South Dakota Accidents

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Search results for “South Dakota”

20 results

Fault Disputes After a Center-Line Crash

In South Dakota, crossing the center line looks terrible, but fault is not automatic if wind, road edge drop-off, ice, another driver, or bad road conditions helped cause the crash.

ARTICLE by Sandra Fischer

Almost two years later, they're still trying to dump this Watertown crash on you

A driver crossed the center line to pass, hit you head-on, and now the insurer is using South Dakota fault rules to carve up your claim before time runs out.

ARTICLE by Brenda Schoenfeld

I only told my supervisor after a Sioux Falls crash. Did I ruin workers comp?

Probably not - a missed written notice does not automatically kill a South Dakota workers' comp claim. That is the part many employers hope you never learn. South Dakota has a...

Preexisting Back Conditions and South Dakota Injury Claims

If a truck crash made your back worse, the insurer does not get to erase that injury just because your spine already had wear-and-tear on paper.

ARTICLE by Pete Baumgartner

My coworker said my old back injury kills my Watertown crash claim. True?

South Dakota's injury-claim clock is three years, and that shorter deadline has made insurers even quicker to lean on old MRIs and old chart notes. No - a pre-existing back...

Should I claim against my rideshare driver or the other driver in Aberdeen?

If you were hurt in an Uber or Lyft on U.S. 12 near the Aberdeen Mall or at a slick intersection like 6th Avenue SE and Melgaard Road, the smarter move is usually not to choose...

My sister's airbag failed near Mitchell. Can she sue the shop or manufacturer?

After a crash by the I-90/Corn Palace exit in Mitchell, the common wrong answer is: "Only the driver who caused the wreck can be sued." That is not always true. If an airbag,...

I'm about ready to drop this Pierre crash claim because nobody will answer me

A Pierre lawyer gets T-boned on the way to court, the stop sign issue muddies fault, and months of insurer silence starts looking like the real strategy.

ARTICLE by Wayne Hustead

A year later, the wrong-way crash near Aberdeen still wrecks your back and that tiny policy won't touch the bills

A military spouse in Aberdeen is stuck dealing with a wrong-way on-ramp crash, ongoing injuries, and a liability policy that is nowhere close to enough.

ARTICLE by Tom Red Cloud

When should I hire a lawyer after a South Dakota work crash?

The police report says who the officer thought caused the crash. What matters for your claim is broader: were you working when it happened, what injuries were documented, what...

Who takes money from my South Dakota crash settlement before I get paid?

The worst mistake people make is spending or mentally counting the settlement check before figuring out who has a legal claim to it. The correct approach is to treat your...

Does my brother need a crash report after a Pierre cable van wreck?

10 days. In South Dakota, if a crash caused injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage, it must be reported. If law enforcement did not investigate at the scene, your...

Should I file workers' comp or sue the driver after a Pierre work crash?

South Dakota's liability rules have not gotten friendlier lately: the state still uses the slight/gross comparative fault rule, which can sink a weak road-crash lawsuit fast....

Insurance wants me to settle today after Watertown crash do I take it?

What the insurance company does not want you to know is this: the fastest offer is usually aimed at buying your claim before you know how hurt you are, how much work you will...

Can a Brookings trucking company erase log data after my crash?

Unlike Minnesota, where a metro-area crash may get faster commercial-vehicle follow-up, a Brookings truck wreck can sit longer because the South Dakota Highway Patrol covers...

In Sioux Falls, one medic heard about a $90,000 crosswalk claim - so why is his offer $7,500?

You can have the walk signal, visible injuries, and still get stonewalled if the insurer says a policy exclusion knocks out coverage.

ARTICLE by Pete Baumgartner

my leg got crushed by a horse and now they want me to sign before i know if i can work

A Rapid City ranch hand is getting pushed to settle fast after a livestock injury, while the real cost of the injury is still unfolding.

ARTICLE by Wayne Hustead

trademark registration

The part that trips people up most is that registration does not create a brand from nothing. In most cases, trademark rights begin with actual use of a name, logo, slogan, or...

My neck and shoulder keep locking up after a car backed out in Aberdeen and now their insurer is digging through my Facebook

A plumber new to South Dakota got hit by a car backing into the travel lane from diagonal parking and now the insurer is trying to turn Facebook posts into "proof" he isn't hurt.

ARTICLE by Pete Baumgartner

Can my Watertown boss pin my work motorcycle crash on me?

The expensive mistake is assuming your boss gets to decide fault. They do not. If you were riding for work in Watertown and a driver failed to yield, ran a red light, or turned...