury (TBI). Read about the semi truck crash settlement.

Our lawyers have recovered millions more for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation about your accident.

 

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.