Superior Car Accident Lawyers

Superior Car Accident Attorneys

Our Superior car accident lawyers have represented countless crash victims, and we know what it takes to take on these complex legal claims and fight for the justice and financial recovery you deserve.

With millions of registered vehicles on the road in Wisconsin, automobile accidents occur every day. Yet, even though these accidents often involve minor fender benders, sometimes the injuries can be deadly.

Worse yet, they usually occur without any warning. One minute, you can be driving across Richard I. Bong Bridge, and the next, you are flying through your windshield because a drunk driver slammed into your car—only to wake up to devastating injuries, debilitating pain, and a slew of medical expenses that will forever impact your life.

As a victim of a car accident, you should not have to go through this horrific ordeal on your own. Fortunately, with an experienced Superior car accident lawyer on your side, like those at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, you will not have to.

Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers: What You Get When You Hire Us

At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, our personal injury attorneys are committed to helping our clients rebuild and recover after suffering a significant injury after an accident. Under the direction of attorney Russell Nicolet, our legal team consists of lawyers who have the skills and dedication to help our friends, fellow community members, and neighbors seek the legal remedies they need to get their life back on track.

As a result of this drive and our years of experience, we have recovered millions of dollars through jury verdicts and settlement negotiations for our injured clients.

While these are only past results and no guarantee of recovery in every case, several of our recent successes include:

• $1,100,000 for a motor vehicle accident in Northern Wisconsin
• $1,050,000 for a motor vehicle accident in Superior
• $815,000 for a motor vehicle accident near Eau Claire
• $550,000 for woman injured in a motor vehicle accident in Woodbury, Minnesota
• $300,000 policy limit car accident settlement in Rice Lake
• $100,000 policy limit motor vehicle accident settlement in Eau Claire

Common Causes of Road Accidents in Superior

Car accidents occur for numerous reasons and sometimes can even happen for a combination of reasons.

However, the more common causes of road accidents in Superior tend to include:

• Distracted driving
• Reckless driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Unsafe road designs
• Excessive speeding
• Poor weather conditions, especially in the winter when Superior gets dumped on with snow, averaging 63 inches of snowfall
• Fatigued driving
• Running a red light

Common Injuries Resulting from a Superior Car Accident

Although the cause of car accidents can vary, the consequences of these collisions are often the same, resulting in everything from property damage to devastating injuries.

Yet, even though these injuries can range in severity and type, the more common injuries that tend to occur following a car crash include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Deep lacerations
• Broken bones
• Head and neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Road rash
• Internal injuries
• Facial scarring
• Limb loss
• Crushing injuries
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Actions to Take Following a Superior Car Accident

Following a Superior car accident, the scene of the crash can be overwhelming and stressful. However, victims must realize that the actions they take after this crash can not only keep them safe but protect their legal rights. For these reasons, if you are involved in a Superior car accident, you should:

Contact 911

After a car collision, you need to contact 911 immediately. This is the fastest way to get your accident on record and notify emergency medical services that you or someone at the scene needs medical help. Once the police arrive, they can investigate the accident and document their findings in their police report. If you decide to pursue an injury claim, this report can provide you with valuable information regarding what happened and who was at fault.

Gather Evidence From the Scene

If it is safe, try to take as many photos and videos from the accident scene as you can. This should include pictures of your visible injuries, the placement of the vehicles on the road, any skid marks, traffic signs near the scene, weather conditions at the time of the accident, and any other evidence that can help show what happened.

Get Driver Information and Witness Details

Exchange information with all the drivers involved in the crash, including names, contact information, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information. In addition, if there were people who saw what happened, also get their name and number. Witness statements can often help substantiate your claim and provide you with further details regarding the accident.

Superior Car Accident FAQs

Despite your efforts to drive safely on Superior’s roadways, you sometimes share the road with bad drivers. Distracted and alcohol-impaired motorists cause accidents because they don’t always remain alert of all surrounding traffic.

