When a bicyclist is killed by a driver, an unsafe vehicle, a commercial company, or another preventable hazard, the family needs more than an insurance claim number. The family needs an independent investigation, preservation of evidence, a clear explanation of Minnesota wrongful-death law, and lawyers prepared to prove what happened.
The Pritzker Hageman bicycle accident team represents families in fatal bicycle cases. Our attorneys include experienced cyclists who understand bicycle position, visibility, door-zone hazards, turning conflicts, truck blind zones, bicycle mechanics, and the physical evidence that can decide a case.
Attorney Eric Hageman doing the Lutsen 99er around the North Shore of Lake Superior
“I bike to work every day I can. I am personally aware of the dangers on the road, and that drivers just don’t look for bicyclists”
– ERIC HAGEMAN, MANAGING PARTNER AT PRITZKER HAGEMAN
Who Brings a Minnesota Bicycle Wrongful-Death Claim?
Under Minnesota Statutes section 573.02, a court appoints a trustee to bring the claim for the benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin. The trustee works with counsel to investigate the death, pursue the claim, and, if there is a recovery, present a proposed distribution to the court.
What Can a Wrongful-Death Claim Recover?
The claim may include the family’s pecuniary loss – the measurable value of the support, services, assistance, advice, guidance, care, protection, and companionship the person would have provided. It may also include medical and funeral expenses and damages arising from the injury before death, depending on the facts. No formula can capture a human life, so the case must show the complete role the person played in the family and community.
A Traffic Ticket Is Not Required
A family may have a civil claim even when the driver was not arrested or cited. Police and civil cases apply different standards. Our investigation may include scene work, witness interviews, video, vehicle and bicycle inspections, phone and electronic data, medical records, and expert analysis. We do not rely only on the initial crash report.
Evidence to Preserve Immediately
- The bicycle, helmet, clothing, lights, bags, and damaged property in their post-crash condition.
- The involved vehicle and all relevant door, mirror, warning-system, braking, lighting, and electronic evidence.
- Surveillance, doorbell, dash-camera, transit, traffic, and police video.
- 911 audio, dispatch records, police photographs, diagrams, body-camera footage, and supplemental reports.
- Witness identities and prompt recorded interviews.
- GPS, fitness-app, phone, smartwatch, and bicycle-computer data.
- Employment, household, caregiving, financial, and relationship evidence showing the person’s contributions.
Minnesota Deadlines
The wrongful-death statute generally provides three years from the date of death, subject in most non-medical cases to a six-year outer limit from the wrongful act or omission. Other claims and defendants may have shorter notice periods. Evidence can disappear long before any statute of limitations expires, so the safest time to investigate is now.
Our Bicycle Wrongful-Death Results
In one fatal bicycle case, our lawyers reconstructed the collision, challenged the truck driver’s account, and won a $2,469,339 jury verdict for the family. We have also handled other catastrophic bicycle and vehicle cases involving brain injury, commercial vehicles, distracted driving, dangerous turns, and disputed fault. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
| Free, Confidential Consultation – Contact us online or call 1-888-377-8900 or text 612-261-0856. We will listen, explain the process, and tell you whether we believe we can help. Our law firm handles qualifying cases on a contingency fee, which means you never pay anything unless there is money recovered for you. |