Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
Drunk driving is one of Minnesota’s leading causes of car accidents. The experienced personal injury lawyers at the Sieben Polk P.A. fight for drunk driving accident victims in the Twin Cities area. Our award-winning Minnesota DUI accident lawyers will investigate, gather facts about your case, and hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.
Drunk driving is a leading cause of Minnesota traffic accident injuries and fatalities. Although alcohol-related crashes have declined over the past three years, about 20 percent of serious accident injuries and 28 percent of deaths involve alcohol.
Regardless of the accident circumstances, driving while intoxicated is inexcusable. If a drunk driver injures you, the experienced attorneys at Sieben Polk Law Firm in Eagan, Minnesota, will aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.
Experienced Minnesota Drunk Driver Accident Attorneys
The Sieben Polk Law Firm has represented injured victims for over 50 years. Our skilled car accident lawyers have more than 200 years of combined experience arguing DUI cases in Minnesota.
John P. Sieben
Mr. Sieben has represented personal injury clients since 1986 and has obtained thousands of favorable results. A three-time “Rising Star” in the Minnesota Journal of Law & Politics, he combines litigation and alternative dispute resolution expertise to secure the best possible outcome for his clients.
Michael R. Strom
Mr. Strom has been a trial lawyer with Sieben Polk since 1985 and is the firm’s current treasurer. As the firm’s former president and managing partner, he has obtained multiple seven-figure settlements for personal injury clients. He is proud to be a six-time Super Lawyer, an honor that places him in the top 1 percent of Minnesota lawyers.
Chad C. Alexander
Mr. Alexander is a partner at Sieben Polk and a multi-year Super Lawyer. Minnesota Law & Politics has also honored him six times with its “Rising Star” award, a recognition granted to only 2 percent of attorneys under 40.
DUI/DWI Accident Injuries
Every DUI injury is different. Sieben Polk’s experienced drunk driving accident attorneys will gather the facts about your accident and pursue the compensation you deserve. Here are just a few of the common DUI injuries we see.
Brain Injuries
Motor vehicle crashes are one of the top four causes of brain injuries in the U.S. A brain injury involves physical damage to the brain tissue and may permanently alter brain function. Brain injury symptoms may include:
- Behavioral or personality changes
- Loss of smell or taste
- Memory loss
- Trouble concentrating
- Hearing and balance problems
- Seizures
DUI victims with traumatic brain injuries may experience long-term medical and emotional issues, and a drunk driving accident attorney will help you pursue compensation.
Back and Neck Injuries
Back and neck injuries are common in car crash victims and vary drastically. Common injuries of this type include:
- Whiplash
- Bone fractures
- Vertebral dislocation
- Lower back pain
- Spinal cord injuries
Car crashes are the most common cause of spinal cord injury in the United States, causing 38 percent of such injuries yearly. Spinal cord injuries are often extremely severe, leaving the victim with years of medical expenses and costly personal-care help. Talk to an attorney today if you have back or neck pain following a DUI-related crash.
Amputation
Car crashes and other trauma account for 45 percent of the 185,000 amputations performed in the United States yearly. New amputees face high costs, including prosthetics, rehabilitation, lost wages, and even job retraining. An insurance company’s settlement may fail to cover these expenses. At Sieben Polk, we fight to get you the money you need after your amputation.
Broken Bones
It’s not “just” a broken arm—or any other broken bone. Severe breaks may need surgery or long-term immobilization. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some severe breaks can take up to a year to fully heal. Some fracture patients will lose significant work depending on the bone and injury.
You must protect your legal rights if you were hit by a drunk driver and severely fractured a bone.
Lacerations
A laceration is a cut through the skin and underlying tissues. DUI accident victims can suffer lacerations in several ways, including from contact with jagged metal or broken glass.
Severe lacerations carry a higher risk of infection. Tell your attorney about a complex laceration that might complicate your recovery after a DUI accident.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are some of the most painful and traumatic injuries a person can sustain. Even minor burns can cause intense pain from nerve damage. Severe burns are life-threatening and require months to years of treatment and recovery, including the following procedures:
- Pain management
- Complex wound care
- Skin grafting and reconstruction
- Occupational and physical therapy
Many patients also experience serious emotional distress from severe pain, disfigurement, loss of physical abilities, and accident trauma. Sieben Polk will consider your burn injury’s full impact when evaluating your DUI case.
