Auto Accidents

On September 11, the lives of four individuals were lost in a very tragic car accident in Pine County near Askov, Minnesota.

The victims were Brett Larson (21), Arden Edwards (58), Catherine Peterson (20) and Felicity Jenson (17).

All four victims died as a result of their pickup truck swerving into oncoming traffic and colliding with a semi truck.

Larson, Edwards, and Jenson all died at the scene of the accident. Peterson died later of her injuries after being airlifted to an area hospital. One 21-year-old man who was in the pickup did survive and he remains in critical condition at a hospital.

The lone survivor of the auto accident was also the driver of the pickup truck and been identified as Nikko Jensen, the brother of Felicity Jensen. Edwards, uncle to the Jensens, was seated next to the passenger door and was the only victim not ejected from the pickup. Although Peterson had been ejected from the truck, she was still alive when the officers arrived on the scene, prompting them to take life saving measures.

The semi truck driver, Dennis Sostak of Askov, was driving an empty gravel hauling truck and was not injured. The Pine County Sheriff’s office and the Minnesota State Patrol are still investigating the accident. At this point in the investigation, Sostak has not been found of any wrong doing and is not expected that he will be.

A Minneapolis woman, who may have been under the influence of alcohol, drove into a pedestrian and a Metro Transit bus shelter early Sunday morning. The pedestrian was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with massive head injuries and probable traumatic brain injury.

The pedestrian has been identified as Christopher S. Iverson, 48. He was standing at a bus stop on East Lake Street at 39th Avenue just after midnight.

The driver, a 49-year-old Minneapolis woman, was taken to the Hennepin County jail on pending criminal vehicular injury charges. Police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer suspects this accident was alcohol related. The exact blood-alcohol concentration will not be available for a few weeks. The speed of the car has yet to be determined.

Minnesota Drunk Driving Statistics

In 2008, a government study revealed that Minnesota has some of the most dismal drunk driving statistics in the United States. 23% of Minnesota drivers reported driving under the influence of alcohol in 2007 – the third highest percentage among all 50 states.

Drunk drivers in Minneapolis cause an unbelievable amount of pain and suffering, killing or injuring dozens of innocent people every year. The Minnesota Drunk Driving Attorneys of TSR Injury Law are dedicated to helping those who have been hurt – or who have seen their loved ones hurt – because of someone’s irresponsible decision to drink and drive.

Accidents involving pedestrians are often disputed by insurance carriers. Often the only witnesses are those involved in the accident. You need an investigator to inspect the scene of the accident for physical evidence that may help prove what happened. It is in your best interests to hire a lawyer as soon as possible. Successfully filing a Minnesota personal injury suit against the responsible party can win you compensation for:

• Past, present, and future medical expenses
• Wages lost to medical leave or loss of your job
• Your current physical and emotional suffering

This information is provided by TSR Injury Law. Our personal injury attorneys are consistently named Super Lawyers by their peers and Chuck Slane has been voted one of the 2008 Minnesota Top 40 Personal Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys have years of experience with personal injury cases, have a stellar reputation, and have secured millions in compensation for our clients. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form.

It has been nearly a year since an injury paralyzed Jack Jablonski. During these months, he has made physical progress that has been described as remarkable. He has even rejoined gone back to school and rejoined his classmates. His family also had a renovation done to their home so that they could better accommodate his disability.

Jablonski, also known as “Jabs,” was the recipient of the CBS Courage in Sports Award. The award is given to an athlete who has an inspiring story. He won this award because thousands of people submitted votes through Facebook. He got to watch the CBS program with his friends and family at the Minnesota Wild headquarters.

Basically, Jabs has taken a devastating injury and turned it into something positive. He was left paralyzed when he sustained a hit while playing hockey. He had to be tutored all summer while working on his recovery, but he is back with his school mates at Benilde St. Margaret’s and is doing well.

It took 9 months for him and his family to be able to move back into their Minneapolis home where they had to make changes. One major renovation was an elevator for Jabs so he could have use of the entire house.

Currently, he has to undergo therapy at the Courage Center as a part of their Able program. This is therapy that costs his family $18,000 every three months. Insurance will not cover it. Currently, the therapy is covered by online donations. The donations go into a fund that is set aside specifically for these medical expenses.

Despite the cause of Jabs’ injuries, however, he and his family continue to love hockey and they have taken their experience to push for tougher penalties at the high school and youth levels, especially for the type of hit that led to Jabs becoming paralyzed. Had the hit had a much stricter penalty, Jabs may not be paralyzed today.

