Were you injured in a truck accident in Eagan, MN?
At Johnston | Martineau PLLP, we are truck accident lawyers who pursue full recovery for injured clients and their families.
If a crash with a semi or other big rig in Eagan left you seriously hurt or took the life of a family member, Minnesota law provides a claim for those losses. Our Eagan, MN truck accident lawyer handles both injury claims and wrongful death claims against trucking companies.
Johnston | Martineau PLLP has made truck crash litigation the center of its practice. Our attorneys' combined experience exceeds 40 years, and it extends to wrongful death cases as well as serious injury cases. We offer free consultations to injured clients and to surviving family members.
Truck Accident Lawyer Eagan, MN
A truck accident lawyer acts for the injured client or the surviving family in every dealing with the carrier and its insurance company. That role begins with documenting the full extent of the harm, because the value of a claim depends on it. We then identify each party that is legally responsible and seek payment through negotiation or a lawsuit.
In 2023, 1,818 semi trailer trucks were involved in crashes in Minnesota, including 23 in fatal crashes and 339 in injury crashes, according to Minnesota Crash Facts. Eagan sees a share of that truck traffic because Interstates 35E and 494 both serve the city. A passenger vehicle offers little protection against a truck of that size, which is why our cases so often involve severe injuries.
Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle in Eagan, MN
Injuries tend to be severe because semi-truck crashes involve far greater weight than ordinary collisions. The claims our truck accident attorneys bring in Eagan are therefore defined by what the crash did to the client, and each one requires its own medical proof.
- Wrongful death claims. A fatal truck crash gives the surviving spouse and next of kin a claim for the losses the death caused them. A trustee appointed by the court brings that claim on the family's behalf. We prepare the petition for the appointment and then pursue the carrier.
- Brain injury claims. The force of a truck collision can cause a traumatic brain injury even when the skull is not fractured. Symptoms such as memory loss or personality change may not appear on early scans, so we rely on neuropsychological testing and the observations of family members to document them.
- Spinal cord injury claims. Damage to the spinal cord can cause partial or complete paralysis. The cost of care continues for life in these cases, which makes a projection of long-term care costs a necessary part of the claim.
- Burn injury claims. Fuel fires and chemical spills cause burns that often require repeated surgeries. Scarring is compensable in addition to the medical bills, so we document it with photographs and physician reports.
- Amputation and crush injury claims. The weight of a tractor-trailer can crush a limb beyond repair. A claim of this kind must account for prosthetic devices, which need replacement over a lifetime, as well as the loss of the client's former occupation.
- Child injury claims. A claim for an injured child includes future medical needs and the effect of the injury on the child's schooling. A parent or guardian brings the claim for the child.
- Psychological injury claims. Survivors of serious truck crashes frequently develop post-traumatic stress, and that harm is compensable when it is properly documented. Treatment records from a counselor or psychologist supply the documentation.
- Pedestrian and cyclist claims. A person on foot or on a bicycle has no protection in a collision with a truck. These claims often arise at intersections and driveways, where a turning driver fails to see the person. We obtain camera footage from the truck and from nearby businesses to establish the driver's line of sight.
Why Choose Johnston | Martineau PLLP as My Truck Accident Lawyer in Eagan, MN?
Serious injury and death claims are the most heavily defended cases a trucking company faces. They are also the cases in which a client has the most at stake. A personal injury lawyer in Eagan, MN needs both the resources and the trial experience to carry such a case through a verdict if necessary. Our record includes millions of dollars recovered on behalf of clients and families.
Attorneys Educated and Licensed in Minnesota
Christopher A. Johnston is admitted in Minnesota's state and federal courts. He was named a Rising Star in 2011 and has earned five Super Lawyers selections.
His federal admission matters in truck cases because claims against out-of-state carriers are sometimes heard in the District of Minnesota.
Both he and Mr. Martineau attended law school in St. Paul, and their schools combined in 2015 to form Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Specialists Retained for Serious Cases
Christopher P. Martineau handles collisions with semi-trucks, wrongful death claims, and other significant motor vehicle crashes. In those cases, he consults specialists in accident reconstruction, cell phone records, and engine control module data. Their analysis allows us to answer the technical defenses that carriers raise in high-value claims. He holds licenses in Minnesota and Wisconsin, so he can also represent Eagan clients injured across the state line.
