Minneapolis Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers | Tyroler Leonard Injury Law

Drunk drivers choose to put others at risk, changing lives forever when they contribute to an accident. You and your loved ones should not have to pay the price for their wrongdoing. With the guidance of our skilled Minneapolis drunk driving accident lawyers, you can explore your options for recovering financial relief and securing justice.

At Tyroler Leonard Injury Law, our team offers free consultations to understand your situation and provide professional legal guidance. With catastrophic injuries or even death, you could be eligible to file an insurance claim or lawsuit for compensation to pay your medical and other bills. Contact a qualified Minneapolis car accident lawyer at our firm to determine your next steps today.

Why You Should Choose Tyroler Leonard for Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim

After a crash, you may need emergency medical care and hospitalization. Insurance claims and lawsuits can be tedious and confusing, especially if you have no legal experience. You will likely need to spend your recovery time focusing on getting better, not completing paperwork.

Instead of spending your precious energy on these complications, put your trust in the team at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law. We listen compassionately to your circumstances and make our best recommendations on how to move forward. Once you hire us, we will begin investigating your case by:

Identifying all at-fault parties
Collecting relevant evidence
Building our case to demonstrate negligence
Filing insurance claims and negotiating a settlement
Preparing your case for court if a settlement cannot be reached
Litigating your position aggressively against the negligent parties.

We have secured millions in settlements and jury verdicts for our clients. We also offer free initial case reviews and work on contingency fees. You pay nothing to get started with us, and there are no attorney’s fees unless we obtain a settlement. In other words, if we do not win for you, you do not pay.

Demonstrating Negligence Is the Key to Securing Compensation

Minnesota is a no-fault state for auto insurance. Drivers are required to carry their own Personal Injury Insurance (PIP) to pay for their medical bills and property damage. However, if your coverage is not enough for your expenses, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover your full damages.

Your drunk driving accident lawyer in Minneapolis must show evidence that the at-fault driver owed you a duty of care to drive safely but failed to uphold that duty. They must also effectively show how your injuries are a direct result of the accident and how much you have in related expenses. This demonstrates negligence, which opens the door to receiving an insurance settlement or jury award.

Under Minnesota’s comparative fault statute, you can seek damages if you are less than 51% at fault for the crash. However, your compensation will be reduced by the same percentage you are found liable. For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault for the accident, your reward will be 20% less than your total award.

Common Injuries Caused by Drunk Drivers

Those who choose to drink and drive often engage in dangerous behaviors which cause substantial injuries to others. They often drive too fast or too slow, ignore road signs and traffic laws, and fail to see other vehicles in time to avoid a crash. Their senses, reactions, and decision-making skills are dramatically affected.

They can slam into other vehicles in head-on, rear-end, sideswipe, and T-bone collisions. Some of the most common injuries you could suffer in a drunk driving accident include:

Back and spinal damage
Broken bones and fractures
Burns
Cuts, bruises, and scrapes
Head and neck injuries
Internal bleeding
Puncture wounds
Traumatic brain injuries.

With severe injuries, you may be left with millions in expenses to recover or require lifelong care if you are permanently disabled. Instead of paying for everything out of pocket, you deserve superior legal representation from a skilled drunk driving accident attorney who will fight for every penny. At Tyroler Leonard, we believe in working tirelessly to hold wrongdoers accountable so their victims can heal in peace.

Potential Damages in a Minneapolis Drunk Driving Claim

There are two categories of compensatory damages you can seek after a drunk driving accident. Insurance companies will usually only pay for economic losses, which include items such as:

Medical bills
Emergency transportation costs
ER, ICU, and surgery fees
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitation and physical therapy expenses
Repair or replacement costs for your vehicle
Lost wages while you cannot work.

Generally, you can recover up to the PIP policy limit. In Minnesota, this is a minimum of $40,000 total ($20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for non-medical losses). If your damages are higher than this, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit to obtain the full amount.

