This is my cautionary tale for your readers:

Last fall I was riding on Metro Mobility provided by First Transit. I don’t know if the driver was at fault or the strapping equipment was, but after a sudden braking and a quick acceleration, my wheelchair flipped over backwards. The back of my head smashed on the floor, I briefly lost consciousness, and I spent a night in the hospital with bleeding on the brain.

Because Minnesota has no fault insurance law and because I am partial owner and insurer of a lift van, my insurance had to pay the first $18,000 of the hospital bill, for an injury caused by Metro Mobility. A personal injury lawyer did offer to sue on my behalf, but I turned that down, naively believing that the remainder of the hospital bill would be paid by the insurance company for Metro Mobility – I was only looking for the hospital costs to be covered and not seeking personal compensation.

The final $2,000 is due at the hospital. does Metro Mobility’s insurance pay that pittance? No! They sent a nasty letter implying that I am somehow cheating them and that my roommate’s insurance should pay it!! This for an injury caused on Metro Mobility. What does my roommate have to do with that?

I would now advise anyone injured on Metro Mobility to immediately accept any lawyer’s offer to sue them.

Sadly yours,
Laura Hill, Roseville