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Your Coon Rapids Personal Injury Attorney
Getting hurt rarely comes at a convenient time. You may be in pain, missing work and answering calls from an insurance company while trying to learn what you are owed. If your injury in Coon Rapids was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
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.
Questions Worth Asking In Coon Rapids
Ask these in any first conversation:
- 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).
- 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).
- 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).
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Common Kinds of Injury Claims
Vehicle crashes
Vehicle injuries start with the same few steps: medical care first, then photographs of the scene, names and numbers of anyone who saw it, the other driver’s insurance information and any estimates for repairs.
Pedestrian and bicycle injuries
If a driver hit you while you were on foot or on a bike, note exactly where it happened, what the signals and lighting were like, and who saw it. Ask the people who stopped to leave their names and numbers.
Falls and unsafe property
Wet floors, icy steps and broken railings cause injuries that turn on how long the hazard existed and who was responsible for it. Photograph the hazard as soon as you can and report the fall to whoever runs the property.
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.
Injured in Coon Rapids? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Shared Fault Is Counted
Minnesota assigns blame by percentage. A claim survives shared fault as long as the injured person’s fault was not greater than that of the defendant, and the award is diminished by the injured person’s share (Minn. Stat. 604.01). Because the comparison is with each defendant, who is named in the lawsuit can matter.
The exceptions are narrow. Minn. Stat. 604.02 makes a person whose fault is greater than 50 percent jointly and severally liable for the whole award, along with people who act in a common scheme and those who commit an intentional tort. Ask an attorney how the percentages could play out in your case.
Limits That Can Apply To A Claim
Claims against a city, county or other municipality have a dollar limit. Under Minn. Stat. 466.04, liability on a claim within the municipal tort claims law may not exceed $500,000 to any claimant, and $1,500,000 for any number of claims from a single occurrence, for claims that arise on or after July 1, 2009. A wrongful death claim has the same $500,000 limit.
Other rules apply to private defendants. Punitive damages require clear and convincing evidence of deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others (Minn. Stat. 549.20), and after a motor vehicle crash the no fault threshold controls whether pain and suffering damages are available at all (Minn. Stat. 65B.51).
How Long You Have To File
If a city, county or other municipality may be responsible, the deadline for notice is much shorter than the filing deadlines above. A person claiming damages from a municipality must present a notice to its governing body within 180 days after the loss or injury is discovered (Minn. Stat. 466.05). When the claim is for a death, the notice may be presented within one year after the injury or loss that resulted in the death (Minn. Stat. 466.05).
Claims against the State have a similar 180 day notice to the attorney general (Minn. Stat. 3.736). These notice rules sit alongside the filing deadlines of Minn. Stat. 541.05 and Minn. Stat. 541.07, so ask an attorney about both.
What Auto Policies Must Cover
Minnesota auto policies must carry residual liability limits of not less than $30,000 for bodily injury to one person in an accident, $60,000 for two or more people, and $10,000 for injury to or destruction of the property of others (Minn. Stat. 65B.49). Those are minimums, and a serious injury can cost far more.
Your own policy matters too. Each policy must provide separate uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, with minimum limits of $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people in an accident, and every owner must maintain that coverage (Minn. Stat. 65B.49).
Local Courts and Care Near Coon Rapids
The Census Bureau counts Coon Rapids in Anoka County. According to Minnesota Statutes section 2.722, the Tenth Judicial District includes Anoka County. Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids appears on the Minnesota Department of Health Trauma System Hospitals list as a Level II trauma hospital.
Keep copies of everything the hospital or clinic gives you, ask for an itemized bill, and note each appointment as it happens. If you moved between facilities, collect the records from each one.
Reaching Out For Help In Coon Rapids
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Minnesota. The form is free to use, and sending it does not mean you have hired 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
Does Minnesota bar me from recovering if I share the blame?
Not unless your fault was greater than that of the person you sue. Below that point you can recover, with damages diminished in proportion to your fault (Minn. Stat. 604.01).
Can I recover pain and suffering after a car crash in Minnesota?
Possibly. Under Minn. Stat. 65B.51, a person recovers noneconomic damages only if medical expenses exceed $4,000 as the statute counts them, or the injury results in permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death or 60 days of disability.
How much liability coverage must a Minnesota driver carry?
The minimums are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $10,000 for property damage (Minn. Stat. 65B.49).
Which records matter most after an accident?
Keep your medical records and itemized bills, photographs of the scene and injuries, any police or incident report number, proof of missed pay, repair estimates, and all messages from insurers.
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.
Is a claim against a local government different in Minnesota?
It is. A notice is due within 180 days after the injury is discovered (Minn. Stat. 466.05), and liability on a claim is limited to $500,000 to any claimant for claims arising on or after July 1, 2009 (Minn. Stat. 466.04).
Does it matter if my attorney knows the Coon Rapids area?
Local knowledge can help with scheduling, courts and medical providers. The form on this page connects you with an attorney who takes cases near Coon Rapids.
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.
Serving Injured Clients Across Minnesota
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