Work zone crashes often involve multiple responsible parties, higher insurance limits, and more serious injuries than other types of traffic incidents. This combination of factors can have a significant impact on the amount of compensation you may be able to recover.

At TSR Injury Law, our Minneapolis-based car crash lawyers have extensive experience handling complex crash cases throughout the Twin Cities region. Our highly qualified legal team works hard to identify all liable parties and potential sources of compensation. When we represent you, you can be sure we will work hard on your behalf to maximize compensation for your recovery.

Not sure if you have a case? Contact our Minnesota legal team for a free, no-risk case review. We will compassionately listen to your story, answer your questions, and discuss your legal options.

Call (612) TSR-TIME to request your FREE case review with a TSR lawyer today. We are here to help you.

Why Are Settlements for Work Zone Crashes Often Higher Than Other Crashes?

Work zone crashes typically result in higher settlement amounts because these cases involve unique factors. The confined nature of construction areas, presence of heavy equipment, and potentially multiple responsible parties create circumstances that often lead to more substantial compensation awards.

• Multiple Insurance Policies Available: Construction companies, government entities, equipment operators, and subcontractors each carry separate insurance policies, creating multiple sources of compensation rather than relying on a single driver’s coverage.
• Enhanced Duty of Care Standards: Construction zones require heightened safety measures, and when parties fail to meet these stricter standards, it strengthens your claim and increases potential settlement values.
• More Severe Injuries: Confined spaces, concrete barriers, and proximity to heavy machinery in work zones often result in catastrophic injuries that require extensive medical treatment and long-term care, driving up compensation amounts.

How Much Could My Work Zone Car Crash Be Worth in Minnesota?

Every work zone collision case is different. When we assess the overall value of your case, there are multiple factors we must consider, including the cause of your collision, the type and severity of your injuries, and who may be liable for your resulting damages.

Work zone cases often have multiple parties with substantial insurance coverage, which can increase your ability to recover full compensation for medical costs and other losses. Your case could also be negatively impacted if you contributed to the crash in any way.

These are some of the key factors that influence the value of your case and how much you may be eligible to recover from your Minneapolis work zone crash:

• Severity and Type of Injuries: Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, or multiple fractures typically result in higher compensation than minor injuries requiring limited treatment.
• Future Medical Expenses: Long-term care needs, ongoing rehabilitation, prescription medications, and future surgeries all factor into your total compensation amount.
• Lost Earning Capacity: Your ability to work and earn income in the future, not just current lost wages, plays a significant role in determining settlement value.
• Number of Injured Parties: Multi-vehicle crashes with several injured people may reduce individual compensation amounts as insurance coverage gets divided among multiple claimants.
• Strength of Evidence: Clear documentation of safety violations, witness statements, and expert testimony about construction zone failures can increase your compensation.
• Number of Liable Parties: Cases involving multiple responsible parties with separate insurance policies often yield higher settlements than single-party claims.
• Your Percentage of Fault: Any contribution you made to the crash will reduce your total compensation under Minnesota’s comparative negligence law.

What Type of Compensation Can I Recover After a Work Zone Crash in Minnesota?

Minnesota law allows work zone crash victims to recover two main categories of compensation for their injuries and losses. Economic damages cover your measurable financial losses, like medical costs, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages, which are harder to quantify, compensate you for the physical and emotional impact of your injuries.

The types of compensation available in Minnesota work zone crash cases include:

• Medical Expenses: All costs related to the treatment you need after the work zone crash, including emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, prescription medications, physical therapy, and future medical care needs.
• Lost Wages: Income you lost if you were unable to work while recovering from your injuries. This compensation includes missed vacation days and any sick leave you have to use for medical appointments.
• Lost Earning Capacity: This compensation provides for the reduction in your ability to earn income in the future due to permanent disabilities or limitations caused by your injuries.
• Pain & Suffering: These damages take into consideration the daily physical discomfort, emotional suffering, and other limitations you experience daily as a result of your injuries.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD, combined with other types of emotional or mental anguish, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma may result from the crash and your injuries.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Compensation for your inability to participate in activities, hobbies, and experiences you enjoyed before the crash.
• Property Damage: Repair or replacement costs for your vehicle and any personal belongings damaged in the crash.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Transportation costs for medical appointments, home modifications for disabilities, and other crash-related expenses.

What if the At-Fault Driver in My Work Zone Crash Was Impaired or Cited for Reckless Driving?

If the at-fault driver who caused your work zone crash was impaired or cited for reckless driving, it could pave the way for significantly more compensation, far beyond standard damages.

Minnesota law allows for punitive damages in personal injury cases where a defendant shows an egregious or purposeful disregard for the safety and well-being of others.

Impaired or reckless driving in work zones can result in additional compensation through:

• Punitive Damages: Minnesota permits a court to award further compensation for damages, not to reward the victim, but to punish the defendant.
• Higher Settlement Leverage: Insurance companies recognize the serious liability exposure when their insured driver was impaired or reckless, often leading to higher settlement offers to avoid trial.
• Increased Pain and Suffering: The traumatic nature of being injured by an impaired or reckless driver often justifies higher non-economic damage awards for emotional distress and mental anguish.

Does Minnesota Cap Punitive Damages?

Minnesota does not place a cap on punitive damages; a jury or judge will decide what amount is fair after reviewing your case. However, you must prove through clear and convincing evidence that the driver acted with deliberate disregard for safety.

What If I Am Partially at Fault for the Work Zone Crash That Injured Me?

If you are partly to blame for your work zone crash, you may still be able to recover compensation. Under Minnesota’s comparative negligence law, injured parties can recover some compensation for their damages, but only if they are not more than 50 percent at fault

Here is one way this could work: Say you were assessed with 30 percent of the fault and awarded $100,000 for your damages. If awarded in this scenario, you could still recover $70,000.

If you are found to be 51 percent or more at fault, you cannot recover any compensation. Work zone cases often involve complex fault determinations. You want legal representation that will fight to dispute any fault unfairly assessed against you while maximizing your recovery.

How Long Work Zone Crash Victims Have to Recover Compensation

After a work zone crash in Minnesota, you have six years from the incident to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable parties. This generous period gives you significantly more time than the statute of limitations in many other states, which is often just two years.

Despite the longer deadline, we don’t recommend putting off filing or waiting until the last minute to try to find a lawyer. Critical crash scene evidence can help an attorney build a compelling case on your behalf. But this evidence can quickly get lost, destroyed, or overwritten if proper legal steps are not taken to preserve it.

The longer you wait to file your claim, the harder it will be to recover full compensation. Witnesses are harder to locate, and even if your attorney can get them, it is important to remember that they are not personally invested in the outcome of your case. The more time that passes, the less they will remember about your crash and how it happened. All these factors weaken your bargaining power for a stronger settlement.

If you fail to file within the six-year window, you will be solely responsible for the costs and consequences of your injuries. If you attempt to file after that time, the courts will dismiss your case, and you will lose the right to seek compensation.

Injured in a Minneapolis Work Zone Crash? Call TSR Injury Law Today

Work zone crashes can involve multiple responsible parties and complex insurance issues that are difficult to handle on your own.

At TSR Injury Law, our seasoned attorneys know exactly what evidence is needed to build a compelling case. While no one can give you a guaranteed amount, our firm has a proven history of securing favorable outcomes. We are deeply committed to protecting our clients’ interests and work hard to uncover every source of available compensation.

Contact our law firm today for legal help you can trust. When TSR represents you, there are no upfront costs or fees to pay.

Our firm is here to provide the support you need. Call (612) TSR-TIME.