Case Result Type: Car Accident

R.K. was rear-ended when a teenager was going too fast in icy conditions and could not stop in time. R.K. suffered a mild traumatic brain injury with mild post-traumatic stress disorder. She also suffered neck and upper back injuries with associated headaches pain which were treated with occipital nerve blocks. The PTSD really only affected her ability to drive in snowy and icy conditions without anxiety. She received therapy for her PTSD as well. There were numerous accidents across the metro area that day due to icy roadways. The teenage driver of the car claimed there is nothing she could do as she slid on ice for several hundred feet. Partner Rich Ruohonen took her deposition and proved her inexperience in driving in icy conditions was the reason she crash into R.K. that day. This matter was resolved for the policy limits of $100,000 shortly after the deposition. The underinsured case then was settled for an additional $40,000 resulting in a total settlement of $140,000.

Ben was injured when he was on his way to a job site and his van was rear-ended at a high rate of speed. He ended up having injuries including a cervical disc herniation resulting in neck pain and mild traumatic brain injury. Ben received several injections for the pain in his neck and therapy for his brain injury. Partner Rich Ruohonen was able to obtain a settlement for $325,000 for Ben.

J.R. was driving to work when he was rear-ended by a negligent driver. J.R. suffered back pain and saw a chiropractor for months before discovering he had an injury to his lumbar disc. He went on to undergo two epidural steroid injections which helped immensely. The insurance company for the negligent driver, Allstate, denied fault for their insured hitting J.R claiming he stopped too fast. Allstate also refused to pay his medical expenses. They made a top offer of $5,000.00.  Lyndsey Jorgensen took the case to trial and won a verdict of over $121,000.00.

Annie was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a young man who had been drinking. He lost control of his car, rolled the vehicle, and Annie was thrown from it. She sustained significant brain and spinal cord injuries and will never be the same.

Our investigation revealed that the young man driving the vehicle had obtained a bottle of alcohol from his friend’s father. The father knew that the driver was underage and should not be drinking alcohol, but knowingly provided alcohol to a minor.

As a result, we were able to access not only the automobile insurance, but also the homeowners’ insurance for the father who provided the alcohol. When the money was received, Attorney Chuck Slane negotiated with the Veterans Administration, who had paid for many of Annie’s medical bills, and they agreed not to pursue collection out of the settlement monies.

The settlement monies were then placed in a special needs trust so that they could be available to provide things for Annie that are not covered by her medical plan through the State of Minnesota. No amount of compensation would ever be adequate for the injuries that Annie sustained, but we were able to get all money that was available, shelter the money, and put it to the best use possible.

David was riding his bicycle to work in a Southern Minnesota town when a commercial truck driver got distracted and hit David and his bicycle. David suffered broken bones in his legs, hips and back in addition to a traumatic brain injury. He was not able to return to work. TSR Injury Law partners Erik Willer and Nate Bjerke convinced the commercial truck’s insurance company to settle the case for a confidential sum before starting a lawsuit.

CM was involved in a crash. He had some initial physical injuries, but the ending biggest concern was post-traumatic stress that caused him to avoid driving. The bad driver had no insurance. Partner Steven Terry pursued an uninsured claim and convinced the carrier that the mental claim was worth just as much as a physical injury.

VJ was a passenger in a car hit head on by a drunk driver. The drunk had minimal insurance and VJ did not own a car with his own insurance. He suffered a facial fracture and needed hip surgery.  Unfortunately, all people in the car were severely injured (one who died) and had to share the policy limits of the drunk’s insurance and the underinsured policy from the car they were in. Four attorneys agreed to a binding arbitration and a hearing were conducted by a sole arbitrator with VJ receiving fair compensation for his injuries. The agreement to arbitrate saved thousands of dollars in costs and two years of litigation.

Brook was riding her bicycle when a car that failed to yield turned left into her as she was crossing at an intersection. Brook suffered an upper back and neck injury along with a foot injury from where the car struck her foot. Doctors recommended foot surgery to repair a torn tendon, but Brook had not had the surgery at the time of the settlement. Partner Rich Ruohonen settled the case for both the liability and underinsured motorist limits totaling $80,000.

CA was employed as a professional driver. He travelled to Colorado for work and was rear ended by an uninsured driver while in a work provided rental car. The rental car and employer both denied the claim, blaming each other. Partner Steven Terry brought claims against all policies allowed and convinced the primary to pay CA and litigate against the other polices on their own dime. A $75,000.00 settlement was reached which covered the Minnesota treatment CA underwent and repaid the work comp claim that paid wage loss.

I represented a young 23-year-old man who was biking across the crosswalk one day with a green light and white walk sign. He was struck by a driver who was stopped at a red light looking to his left for traffic to clear before turning right and hitting my client without ever seeing him. My client hit the hood of his car and rolled to the ground, temporarily blacking out. He was taken via ambulance to Mercy Hospital for a head injury and a left leg injury that required 32 stitches. Progressive put 50 percent of the fault on my client who called me to help because he wanted them to pay 100 percent of the cost to repair his damaged bike, not 50 percent. We ended up settling the case for $54,500.00. My client wasn’t going to call an attorney if they would have just replaced his bike for him.