While Jabs’ paralysis can be considered horrifying, it has not kept his brother, Max, off of the ice. He plays within the youth hockey lead and wears Jabs’ number 13 jersey.

Vickie Lynn Kopka, 41, of East Bethel woman, was killed in crash on Hwy. 65. Her vehicle was struck by an SUV as she turned left onto Sims Road. There is a light at that intersection. It is not known which vehicle had the green light.

According to the Anoka county Sheriff’s Office, witnesses reported that Kopka was northbound and tried to turn left when the southbound SUV struck her vehicle. She was killed instantly in the crash. The 44 year-old male driver and 48 year-old female passenger were taken to Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids. Their injuries appeared to be not life-threatening.

The SUV / car accident will continue to be investigated by the Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Minnesota is no-fault insurance state; but if negligence is involved, the family of a wronged victim may be able to file a wrongful death claim. TSR Injury Law has years of experience representing victims and survivors of serious car crashes. We have recovered millions for accident victims. Our Minneapolis car accident lawyers are skilled, aggressive litigators who know how to fight for you. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form.

“Rather than accepting responsibility for their mistakes, tire manufacturers almost always try to blame the tire’s owner for not maintaining the tire, running it without enough air (underinflated) or blamed the driver for losing control after the tire fails. But research has shown that when tread separates from a tire, even professional drivers have difficulty keeping the vehicle under control.

If you or a loved one have injured or killed because a tire lost its tread or otherwise failed, you may have a case against the tire manufacturer. The experienced Minneapolis car accident attorneys at TSR Injury Law will work hard for you to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other expenses that have been the result of the injuries you sustained in the accident.

Types Of tire Defects

Manufacturing Defects The most common type of dangerous tire defect happens when the manufacturer makes a mistake in the way the tire is built or manufactured so that the tire that comes off the line is different that the intended design. These tire manufacturing defects – or mistakes in “”building”” the tire – can cause tires to fail and tread to separate from the tire. Tire manufacturing plants are notorious for requiring their employees to work long, hard hours in hot and uncomfortable conditions – conditions that lead to mistakes.

Aging Tires

After the Ford/Firestone crisis, Ford conducted an in depth study that determined tires older than 6 years should be taken out of service. This is important because most tire manufacturers do not notify either consumers or retailers that sell tires that the tires can become brittle and fail simply from sitting in a warehouse or on a retail shelf, making the tire weaker and prone to failure. Tragically, “”brand new”” tires that sat on the shelf for years can fail shortly after being put onto a vehicle. In these cases, both the retailer and the tire manufacturer may be responsible for the tire’s failure and resulting harm.

Contact the TSR Tire Defect Attorneys

We have stood toe-to-toe with tire manufacturers. We have the resources, the experience and the guts to take on these corporate giants and hold them responsible for tire defects that cause severe injury or even death. When you call us, you will work with a Minneapolis tire defect lawyer who will take the time to evaluate the tire failure and determine if you have a case. To learn more about how we can help you, call us today at (612) TSR-TIME or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free case evaluation. ”

The ATV industry has been exploding for years. Traditional all-terrain vehicles and utility terrain vehicles (UTV), such as the Yamaha Rhino and John Deer Gator, can offer great utility and recreation, but they can also be dangerous. It can be difficult to comprehend why dangerous defects continue to occur within the manufacturing of these vehicles; defects which contribute to the injuries and deaths of riders and passengers.

As of December 31, 2010, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) calculated that there were 11,001 ATV-related fatalities between 1982 and 2010 in the United States. Over 300 of those accidents occurred in 2010, with 649 of them occurring in 2009, and it is expected that these numbers will continue to increase. However, 2010 alone had 115,000 ATV-related injuries treated in emergency rooms. Approximately 75 percent of those injuries were individuals over the age of 16.

Poor Design

One of the most common issues that Minneapolis ATV defect & accident lawyers see is poor design. This is also true for the UTV, such as the Yamaha Rhino. The Rhino has seen a lot of media attention and lawsuits in the past five years because of its propensity to roll over. Its poor safety design has led to severe injuries and fatalities.

Nonetheless, the perfect example of an ATV with a faulty design is the three-wheeler in the early 1980s. The manufacturers knew that there were risks associated with having only one wheel in the front and two in the back, but they continued to manufacture and sell millions of them. While they haven’t been produced since 1987, there are still some being used today.

Recovering Damages in an ATV or UTV Accident

When involved in an ATV or UTV accident that you feel was the fault of the manufacturer due to faulty parts or design, you need to speak to a Minnesota ATV defect & accident lawyer as soon as possible. You may be able to recover money for medical expenses, lost wages, and much more. Whether or not a defect was involved depends upon past defects that have occurred in that particular model. You need an attorney who knows how to reconstruct an ATV accident and about the mechanics of these vehicles.

