Minnesota Auto Insurance Law

Minnesota requires all drivers to maintain a minimum level of liability insurance in order to operate a vehicle.  Most people do have at least the minimum coverage of $30,000 and many have even more coverage.  What is the benefit of requiring insurance?  Car accidents are an inevitable part of driving.  No matter how careful you are, you may still be the victim of an accident.  If everyone has insurance, your basic injury and property damage claims should be paid.  But what happens if you are hit by one of the people who does not have insurance?

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If you are involved in an accident and the other driver does not have insurance, you may be entitled to recover under your own uninsured motorist coverage.  This is a provision in your insurance policy that protects you in case you are in an accident with someone who is uninsured.  Underinsured motorist coverage protects you in cases of serious accidents.  Even if the other driver has insurance, it may not be enough to reimburse you for the medical expenses you have incurred as a result of an accident.  Underinsured coverage provides another layer of protection for you when you are seriously injured.

The amount of coverage you can receive under either uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage depends on the language in your insurance policy as well as state laws.  There are also strict procedural requirements if you wish to sue the driver who caused your accident while also preserving your claim for underinsured motorist coverage.  It is important to contact a lawyer to discuss your options before your pursue your claims to make sure you obtain the best possible recovery.

Contact Us

The experienced lawyers at Twin Cities Law Firm understand the many challenges you face as the victim of an accident.  Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your options.

Minnesota Dog Bite Laws

There have been several publicized dog bite incidents in Minnesota in recent years.  While dogs are generally harmless companions, a dog can cause severe injuries if it attacks.  Dog bite victims may spend weeks in the hospital after a serious attack.  Dog owners are responsible for the actions of their pets, so if you have been the victim of a dog bite attack, you may have a claim.

Minnesota statute provides that: “If a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained.  The term “owner” includes any person harboring or keeping a dog but the owner shall be primarily liable.  The term “dog” includes both male and female of the canine species.”

This law basically creates strict liability for dog owners.  You may be liable if your dog bites someone even if it has never shown signs of aggression before.

Defenses for Dog Owners

The primary defenses for dog owners are provocation and trespass.  Provocation means that the victim of the attack did something to cause the dog to attack.  You cannot mistreat a dog and then sue if the dog responds by attacking you.  The statute reflects common sense reasoning, but the application can be more difficult.  What constitutes provocation is a difficult question.

If you are attacked while trespassing or while you are someplace that you cannot lawfully be, you may also be barred from suing.  Dogs often serve as protectors of the home.  This defense recognizes that if someone tries to break into your house, for example, the person should not be allowed to sue if your dog bites him.

Victims of Dog Bites

If you or someone you know has been injured by a dog bite or attack, you may consider contacting an attorney.  An experienced lawyer like those at Twin Cities Law Firm can help you bring a claim against the owner of the dog to recover for the damages you have sustained.  Contact us today for a free consultation.

Being in a car accident can be a very scary and stressful experience.  You may have damage to your car.  You may be injured.  Unfortunately car accidents are not an uncommon experience in Minnesota or anywhere else.  Icy roads, inattentive drivers, or other dangerous conditions mean that even the most cautious of drivers can become an accident victim.  Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are ever involved in a car accident.

After an Accident

Make sure you file a police report if you have been involved in an accident.  Even if the officer does not write out a full report, there will be a record that you called.  This is an important record for your insurance company.  If you end up in a lawsuit later, the police report can provide important evidence about the other driver, witnesses, insurance coverage, and fault.

Be sure to contact your insurance company to report your claim.  You should have the report number from the police officer.  You should also make sure you have the insurance information for the other driver.  Your insurance company will set up a file and notify you of what do you if you have any damage to your car or if you have been injured in the accident.

Minnesota No Fault Law

Under Minnesota’s insurance laws, your insurance company has to provide basic personal injury and property damage coverage for an auto accident regardless of whether you are at fault for the car accident.  That includes coverage for wages you lose as a result of a car accident, up to $250 per week.  Your insurance company will send you forms to file claims for wage loss or if you need to hire someone to help you with household tasks (replacement services).  Make sure you fill out the forms completely and promptly to start your coverage.

Your insurer may ask you to undergo an independent medical examination.  The purpose of the exam is to determine whether to continue providing no-fault benefits or to cut off benefits.  If you believe your insurer has cut off your benefits too soon or you have outstanding medical expenses, you may wish to contact a lawyer.  They will help you through the No Fault Arbitration process.

