Our law firm has been retained by a Lake City, Michigan family following a deadly crash on November 30, 2009 on M-55 near Menzies Road in Missaukee County.

A westbound semi-tractor trailer operated by Jeffery Lofquist and owned by USF Holland, lost control and slid into the eastbound lane where it collided with an automobile operated by 41-year-old Michelle Ash. Ash’s 15-year-old son, Alexander, was killed. Michelle Ash remains hospitalized in Traverse City with a severe traumatic brain injury.

Our truck accident lawyers are investigating whether the crash was due in part to the condition of the truck or trailer. Firm president, Fred Pritzker, stated, “Unfortunately, we often see large truck companies running equipment in violation of state and federal law. If the condition of this truck increased the risk of this horrible loss, we want people with information about it to come forward.”

Pritzker Olsen law firm represents survivors of truck crashes in cases throughout the United States and has collected millions of dollars on their behalf. Anyone with information about this incident should contact the firm at 1-888-377-8900, email Fred Pritzker or submit our contact form.

Labels: head injury, tractor trailer accident, wrongful death

A fatal Minneapolis head-on collision may have been caused by a drunk driver.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Connie Stroud, 42, may have been drunk when she drove the wrong way on the I-94 ramp to 49th Avenue in Minneapolis. Her Toyota pickup truck collided head-on with a car driven by Yia Vang. An unborn baby 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 Minneapolis head-on collision.

Tao Thao has been the sole breadwinner in the family since Yia Vang was laid off from 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.

Liability of Bars, Liquor Stores and Other Sellers of Liquor under the Minnesota Dram Shop Law

If Ms. Stroud was drinking at a bar or similar establishment before the head-on collision, that bar may be liable for the death and injuries resulting from the accident under Minnesota's dram shop law.

Minnesota law holds bars, restaurants and other "dram shops" responsible for the dangerous actions of an intoxicated person when they illegally sell liquor to that person.

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 a Minnesota car accident lawyer for a free consultation: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Fred Pritzker or submit our online consultation form.

Labels: car accident lawsuit, drunk driver, Minneapolis accident lawyers, wrongful death

Burlington Northern Train-Car Collision Lawsuit Update: Burlington Northern was penalized $4.2 million dollars for abuse of evidence and misrepresentations to opposing counsel and the court.

In June 2008, an Anoka County jury issued a $21.6 million verdict against Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company for a car-train collision that killed four people. The plaintiff’s argued that the car was hit by the Burlington Northern freight train when the gates and warning lights at a railroad crossing malfunctioned.

In October of 2009, a Washington County District Judge ruled that the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad abused evidence and penalized an additional $4.2 million for its conduct.
District Court Judge Ellen Maas wrote in her ruling:

"The breadth of (the railroad's) misconduct in this case is staggering; beginning within minutes of the accident, up to and through the trial. The plaintiffs have established that (the railroad's) misconduct did indeed strain the limits of the civil justice system."

The judge ruled that Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company destroyed, mishandled and tampered with evidence and made so many misrepresentations that the judge “lost count.”

Free Consultation Regarding
a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Lawsuit

To contact a railroad accident lawyer regarding a Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad car-train collision lawsuit, please call Pritzker Olsen Attorneys at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), email Attorney Fred Pritzker or submit our online free consultation form.

Keywords: Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company lawsuit, car-train collision lawsuit, lawyers, attorneys, Burlington Northern accident suit, car hit by a Burlington Northern train, auto hit by a Santa Fe Railroad train.

Labels: accident death, car accident lawsuit, wrongful death

A beet truck accident in Wahpeton, North Dakota took the life of Antionette Gjesdahl, an 18-year-old, on September 29, just hours after the start of the beet harvest started.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Antoinette Gjesdahl was driving a 2005 Pontiac about 1:30 p.m. and entered an intersection on the Interstate 29 bypass on the west side of Wahpeton when her vehicle was hit by a 2005 International semi-truck and trailer driven by Cathleen Dean. The semi-trailer was hauling sugar beets for Minn-Dak Farmers, a sugar beet cooperative. The Pontiac was pushed into a third vehicle at the intersection, driven by Mary Motzko, 38, of Wahpeton. Mary Motzko was taken to an area hospital. Antoinette Gjesdahl was dead at the scene, the patrol said.

Who is at Fault for This Tragic Death?

Our goal as accident lawyers is to hold drivers, their employers and others accountable for their negligence by winning as much money as possible from them for our clients.

In this case, negligence abounds.

• The driver was not qualified, had a criminal record, including driving with a suspended license and several drug-related charges, and flew through a red light, crashing into the car driven by Antionette Gjesdahl.
• The party that hired Cathleen Dean to drive the beet truck, a roadway giant, should never have hired her.
• Minn-Dak Farmers and the beet grower whose beets were being transported should not have had a dangerous driver hauling their beets.
  

Both North Dakota and Minnesota relax transportation regulations for the beet harvest, but this does not excuse anyone’s negligence.

Pritzker Olsen Attorneys is a Minneapolis, Minnesota law firm with a national practice. To contact a lawyer about a beet truck accident, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation. You will not have any up-front costs, and we are not paid unless you win.

Labels: accident death, wrongful death

Two semi truck accidents that involved semi truck driver negligence have claimed the lives of innocent victims in Minnesota.

• On August 27, 2009 a semi truck rear-ended a minivan near Hugo, MN. Two women died: Carolyn Anderson, the driver of the minivan, and Rosemarie Bongivanni, a passenger in the minivan and Ms. Anderson's aunt. Marlene Wanner, another passenger in the van, was critically injured. The minivan was slowing down on Highway 61 to turn onto 159th street when the accident happened. Read more about the Hugo, MN semi truck accident that critically injured Marlene Wanner and killed Carolyn Anderson and Rosemarie Bongivanni.
  