When seeking compensation, the source of this compensation is the manufacturer, and it is your right to seek out compensation for all expenses that have resulted from your injuries or the injuries or death of a loved one.

Contact a Minneapolis ATV Defect & Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an ATV or UTV accident that is believed or known to be due to defective parts, you need to speak to a licensed Minneapolis personal injury attorney as soon as possible. We will evaluate every angle of your case and work hard to get the compensation you deserve awarded to you. To learn more about how we can help you, call us at (612) TSR-TIME, or fill out our online contact form to tell us about your case and schedule your free case evaluation.

While garbage truck accidents and train accidents usually exist on two completely different spectrums, this is one incident in which the two met and, fortunately, the results were not fatal.

Sean Michael, 41, of Conway St. Cloud was traveling westbound on 5th Street Southeast in Rockford Township on September 19 at 6:30 a.m when he come to a railroad crossing.

As Michael was crossing the tracks, the garbage truck had become stuck, but Michael was unsuccessful at freeing himself from the tracks. He then had difficulty getting out of the truck. Unfortunately, he did not get out of the truck before being struck by a Canadian Pacific Train that was heading Southeast on the tracks.

It has currently not been said why the truck was stuck on the tracks or why Michael had difficulty exiting the truck before the train struck. Fortunately, no one on the Canadian Pacific Train was not injured and fast thinking by the train’s engineer slowed the train down just enough to prevent Michael’s injuries from being worse.

Michael was airlifted to Mercy Hospital by Life Link. Life Link, along with Allina Ambulance, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Buffalo Fire Department responded to the accident.

The accident is currently being investigated.

Nationwide, the number of traffic deaths has spiked. While the number of traffic deaths due to DWI has decreased in Minnesota, the number of deaths for other reasons has increased although the overall number of deaths has seen a decline.

The spike has been seen among drivers that are texting while driving or they are distracted for other reasons.

Years ago, personal injury attorneys wondered what technology would do to their careers. Of course, the goal is for there to be fewer deaths, especially with the implementation of air bags, anti-lock brakes, and other technological advances to decrease the odds of accidents. Unfortunately, where technology was expected to reduce these things, it also increased it in other ways.

Cell phones, iPods, and other such devices that individuals use on a daily basis have made their way into the car and behind the wheel where they don’t belong. If driving was not already an activity where distraction was easy, it is even easier now and is proving to be deadly.

The National Safety Council (NSC) has expressed a great deal of concern over the number of accidents occurring, especially since the safety features in vehicles have been improved.

The NSC has gone on to state that the cost of these accidents have been rather high. Everything from lost wages and productivity and medical expenses to property damage and administrative expenses has led to an estimated cost of motor vehicle injuries and deaths to be calculated at over $276 a billion in 2012, which was a 5 percent increase over 2011.

Driving faster and more distractions have been declared the cause. Even if a person is traveling more than 10 miles below the speed limit because they are distracted, other drivers will become angry and an accident can be caused. When passing a slower driver, the reason tends to be the individual behind the wheel texting or talking on a cell phone.

Another fatal crash involving a semi truck in Minnesota. This accident happened on MN Hwy 212 at CR 51, near Norwood Young America, Carver County.

The accident involved a semi truck and 2 other vehicles. A car was turning left and was rear-ended by a semi truck. The car was forced into the oncoming traffic, broadsiding a pick-up truck from Texas. The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the truck died en route to the hospital. Four other people were critically injured. The driver of the semi truck was not injured.

The names of the victims have been released. The driver of the car was Sandra Babatz, 45, of Norwood Young America. The driver of the pick-up truck was Juan Olvera, 35, of Sullivan, Texas. The four injured are Nancy Castillo, 29, Narely Olvera, 9, Andira Olvera, 8, and Galylea, Olvera, 7, all of Bird Island.

You cannot take back a negligent, inattentive moment of driving. Life is forever changed for many people, many families, many communities. The ripple effect is extensive. This is the second fatal semi truck accident in Minnesota this weekend. Both accidents happened when vehicles were turning left and each time a semi truck crashed into them, killing the drivers instantly.

There are many laws that govern the semi truck industry. If you have been involved in a semi truck accident, you need knowledgeable representation in order to protect your rights and recover adequate compensation. Call 612-TSR-TIME to speak to a Bloomington truck accident lawyer, or submit our free contact form and a member from our team will contact you shortly.

Free Consultation. Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.