When you’re in a car accident in Minnesota, you may wonder what you’ll do about lost wages and the medical bills from your injuries. Knowing more about the compensation you can recover is important for your personal injury claim.
Unfortunately, there’s no set amount, as it will vary depending on the circumstances of your case. It’s always a wise idea to ask a car accident attorney about your accident and what your compensation may look like. There are some legal bits to remember if you encounter car accidents in Minnesota. If you do no know about it, you should contact an accident lawyer.
For help finding a lawyer near you, contact the attorney and medical referral service at 1-800-Injured.
What to Know About Minnesota’s No-Fault System?
Minnesota is a no-fault accident state, which may or may not benefit you when securing compensation. With a no-fault system, accident liability doesn’t need to be determined first before going after damages. No matter who was at fault, victims of a car accident will be covered.
While that is a good thing, the amount of coverage available for car accident victims is on the low side. Everyone should be aware of the importance of insurance. Luckily, Minnesota law requires all drivers to carry a minimum of $40,000 in PIP (personal injury protection) insurance. It is for each injured party in a crash, split evenly with $20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for other expenses related to the crash.
These funds must first be used up before you can file a claim against the other driver. In addition to this stipulation, you must have more than $4,000 in medical expenses; permanent injuries, scarring, or disfigurement from the crash; or need 60 days of disability after the crash. Since this can get complicated, many car accident victims in Duluth seek legal representation to obtain compensation.
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
If you meet the conditions listed above, you can file a claim against another driver. Then you’d be able to pursue compensatory damages which include both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include any of the monetary losses you experienced from the accident. Things like medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages are often included in this list.
Non-economic damages represent any losses caused by the accident that don’t have a set dollar amount. These would be things like pain and suffering, loss of personal enjoyment, and loss of consortium. Since these types of damages are more challenging to prove, an experienced personal injury attorney will be instrumental in helping you recover compensation.
What to Know About Modified Comparative Negligence in Minnesota?
In addition to being a no-fault state, Minnesota uses a system of modified comparative negligence. This means you can only recover compensation if you are less than 50% at fault for the accident. So, if you were to suffer $10,000 in damages but were 20% at fault for the accident, you’d recover $8,000 in compensation.
On the plus side, if you were injured in a car accident in this state, there are no limits to how much you can recover. Read more about what you should do after a car accident in Duluth and how to contact a lawyer to help recover your damages.