Category: Vehicle Accidents
FINALLY: A NEEDED CHANGE
April 9, 2015 | John T. BuchmanLast session, the Minnesota legislature finally passed and Governor Dayton signed into law, a provision that increases some of the benefits available to victims of car crashes here in Minnesota. This was a long overdue increase to wage loss and funeral expense benefits under Minnesota No-Fault Act. Minnesotans injured in car accidents have had, since the No-Fault Act was first created 40 years ago, the right to 85{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of any wage loss or income reduction due to injuries suffered in a car crash. However, for the last 30 years, that has been limited to a maximum of $250 a week. As a result, most wage earners could not survive long on $250 a week. The No-Fault Act also provided $2,000 for families who had to pay the expenses of burying a loved one who was killed in a car crash. The new law increases the maximum wage loss benefit to $500 a week. Additionally, the funeral expenses have been increased to $5,000 (which is still much less than the typical funeral cost of $8,000 – $10,000). These new benefit amounts became effective January 1, 2015, for any collision occurring after that date or for any policies renewed after January 1, 2015. It is our position that this would apply to people that were…
Read MoreLiberty Mutual Insurance Subject of Another Class Action Lawsuit Concerning its Automobile Accident Claims Handling
January 28, 2015 | John T. BuchmanA chiropractic clinic pursued a “class action” suit against Liberty Mutual and several of its subsidiaries, including Safeco Insurance, in the state of Illinois. A class action suit is one in which the class representative acts on behalf of many claimants when the monetary value of each claim is relatively small and it would seldom justify lawsuits on behalf of each individual. There is a proposed settlement awaiting court approval. The basis of the claim is that Liberty Mutual would pay less than the amount charged by an injured person’s medical providers. The claimant alleged that Liberty Mutual used a computerized bill review system to reduce its payments, which was not disclosed to its insureds. The proposed settlement also references two similar lawsuits against Liberty Mutual in the states of Washington and Oregon. The class action suit also includes Minnesotans who purchased No-Fault Insurance from Liberty Mutual or Safeco. If you have been injured in a car accident due to another’s negligence, the attorneys at BGS will help recover the compensation that you deserve. Under the terms of the agreement, if approved by the court, Liberty Mutual would have to pay medical care providers pursuant to an agreed health care cost database for a period of five (5) years after the date of…
Read MoreTypes of Car Accidents You May Be Involved In
August 12, 2014 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.Car accidents happen in so many different situations and at such various angles that trying to quantify them all would be impossible. Roadway accidents can be caused by high rates of speed, traffic congestion, blind spots, poor conditions or carelessness. Although a vehicle can be struck in an infinite number of ways, there are just a few car accidents that are incredibly common: rear-end collisions, side-impact collisions, head-on collisions, sideswipe collisions, and rollovers. Describing Vehicular Accidents Rear-end collision – These types of accidents happen when one vehicle strikes the back of the car that is in front of it. They often happen when the vehicle in front decelerates and the driver behind them doesn’t notice, or doesn’t decelerate in time. Unless the vehicle in back hits the other at a very high speed, injuries of rear-end collisions are generally pretty minor such as whiplash, minor neck pain, and minor back pain. In almost all cases, the driver of the vehicle that causes the rear-end accident will be found at fault. Side-impact collision – Also known as a T-bone collision, side-impact collisions are caused when one vehicle hits their front into the side of another vehicle. These accidents generally happen in the middle of intersections when one vehicle is traveling perpendicular to another and…
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