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Mankato Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reported some troubling car accident numbers in 2014:

  • In 2014, there were nearly 80,000 reported car accidents.
  • Of these accidents, nearly 200,000 passengers were involved.
  • 361 people died, and an additional 39,000 were injured.
  • The State of Minnesota estimates that these accidents cost taxpayers over 1.6 billion dollars.

As you can see, vehicle crashes are a common factor of life. In fact, if you haven’t already been involved in one, you likely will at some point in your life.

Unfortunately, it’s not always immediately clear who’s at fault in a car accident. Police officers are committed to making sure everyone is safe and closing the case, and insurance companies are focused most on paying out as little as possible.

Minnesota is what’s known as a “no-fault” state, which has advantages and disadvantages. For example, you don’t need to determine who’s at fault before pursuing personal injury damages; however, no-fault states have more stringent limits on the amount of damages you can pursue. To pursue compensatory damages above and beyond what’s covered by insurance, there are some conditions:

  • You have to incur at least $4,000 in medical expenses as a direct result of the accident.
  • You’ve experienced at least 60 days of disfigurement or disability because of the accident.

Assuming one of these conditions is met, you’re free to pursue damages against the driver at fault for the incident.

Investigating a Car Accident

If police are called to the scene, it’s standard operating procedure for them to conduct their own investigation into the accident and file a report. Insurance companies will do the same, but if you’ve been injured in a car accident, call a legal team to conduct one on your behalf. These will be the only people truly invested in protecting your best interests. Here’s how Knutson+Casey will go to work for you:

  • We’ll use police reports, insurance reports, and eyewitness testimony to create a timeline of events and determine who was at fault for the accident.
  • We’ll consider a myriad of factors the police may overlook when establishing fault. We’ll be on the lookout for things like distracted driving, substance abuse, cell phone use, or reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
  • Our firm will contact the insurance companies. The act of getting legal counsel involved can make them take your claim more seriously.

Choosing the Best Legal Team to Protect Your Rights

Whether you’ve been rear-ended, sideswiped, or injured in another type of motor vehicle accident, you have rights. If you’ve incurred excessive medical expenses or missed work due to an injury, you’re entitled to compensation – and you don’t need to go through insurance negotiations alone. Don’t let these companies bully you into accepting a payout that’s less than you deserve. You should never have to suffer under the weight of lost wages and medical bills simply due to someone else’s negligence.

Hire the experienced and compassionate legal team at Knutson+Casey to work for you. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation into the accident, keep the insurance companies accountable, and do everything in our power to get you back on your feet again.

Call our firm today to set up a no-risk evaluation. We’ll review the specifics of your accident and determine how we can help you. If there’s a limit to how much you can collect or any potential problems that may affect your claim, we’ll let you know immediately. Contact one of our experienced lawyers today to get started.