Barbara L. Jones//July 22, 2024//
If you get a package delivered within a couple of days, Jed Chronic would like you to remember the truck drivers who made that possible. Chronic practices in Mankato, mainly in serious catastrophic injury and death cases, some from trucking accidents. He has also practiced widely in product liability cases, with some against very large companies.
One of his current cases is for the heirs of a young father of three who was driving a semitruck and was struck by another semi. The facts of the accident are under investigation. “It’s not always the individual’s fault” if an accident occurs when the driver is being pressured to drive by his employer or even his employer’s owner, Chronic said. The case, still in its early stages, is venued in federal court in Wyoming.
Another case involves a crash in Redwood Falls where a five-car pileup resulted in the death of a 92-year-old woman. The driver was charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter, criminal vehicular homicide and criminal vehicular operation. The civil case is scheduled for trial in early 2025.
Chronic notes that large truck cases are not uncommon and many of them involve Amazon trucks. Amazon, known for fast delivery, is the largest transportation entity is the country, Chronic said, with many different companies owning the trucks.
Chronic frequently sees cases involving agriculture and farm injuries. He practices all over Minnesota and is admitted in Florida, Missouri and Illinois as well. His law firm includes eight lawyers and a full paralegal and support staff. It also includes an investigator, which may allow an early work-up of the case prior to litigation, the firm states on its website. The firm’s primary source of clients is other lawyers, which is “something we take pride in,” Chronic said.
“Work energizes me,” Chronic said. “I take a lot of pride in helping people in their darkest time. It’s a modern David and Goliath story, but we can level the playing field.”