Truck rollovers can have devastating consequences for motorists. The size and force of commercial trucks can lead to collisions that cause catastrophic or life-threatening injuries.
If you or a loved one was involved in a rollover truck accident in Mankato, you should contact one of our out-state Minnesota lawyers.
Our compassionate and understanding Southern Minnesota legal team is here to help you recover compensation for the harm you suffered. Call today to speak with a skilled tractor-trailer crash attorney.
Rollover truck crashes in Mankato can happen due to factors inside and outside a driver’s control. Trucks are more likely to roll over due to their size and high center of gravity. However, the chances of a truck accident can increase due to events like:
In many cases, a rollover crash was the result of negligent actions by a truck driver, such as:
If the vehicle is a commercial truck, excessive load sizes are another potential cause of rollover accidents. The Minnesota Department of Transportation imposes load limits on commercial trucks to help road safety and lower the risk of accidents.
Minnesota is one of the few states that have implemented a no-fault insurance system. All state drivers are required to maintain a certain level of personal injury protection insurance coverage on their vehicle.
Regardless of who is at fault, Minnesota Statutes Annotated § 65B.51 requires that an accident victim first pursue recovery by filing a claim with their own insurer.
The no-fault system prohibits an injured party from filing a legal claim for a personal injury unless they have incurred a certain amount of damages.
The amount of medical expenses must exceed $4,000, or the injury must have caused permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or a disability that lasts a minimum of 60 days.
The potentially at-fault party for a truck accident is not limited to the driver. Since many trucks are commercial vehicles, the driver’s employer may have legal liability for negligent actions by their employees while driving or loading the vehicle.
Filing Deadlines
It is important to note that plaintiffs pursuing personal injury lawsuits for negligence generally must file their legal claim within six years from the accident date, according to Minn. Stat. Ann. § 541.05. However, these deadlines can vary depending on the circumstances of a crash.
To prove negligence in a personal injury lawsuit stemming from a rollover truck accident in Mankato, you must prove that the driver breached a duty of care owed to other motorists. This breach of care must be the proximate cause of your injuries, and it must cause damages.
However, many accidents result from more than one party’s negligence. A court can potentially reduce the damages the plaintiff can recover if their negligence contributed to the truck accident.
According to Minn. Stat. Ann. § 604.01, the state follows the doctrine of modified comparative fault when more than one party is at fault for an accident. The law provides that a plaintiff who had some fault for the accident can recover damages, provided their negligence does not exceed the responsible party’s fault.
If their responsibility exceeds the defendant’s fault, the plaintiff is completely barred from recovering damages. However, if the plaintiff’s fault is equal to or less than the defendant, the court will reduce their damages in proportion to their percentage of fault.
If you were involved in a rollover truck accident in Mankato, you should schedule a complimentary meeting to discuss the facts of your case as soon as possible. Our out-state lawyers can provide the high quality legal services you would expect from a Twin Cities firm to all local residents.
Our trusting and helpful personal injury attorneys can help you restore order if your life is in chaos and we are not afraid to fight on your behalf.