Speeders crash into your car simply because they’re moving too fast to stop. When these drivers lose control, they sometimes cause accidents that change people’s lives. When you’re the victim, a single crash has the power to damage your car, cause serious injuries, and leave you with lifelong impairments.

When you share the road with bad drivers, you can’t always avoid car accidents. When another driver crashes into your car, it’s usually up to you to deal with the post-accident complications. You must care for your injuries, protect your legal rights, and comply with state and local statutes.

This Superior car accident FAQ provides basic information to help you deal with these consequences.

How Often Do Accidents Occur in Superior?

Superior doesn’t rank as Wisconsin’s largest city by population, but crashes and injuries occur here just as they do throughout the state. While fender-benders generally cause only minor damage, serious crashes produce severe and life-threatening injuries. The worst accidents leave drivers and occupants with fatal wounds or permanent disabilities.

The Superior Police Department Annual Report and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s crash statistics report documented car accidents and injuries. Below, we provide the most recent full-year statistics:

Total Crashes in Superior: 694

• Total fatality crashes, Superior: 0
• Total fatalities Douglas County: 4
• Total Injuries: 78
• Total Hit and Run Accidents: 133
• Total Hit and Run Accident injuries: 3

Total Crashes in Wisconsin: 115,694

• Total Fatal crashes: 540
• Total fatalities: 593
• Total injury crashes: 23,747
• Total injuries: 32,373
• Total hit and run crashes: 18,480
• Total hit and run injuries: 2,588
• Total hit and run fatalities: 27

Should I Call the Police After an Accident?

Wisconsin law dictates whether or not you have to report your accident. You must file a report with a law enforcement agency if your accident involves any of the following:

• Any injury or fatality;
• Damage to state or government-owned property that amounts to $200 or more;
• Damage to a state or government-owned vehicle that amounts to $1,000 or more; or
• Damage to an individual’s property that amounts to $1,000 or more.

You must file your report with a local municipality, county, or state traffic patrol officer. In Superior, dial 911 to report your accident. If you, the other driver, or your passengers sustained injuries, also ask the 911 operator for emergency medical assistance. State law requires that you assist any person injured in an accident.

If a law enforcement officer doesn’t investigate your reportable accident, you must still file a Wisconsin Driver Report of Crash DT4002. You’ll find instructions on the WDOT Crash Reporting Page. These reporting requirements apply to all accidents on roads, highways, parking lots, garages, or any other property where operators drive their vehicles. The reporting requirement does not apply to accidents that occur in a private parking area on a farm or a single-family residence.

Should I Tell the Other Driver it Was My Fault?

No, unless you know it was truly your fault. You should never admit fault or apologize to anyone after an accident, if you did not cause the accident. Sometimes, it feels like a good thing to do to calm down the other party, but unfortunately those good intentions can have consequences. If you wish to express concern for the other drivers and passengers, you must do so without jeopardizing your legal rights.

Consider these and other reasons why you should never admit fault or apologize while at the accident scene, if you did not cause the accident:

• You might not fully understand the legal issues enough to know who bears legal liability under the law.
• When you admit fault, police officers document your admission in their formal police report.
• The other driver and any witnesses usually tell the investigating insurance companies about your admission.
• A fault admission usually affects liability claim outcomes.
• When you file a lawsuit, defense attorneys ask you to clarify your admission during your deposition or court testimony.
• You create legal obstacles that reduce your chances of recovering damages for your injuries.
• A spontaneous apology often comes across as admitting fault. It is better to focus your concern for the health and safety of the other driver rather than taking the blame when it was not your fault.

How Do I Get a Copy of My Accident Report?

When Wisconsin law enforcement officers investigate a reportable accident, they forward the report to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The officer has 10 days to submit the completed report.

Within 10 to 15 days, you may request your accident report at crashreports.wi.gov. After you pay the fee, you can download the report in PDF format.

Will the Investigating Officer Determine Who Bears Liability for the Accident?

