Author: Steve Terry

A bicycle hit-and-run in the early morning of March 30 resulted in the death of the bicyclist and now the driver of the vehicle that hit her has been arrested.

Sgt Bill palmer of the Minneapolis Police states that officers responded to a call around 2:15 a.m. stating that someone had been injured. The individuals who called 911 said that the victim was Elyse Mary Stern, 28, who was severely injured and that the offending vehicle had fled.

When officers arrived at the scene, it was obvious that a female bicyclist had died on the scene.

Witnesses were able to give officers a description of the vehicle involved in the car-bicycle accident, which was found just minutes later. Officers said that Stern was riding east on Lake Street while the driver of the car was traveling west. Somehow they crossed paths. He drove off, but not before someone was able to get a good look at the vehicle.

Witnesses described the vehicle as having a considerable amount of damage and was said to be a green Monte Carlo. This description led to the vehicle being found within 10 minutes and it was found on Franklin Ave. East and Bloomington Ave. South. This resulted in the arrest of Juan Ricardo Hernandez-Campoceco, 27.

The driver did show signs of intoxication at the time of his arrest, so he was processed for DWI.

Now, Hernandez-Campoceco is being held. The charges include DWI and criminal vehicular operation. It is very possible that he really didn’t see Stern.

It was said in the report that Stern was not wearing a helmet and that the bicycle did not possess the proper lighting equipment.

Palmer said that the accident serves as a lesson for cyclists that they need to be proactive when biking at night and any time of the day. The bikes should have the right lighting equipment and bicyclists should wear helmets.

TSR Injury Law cares about people. We represent victims of motorcycle accidents, car accidents, and truck accidents from Albert Lea to Aitkin, from Rochester to Duluth, and from St. Peter to International Falls.

There were a number of accidents around the state this weekend.

• There was a fatal motorcycle crash in Rochester, on Sunday. A Ford Windstar and a Honda Goldwing were going south on Hwy 63. The Honda motorcycle rear-ended the minivan, killing the motorcycle driver and passenger. The driver and passenger in the van sustained non life-threatening injuries.
• A Chevy Tahoe was stopped at a stoplight in St. Peter when they were rear-ended by a dump truck. Both drivers were treated and released.
• A Buick and a Yamaha motorcycle were northbound on Hwy 169, near Aitkin. The Buick slowed to make a left turn and was rear-ended by the motorcycle. The driver of the Buick sustained non life-threatening injuries.

Motor vehicle accidents are a tragedy — for those on the motorcycles, for those in the cars or trucks, for eyewitnesses, and for the families involved. If your family has been touched by a motorcycle or motor vehicle crash, we will listen, offer support, and seek justice on your behalf. Our car accident attorneys in Minneapolis have years of experience handling motorcycle crashes and car and truck crashes. Our partners are consistently voted Super Lawyers by Minnesota Law & Politics.

Free Consultation – Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.

Vickie Lynn Kopka, 41, of East Bethel woman, was killed in crash on Hwy. 65. Her vehicle was struck by an SUV as she turned left onto Sims Road. There is a light at that intersection. It is not known which vehicle had the green light.

According to the Anoka county Sheriff’s Office, witnesses reported that Kopka was northbound and tried to turn left when the southbound SUV struck her vehicle. She was killed instantly in the crash. The 44 year-old male driver and 48 year-old female passenger were taken to Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids. Their injuries appeared to be not life-threatening.

The SUV / car accident will continue to be investigated by the Sheriff’s Department and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Minnesota is no-fault insurance state; but if negligence is involved, the family of a wronged victim may be able to file a wrongful death claim. TSR Injury Law has years of experience representing victims and survivors of serious car crashes. We have recovered millions for accident victims. Our Minneapolis car accident lawyers are skilled, aggressive litigators who know how to fight for you. Call (612) TSR-TIME or submit our free consultation form.

We buy child seats for our children not only because it is the law, but we buy them because we want to keep our children safe. We carefully make these purchases because we do not want to have to worry about whether or not they will be injured by the seat or if it will malfunction during a car accident. Unfortunately, auto accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 12, This is a number that could be reduced if child safety seats were manufactured properly and in a way that they are not unintentionally installed improperly by the parents.

Manufacturing Defects

Child seat defects happen too often, however, and it has a lot to do with the manufacturers not putting the necessary time and money into the designs or they simply don’t test the seats the way they should be tested. Many times, the instructions to the seat can be so complicated that nearly 75% of child safety seats are believed to be used incorrectly. If your child has been injured or killed in an accident in which the child seat did not protect them when it should have, it is best to speak to your Minneapolis child seat injury lawyer to evaluate the circumstances and see if you have a case against the manufacturer.