Understanding Truck Accident Cases
Serious injury and wrongful death claims follow the same legal framework as other truck cases, but the stakes change how each part is handled. An Eagan truck accident attorney must account for those differences from the outset.
Most Dangerous Locations for Truck Accidents in Eagan, MN
The location of a crash is the starting point of any investigation, since it determines which agencies responded and which cameras may have recorded the collision. Trucks travel through Eagan mainly on four highways.
- Interstate 35E runs north and south through the center of Eagan.
- Interstate 494 follows the city's northern edge.
- Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) crosses the Minnesota River at Eagan's western edge. The Highway 77 resurfacing between Apple Valley and the river bridge is scheduled to continue through November 2028.
- Highway 55 passes through northeastern Eagan, where it meets Highway 149.
Trucks leaving those highways use county roads to reach warehouses and businesses, including the following.
- Yankee Doodle Road crosses Interstate 35E in Eagan's central commercial district.
- Pilot Knob Road crosses Eagan from north to south and connects with Interstate 494.
- Lone Oak Road serves industrial and distribution properties in northern Eagan.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Truck Accident Cases
Once the facts of the crash are established, the next question is what the law allows the client to recover. The answer depends on whether the client survived, and an injured client recovers for the following personal losses.
- Medical expenses cover hospital care, surgery, and rehabilitation, including future treatment.
- Wage loss covers time away from work and any permanent loss of earning capacity.
- Non-economic damages cover physical pain as well as conditions such as anxiety and depression.
A death changes who holds the claim and what it covers. Under Minnesota's wrongful death statute, the recovery belongs to the surviving spouse and next of kin. It is measured by the financial loss the death caused them, and funeral expenses are paid from it.
Liability in either kind of claim usually reaches beyond the driver. A trucking company answers for a driver's negligence on the job under the rule of vicarious liability, and the company's own conduct can supply a separate basis for the claim.
What Are Important Aspects of a Truck Accident Case?
A truck accident attorney in Eagan must plan for three features that distinguish a serious case from a routine injury claim. The first is proof of future loss, since most of the damages in a permanent injury case have not yet been incurred when the claim is made. The second is the amount of insurance involved, which is one reason truck cases produce larger settlements than car accident cases. The third is the level of resistance, because carriers contest high-value claims more vigorously than small ones.
Each of these features rewards early preparation. Medical opinions about the future take time to develop, and the carrier begins its own investigation soon after a serious crash.
What Is the Truck Accident Case Timeline?
That preparation follows a sequence set largely by the client's medical recovery. The usual steps are as follows.
- The investigation starts while the client receives initial treatment, and we notify the carrier to preserve its evidence.
- We wait until physicians can describe the client's long-term condition, which can take many months after a severe injury.
- We present a demand that includes projected future costs, and negotiations follow.
- We file suit in district court if the carrier's offer does not cover the client's losses.
The deadline is shorter when the claim arises from a death. Such a claim must generally be filed within three years of the death, while most injury claims fall under Minnesota's six-year limitation period. Our Minnesota truck accident lawyers identify the governing deadline when a case begins.
What Should You Bring to Your Truck Accident Consultation?
The documents that matter most at a first meeting are those that show how the crash has affected the client or the family. We ask clients to bring the following if they have them.
- Hospital discharge summaries describe the injuries and the expected recovery.
- Health insurance statements show which bills have been paid and by whom.
- Employment records establish the income the client or the deceased was earning.
- A death certificate and funeral bills are needed when the claim involves a death.
Families often contact us during a difficult period, so we do not expect complete records at the first meeting. The consultation covers what happened and what the law allows. It ends with our assessment of whether a claim should be brought.
Reach Out to Johnston | Martineau PLLP to Schedule a Consultation
The weeks after a serious injury or a death are a hard time to deal with a trucking company's insurer. Johnston | Martineau PLLP takes over that task so clients can attend to their recovery. Retaining our Eagan, MN truck accident attorney places the claim with a firm that concentrates on these cases. Consultations are free and can be arranged at any hour. Contact us to arrange one for yourself or for your family.