This week, a man hopped into his car, thinking he was going to make it to his intended destination. But someone else got into his pickup truck and aggressively drove on Highway 56, a two-lane road in Dodge County, Minnesota. The pickup driver moved into traffic to pass a vehicle and hit the driver of the car head-on, killing him. The force of the impact was so intense that it took four hours to gather together most of the large pieces of debris. This was a senseless death, by Minnesota law a “wrongful death”.
Minnesota Law on Safely Changing Lanes to Prevent a Head-On Collision
Someone driving a vehicle on a Minnesota road can only change lanes when it can be done safely, after turning on the correct blinker (Minnesota Statutes Section 169.19, subd.4). If this is not done and someone dies, the family of that person has a wrongful death claim against that driver under Minnesota Statutes, section 573.02. This means the family can sue for compensation.
A Chevy Silverado was northbound on Highway 56 when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle and hit a southbound Ford Focus head-on, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The driver of the Ford Focus was tragically killed.
The crash happened on November 15, 2016, on Highway 56 (710th Street), just north of Hayfield, Minnesota. Highway 56 was closed for 4 hours for clean up and crash reconstruction.
The Minnesota State Patrol was assisted by Hayfield Fire and Rescue, Hayfield Ambulance, Dodge Center Fire and Rescue, Dodge Center Ambulance, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, and Gold Cross Ambulance.
You can contact our law firm about how a wrongful death settlement can be used to honor the memory of the lost loved one.