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Your Hopkins Personal Injury Attorney
After an injury, ordinary life gets heavy. There are appointments to keep, bills arriving, and a claim that nobody explained to you. If another person’s carelessness hurt you in Hopkins, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide anything.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Minnesota injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Hopkins
Ask these in any first conversation:
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly at fault would change the numbers. In Minnesota your fault does not bar a claim if it was not greater than the fault of the person you sue (Minn. Stat. 604.01).
- The deadline. Ask for the specific last day to file. Minnesota allows six years for some injury claims and two years for others, so do not assume (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).
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
Injury Claims People Ask About
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
Walkers and cyclists hurt by a vehicle should write down the location, the time of day, the lighting and the signals as soon as they can. Witnesses who stopped are valuable, so ask for their contact details before they leave.
Falls and unsafe property
Falls on someone else’s property usually depend on what the owner knew or should have known about the hazard. Photograph the spot before it changes, report the fall in writing, and keep the shoes you were wearing.
Wrongful death
If a loved one died because of another person’s wrongful act or omission, a different set of rules applies. 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). You do not have to sort this out alone or quickly; an attorney can explain who is allowed to act and what the dates are.
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How Shared Fault Is Counted
Many people assume that a mistake of their own ends a claim. In Minnesota it does not. Under Minn. Stat. 604.01, contributory fault does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the fault of the person against whom recovery is sought, but any damages allowed must be diminished in proportion to the amount of fault attributable to the person recovering. The comparison is made against the person you are suing, not against everyone combined.
On request, the jury makes separate findings of the amount of damages and the percentage of fault of each party, and the court reduces the award by the injured person’s share (Minn. Stat. 604.01). A finding of 20 percent on a $90,000 loss would take $18,000 off the award.
Rules That Shape The Size Of A Claim
Two rules decide a lot after a Minnesota crash. First, the no fault threshold: under Minn. Stat. 65B.51, no one recovers damages for noneconomic detriment unless medical expense benefits exceed $4,000 by the statute’s count or the injury results in permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death or disability of 60 days or more. Disability means the inability to engage in substantially all of the injured person’s usual and customary daily activities.
Second, benefits already paid or payable come off the top. The court deducts basic economic loss benefits from any recovery, and that deduction is made before the award is reduced for your share of fault (Minn. Stat. 65B.51). Punitive damages are a separate matter and are allowed only on clear and convincing evidence of deliberate disregard for the rights or safety of others (Minn. Stat. 549.20).
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.
Insurance Minimums in Minnesota
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).
Courts and Hospitals in Hopkins
According to Minnesota Statutes section 2.722, the Fourth Judicial District includes Hennepin County. Hopkins lies within Hennepin County. The Minnesota Department of Health Trauma System Hospitals list shows North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Hennepin County, as a Level I trauma hospital. The same list names Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, in Hennepin County, as a Level III trauma hospital.
Ask every provider for your full records and an itemized bill, and keep a running list of appointments. A transfer between hospitals leaves two sets of records, so request both.
How To Begin Your Hopkins Claim
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Minnesota. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Yes. Contributory fault does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the fault of the person against whom recovery is sought, and the award is reduced in proportion to your share (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).
What documents should I keep after an injury?
Medical records and bills, photographs, the police or incident report number, pay stubs showing missed work, repair estimates and every letter or email from an insurer.
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).
Should my attorney be local to Hopkins?
Not required, but useful. Someone who works regularly near Hopkins will know how the nearby courts and clinics operate.
What is the Minnesota statute of limitations for an injury claim?
Two time limits appear in the statutes: six years under Minn. Stat. 541.05 for injuries not arising on a contract and not listed elsewhere, and two years under Minn. Stat. 541.07 for assault, battery, false imprisonment or other tort resulting in personal injury. Ask an attorney which fits your claim.
Serving Injured Clients Across Minnesota
People are hurt in every part of Minnesota. These pages cover other communities.
