MN Car-Semi Accident in Carver County Kills Two and Critically Injures Four
On August 29, 2009, a semi rear-ended a car as it was stopped on Highway 212 waiting to turn left onto Carver County Road 51. The semi pushed the car into a pickup truck.
Both the driver of the car and the pick up died. Four passengers in the pickup, were critically injured.
Compensation for Accident Survivors and Families of Those Who Died
If the semi driver is at fault for the accident, which appears to be the case, the surviving victims and the families of those who died will be compensated, usually from one or several insurance companies. It is important to hire a good Minnesota semi truck accident lawyer to negotiate with insurance companies and argue on your behalf before a jury, if the case does not settle.
“It is our job as lawyers to get you the best compensation package possible,” stated Attorney Fred Pritzker. “Nothing can bring back the good health of an accident survivor or the life of a love one – money is the only tool available to compensate you.”
In addition to medical expenses, lost income and cost of care, we build the most effective claim possible for pain and suffering, which can include physical pain, emotional distress, disability, disfigurement and loss of quality of life. We tell the insurance company, and the jury if the case goes to court, the unique circumstances of your case and weave a complete and detailed discussion of your personal experience and the full depth of your pain.
When we represent families in wrongful death actions, it is a little different. Because pain and suffering is not available under Minnesota wrongful death laws, we build the most effective claim for loss of care and comfort and loss of companionship. We tell the insurance company, and jury if the case goes to court, how the loss of the loved one has affected the lives of the family members. Every story is different, and we take the time to listen to yours.
Minnesota accident Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman were named Minnesota “Super Lawyers” in the August 2009 edition of Law & Politics magazine. Attorney Fred Pritzker was also named “Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer” and “Top 40 Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer.” He is listed in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
To contact a Minnesota semi accident lawyer at Pritzker Olsen law firm, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation. You pay no up-front costs, and we are not paid unless you win.
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Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in Minnesota: Hugo, MN Accident was Inexcusable
Photo by Paul Dols, White Bear Press
“Two women have died and one has been seriously injured. Although the investigation is ongoing, it appears that the semi truck driver that rear-ended their minivan near Hugo, Minnesota was not paying attention and/or was going too fast,” stated Attorney Fred Pritzker. “This was a ‘professional’ driver hired by a company to transport goods over the road. This accident is inexcusable, and the surviving victim and the families of those killed should be compensated.”
On August 27, 2009 a little after noon, three women, all related, were in a minivan going northbound on Highway 61. The minivan was slowing down to turn onto 159th Street when it was rear-ended by a semi truck.
The force of the collision sent the minivan into the ditch and instantly killed Carolyn Anderson, the driver of the minivan.
Semi Truck Driver Negligence
Semi truck drivers must operate their commercial trucks with the highest degree of care. Under Minnesota and federal laws, truck drivers are negligent if they do one or more of the following:
- Drive over the speed limit
- Drive too fast for conditions
- Fail to keep a careful lookout
- Fail to maintain proper control of their truck
- Fail to stop, swerve, slacken speed, and/or maintain control of a truck when there is a reasonable likelihood of a collision with another vehicle
- Drive a motor carrier in excess of the hours allowed pursuant to §395.3 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
- Fail to keep a current record of his or her duty status as required by §395.8 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
- Drive 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
- Drive in a careless and imprudent manner
- Operate a motor vehicle in a defective condition
Protect the Public from Unsafe Semi Truck Drivers
Current laws, regulations and policies are not adequately protecting the public from unsafe semi truck drivers. Part of the problem is that trucking companies are rarely inspected to determine if they are compliant with the law with regard to who they hire as drivers, how they are trained and how often the drivers are tested for alcohol and drug abuse. Regular inspections should be required under the law, and trucking companies should be required to report more information to federal and state departments of transportation.
Safety should always be the number one priority. We recently received a comment on one of our blogs from a woman who was a dispatcher. She had been hassling a semi driver to speed up and get a load delivered on time. That driver ended up rear ending a car and killing the driver.
Our Minnesota law firm represents victims of semi accidents and families in injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Our top priority is to obtain justice for our clients by recovering as much money as possible for them. We also are public safety advocates. When our clients want to pursue changing the law to prevent injury and death, we stand with them. Recently, one of our clients appeared before Congress to tell them about the tragic loss of his mother and to argue for tougher regulations.
