AUTO HIJACKINGS AN INCREASING PROBLEM
Our attorneys have recently been getting calls about car jacking incidents in Minnesota. We have 25 years’ experience taking calls from thousands of people in car accidents. However, only this year have we started getting calls about carjack incidents. The problem is not limited to Minneapolis. We have also been hearing from people car-jacked in the suburbs.
According to the Star Tribune, carjackings in Minneapolis went up 537 percent from November 2019 to November 2020 ‘” and were up another 40 percent in the first 10 months of 2021. This trend is consistent with many other areas across the country. Hennepin County recently hired an advocate to help carjacking victims.
INSURANCE COMPENSATION FOR CARJACKING
Our lawyers recently took a call from a woman who was carjacked at gunpoint.Fortunately, she was not physically injured.However, she was quite traumatized and now needs mental health therapy. The question is, who will pay for it? It will probably not be the carjacker. So far, in most of these cases, the carjacker is never caught. Even if they were caught and you sued them, you probably would not collect anything.
Under Minnesota No-Fault law, you can get some compensation from your auto insurance if you are ‘injured’ in almost any way having to do with a car. Unfortunately, this only applies to physical injuries. The law is generally skeptical of psychological injuries. In this situation, that skepticism is misguided.
Our lawyers represent people injured in car accidents. Unfortunately, there is very little we can do in a carjacking case. Nonetheless, we are willing to spend a few minutes with anyone who has been a victim of this crime. We can at least talk through your options with you, and possibly refer you to some helpful resources. When you call our office for an auto accident injury, or any other reason, the initial consultation is always free.