Truck Accident Attorneys in St. Paul, Minnesota

1. TSR Injury Law

Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, delivery truck accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions

Case Types Handled: Rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, driver fatigue accidents, distracted driving accidents, brake failure accidents, cargo spill accidents

Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, hours of service violation investigation, electronic logging device (ELD) data analysis, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, no-fault insurance claims

Background: TSR Injury Law is one of Minnesota’s largest personal injury law firms with offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The firm has obtained substantial settlements and verdicts for truck accident victims throughout Minnesota.

Location: 366 Jackson Street, Suite 200, St. Paul, MN 55101

Contact: (612) 334-3434 | https://www.tsrinjurylaw.com/

Consultation: Free consultation. Contingency fee arrangement with no fee unless recovery is obtained.

2. SiebenCarey

Practice Focus: Truck accidents, semi-truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions

Case Types Handled: Driver fatigue accidents, equipment failure accidents, rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, improper cargo loading accidents

Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, no-fault PIP claims, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims

Background: SiebenCarey has served Minnesota injury victims for over 70 years. The firm has a team of experienced truck accident attorneys who understand the complexities of trucking regulations and multi-party liability cases.

Location: 333 South Seventh Street, Suite 2950, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Contact: (651) 994-6744 | https://www.knowyourrights.com/

Consultation: Free case evaluation. The firm serves the Twin Cities metro area including St. Paul.

3. Meshbesher & Spence

Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries

Legal Services: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations investigation, trucking company negligence claims, driver negligence claims, hours of service violation investigation, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims

Background: Meshbesher & Spence is a well-established personal injury law firm in Minneapolis serving clients throughout Minnesota including St. Paul. The firm has a track record of obtaining significant verdicts and settlements in serious injury cases.

Location: 1616 Park Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Contact: (612) 339-9121 | https://www.meshbesher.com/

Consultation: Free consultation available. The firm represents clients throughout Minnesota.

4. Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben

Practice Focus: Truck accidents, 18-wheeler accidents, semi-truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, wrongful death from truck accidents, catastrophic injuries from trucking collisions

Case Types Handled: Driver fatigue accidents, improper cargo loading accidents, rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, underride accidents, rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, wide turn accidents, equipment failure accidents

Background: Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben has been representing injury victims in Minnesota for over 50 years. The firm has obtained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for clients injured in truck accidents.

Location: 5120 American Boulevard West, Bloomington, MN 55437

Contact: (612) 377-7777 | https://www.schwebel.com/

Consultation: Free case evaluation. The firm serves clients throughout the Twin Cities metro area.

5. Schroeder & Mandel

Practice Focus: Semi-truck wrecks, auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, workers’ compensation, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, dog bites

Case Types Handled: Semi-truck wrecks, auto accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, ATV and four-wheeler accidents, dog bites, workers’ compensation claims

Legal Services: Free consultation, claims against insurance companies, personal injury and workers’ compensation representation on a contingency fee

Background: Schroeder & Mandel is a personal injury firm with a St. Paul office on Little Canada Road and a Duluth office. Its homepage cites 32 years of personal injury experience.

Location: 219 Little Canada Rd E #200, St. Paul, MN 55117

Contact: 651-426-8740 | https://schroeder-mandel.com/

Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee (no fee unless the firm recovers)

Driver Qualifications, Municipal Liability Limits and Joint Liability in St. Paul Truck Crash Claims

The federal driver qualification rules and the carrier’s accident register and annual inspection records are the starting facts in a St. Paul truck crash. Minnesota law limits a city’s liability for its own trucks and makes a defendant over 50 percent at fault answer for the whole award.

Who May Drive

Except as provided in subpart G, 49 CFR 391.11(b) requires a commercial driver to be at least 21, able to read and speak English sufficiently, able by experience or training to operate the vehicle safely, physically qualified, holding a currently valid commercial license issued by only one jurisdiction, not disqualified, and to have passed a road test or hold a license or certificate the carrier accepted as equivalent.

Limits for a City Truck

When a city truck causes the crash, Minn. Stat. 466.04 subd. 1 caps the city’s liability, for claims arising on or after July 1, 2009, at $500,000 to any claimant or for a wrongful death claim and $1,500,000 for all claims from a single occurrence, with no punitive damages.

Accident Register and Annual Inspection

Under 49 CFR 390.15(b), the carrier keeps an accident register for 3 years after each accident, listing date, location, driver, injuries, fatalities and any hazardous materials release, together with copies of required accident reports. Under 49 CFR 396.17, each commercial motor vehicle, including each unit of a combination, must have passed a periodic inspection within the preceding 12 months.

When a Defendant Pays the Whole Award

Under Minn. Stat. 604.02 subd. 1, severally liable persons contribute in proportion to their fault, except that a person whose fault is greater than 50 percent, persons acting in a common scheme or plan, and a person who commits an intentional tort are jointly and severally liable for the whole award. Under subd. 2, an uncollectible share can be reallocated among the other parties on a motion made within one year after judgment.

St. Paul Truck Accident Questions

How long do I have to sue the trucking company?

For a negligence claim, the general period is six years: the Minnesota Supreme Court stated in D.M.S. v. Barber (2002) that, generally, personal injury actions grounded on negligence must be commenced within the six-year period of Minn. Stat. 541.05, now subd. 1(5), and 541.07(1) sets two years for the torts it lists; confirm with counsel which period applies. A wrongful death action must be brought within three years after the death under 573.02.

Can I recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes, if your fault is not greater than the trucking defendant’s. For example, imagine $360,000 in damages and 25 percent of the fault on the injured driver: under Minn. Stat. 604.01 subd. 1 the recovery would be $270,000.

What if a city truck caused the crash?

Under Minn. Stat. 466.05 subd. 1, notice must be presented to the city’s governing body within 180 days after the injury is discovered, and under subd. 2 the notice for a wrongful death claim is due within one year; the 466.04 liability limits described above then apply.