Free Consultation with Attorney
To contact Pritzker Olsen law firm, please call 612-388-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation with one of our experienced Minnesota semi truck accident lawyers. WE DON’T GET PAID UNLESS YOU WIN.
Attorney Fred Pritzker has again been named a “Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer” and “Top 40 Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer” by Law & Politics (August 2009). He has also been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2010 edition). He has recovered millions for truck accident victims and their families.
Mr. Pritzker has appeared on the CBS News, Fox’s “Geraldo Live,” KARE-TV, KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV.
Minnesota Semi Accident Lawyers
Pritzker Olsen attorneys have been recognized by national and local media for their experience and knowledge. They have appeared on CBS News, Fox’s “Geraldo Live,” KARE-TV, KSTP-TV, WCCO-TV and other television stations both in Minnesota and other states.
Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olsen and Eric Hageman have been named “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Law & Politics for the current year. Attorney Brendan Flaherty has been named a “2010 Rising Star” by Minnesota Law & Politics. Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in the current issue of The Best Lawyers in America. Contact Pritzker Olsen Attorneys about your semi accident. We are not paid unless you win.
Minnesota Semi Accident Lawyers at Pritzker Olsen
Fred H. Pritzker is a nationally recognized lawyer with over thirty years of experience representing individuals and families in personal injury and wrongful death claims. He has been interviewed by numerous television stations and most major publications.
Mr. Pritzker is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an elite group whose members are all attorneys who have obtained recoveries of over a million dollars for their clients.
He has been selected by his peers as a ”Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer” and “Top 40 Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer” for the current year. Mr. Pritzker has also been selected for inclusion in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Mr. Pritzker is a sought-after speaker on personal injury matters and has conducted numerous seminars and presentations on such matters as top verdicts and settlements, products liability, insurance, trial tactics, use of expert witnesses, and traumatic brain injury.
Elliot Olsen practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, auto and truck accidents, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a recognized leader in these areas, he has taught a number of continuing legal education courses on a broad range of topics, including insurance coverage, appellate advocacy, trial advocacy, various personal injury topics, TBI, accident litigation and tort reform. He has frequently been named a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics, a publication dedicated to promoting excellence in the legal field.
Before joining Pritzker Olsen, Mr. Olsen was a partner in the law firm of Gislason & Hunter where he practiced for 11 years. There he gained experience as a defense attorney, representing companies in personal injury lawsuits. This invaluable experience as a defense attorney benefits his clients at Pritzker Olsen, where he exclusively represents injury victims (plaintiffs).
He attended Washington University Law School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Eric Hageman practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, truck, auto and ATV accidents and product liability. He has significant litigation experience in state and federal courts. He has successfully tried numerous cases to juries in his career and has successfully argued appeals at both the state and federal level.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Mr. Hageman has again been named a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics, a publication dedicated to promoting excellence in the legal field, for five consecutive years, 2004 through 2008. He was named a “Rising Star” by Law & Politics every year from 1999 to 2004. He is also AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
In recognition of his experience and skill, Mr. Hageman has been named to a federal panel overseeing accident litigation involving an allegedly defective vehicle. This litigation involves hundreds of lawsuits filed throughout the United States.
Brendan Flaherty represents injured people and their families in truck and car accidents, product liability and wrongful death litigation.Brendan has represented many people who have been treated unfairly by insurance companies and is committed to changing the system one case at a time.
Mr. Flaherty graduated with a degree in history from Grinnell College and earned a law degree, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.Mr. Flaherty spent two legislative sessions on staff at the Minnesota Senate where he drafted legislation and provided policy research for the Transportation, Environment & Natural Resources, Crime & Public Safety and Judiciary Committees.
Brendan is active in the community and regularly volunteers for youth organizations. He is a Bolder Options mentor and financially supports the YWCA.
David Szerlag practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, truck and auto accidents, product liability and catastrophic bodily injury. His experience extends into admiralty, general liability and civil litigation.
Between 1996 and 2005, David presented at the Annual Educational Seminars for Northland Insurance Co., Orion Insurance Co., Patrons Group, and GMAC. In 2003 he was a guest speaker for the Rhode Island Bar Association meeting, “Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Law.”
David is a former fire fighter, which gives him a unique perspective when representing burn victims. David’s certifications include Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) and National Propane Gas Association (NPGA). He is also certified as a 29 CFR 1910.120(q) Hazardous Materials Technician (ProBoard).
In 1990 David graduated cum laude from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, MA., earning his Juris Doctorate.
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