Holding Minnesota Bars Responsible Under the Dram Shop Act
A drunk driver isn’t always the only responsible party in an alcohol-related car accident. Liquor stores, bars, restaurants, and their employees may also be liable under Minnesota’s Dram Shop Act.
Under that law, an employee or establishment may be liable for illegally serving someone who caused injuries while intoxicated. Illegal service may include selling to persons under 21 or visibly intoxicated individuals.
The Dram Shop Act is applicable if the intoxicated person’s alcohol concentration is above the 0.08 legal limit and the accident victim files suit within two years.
Drunk Driving Penalties in Minnesota
Minnesota’s penalties for impaired driving vary depending on the intoxication level, degree of harm to others, and number of offenses. Impaired driving is, at minimum, a gross misdemeanor if bodily harm is involved. The consequences increase in severity as follows:
- Bodily harm: A gross misdemeanor, with a penalty of one year in prison and a $3,000 fine
- Substantial bodily harm: A felony punishable by three years in prison and a $10,000 fine
- Great bodily harm or injury to an unborn child: A felony, with a penalty of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine
- Fatality: A felony punishable by 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine
Impaired drivers also may be charged with a felony if they are arrested for their fourth intoxicated driving charge in 10 years or had a previous felony conviction related to impaired driving.
What Compensation Can I Claim in My Minnesota DWI Injury Case?
Victims of DWI-related car crashes deserve compensation for the financial, emotional, and medical harm they’ve experienced.
Compensation for Medical Costs Related to the Accident
Minnesota is a no-fault insurance. Your car insurance policy will cover the first $20,000 of medical costs following your accident, regardless of fault. This is known as personal injury protection coverage, or PIP.
If your medical costs exceed $20,000, you may file a lawsuit against someone whose negligence caused the accident.
Compensation for Lost Income
If your injury and recovery caused you to miss work, you can sue for lost income. You will need to demonstrate that the accident directly caused your lost wages. Proof of that fact may include:
- A doctor's note recommending you do not work
- A wage verification letter or employment contract
- Documentation of missed hours
- Pay stubs showing reduced wages if you worked reduced hours
Your Minnesota DUI accident lawyer will tell you what you need to submit.
Compensation for Pain and Suffering
Minnesota allows injury victims to pursue compensation for non-economic damages, including emotional or physical pain. If your medical care exceeds $4,000 and you have suffered permanent injury or sustained disability, you potentially can sue for these “pain and suffering” damages.
Non-economic damages may be more challenging to prove, so having a skilled lawyer on your side is essential. The experienced Minnesota DUI accident lawyers at Sieben Polk have argued these cases for many years, and we’re committed to getting you the money you deserve.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages consist of compensation beyond other awarded damages. They serve as a punishment to a defendant whose actions are particularly harmful.
Minnesota injury law allows a judge to award punitive damages if an accident involves an impaired driver. In the case of alcohol intoxication, the driver must have refused a chemical intoxication test or have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.
Is the Drunk Driver Always Liable in an Accident?
Drinking and driving is not just unethical; it’s a crime. Drunk drivers can still incur civil or criminal penalties even if they don’t cause a crash or injury.
However, the drunk driver isn’t always liable for another person’s injuries. If the no-fault insurance coverage covers all of a victim’s losses, they cannot sue regardless of the cause. There also may be scenarios in which the driver’s intoxication did not cause the accident. If the sober driver acted negligently, they may share some fault.
Minnesota follows the rule of comparative fault, meaning that a person must be at least 50 percent at fault to be liable. Intoxication is often enough for a majority or complete fault finding, but not always. It’s essential to consult with a lawyer to understand the facts of your case.
Contact a Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer for Your Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured due to a drunk driver near Eagan, Minnesota, Sieben Polk Law Firm can help. Call our Eagan DUI accident lawyers today at 651-437-3148 for your free, no-obligation consultation.
- Experienced Minnesota Drunk Driver Accident Attorneys
- DUI/DWI Accident Injuries
- Holding Minnesota Bars Responsible Under the Dram Shop Act
- Drunk Driving Penalties in Minnesota
- What Compensation Can I Claim in My Minnesota DWI Injury Case?
- Is the Drunk Driver Always Liable in an Accident?
- Contact a Minnesota Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer for Your Free Consultation
