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Your New Hope 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 New Hope was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Minnesota injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In New Hope
Whoever you speak to, a few answers tell you a lot:
- 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.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
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
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
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
When a death is caused by someone else’s wrongful act or neglect, the claim works differently from an injury claim. 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 New Hope? Get matched with an attorney now.
If You Were Partly At Fault
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.
The No Fault Threshold And Other Limits
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).
Time Limits To Know
Minnesota has more than one time limit for injury claims. Actions for any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on a contract and not listed elsewhere, must be commenced within six years (Minn. Stat. 541.05). A different section sets two years for libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment or other tort resulting in personal injury (Minn. Stat. 541.07). Which rule fits a claim is a legal question, so ask an attorney to name the last day in your case instead of assuming six years.
For a death, the action generally may be commenced within three years after the date of death, provided it is commenced within six years after the act or omission (Minn. Stat. 573.02).
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).
Medical Care and the Courthouse for New Hope
Minnesota Statutes section 2.722 places Hennepin County in the Fourth Judicial District. For Census purposes New Hope is part of Hennepin County. On the Minnesota Department of Health Trauma System Hospitals list, M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, also in Hennepin County, is a Level III trauma hospital. M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center East Bank in Minneapolis, also in Hennepin County, is listed the same way, as a Level III trauma hospital.
Records matter later. Get the complete chart and an itemized bill from each place that treated you, and write down the date of every visit, including any transfer to another facility.
How To Take The First Step In New Hope
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.
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 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.
What if a city or county caused my injury?
Yes. Notice must be presented to the governing body of the municipality within 180 days after the loss or injury is discovered (Minn. Stat. 466.05), and liability is limited to $500,000 to any claimant for claims arising on or after July 1, 2009 (Minn. Stat. 466.04).
Do I need an attorney who works near New Hope?
It helps. An attorney who handles cases near New Hope knows the local courts and providers, and the form on this page matches you with one.
What is the deadline to sue for an injury in New Hope?
It depends on the claim. Minnesota allows six years for an injury to the person not arising on a contract and not listed elsewhere (Minn. Stat. 541.05), two years for assault, battery, false imprisonment or other tort resulting in personal injury (Minn. Stat. 541.07), and generally three years after the death for a death action (Minn. Stat. 573.02). Ask an attorney to name the last day for your claim.
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).
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).
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
Stated limits of liability must be not less than $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for two or more people in one 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.
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Minnesota
The same matching service covers more of Minnesota. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