Non-Economic Damages Thresholds

Non-economic losses, which address your pain and suffering, are more complicated. Your Minneapolis drunk driving accident attorney must convince the jury the liable party was negligent and that your non-economic damages meet a threshold defined by Minnesota Statute §65B.51). The threshold can be any of the following:

Your medical bills total more than $4,000 (diagnostic X-rays excluded)
You have a permanent disfigurement.
You have a permanent injury.
You were disabled for at least 60 days.

You can also claim non-economic losses if your loved one dies as a result of the accident. To do so, you would file a wrongful death lawsuit against the liable parties to recover the deceased’s medical bills, loss of income, and final arrangements.

Insurance Companies May Work to Reduce or Deny Your Claim

It may seem strange, but even though you have paid your PIP and other insurance premiums for years, your insurance company is not on your side. They are a for-profit business and will attempt to limit what they pay for claims to protect their profits. They may question whether you are actually as injured as you say, using their knowledge of the law and policies to reduce your settlement.

Your attorney can negotiate aggressively for fair and appropriate compensation on your behalf. You can help strengthen your claim by visiting a doctor immediately after your accident to establish a link to your injuries. Limit your conversations about the crash to your lawyer so the insurance company has no opportunity to use your statements against you.

Finally, you can follow your doctor’s orders and treatment plan. Insurance investigators have often followed victims, trying to obtain proof they are defrauding the insurance company. While it is part of their job, it can result in your losing the financial recovery you need. Your lawyer will educate you on how to protect your claim for maximum compensation.

Other Parties Who May Be Liable for Your Drunk Driving Accident Injuries

Drunk driving is not only illegal in all 50 states, it is dangerous to others on the road. However, there could be additional parties who contributed to your crash, and your auto accident attorney at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law will investigate all potentially liable individuals and entities. In our experience, a case is rarely as simple as it first appears.

According to Minnesota Statute § 340A.801, those who sell alcoholic beverages illegally can also be held liable for injuries stemming from a drunk driving accident. Illegal in Minnesota means selling to an obviously intoxicated person or to someone under 21 years old. These so-called “dram shop laws” mean your attorney could seek legal recourse from both the driver and anyone who contributed to the driver’s inebriation.

Other parties who could be at fault include other drivers who caused the drunk person to crash with you, technicians who failed to repair the drunk driver’s vehicle correctly, or even a manufacturer who sold a defective part that played a part in the wreck. Identifying every contributor is a lawyer’s primary task for building a strong case. Gathering the right evidence is critical to holding all negligent parties accountable.

Statute of Limitations for Filing a Minneapolis Drunk Driving Lawsuit

Negotiating an insurance claim can take several weeks. If your lawyer determines that the insurance provider is refusing to meet your demands, they may advise you to pursue a lawsuit to recover full damages. You need an attorney who prepares for the courtroom from the beginning so they do not have to start over when it is time to file legal action.

Under Minnesota’s statute of limitations, you have up to six years to file your drunk driving car accident claim. However, fully developing the evidence and arguments for your case can take a long time if your case is complicated with multiple at-fault parties. The wise move is to contact an attorney as soon as possible to ensure your legal team can prepare the strongest case for compensation.

Put Our Minneapolis Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers to Work for You

Victims of drunk drivers suffer life-altering consequences that can leave them unable to work or care for themselves, if only for a short time. Missing out on income and the quality of life they enjoyed before the crash deserves financial acknowledgment. You should not have to face a mountain of bills because someone was negligent.

Get started by contacting the Minneapolis drunk driving accident lawyers at Tyroler Leonard Injury Law. Call us to schedule a free consultation at (651) 259-1113 or use our convenient form today.

Attorney Isaac Tyroler

Attorney Isaac Tyroler has been a strong advocate for injured people his entire legal career. He has a passion for righting wrongs, and he deeply cares about representing injured clients who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about how to navigate the legal system. He is compassionate toward clients and aggressive with insurance companies and defendants. He is on the elected Board of Governors of the Minnesota Association of Justice (MAJ), the top personal injury lawyers’ group in Minnesota. And is currently the chair of MAJ’s legislative committee. [ Attorney Bio ]