Police officers do not determine fault. Unless officers directly witness an accident, they only evaluate and document the scene at the time of arrival. Police reports document drivers’ versions and witness statements. Reports also include other relevant facts as required by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Instruction Manual.

The MV4000 report format provides a space for the officer’s opinion as to “driver factors which may have contributed to” the accident. Report instructions do not ask law enforcement officers to determine fault.

Who Decides if the Other Driver Bears Liability for My Accident?

Insurance companies usually investigate an accident to determine if their insured bears liability. A claim handler evaluates the insured’s actions based on a negligence formula.

• Duty owed: Did the insured party have a duty to stop at a stop sign, change lanes safely, maintain a safe distance, or behave in another way?
• Duty breached: Did the insured party fail to perform according to all legally required duties?
• Proximate cause: Did the insured party’s actions cause your accident?
• Damages: Do your injuries stem directly from the insured party’s actions?

Insurance companies decide fault on their insured’s behalf. If they determine that their insured acted negligently, they will likely try to settle your property damage and injury claims.

What Happens if the Other Driver’s Insurer Refuses to Pay Me?

If the insurance company denies your liability claim, you have other options. You must take action before your statute of limitations expires.

In this situation:

• Call our car accident attorneys to see if we can handle the claim on your behalf.
• Ask your attorney to file a lawsuit against the other driver, if appropriate.

What Is the Statute of Limitations?

Wisconsin law provides a three-year statute of limitations for accident-related property damage and personal injury claims. The statute of limitations begins on the accident date. You have three years from that date to settle your claims or file a lawsuit against the responsible party. If you don’t act within this deadline, you lose your right to file a claim.

Should I Report the Accident to My Own Insurance Company?

You should report your claim to your own insurer because:

• Your auto policy likely requires that you report any claim where the coverage might apply.
• Even if you believe that the other person bears liability, your insurer will want to investigate your accident, especially if drivers or passengers sustained injuries.
• If you jeopardize your insurance company’s right to a timely investigation, your policy gives it the right to decline coverage.
• Unless you rejected Medical Payments Coverage, your insurer owes for your incurred medical bills up to your med pay limit.
• If you sustained injuries, and the other driver doesn’t have a liability policy, your insurer must determine if you have a valid uninsured motorist injury claim. Wisconsin law makes Uninsured Motorist Coverage mandatory.

Do I Need a Lawyer if I Sustained Injuries in a Car Accident?

When you sustain injuries in a car accident, never attempt to handle your own legal claim. Our Superior car accident law firm works hard to protect the legal interests of our clients. We can investigate your accident, determine liability, and evaluate your injury claim. Your attorney will also deal with negligent parties, their insurers, and their legal teams, and work to provide the best outcome possible given your specific circumstances.

When you consult a car accident attorney, you have a free, no-obligation opportunity to talk about your accident. You can also learn more about your legal options and determine your eligibility to pursue compensation.

Fight for the Justice You Deserve—Contact an Experienced Superior Car Accident Lawyer Today

To succeed in a car accident claim, you need to provide detailed, relevant evidence showing fault and damages, as well as sound legal arguments proving your case. However, after a car accident, this is probably the last thing on your mind.

Fortunately, when you retain a skilled Superior car accident lawyer, such as those at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, you will not have to take on this challenging legal battle on your own. Our attorneys are here for you and ready to provide you the legal help you need.

They can:

• Go over your case in detail, discuss your legal options, and determine whether you have a viable claim
• Answer all of your questions and concerns
• Investigate the car accident and secure the valuable evidence needed to prepare a comprehensive claim on your behalf
• Ensure that legal motions and documents are prepared adequately and filed before time expires
• Handle the negotiations with the insurance company
• Take your case to trial, if required, and fight for maximum damages

If car accident injuries disrupted your life or the life of a loved one, do not wait any longer to seek the legal help you need. Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers today online or call at (715) 226-6295 for a free case review, and let our Superior car accident lawyers show you how we can fight for you and your rights.

Superior Office
1200 Tower Ave.
Superior, WI 54880
Phone: 715-226-6295