Filing a Lawsuit

If you have been the victim of a car accident or collision, you might want to file a lawsuit.  You need to have incurred a certain amount of medical expenses or meet other thresholds before you can sue anyone, however.  If your expenses are under $4,000, your remedy is limited to your no fault insurance.    If you have reached this threshold and have additional damages you want to recover, consider contacting a lawyer.  An attorney can help you prepare your claim even if you are still undergoing medical treatment for your injuries.

Contact the attorneys at Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC for a free consultation if you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, auto collision, or truck wreck.

No one likes to think that they could be the victim of an accident. When an injury does happen, it is easy to become overwhelmed. You may have substantial medical bills and not know how you are going to pay them. You might miss work or even lose your job because of your injuries. There is also a steep emotional toll on accident victims from the stress of coping with an injury and all the accompanying concerns.

How to Get Help After a Personal Injury or Accident

You can trust the attorneys at Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC to help guide you through this stressful time. Our lawyers are experienced at working with victims of a wide variety of accidents. Whether you were in a car or truck collision, involved in a slip, trip or fall, or injured by the negligent, careless, or irresponsible behavior of someone else, we can help. We have handled a wide array of personal injury cases throughout Minnesota. We have the knowledge and experience to work with insurance companies, attorneys, and the courts to help you achieve a measure of justice.

The Benefits of Using a Personal Injury Attorney

Many people wonder if they really need an attorney to negotiate with the insurance company or if they should just try to go it alone. Studies have shown that injury victims represented by attorneys like those at Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC consistently obtain higher settlements than people who do not have an attorney. We understand the tricks insurance companies will try to play. We have the experience and persistence to get you a fair result.

Most Common Accident and Personal Injury Types

If you have suffered personal injuries, contact us. We can help victims of:

• Car Accidents
• Truck Collisions
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Boating Accidents
• Construction Injuries
• Slip and Fall
• Dog Bite
• Premises Liability
• Work Injuries
• Defective Products
• Medical Malpractice
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Legal Malpractice
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Catastrophic Injuries
• Wrongful Death
• Defective Drugs or Medical Devices

What to Do After an Accident

If you are not sure whether you have a case, contact us. We will be happy to provide you with a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your options. One of our personal injury attorrneys will give your case the care and attention it deserves, no matter how big or small your claim.

We have relationships with personal attorneys all over Minnesota and throughout the country. If you have a unique, complex personal injury, we can help you find the best lawyer to protect your rights and help you through this difficult, stressful experience. You have enough to worry about with recovering from your injuries and getting back to your normal life and work routine: Trust the Minnesota personal injury attorneys with Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC to manage the rest.

How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

When you have been hurt in a car accident, you need an experienced lawyer who will fight for your rights.

Our attorneys, based in Minneapolis, MN, have a record of success representing car and truck accident victims. Please contact us for a free consultation regarding your rights and what we can do for you.

Why Your Insurance Company Should Pay

If you pay for an auto insurance policy in Minnesota, you deserve to have that policy take care of you when you are hurt. Sadly, insurance companies may offer you much less than you deserve under the law. Our personal injury attorneys help you get what you deserve.

Why Another Insurance Company Should Pay

If someone else is at fault when you get in a car or truck accident, that person’s insurance company should cover your damages. Damages often include medical bills, lost wages, a temporary rental vehicle, cash for the full value of your vehicle, and cash for the pain and suffering you endured. As licensed Minnesota attorneys, we are experienced in negotiation, arbitration, and trial involving motor vehicle accidents.

What Kinds of Accidents and Injuries?

Our lawyers can help if you need an attorney for a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, highway collision, jet ski accident, boat accident, or watercraft accident. Our personal injury attorneys can help if you suffered serious physical injury or temporary physical injury. If the accident resulted in a death, a wrongful death claim may be appropriate.

Whatever the accident, our attorneys would be glad to talk with you and explain the process of being compensated for your injuries and loss. Whether you are in Minneapolis, MN, the broader Twin Cities, or in Greater Minnesota, we would be glad to discuss your situation.

Learn More about Your Rights

To discuss your situation with an attorney, simply call or use the Free Consultation form on this page.

Aaron Hall is an attorney in the Twin Cities Law Firm, a full service law firm providing help to accident victims in the Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN metro area and throughout Minnesota.

