Minnesota Attorneys of the Year Win Accolades for Bicycle Accident Verdict
Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman of our law firm. have been named “Attorneys of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer. Each year Minnesota Lawyer recognizes the best achievements in the Minnesota legal profession with the Attorneys of the Year awards presentation.
Pritzker and Hageman won this coveted award for their a hard-fought win in a bicycle accident wrongful death case on behalf of the heirs and next-of-kin of a bicyclist, Julie Casey, who was killed on August 15, 2008 when she was run over by the rear wheels of the trailer of a right-turning semi-trailer at a busy intersection. One of the significant aspects of this case is that, at the outset, the case did not look promising, but Pritzker and Hageman won a $2,469,339 verdict.
Following Ms. Casey’s death, the the investigating police officers determined that she was at fault for accident, but Pritzker and Hageman’s investigation of the case revealed that the truck driver:
- Had failed to monitor his right outside mirrors at all during his turn
- Believed he was pulling a 48-foot trailer, as opposed to a 53-foot trailer
- Falsified his driver’s log book.
“Eric and I are proud of the result in this case,” stated Attorney Fred Pritzker. “The insurance company refused to offer any settlement. We believed strongly in our case and worked hard to prove it. The result brought closure to the family and helped them move on.”
Fred and Eric can be reached at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or by submitting our free consultation form.
Pritzker and Hageman Named Attorneys of the Year
Holding Companies Accountable for Wrongful Death of Bicyclists
Today another bicyclist has been killed by a commercial truck, a dump truck turning at a busy intersection in Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota. The facts are similar to those in a case we just won at trial. We represented the family of a bicyclist who was run over by the rear wheels of the trailer of a right-turning tractor-trailer at a busy intersection. As is often the case, the trucking company said the bicyclist was 100% at fault, but our independent investigation proved otherwise.
Our investigation of the bicycle accident found the following evidence:
- There were falsifications in the truck driver’s logbooks;
- The deposition revealed that the truck driver had failed to monitor his right outside mirrors during his turn; and
- The truck driver’s admitted that he believed he was pulling a 48-foot trailer, as opposed to a 53-foot trailer.
After listening to our evidence, the jury found the truck driver 70% at fault and awarded the family of the bicyclist $2,469,339 in damages. While no amount of money will ever make up for the terrible loss the family has endured, they are thrilled that someone has been held accountable.