Every year in the United States, car crashes seriously injure millions of people. Most of these incidents are not “accidents.” With the notable exception of road rage crashes, they may be entirely unintentional. However, most of these wrecks are preventable.
Many Minnesota car crashes involve negligence. This legal term basically means a lack of ordinary care. When tortfeasors (negligent drivers) violate the standard of care by driving while distracted, fatigued, or otherwise impaired, they are legally responsible for the damages they cause. Sometimes, the Legislature sets the standard of care. For example, the law states that drivers must not make unsignaled lane changes or exceed a certain speed. If tortfeasors violate these and other safety laws, and their violations substantially cause injuries, they may be responsible for damages as a matter of law.
So much for the “big picture” element of a negligence claim. Such a plan is good news for victims. But these families need help today and not just tomorrow. Fortunately, a Minnesota personal injury lawyer can meet these needs as well.
Paying Medical and Other Bills
Doctor bills and other such expenses are usually the single largest component of car crash damages. From a medical standpoint, the resulting injuries are also difficult to diagnose and treat. A Minnesota personal injury lawyer helps on both these fronts. So, victims can concentrate on getting better.
Experienced lawyers usually have close relationships with car crash specialists. That’s especially important when it comes to common car wreck injuries like whiplash. Common diagnostic tests usually do not detect this soft tissue injury. The whip-like motion that’s common in car crash cases, as opposed to a trauma wound, usually causes this injury.
Pain usually starts in the neck and then radiates up to the forehead and down through the shoulders to the hands. The pain intensifies as it spreads. Very soon, whiplash victims are unable to function normally at home, work, and/or school. That inability takes a major toll on their personal and financial lives.
Since whiplash is hard to diagnose, doctors who do not regularly deal with car crashes may miss the condition. By the time it’s caught, whiplash may already be in an advanced state that’s even more difficult to treat. If the victim was older, had a bad back, or had suffered whiplash before, these complications are even more acute.
Minnesota personal injury lawyers can connect victims with experienced doctors. For the reasons outlined below, these victims do not even need money or health insurance to get quality medical care.
Shortly after your initial consultation and the paperwork for representation is signed, an attorney will send a letter of protection to medical providers. This letter assures payment once the case is resolved. So, instead of money at the time, the doctor accepts the promise of future payment.
Moreover, the letter creates negotiation leverage. When the case is resolved, a Minnesota personal injury lawyer can negotiate with the provider for a lower fee. So, victims get to keep more of their settlement money.
This letter is not just for doctors. A serious car crash usually means the loss of a vehicle. So, a Minnesota personal injury lawyer can also send a letter of protection to car rental companies. That way, victims never miss a beat in terms of getting to and from work, getting the kids to and from school, or running the other daily errands that keep life moving forward. Also, a Minnesota personal injury lawyer can expedite the property settlement, so you have a permanent solution in place.
Building a Solid Legal Case
The first few weeks of a car crash claim is a very busy time for a Minnesota personal injury lawyer. In addition to arranging for medical care and other matters, attorneys must also collect evidence of liability. This evidence is necessary in both negligence and negligence per se cases. In both these situations, the victim/plaintiff must establish liability by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). To get this evidence, an attorney uses both modern technology and old-fashioned hard work.
Tried and true physical evidence, like photographs, is very powerful in court. After all, as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Most Minnesota courtrooms have high-definition screens and other presentation platforms. So, pictures are even more compelling today than they were in the old days of passing around snapshots.
Cutting edge technology, like an Electronic Logging Device, supplements this process. ELDs are especially critical in large vehicle crashes (e.g. tractor trailers and tour buses). These devices are connected to vehicle ignitions. So, they provide almost foolproof evidence of how much rest the driver had before the fateful trip. Other electronic evidence includes surveillance video footage (the old grainy videotape days are gone) and Event Data Recorders. EDRs are basically black boxes for automobiles.
Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyers Offer Complete Representation
Most personal injury claims settle out of court. So, a lawyer needs to be a very good negotiator. These skills come into play before the settlement conference takes place. A Minnesota personal injury lawyer must accurately value your case from a financial standpoint. Then, your attorney must negotiate aggressively.
Such assertive representation must continue if the case goes to trial. Without an aggressive lawyer, the whole truth of the matter may not come out. If the jury only hears the insurance company’s side of the story, it is almost impossible for a victim to get fair compensation.
All the way through this process, communication is key. A good personal injury attorney will never, ever keep you in the dark.
Call Today To Speak With A Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer From Carlson & Jones
From start to finish, the right attorney makes a big difference in the outcome of a personal injury claim. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Minnesota, contact Carlson & Jones, P.A. We do not charge upfront legal fees in negligence cases.