Duluth Minnesota Injury Blog | Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer

Hazardous weather shuts down highway, causes major pileups

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in motor vehicle accidents on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Dozens of spin-outs and crashes along with a 17-car crash shut down Interstate 694, according to a Feb. 10 report, after a snowstorm shocked the interstate. The interstate shut down between Rice Street and Victoria Street as a result of multi-vehicle crashes.

While there were no life-threatening injuries, people were left stranded, possibly injured, as they spun out, slid into one another or slammed into each other as they lost control. As a result of the horrible weather conditions, The Minnesota State Highway Patrol had to respond to over a dozen collisions. The North St. Paul Police asked people to stay home to avoid causing further collisions. Both I-694 and 94 were closed due to crashes.

What benefits should you receive from workers' compensation?

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, February 7, 2019.

Workers' compensation in Minnesota is similar to workers' compensation elsewhere. Like other states, if you're hurt on the job, then workers' compensation should cover your injuries with a few exceptions.

Employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers' compensation and can be penalized for failing to carry this vital insurance. The insurance covers illnesses and injuries that result from working no matter who is at fault.

MN Supreme Court reaches landmark sports injury liability decision

By James Balmer of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in workers' compensation on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.

Julie Soderberg suffered severe injuries January 3d, 2016 while employed as a ski instructor for Spirit Mountain recreational area near Duluth. She was instructing a small child while descending 4-Pipe, a green run on which only slow skiing was permitted. At that same time, defendant snow-boarder entered 4-Pipe from an adjacent trail higher on the run from Ms. Soderberg's location.

As defendant cleared a hillock just above Ms. Soderberg's location, he performed a "blind 180" maneuver that temporarily prevented him from seeing down the run. At that same moment, Ms. Soderberg was sheparding her five-year-old student along that side of the run, facing down the run, near a large sign warning "slow skiing". She never saw defendant before being struck in the back by him. Ms. Soderberg sustained severe, disabling injuries and has not worked since.

Premises liability: Know your rights as a visitor

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in premises liability claims on Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

When you're on another person's property, you have a right to be safe. You were invited to their home, their business or to another facility, so it's their responsibility to make sure that you are taken care of when you're there. That means not having any obvious hazards and making sure the premises is maintained in a way that prevents injuries.

If there are hazards, they should be marked. With notification, most people can avoid getting hurt when they come across hazards such as uneven terrain, slick floors or others. Without notice, people could trip and fall, hit their heads or suffer other injuries as a result.

4-vehicle crash slows traffic in Minnesota

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Car crashes are common on highways, and they often result in victims suffering severe injuries as a result of high speeds and multiple impacts. A good example of this is a multiple-vehicle collision that occurred on Jan. 3. The crash, which occurred in the morning hours, resulted in several injuries.

Multiple vehicles were involved in a crash on Northbound Interstate 35. The crash, which happened near the Mesaba Avenue exit, brought the highway to a near-stop when four vehicles collided with each other.

Keep your kids safe when you gift a ride-on toy

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in recreational toys and vehicle accidents on Friday, December 28, 2018.

After the holidays, many families have new toys to try out. Some of those might be recreational vehicles, like ATVs or mopeds. Children using these devices have to be taught to use them safely because not teaching them could result in serious injuries.

However, some of these devices aren't safe from the start. For instance, a moped that doesn't have the right shielding could expose hot parts and cause burns. Four-wheelers that have loose roll bars could collapse if the vehicle rolls, defeating the purpose of the safety bars.

Property owners must keep their properties safe

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in premises liability claims on Tuesday, December 11, 2018.

When a premises is not safe, there is a chance that you could be hurt. If you are hurt, then you could be a person who has the right to file a premises liability claim. A premises liability claim is designed to help you get financial support during the time you need to get care. It's also a way to hold the owner of a property responsible for their negligence leading up to your injury.

In a premises liability claim, it's normally the owner of a structure or property who is to blame for injuries. It is the responsibility of these individuals to maintain a safe environment.

How long do you have to file a workers' compensation claim?

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in workers' compensation on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

If you have to file a workers' compensation claim, you should be aware that there are time limits in place. You have only a limited amount of time to make your claim and to recover the compensation you need for your injuries.

With workers' compensation, it's important to file a claim as soon as possible. You're entitled to several kinds of benefits including medical care, coverage for wage loss, death benefits and vocational rehabilitation. However, you have to file a claim soon enough that it's possible to get those benefits.

Overloading a big rig is a leading cause of truck crashes

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer on Monday, November 26, 2018.

An 18-wheeler is a massive vehicle both in terms of size and weight. Overloaded cargo can easily cause a semi to be off balance and a danger to other motorists.

Overloading, in fact, is a major cause of truck-related crashes. The resulting lawsuits are often complex, involving multiple negligent parties.

Crash results in 1 death, 1 in critical condition in Minnesota

On behalf of Falsani, Balmer, Peterson & Balmer posted in motor vehicle accidents on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

When traffic is slowed or stopped, you have to pay attention. You might need to start forward and stop again quickly, or what seems like a slowdown might actually be a full stop ahead.

If a driver does not stop for stopped traffic, they can cause serious or fatal injuries. Take, for example, this case out of Minnesota. There was a three-vehicle crash on Highway 169 when a vehicle failed to stop and pushed a second vehicle into the tail end of a semitruck.