Car accident lawyer in Sioux Falls, SD

The first days after a Sioux Falls crash

Get checked by a doctor soon and follow up on any referrals. Request the crash report from Sioux Falls police, the Minnehaha County sheriff or the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Photograph the vehicles, the road, ice or snow, and traffic signals. Ask witnesses how to reach them later. Keep bills, receipts and notes on missed work in one folder. Write down your memory of the crash while it is fresh. If the other driver's side asks for a recorded statement, you may wait until a car accident attorney has explained what to expect. South Dakota's fault rule is unusual, so understanding it before you speak at length is useful.

Sioux Falls roads and crash conditions

Interstate 29 runs along the west side of Sioux Falls and Interstate 90 along the north, with their interchange carrying trucks and travelers between Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas. Interstate 229 loops around the east and south and connects the two. 41st Street, South Dakota Highway 42, is the city's busiest commercial corridor with constant turning traffic near the mall and shopping centers. Minnesota Avenue, Louise Avenue and Cliff Avenue carry heavy local traffic. Winter brings snow, ice, ground blizzards and wind chill that keep people in their cars, and spring thaws leave potholes. Rapid growth on the south and east sides means new intersections and drivers unfamiliar with them.

What a free case review involves

Someone picks up at any hour in English, Spanish or Arabic. We ask about the crash, your injuries, the care you have received and what the other side has said. We explain South Dakota's slight-versus-gross comparative fault rule in plain words, because it differs from every other state and shapes how cases are evaluated. The free consultation is an explanation, not a pitch. If a personal injury lawyer licensed in South Dakota should look at your case, we explain the referral. If the case looks unlikely to succeed, we tell you and suggest what you can do on your own.

Connecting you with a South Dakota attorney

Car Accident Lawyers Agency is a referral service, and independent attorneys, not our team, provide legal representation. We connect injured people in Sioux Falls with attorneys licensed in South Dakota who handle crash cases in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties. The match considers the kind of crash, the injuries, whether a semi or out-of-state driver was involved and where the case would be heard. The attorney reaches out to you to discuss representation. We are honest when a case is not one to pursue, since South Dakota's fault rule can bar claims where the injured person's share of blame is more than slight.

What happens once an attorney is on the case

Your personal injury attorney notifies the other driver's side, and from that point the calls stop coming to you. They collect the crash report, your medical records and bills, photos, witness statements and any video that can be found. Because South Dakota compares the injured person's slight fault against the other driver's gross fault, the attorney documents the crash carefully. When your treatment has run its course, they prepare a demand and negotiate. If the other side does not respond fairly, a lawsuit can be filed in Minnehaha County Circuit Court. You are updated regularly and nothing significant is agreed without your consent.