Minnesota car accident settlement calculator

Minnesota filing deadlines

Negligence personal injury falls under the 6-year catch-all in 541.05 subd. 1(5); the 2-year period in 541.07(1) ('or other tort resulting in personal injury') has been read by Minnesota courts to cover intentional torts, not ordinary negligence. Wrongful death: 'within three years after the date of death provided that the action must be commenced within six years after the act or omission' (573.02).

If you were partly at fault

Minnesota follows modified comparative negligence, 51% bar. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you were more at fault than the other side (51% or more). At exactly 50% you still recover half.

• With $100,000 in damages and 30% of the fault, you would recover $70,000.
• With 55% of the fault, you would recover $0, because the rule bars your claim.

Plaintiff's fault is compared with each defendant individually ('the person against whom recovery is sought'), not with all defendants combined. Plaintiff can recover at exactly 50%.

Source: Minn. Stat. 604.01, subd. 1. Compare all states in the comparative negligence table.

No-fault state

Your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills and lost wages first, with a required minimum of $40,000 per person ($20,000 medical expense loss + $20,000 income loss, replacement services, funeral and survivor loss). The threshold to claim pain and suffering from the at-fault driver: Noneconomic damages only if medical expenses exceed $4,000, or the injury results in permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or disability for 60 days or more.

65B.44: 'shall provide a minimum of $40,000 for loss arising out of the injury of any one person, consisting of: (1) $20,000 for medical expense loss... (2) a total of $20,000 for income loss...'

Minimum car insurance in Minnesota

$30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for injuries, $10,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is required.

Many drivers carry only the minimum, so the bodily injury limit is often the most the at-fault driver's insurer will pay one person. Subd. 3a: separate uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages required, minimum $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident each.

Damage caps

Minnesota does not cap pain and suffering in ordinary car accident cases.

Dog bite law

Strict liability statute. Covers attacks or injuries (not only bites). Requirements: no provocation, victim acting peaceably, and lawfully present. 'Owner' includes anyone harboring or keeping the dog.

Source: Minn. Stat. 347.22. Estimate a claim with the dog bite calculator.