Minnesota Car Accident Lawyers
Injured in a Car Accident in MN — Get Help from Our Car Accident Lawyers
Tyroler Leonard Injury Law Fights for Compensation
Car accidents are frequent occurrences in Minnesota, and being involved in a crash can be a traumatic, life-changing experience that results in major property damage, devastating injuries, and even death. Dealing with recovering from serious injuries at a time when medical bills are mounting and you may not be able to work can be overwhelming for individuals and families. It is important to know what rights you have as someone injured in a crash.
If you or a family member has been injured or someone has died in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses through insurance or a lawsuit. However, Minnesota laws are complicated, making mistakes can be costly, and insurance companies and their insurers have high-powered lawyers on their side who will attempt to get you to settle for the lowest amount possible. Going up against them is not something you should attempt on your own.
Our MN Car Accident Lawyers Fights for Your Rights
Fortunately, there is help available to fight for your rights and a fair settlement from the Tyroler Leonard Injury Law firm. Attorneys Isaac and Rachel are both highly skilled and compassionate when representing clients who have been injured. They believe that clients come first and spends the time necessary to work with you to make you feel comfortable and achieve the best results possible. They are skilled litigators, and many of their clients are referred by other attorneys who trust them to represent the people who have come to them for help in court. We are aggressive when going after the negligent parties, and at the same time he is caring toward the families he serves.
Call us at 651-259-1113 for your free, no-obligation consultation today
Do I Need an Attorney After a Car Accident?
How Our MN Car Accident Lawyers Can Help
Right after a car accident can be the most stressful time for someone who is injured. You may be wondering whether you can work, how you will pay medical bills, how you will afford a new car, and what you are supposed to do for medical treatment. You will be flooded with calls from the insurance company and requests to fill out paperwork. At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, we take the burden off you so you can focus on getting better.
Even if you do not hire an attorney to handle the work at the beginning of the case, insurance companies do not offer settlements because they want to be fair. An insurance company who is not concerned that you will bring a lawsuit will never put their top dollar on the table for you. Having our experienced Minnesota car accident attorneys on your side lets the insurance company know you are serious, and will help appropriately value the case and maximize the settlement from the insurance company, as they do not want to take the case to trial.
When you have our car accident lawyers on your side we will:
- Meet with you to discuss what happened, who the at-fault parties may be, and determine if you have a case and what type of settlement we should fight for.
- Make sure you get the medical treatment you need. Even if you do not think your injuries are serious, you should seek medical attention after an accident. Some injuries get worse over time, and everything should be documented.
- Handle communications and negotiations with the insurance company and their lawyers who will try to get you to accept the lowest amount possible or to say something that they can use against you.
- Take care of all legal matters, paperwork, filings, and court appearances.
- Investigate your case, gathering evidence from photos and videos of the accident scene, skid marks, damages to your vehicle, and police and medical reports.
- Interview witnesses and first responders.
- Hire experts to reconstruct the crash scene and provide testimony as to fault and how your injuries negatively affect your life into the future.
- Work to negotiate an out of court settlement.
- If a settlement cannot be reached, build your case and take it to trial and present it in front of a judge and jury.
Compensation Our Minnesota Car Accident Attorneys Can Recover
We May Win a Settlement Award for Both Your Economic and Non-economic Damages
Damages are something that a person lost as the result of their injuries. In a successful case, we can win a settlement that covers economic, or monetary damages for your financial losses such as:
- Past and future medical bills and care
- Past and future wage loss
- Property damage
Minnesota personal injury law also allows compensation for “noneconomic damages,” or what some people think of as pain and suffering. This includes compensation for damages that do not have a specific dollar value, including pain, embarrassment, disability, emotional distress, and other factors such as loss of consortium and quality of life.
If you are not at fault and have medical bills and wage loss following a car accident, you will always be entitled to those. To have a case for pain and suffering or other “noneconomic damages,” you must first meet a “threshold” as defined by Minnesota law (MN statute §65B.51).
The thresholds that can be met are:
- Medical bills in excess of $4,000, not including diagnostic X-rays
- Permanent disfigurement
- Permanent injury
- Death, or
- A 60-day disability.
You must only meet one of these thresholds to have a claim for pain and suffering. Once you meet a threshold, you are entitled to be compensated for the way your life has been affected. That can be anything from the pain you have to missing out on your favorite activities to being worried about your future.
Even if you have not yet met a threshold, you should seek out our experienced MN car accident attorneys to give you guidance.