• On August 30, 2009 a semi truck rear-ended a car on Highway 212 in Carver County. The force of the impact sent the car into the side of a pickup truck. Two people died: Sandra Babatz, the driver of the car, and Juan Olvera, the driver of the pickup. Four passengers in the pickup truck were critically injured: Nancy Castillo, 29, Andira Olvera, 8, Narley Overa, 9, and Galylea Overa, 7. Read about the Carver County, MN semi truck accident and wrongful death compensation for families of Sandra Babatz and Juan Olvera and MN semi truck accident compensation for Nancy Castillo, Andira Olvera, Narely Olvera and Galylea Olvera.

Semi Truck Driver Negligence

"When a semi rear-ends another vehicle, semi truck driver negligence is almost always the cause of the accident," stated Attorney Fred Pritzker, who recently recovered several million dollars for the family of a man who died in a truck accident. "Our experience has been that most of these cases involve driver inattention and/or speed. These drivers are supposed to be professionals, and yet we have seen a rise in commercial truck accidents."

Under federal and state law, semi truck drivers are held to a higher standard in cases involving semi truck driver negligence. This means that a semi truck driver may be found negligent in cases where the driver of a car may not be found negligent.

Most cases of semi truck driver negligence are based on violations of state and/or federal laws. When a semi truck driver violates a law, it is prima facie evidence of negligence. This means that the truck driver is negligent unless there is clear and convincing evidence of a justification for the violation.

The most common federal and state law violations involve the following:

• Speeding
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Failing to keep a careful lookout
• Failing to maintain proper control of their truck
• Failing to stop, swerve, slacken speed, and/or maintain control of a truck when there is a reasonable likelihood of a collision with another vehicle
• Driving a motor carrier in excess of the hours allowed pursuant to §395.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
• Driving a commercial truck when impaired through fatigue or likely to become impaired through fatigue in violation of §392.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

To contact a Minnesota semi truck accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen law firm about an accident involving semi driver negligence, please call (612)338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation. We are not paid unless you win.

List of injured and killed semi accident victims provided by the Minnesota State Patrol:

HUGO SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT
MARLENE A. WANNER, 72, OF OAKDALE, MN, PASSENGER OF DODGE CARAVAN, CRITICAL CONDITION

ROSEMARIE A. BONGIVANNI, 88, OF ST. PAUL, MN, PASSENGER OF DODGE CARAVAN, DECEASED

CAROLYN A. ANDERSON, 59, OF EAGAN, MN, DRIVER OF DODGE CARAVAN, DECEASED

CARVER COUNTY SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENT
SANDARA J. BABATZ, 45 , OF NORWOOD MN, DRIVER OF PONTIAC VIBE , DECEASED

JUAN S. OLVERA, 35 , OF SULLIVAN TX , DRIVER OF CHEVROLET PICKUP , DECEASED

NANCY E. CASTILLO, 29 , OF BIRD ISLAND MN , PASSENGER OF CHEVROLET PICKUP , CRITICAL CONDITION

ANDIRA OLVERA , 8 , OF BIRD ISLAND MN , PASSENGER OF CHEVROLET PICKUP, CRITICAL CONDITION

NARLEY OLVERA, 9 , OF BIRD ISLAND MN , PASSENGER OF CHEVROLET PICKUP, CRITICAL CONDITION

GALYLEA OLVERA, 7 , OF BIRD ISLAND MN , PASSENGER OF CHEVROLET PICKUP, CRITICAL CONDITION

Labels: accident death, semi accident mn, wrongful death

A tragic accident in Independence, Minnesota has left four people dead, two of them children. According to news reports, a dump truck was heading west on County Road 6 when an SUV crossed the center line and collided with the dump truck.

Some of the family members of the passengers of the SUV will probably be contacted by the SUV driver’s auto insurance company within the next few days.What they need to know is that they are probably entitled to some financial recovery from the insurance company. If you would like to discuss family compensation with a lawyer, contact our law firm for a free consultation:

• (612)338-0202,
• 1-888-377-8900 (toll free), or
• submit our free consultation form.
  

Labels: car accident lawyers, wrongful death

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

Six-year-old Dominick Strey was hit and killed by his school bus April 6, 2009. According to the Itasca County sheriff, he exited his bus and walked in front of it. The bus rolled forward and knocked him down.

Dominick died at the scene.

The accident happened near Calumet, Minnesota.

Liability for School Bus Wrongful Death

A bus driver is required to use “the utmost caution” to ensure the safety of the passengers (Urban v. Minneapolis St. Ry.). If this tragedy was caused by the driver’s failure to use this high degree of caution (driver negligence), the driver, Greenway Public School District and others may be liable to the family for their loss.

Please contact our Minnesota law firm to talk to an attorney. For each of the families we represent in wrongful death cases, we are dedicated to seeking justice by both:

1. Obtaining the best possible compensation for the family and
2. Fighting for any changes needed to prevent similar tragedies.
   

To contact our law firm about a bus accident, please call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form. An attorney from our office can meet you at a location that is convenient for you.

Pritzker | Olsen attorneys have appeared on CBS News, Fox News, KARE-TV, KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV. They have also been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA, Minnesota Lawyer, Minnesota Law & Politics, the Star Tribune and other publications. Several of our lawyers have also been named Minnesota “Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics magazine.

CONTACT AN ATTORNEY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION >>

Reference: Urban v. Minneapolis St. Ry., 256 Minn. 1, 5, 96 N.W.2d 698, 700 (1959).

Keywords: MN school bus hits child, Minnesota school bus kills child, school bus accident liability, school bus death, attorney MN, Grand Rapids, Duluth, Minneapolis, lawyer for school bus accident.

Labels: lawyer, Minnesota bus accident, wrongful death