Where Do I File My Lawsuit if I was Injured in Iowa?
If you are from Minnesota and were injured in an Iowa accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the truck driver and trucking company in either Iowa or Minnesota, depending on the facts of your case. Your lawyer will also have to determine if the suit should be filed in state or federal court. Again, this depends on the facts. These are critical decisions that should be made by an experienced truck accident attorney.
Iowa Courts
The Iowa State Supreme Court is the final interpreter of state law with final appellate jurisdiction over questions of law and equity, supervisory powers over other state courts and general advisory responsibility to the legislative and the executive branches of state government regarding the constitutionality of legislation.
Iowa is divided into eight Iowa district courts. The following are links to the Iowa District Courts:
- 1 serves the following counties: Allamakee, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Grundy, Howard, Winneshiek.
- 2 serves the following counties: Boone, Bremer, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, Wright.
- 3 serves the following counties: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Emmet, Ida, Lyon, Kossuth, Monona, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Sioux, Woodbury.
- 4 serves the following counties: Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Shelby.
- 5 serves the following counties: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren, Wayne.
- 6 serves the following counties: Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Tama.
- 7 serves the following counties: Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, Scott.
- 8 serves the following counties: Appanoose, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington.
The federal court system in Iowa is divided into the U. S. Southern District Court (courthouses in Des Moines, Davenport and Council Bluffs) and the U. S. Northern District Court (courthouses in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City).
What about Insurance?
Over the road trucks must carry various levels of insurance coverage, depending on the nature of the materials in the truck. This can create a situation where the companies involved may spend months or years arguing about which insurance company is responsible for compensating the victim in a semi truck liability case. You will need someone to represent you in this potentially long, drawn out process, as you deal with other issues in your life.
There are also minimum insurance requirements to cover Iowa trucking accidents involving personal injury and wrongful death. Insurance companies start immediately to minimize settlement payouts to accident victims. That is why it is vital to retain an experienced truck accident attorney to fight for full compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, emotional distress and potentially other damages.
The insurance generally covers an accident with a car, motorcycle, bicycle, bus, van, SUV or other vehicle. If the semi truck driver was at fault, the insurance company may offer you a settlement. We highly recommend you speak to an experienced lawyer before you decide whether to accept the offer.