The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, part of the Department of Public Safety, has recently announced the following statistics:
- As of the end of October, there have been 302 traffic deaths in the state of Minnesota, 17 more than the 285 that were reported as of this time last year in 2017.
- Drunken driving was a factor in 95 fatal crashes, making it the leading cause of death in Minnesota so far this year.
- 380 deaths were attributed to excessive speed.
- In 65 cases the drivers did not wear seatbelts.
- 58 of the deaths were to motorcyclists.
- Six of the deaths were by bicyclists.
- 72% of the fatal victims were men.
The Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team have, collectively, more than 100 years of experience in more than 10,000 cases successfully representing the victims of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death due to motor vehicle collisions. They believe, based on that extensive experience, that the number of deaths caused by distracted driving is seriously understated. It is a simple fact of life that law enforcement officers are hardly ever eyewitnesses to a collision and cannot usually determine that distracted driving was the cause of the car accident by interviewing the drivers involved. It is extremely rare for any driver to admit the facts that would establish a claim of distracted driving.
Examples of distracted driving include the following: 1. Cell phone usage; 2. Eating while driving; 3. Paying attention to children and other passengers; 4. Use of the radio; 5. Reaching for items within the vehicle; 6. Apply makeup; 7. Paying undue attention to items outside the roadway.
The Schmidt Salita Team Offers Contingent Fee Arrangements
The firm offers contingent fee agreements (You don’t pay lawyers fees until you collect them, and then only as a percentage of the settlement). It also offers home and hospital visits to clients whose injuries present difficulty in coming to the office.
“PERSONAL INJURY WITH PERSONAL ATTENTION TO EACH CASE”
The Schmidt Salita Law Team has locations throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Osseo, Anoka, Coon Rapids, Brooklyn Center, Fridley, Blaine, Shoreview, Woodbury, Falcon Heights, Columbia Park, Stillwater, Hastings, Inver Grove, Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Savage, Shakopee, Richfield, Bloomington, Chaska, Chanhassen, Edina, Eden Prairie, and Hopkins.