Traffic Accidents

Minnesota is a "no fault" state; therefore, if a Minnesota driver is involved in a crash, he/she must seek recovery from their own insurance company, even if the other driver was at fault. Depending on the terms of your insurance policy and the facts surrounding the incident, I can work with insurance companies to recover expenses for a rental car (regardless of whether you actually rent one), get your vehicle repaired or replaced, get compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced, recover your lost wages, and have your medical bills paid.

Medical Malpractice

You should speak with me if you have sustained a serious injury caused by poor medical treatment that you received from a doctor or other health care professional. There are different types of medical malpractice, including a mistake made during surgery, failure to properly treat a disease, the delay or failure to diagnose a disease, failure to obtain informed consent prior to administering treatment, and improperly prescribing a medical device or medication.

Social Security Disability

If you have a physical or psychological disability that hinders your ability to work or is life-threatening, you may be entitled to Social Security. There are a number of Social Security programs available that help people with a wide variety of needs. Available benefits include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Disabled Adult Child Benefits (DAC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Disabled Widows and Widower's Benefits (DWB). These programs are similar in how they define the term "disability" and how eligibility proceedings are conducted. Unfortunately, many claims for disability are denied. There is hope if you have been denied. I can help you obtain the benefits you are entitled to.

Premises Liability

Premises liability is a complex body of law that allows someone to recover damages for injuries that are caused by a mishap resulting from a dangerous condition present on the property of another. Slips and stumbles are the subject of most premises liability cases. Many factors must be considered to determine whether and what you can recover. Whether you can recover depends on factors that include whether the property owner is a private property or governmental entity, whether the hazard that caused the injury is an artificial or natural feature of the premises, and whether the victim was present for a business purpose (as a customer) or for social reasons.

Wrongful Death

If your spouse or another family member died as a result of the wrongful actions of another person, you should consider initiating a Wrongful Death action against the wrongdoer. Depending on the facts of your case, you may seek compensation for funeral expenses, medical expenses, lost wages or profits, and pain and suffering. If the death in question is the result of an egregious act committed by the wrongdoer, other damages may be available.

Dog Bite

Since animals, particularly dogs, do not have self-control at times, an animal attack can be a very frightening experience. Animal attacks often result in very serious injuries, including the loss of a limb, scars, or even death. In Minnesota, a victim of an unprovoked animal can recover damages from the owner of the animal. If a dog bite victim is a child, the child is presumed to have not provoked the dog.

Back / Spinal / Neck Injuries

Although back, neck, and spinal injuries are usually caused by incidents such as auto accidents or "slip and falls", these serious injuries deserve extra attention because they usually involve expensive medical care and long-lasting, serious symptoms. Spinal injuries can cause a loss of motion or sensation or even paralysis. Common spinal injuries include a compression fracture, a herniated disk, retrolythesis, or spondyolythesis. If you or a loved one suffered a spinal injury that is someone else's fault, you can recover damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. It is important that you promptly seek medical attention. Your recoverable damages can be reduced if your injury became worse because you failed to seek immediate medical care. Frequently, a person with spinal injuries will have the same type of medical treatment that someone with whiplash injuries will have. People with the most serious spinal injuries may need to seek surgery and/or epidural steroid injections.

Whiplash

Whiplash injuries are common injuries that people in automobile accidents suffer. Upon impact, a whiplash injury occurs when the torso violently jolts forward and the neck snaps backward. Someone who sustains a whiplash injury can experience a variety of symptoms, including sprains, headaches, strains, muscle stiffness, spasm, swelling, and tenderness. Frequently, victims of whiplash injuries undergo a regimen of physical therapy, orthopedic care, or a series of spinal manipulation treatments administered by a chiropractor.

Defective Medical Devices

Someone injured by a defective medical device can bring a products liability lawsuit. There are two types of defects common to medical devices. On one hand, a medical device may be defective because it has a design defect.  When a medical device has a design defect, every device of its type is defective. On the other hand, a medical device may have a manufacturing defect, which means that most of the other devices of its type are safe, but a mishap occurred during the manufacturing process that rendered one or a few of the devices defective. In addition, if the manufacturer or reseller of a medical device failed to disclose risks involved with the use of the device, they may be liable to the victim for their failure to seek the victim’s informed consent. If you suffered a serious injury caused by a defective medical device, you may be able to recover your medical expenses, lost wages, and be compensated for your pain and suffering. In addition, if a manufacturer or reseller intentionally concealed known risks, punitive damages that punish the wrongdoer may be available to you.

Defective Drugs

Drugs undergo rigorous testing by the FDA before they are marketed to consumers. Despite this rigorous testing, adverse side effects may be concealed or discovered only after the drug goes on the market and becomes widely used. Even drugs that are considered safe can cause injuries if pharmacists improperly fill a prescription by administering improper dosages or the wrong drug altogether.