Types Of Defects

Design defects are the most common defects seen in child safety seats. Unfortunately, the manufacturers tend to fail to take responsibility for these defects that, if not present, could have spared the life of a child or spared them severe injuries that could debilitate them for the rest of their life.
Some of the most common defects found in child safety seats include:

• A chest clip that is too far down the child’s body, leading to ejection in an accident
• Poor angle of recline
• A seat that is not labeled properly, resulting in improper use
• Three-point harness that has no pelvic support, leading to possible ejection
• Fracturing of the plastic shell
• A T-shield that can impact the child’s throat
• Booster seats without adequate support

There are so many issues that can result from child safety seat defects. Even if the manufacturer denies responsibility, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t responsible. An experienced Minnesota child seat injury lawyer can determine whether or not the design of the seat is at fault and can take the necessary steps to hold the manufacturer responsible and seek compensation for the financial damages that have resulted from the defect.

Contact A Minneapolis Child Seat Injury Lawyer

If your child has been injured or killed due to a child seat defect, it is your right to seek compensation for the financial damages that have resulted. To do so, let us evaluate your case and work hard in achieving a satisfactory result for you. To get started, call (612) TSR-TIME and speak to a Minneapolis defective product lawyer at our firm, or fill out our contact form to schedule your free case evaluation and let us tell you what we can do in your individual case.

A St. Paul fire truck hit a Mini Cooper early Friday morning at the intersection of Randolph and Cretin Avenues. The 3 people in the Mini Cooper were taken to Regions Hospital where they were treated and released. The seatbelts and airbags protected the occupants from more serious injury.

The ladder truck was heading west on Randolph shortly after 5 a.m., responding to a call related to an electrical outage in the area. The traffic lights were not working and the fire truck hit the car in the intersection. At the time of the crash, both vehicles were going about 25 mph, according to Dave Galbraith, deputy chief of the St. Paul Fire Department.

The intersection was dark because of a downed wire at Cretin and St. Clair Avenues. 2,500 Xcel Energy customers were without power Friday morning, according to Mary Sandok, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy.

Hurt In A Crash?

This type of accident can be pretty straight forward, but other times there may be extenuating circumstances. When an airbag explodes, it can cause an eye injury called anisocoria or it can damage the ears — hearing loss or tinnitus. Any of these conditions can be permanent, leading to long term medical expenses and possible loss of income.

In any motor vehicle accident, it is good to contact a reputable personal injury lawyer in Bloomington, MN to determine your options and protect your family from financial loss. Call (612) TSR-TIME for assistance or submit our free consultation form.

Eric Mickelson received devastating news that his pregnant sister and her family were killed by a drunk driver. This meant that he had to be the one to break the news to his family, including his son Colton who was only 8 years old.

The young boy knew that Allison Deutscher, his aunt, was expecting a baby. The first words out of the little boy’s mouth were in relation to never getting to meet his new cousin.

Mickelson said he was very proud of his son for the way that he thinks because people who drink and drive do not think that way. He stated what these individuals think more about is not getting caught and being fined or put in jail. He said they do not think about what they are doing to the lives of other people when they get behind the wheel of a car and drive after they have been drinking.

On August 13, Mickelson and the Deutscher family put a face to the tragic consequence of driving under the influence of alcohol as a part of a DUI enforcement campaign that local and state authorities are running. The campaign has been dedicated to the West Fargo family that is now deceased as a result of someone else’s negligence.

Allison Deutscher and Eric Mickelson’s father, Lynn Mickelson, said that the accident was 100% avoidable. It took Allison, 36, along with her husband Aaron, 34, and Brielle, 18 months, on July 6th on Interstate 94.

The national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is going to run through Labor Day weekend. Law enforcement agencies are placing extra patrols on the roads in order to catch impaired drivers.

Last year alone, 136 Minnesota residents were killed in alcohol-related crashes, according to the Safe Communities Coalition. In fact 37% of the traffic fatalities in Minnesota were related to alcohol, according to State Patrol Sergeant Jesse Grabow.

During the August 13th event, Lynn Mickelson clutched a photo of his granddaughter, Brielle, calling for stiffer DUI penalties for offenders and more education for bar owners, servers, and bartenders. He said these individuals should know the warning signs and when to say “no” to patrons who are obviously intoxicated.

The driver who crashed head-on into the Deutschers was traveling the wrong-way after drinking at two bars prior to the crash. His BAC was .25, according to the patrol’s report.