Our Car Accident Attorneys in Minnesota Must Prove Fault
To win your case, our car accident attorneys would have to show that another party was negligent and at fault for causing the accident. Minnesota is a comparative fault state, meaning that we compare the fault of one person to another to determine if you have a case. If you are 50% or less at fault for a car accident, you will have a claim against the other driver or their insurance. Your damages will be reduced by the percentage you are at fault. For example, if your case is worth $100,000 but you are 25% at fault for the car accident, you will recover $75,000. Someone who is more than 50% does have a claim against the other person involved in the car crash.
Analyzing fault can be complicated and stressful and is something that a Minnesota car accident attorney, who has years of experience, can help with. Often, there may be multiple parties responsible for the accident, for example, not only the driver who hit you, but perhaps the manufacturer of an auto part that failed, or a road repair company that left debris on the road. Every potentially liable party should be named in your lawsuit.
To prove fault legally, our car accident attorneys would need to show the following elements existed:
- Duty — The defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause harm.
- Breach — The defendant violated that duty of care by actions or failure to act.
- Cause – This violation was directly related to causing the accident.
- Damages — You suffered damages as a result.
How Much Will My Damage Award Be?
Minnesota Car Accident Attorney Uses Factors to Value Your Case
There is a wide range of damage amounts that may be awarded in a successful car accident case, from the thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the factors involved. Despite what many lawyers and insurance companies will tell you, it will likely be impossible to determine the value of your case immediately following the car accident. It is important to see how you recover from your injuries to determine the value. Sometimes people with terrible initial injuries recover well and do not need much care in the future. Sometimes a person who thinks they only have a muscle strain ends up with a herniated disc and needing surgery and has significant future medical bills and pain. Someone paralyzed from a major brain injury or spinal cord injury may require round the clock care indefinitely.
Factors which may affect a settlement amount include:
- Actual costs of your losses and expenses
- The extent and permanence of your injuries and whether you will require continuing care
- Your age, earning capacity, and family situation
- Lost earnings and whether you will be able to work in the future
- Whether a wrongful death was involved in the accident
- How much insurance coverage and defendant assets is available
- The individual jurisdiction, judge, and jury if there is a trial
- The skill and negotiating power of your attorney
Our experienced attorneys can help you maximize the value at every stage of your case.
Our Car Accident Lawyers in Minnesota Answer Your Questions
Car accidents can leave victims confused and unsure of what to do. Here are some answers to questions our car accident lawyers are often asked:
Client Testimonial
”After a debilitating car accident my attorney referred me to Isaac Tyroler. As a personal injury attorney Isaac was definitely the right choice. He worked diligently to obtain necessary medical coverage and an equitable settlement for me. Throughout the process Isaac provided guidance, was responsive to my concerns and kept me informed regarding the options and progress of my case. I would recommend Isaac Tyroler to anyone in need of a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney who will achieve the results you deserve.” – Sharon Johnson (Google Review)
Do I have a case?
Whether you have a case depends on two things: fault and injuries. The first question is whether you are at fault for the crash or if you are an accident victim. Sometimes that is an easy question. For example, someone who has been rear-ended is almost never going to have any fault, and the same goes for a passenger in car accident. In more complicated cases, the law looks at whether each driver is negligent, meaning they did not act as a reasonable person would have.
Can my rates go up if I am injured in a Minnesota auto accident?
Whether your rates can increase is determined by who is determined to be at fault for the crash. If you are injured and your insurance paid medical bills or wage loss, your rates cannot go up if you are 50% or less at fault for the car crash.
Who pays my medical bills and wage loss after a car crash?
Minnesota is a no-fault state, meaning that regardless of who is at fault for the motor vehicle crash, the injured person’s initial medical bills and wage loss are paid by their own car insurance. This is a benefit we have when we buy car insurance called no-fault insurance or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits. The Minnesota minimum for these benefits are $20,000 for medical bills and a separate $20,000 in wage loss. Wage loss benefits are payable at 85% of gross wages at a maximum of $500 per week.
Unfortunately, some people, especially those who have suffered serious injuries, incur more than $20,000 in bills or wage loss. If this happens, any additional bills or wage loss must be sought against the at-fault driver’s insurance at the end of the case. While it is always a good idea to get a car accident attorney when you are injured in a car accident, it will be extremely important to hire someone if you exceed this $20,000.
Who pays for my vehicle damage?
This depends on whether you have collision coverage and if you are at fault. Collision coverage provides immediate payment for vehicle damage up to the limit of your coverage and subject to your deductible regardless if you are at fault. Even if you are not at fault, it may sometimes make sense to go through your own insurance company because it can be faster. While you may have to pay the deductible up front, you will receive it back from the at-fault driver’s insurance company assuming they accept fault.
