Minnesota Personal Injury Law Overview

The principles of personal injury law are basically the same across the United States, but every state has important differences. Personal injury covers a wider variety of cases than you might think, including work-related injuries, medical malpractice and identity theft.

Negligence

Most personal injury cases rely on the theory of negligence. In order to prove fault you will need to prove that:

• The person who caused your injuries owed you a duty
• The person failed to uphold that duty, causing your injuries
• You suffered damages

Modified comparative negligence

If you were partly responsible for you injuries, you may still be entitled to compensation under Minnesota's doctrine of "modified comparative negligence." As long as you are less than half at fault, you can still receive monetary compensation.

Compensation

If you were injured in Minnesota, you may be compensated for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Permanent disability
• Permanent disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Embarrassment
• Loss of companionship
• Property damage
• Expenses incurred as a direct result of your injuries

Joint and several liability

If more than one party is responsible for your injuries, in Minnesota, joint and several liability will hold each party responsible for the full amount of damages. So, even if one party is unable to pay, you can still collect the full amount.

Time limits

The time limit for filing your case is called the statute of limitations. In Minnesota, the statute of limitations for most types of personal injury is six years-this is longer than most states. Some types of personal injury cases have shorter time limits. If you were injured by a defective product you only have four years to file, and in medical malpractice cases, you have only two years.

If you live in Minnesota and feel you may have a personal injury claim, please contact a Minnesota personal injury attorney in your area to schedule a confidential consultation.