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.

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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

If 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.

Labels: Minnesota accident, Rochester accident lawyer

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.

Labels: accident death, drunk driver, Minnesota accident, Rochester accident lawyer, wrongful death