If you do not have collision coverage, you must go through the at-fault driver’s insurance.
How long does it take to get a settlement after a motor vehicle accident?
Each case is different and depends on two things: how long it takes to recover from the crash and whether the insurance company makes a fair offer.
An experienced personal injury attorney would always advise against trying to settle a case too soon. Doing so may let the at-fault driver’s insurer off the hook for medical bills and additional pain and suffering compensation that may result from additional diagnoses and treatment.
A settlement should occur at one of two points: either when you are 100% recovered from your injuries from the car crash, or when a doctor says that those injuries are permanent and can give a good opinion as to what medical care might be needed in the future.
If we can reach an agreement through negotiations, you will get a settlement sooner than if our MN car accident lawyers take your case to trial.
Do I still have a claim if I do not have car insurance?
Yes, if you are not at fault and the at-fault driver has insurance, you can make a claim against that person’s insurance. You will not have PIP benefits, meaning no car insurance will pay medical or wage loss benefits during the case, but you will be able to seek medical bills, wage loss, and pain and suffering from the at-fault driver’s insurance as part of a lump sum settlement at the end of the case.
What if the person who caused the car crash does not have insurance?
Much like uninsured motorist coverage, Minnesota law requires that anyone who has car insurance must have $25,000 in underinsured motorist coverage. If the person who caused the car accident does not have enough insurance to cover the damage they caused, your underinsured motorist coverage will give you additional benefits up to your coverage limit. In addition, Minnesota law does not require a person to exhaust the at-fault driver’s coverage before pursuing an underinsured motorist claim.
How long do I have to start a lawsuit after a Minnesota car accident?
If the accident caused someone’s death, and the family or other representative of the deceased person wants to bring a case against the at-fault driver, generally must be filed within three years from the date of the person’s death, according to Minnesota’s wrongful death law, (MN Statutes §573.02). The action must be commenced within six years after the act causing the death.
Don’t delay, as if you try to file your lawsuit after the statute of limitations deadline has already passed, the defendant is sure to ask the court to dismiss the case, and the court is very likely to do so. Get help from our skilled MN car accident lawyers today.
What should I do after a car accident?
If you are not at fault for the car crash, it is important to collect as much information as possible. Here are some things you or your attorney can do to help right away:
- Call the police: start by calling the police and making sure a report is filed. Sometimes the police will not do a report if no one is going to the hospital, but it is important to request that they come out and document what is said.
- Take photos and videos: make sure to document the damage at the scene. That includes not just your car, but also the damage to the car of the person who caused the car accident. Pictures can help prove how a crash happened. Second, they can help with fighting insurance companies that are arguing a person could not have been injured.
- Get witness information: witnesses can make or break whether you are able to prove whose fault the crash is. Do not rely on the police to obtain a witness’s contact information.
- Look for traffic videos or business videos: many intersections now have cameras which help prove claims or local businesses may have a camera that points toward the car accident scene. It is important to give the attorney time to get the video before it is deleted.
- Seek medical treatment: if you are feeling any symptoms after a motor vehicle accident, it is important to seek medical treatment. Getting a diagnosis and appropriate recommendations is essential to getting better.
Get legal assistance: Having our car accident lawyers on your side from the start helps prevent problems and makes everything go smoother. Let us start working for you today.
Injured in an Accident? Contact Our MN Car Accident Attorneys
At Tyroler Injury Law, we will spend as much time as you need to help you understand what happens after you hire us. We discuss a plan so that every client knows not only what we expect of the client, but also what they expect of us. We want every client to know that this is a collaborative relationship where we work together to achieve the best result for the client. At the end of this case, the single most important thing for us as a law firm is to know that the client got closure and was satisfied with the result.
At Tyroler Injury Law, we work entirely on contingency fees, meaning you will not pay any fees unless we are able to recover money for you. We are happy to give advice to help you in any way we can.
You deserve to have compassionate, experienced representation. Call us to find out why we are the right choice for you. You’ll receive a no obligation, confidential, free consultation. Contact us to discuss your case at 651-259-1113 now.
Attorney Rachel Sperling Leonard
A partner of Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, Ms. Sperling Leonard practices exclusively in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Specifically, she specializes in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, dog bites, dog attacks, slip and falls, trip and falls, sexual assaults/abuse and other assaults. Some representative cases of Ms. Sperling Leonard’s in the last few years include: a $1 million settlement for an individual injured in a car crash, a $750,000.00 for a man injured when he slipped and fell, a $455,000.00 settlement for an individual injured after falling, and multiple $250,000.00 settlements for individuals injured in motorcycle and auto accidents, among many others. She frequently turns insurance company denials into fair-value offers.
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