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Your Chanhassen Personal Injury Attorney
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Chanhassen, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
This page is general information, not legal advice. NeedAnAttorney.net matches people with attorneys and does not represent anyone. The legal points below come from Minnesota’s statutes, and the form at the top of the page is how you reach an attorney.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Chanhassen
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The date. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file in your case. Minnesota has more than one time limit for injuries, and the claim decides which applies (Minn. Stat. 541.05, Minn. Stat. 541.07).
- The no fault threshold. Ask whether the threshold for pain and suffering damages after a motor vehicle crash applies to you and how your medical costs count toward it (Minn. Stat. 65B.51).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury assigns you a percentage of fault. Damages are diminished in proportion to it (Minn. Stat. 604.01).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
Common Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
After a crash, see a doctor even if you feel fine, since some injuries show up later. Take photographs of the cars, the road and any injuries, get the other driver’s insurance details, and save every repair estimate.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
A collision on foot or on a bicycle is easy to dispute afterward. Record where it happened, what the road and signals were like, and who saw it, and keep any damaged clothing, helmet or equipment.
Falls and unsafe property
Slips, trips and falls come from spills, uneven surfaces, poor lighting and broken stairs. What matters is who controlled the place and how long the problem was there, so document the hazard and tell the owner or manager promptly.
Wrongful death
If someone you love died because another person was careless or at fault, the law treats it separately. Minnesota law has a trustee bring the death action, and the jury awards what it finds fair and just for the damages the person suffered before death and for the pecuniary loss from the death, for the benefit of the surviving spouse and next of kin (Minn. Stat. 573.02). This is a hard moment to decide anything, and an attorney can walk you through the steps without hurrying you.
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When Fault Is Shared
If an insurer says the accident was partly your fault, that does not end the matter. Minn. Stat. 604.01 allows recovery when the injured person’s fault was not greater than the fault of the person sued, with the damages reduced in proportion to the injured person’s share. The statute defines fault broadly, and it includes an unreasonable failure to avoid an injury or to mitigate damages.
Who pays how much also turns on the percentages. Under Minn. Stat. 604.02, contributions to an award are in proportion to each person’s percentage of fault, except that a person whose fault is greater than 50 percent, people who act in a common scheme or plan, and a person who commits an intentional tort are jointly and severally liable for the whole award.
The No Fault Threshold And Other Limits
Minnesota is a no fault state for car crashes, and that affects what you can claim in court. In a negligence action arising from a motor vehicle with required security, the court deducts the value of basic economic loss benefits paid or payable from any recovery (Minn. Stat. 65B.51). Those benefits provide a minimum of $40,000: $20,000 for medical expense loss and a total of $20,000 for income loss, replacement services, funeral expense and survivor losses (Minn. Stat. 65B.44).
To recover damages for noneconomic detriment, such as pain and suffering, you must meet a threshold. Either your reasonable medical expenses must exceed $4,000, counted as the statute describes and without diagnostic x rays and rehabilitation, or the injury must result in permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or disability for 60 days or more (Minn. Stat. 65B.51).
Time Limits To Know
Do not count on the longer deadline. Minnesota allows six years for injury claims that do not arise on a contract and are not listed elsewhere (Minn. Stat. 541.05), but two years for assault, battery, false imprisonment or other tort resulting in personal injury (Minn. Stat. 541.07). The facts of your claim decide how a court will treat it, and an attorney should confirm the date early.
A death action under Minn. Stat. 573.02 may generally be commenced within three years after the death, provided that it is commenced within six years after the act or omission.
Coverage Limits Behind a Crash Claim
Minimum insurance is a floor, not a measure of your claim. Minnesota requires residual liability limits of at least $30,000 for one person, $60,000 for two or more people in one accident and $10,000 for property (Minn. Stat. 65B.49).
If a crash leaves you with more bills than the other driver’s policy pays, your own coverage may matter. Minnesota policies must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage with minimum limits of $25,000 and $50,000 (Minn. Stat. 65B.49). Before accepting a payment, ask an attorney to check every policy that could apply.
Trauma Care in Chanhassen
The Census Bureau lists Chanhassen in more than one county: Carver County and Hennepin County. Minnesota Statutes section 2.722 places the counties as follows: Carver County is in the First Judicial District, and Hennepin County is in the Fourth Judicial District. Ridgeview Emergency Department at Two Twelve Medical Center in Chaska, which is in Carver County, appears on the Minnesota Department of Health Trauma System Hospitals list as a Level IV trauma hospital. The same list names Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia, in Carver County, as a Level IV trauma hospital.
Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment. If you were transferred to another hospital, ask for the paperwork from both ends of the transfer.
How The Intake Process Works In Chanhassen
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Minnesota. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
Yes, if your fault was not greater than the fault of the person you are suing. Your damages are diminished in proportion to your fault (Minn. Stat. 604.01).
Does Minnesota limit damages after a motor vehicle accident?
Yes, in a way. The no fault law sets a threshold for noneconomic damages: more than $4,000 in medical expenses by the statute’s count, or permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death or disability for 60 days or more (Minn. Stat. 65B.51).
What are Minnesota’s minimum auto insurance limits?
At least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $10,000 for property damage (Minn. Stat. 65B.49).
What should I save for my claim?
Save treatment records and bills, photographs, the report number if there is one, pay stubs that show lost work, estimates for repairs, and every letter or email from an insurance company.
Can I talk to the other side’s insurance company?
You can, but you do not have to give a recorded statement right away. It is fair to say you are getting advice first.
Are there special notice rules for claims against the government?
There are. Municipal claims need a notice within 180 days (Minn. Stat. 466.05), and a claim against the State needs a notice to the attorney general within 180 days (Minn. Stat. 3.736).
Do I need an attorney who works near Chanhassen?
It helps. An attorney who handles cases near Chanhassen knows the local courts and providers, and the form on this page matches you with one.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Minnesota?
Not always the same. The statutes set six years for some injury claims (Minn. Stat. 541.05) and two years for others (Minn. Stat. 541.07). A death action generally may be commenced within three years after the death (Minn. Stat. 573.02). Confirm the date with an attorney early.
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Minnesota
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