Who can file an accident wrongful death lawsuit in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, a trustee appointed by the court has to file a wrongful death lawsuit, which is a lawsuit against a person or corporation for a wrongful act or omission that leads to someone’s death. The trustee is appointed to the court upon written petition by the surviving spouse or one of the next of kin. Family members who may seek the appointment of a wrongful death trustee include the following:
- surviving husband or wife
- children
- parents
- grandparents
- siblings
- nieces
- nephews
- aunts
- uncles
- cousins
The trustee acts on behalf of the family, and any money won in a settlement or by verdict is “for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin, proportionate to the pecuniary loss severally suffered by the death.”
The wrongful death trustee is not the family’s attorney. If the family wants legal representation, they have to hire a Minnesota wrongful death attorney, who will gather and analyze evidence, negotiate for a settlement and prepare for trial.
Contact our attorneys for a free consultation. There is a time limitation for filing accident wrongful death lawsuits called the “statute of limitations,” so time is of the essence.
Our accident wrongful death lawyers represent families throughout Minnesota, including Twin Cities, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Moorhead, Mankato, Brainerd, Bloomington, Eagan, Eden Prarie, Apple Valley, Maple Grove, Edina, Plymouth, Minnetonka, Stillwater, Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Austin, Worthington, Woodbury, Maplewood, Golden Valley, Shoreview, Blaine, Anoka, South St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Roseville, St. Cloud, Arden Hills, Brooklyn Park, Forest Lake.
Fatal Accident in Construction Zone on 35W
A tragic accident on 35W in Burnsville is a reminder that drivers need to use extra caution in construction zones.
Today, two Egan Co. employees were hit while working in a construction zone. One died at the scene and the other at the hospital. The names have been released by the Minnesota State Patrol, but out of respect for the families, we are not reporting them here. Our thoughts are with the families.
According to information just released from the Minnesota State Patrol, a Mitsubishi 3000GT driven by Kirk Deamos, 21, of Raymore, Missouri, was traveling northbound on 35W in the left lane when the driver lost control and struck the two construction workers. The updated State Patrol report states:
VEH 1 [the Mitsubishi driven by Deamos] NB 35W IN LEFT LANE, SLOWING FOR UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION. DRIVER FELT HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE CONSTRUCTION WALL, BRAKED AND STEERED RT. VEH TURNED RT HARDER THAN DRIVER THOUGHT IT WOULD. HE THEN TURNED LEFT TO COMPENSATE, THEN RT AGAIN. VEH THEN SPUN OUT IN THE RIGHT DITCH, STRIKING 2 CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
This is preliminary information. Some of the questions that need to be answered include the following:
- Did a defective car part contribute to the accident?
- Was alcohol a factor?
- Was there a problem with safety measures taken at the construction area?
Contact our attorneys for information regarding accident investigations and finding all liable parties.
Drinking and Driving Causes 11,000 Wrongful Death Accidents Every Year
Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010—that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day—according to a CDC Vital Signs study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “In fact, nearly 11,000 people are killed every year in crashes that involve an alcohol–impaired driver.”
“When drunk drivers make a mistakes on the road, they tend to be major mistakes like crossing into oncoming traffic, rolling their car or striking an object,” said Attorney Fred Pritzker. “The results are often catastrophic.”
The study also found that:
- Men were responsible for 81 percent of drinking and driving in 2010.
- Young men, ages 21–34, made up only 11 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32 percent of all episodes of drinking and driving.
- Eighty–five percent of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.
MN Head-On Collision Death Victims Identified
More information is now available in a Minnesota car accident death case. Two victims killed in a head-on accident in Minnesota have been identified several days after the accident, which happened in late June 2011. The accident occurred on Highway 14 just east of Byron, Minnesota. The two killed in the accident were 18 and 20 years old, and were traveling westbound on Highway 14 when another car struck them head-on. That vehicle was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane. The driver of that car, and a third person in the other car were critically injured. The accident happened around 2:30 a.m., but it’s not yet clear whether alcohol was a factor.
Wrong Way Driver Lawsuit Information
This image is a representation of a car accident.
An accident involving a wrong-way driver can also involve a head-on collision. These accidents can be particularly deadly and the wrong-way driver can be held accountable. Victims who are injured in wrong-way driver accidents, or the family of someone killed in such an accident, may be able to recover compensation from that driver with the help of an experienced lawyer.
A car accident attorney will investigate the facts of the case thoroughly to see if driver negligence or drunk driving were factors in the case. Victims injured in these accidents or the families of those killed in these accidents may be able to recover money for the following:
- Lost earnings
- Impaired potential earning
- Cost of care
- Pain and suffering
- Medical expenses
Contact Pritzker Olsen MN car accident attorneys for a free consultation >>>
information from:
www.therepublic.com/view/story/192d5c3e3d354d27b75ed23177a34b19/MN–Wrong-Way-Crash/
Bus Accident Lawsuit Settled in Minnesota
Driver fatigue can contribute to bus accidents
The bus accident attorneys at Pritzker Olsen are representing several families of high school students involved in a motor coach accident, and recently settled one of the clients’ cases for an undisclosed amount.
In spring 2008, a group of 43 high school students was returning from a band trip in Chicago back to their home in Minnesota. The bus crashed on Interstate 94 just south of Albertville, Minnesota after the bus driver fell asleep around 6 a.m. One student died and several others were seriously injured.
“Unfortunately, driver fatigue can be a common issue in bus accident cases like this,” said attorney Elliot Olsen, who is representing victims and their families. “Drivers can also become distracted by things like texting, multitasking, or they may become distracted by passengers on the bus.”
Bus Accident Lawsuit: Why you need an experienced attorney
“An experienced bus accident attorney will know exactly what needs to be done to gather as much evidence as possible,” Olsen said. One of the first steps is to locate the bus’s electronic control module, or “black box.” This provides valuable information about how the accident may have occurred. Another key piece is the driver’s log book, which can indicate whether the driver was fatigued and may have been breaking the hours of service rules, which dictate how long a driver can safely operate the vehicle.