After you have been hurt in an accident, you may be in pain, overwhelmed with medical bills, dealing with issues related to your absence at work, wondering who will pay for all of this, and frustrated with the insurance company’s refusal to cover the entire cost. When this happens, a personal injury attorney can help.

Personal Injury Attorney Coverage

Our personal injury attorneys can help you with the following:

• Car accident
• Truck accident
• Semi-trailer accident
• Drunk driving accident
• Motorcycle accident
• RV accident
• Heavy equipment accident
• Crane accident
• Tractor or farm accident
• On the job accident
• Work related accident
• Construction site accident
• And more

Don’t settle for just any lawyer. Hire a personal injury attorney who understands the complexity of personal injury law and is experienced at winning cases.

Experienced Minneapolis Personal Injury Attorney

At the Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC, our personal injury attorneys are experienced in a variety of accident lawsuits — including common accidents with cars, trucks, and motorcycles along with the more complex personal injury accidents. We are experienced at working with insurance companies, workers comp, employers, lawyers, judges, and the legal system. Because of our experience, we know how to get the job done right and recover the financial compensation you deserve.

Understand Your Rights After an Accident

A personal injury attorney can explain your rights in a consultation so you can decide what is best for your circumstances. With our firm, you will not be charged for our legal fees unless our attorneys recover money for you. With a contingency fee, we have a shared interest in getting you the most money that you deserve under the law.

Personal Injury Attorney Consultation

For a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, contact us today by calling 612-466-0010 or submitting the Contact form on this page. We can talk about your accident on the phone or meet in one of our Minneapolis, MN offices. Again, you don’t pay attorneys fees unless we recover money for you.

You’ve been injured in an accident—what do you do?

After an accident, there are so many questions:

• How will I pay for my medical bills?
• Who should pay for the medical bills of others who were injured?
• Whose fault was it and why does it matter?
• If my insurance company says I was wrong, are they right?
• Will I be compensated for permanent injuries?
• Will I be compensated for lost work due to my accident injuries?

The difficulty of these decisions are compounded by the fact that you may be in pain, under stress, and having a difficult time thinking clearly. That’s where a personal injury lawyer comes in.

Personal Injury Solutions: Hire a Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer can explain all these issues for you in a free consultation and help you decide what is best for your circumstances. Even better, most personal injury attorneys in Minneapolis, MN will not charge you for their legal fees unless they recover money for you. A personal injury attorney knows the system, understands Minnesota accident law, and fights to get the money that you deserve under the law.

Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers in Minnesota

At the Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC, our attorneys are experienced in a variety of accident lawsuits. We are experienced at working with insurance companies, workers comp, employers, lawyers, judges, and the legal system. Because of our experience, we know how to get the job done right and recover the financial compensation you deserve.

Personal Injury Accident Types

Automobile accidents in Minnesota are the most common type of personal injury accident. These include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, tractor accidents, four-wheeler accidents, ATV accidents, and on-the-job accidents involving motor vehicles.

Other personal injury accident types include medical malpractice injuries, which involve a medical doctor’s negligence, such as a mistake in surgery.

Accidents related to watercraft are also significant. These involve boats, jet skis, waterskiing, sailing, and swimming accidents.

Animal injuries also occur in Minnesota. These involve two categories of animals. Some animals are deemed “inherently dangerous animals.” These animals include animals known to be dangerous to humans including some types of snakes, bears, bobcats, poisonous spiders, and more. The other category includes animals that are known to pose little threat of serious bodily injury, including most house cats, dogs, small birds, hamsters, most farm animals, etc.  A personal injury attorney can explain to you how your legal rights are affected by the category of animal that harmed you.

Wrongful death lawsuits are the most serious accidents because they involved death. Wrongful death lawsuits often result in the highest financial payout, which is paid to the heirs of the person who died.

Personal Injury Money from a Minnesota Accident

If you have been injured in an accident in Minnesota or somehow related to Minnesota, the experienced attorneys at the Twin Cities Law Firm, LLC, would be glad to talk with you about your options and create a plan to recover the money you deserve.

Let us lift you up, help with your legal decisions, and fight for the money that the law says you deserve. We walk through the recovery process with you, taking care of your personal injury legal issues so you can focus on life.

Free Personal Injury Attorney Consultation

For a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, contact me today by calling 612-466-0010 or submitting the Free Consultation form on this page.