Home › Personal Injury Laws by State › Minnesota Personal Injury Laws

Minnesota generally provides a six-year period for many negligence-based personal injury claims, while a two-year statute applies to certain tort claims resulting in personal injury and other specialized periods apply to additional categories of claims. Claims for no-fault insurance benefits after a motor-vehicle collision involve separate notice and timing rules, and different rules, exceptions, and requirements for claims against governmental entities may apply depending on the claim and the parties involved. This page cannot determine which deadline applies to any particular situation; only a licensed Minnesota attorney reviewing the facts can do that.

Minnesota follows a no-fault system for motor-vehicle injury claims, under which a person's own insurance generally pays certain medical and wage-loss benefits after a collision regardless of who caused it, while a claim against an at-fault driver for certain losses is generally available only in circumstances defined by state law. In such claims, liability ordinarily depends on who caused the collision, and the compensation available generally depends on the injuries or losses involved and the insurance coverage that applies. How these rules apply in any individual situation depends on its facts, and if the parties involved cannot agree on liability, the court process may be necessary to resolve it.

Minnesota follows a modified comparative-fault rule. In general terms, compensation may be reduced according to an injured person's share of fault, and recovery is generally barred when that person's fault is greater than the fault attributed to the party or parties from whom recovery is sought. Whether and how fault is attributed in any particular matter depends on its facts and may have to be determined by a court of law.

Minnesota generally requires vehicle owners to maintain insurance that meets minimum requirements established by state law, including liability coverage and personal injury protection benefits that apply regardless of fault. Minnesota policies also generally must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage under state law. The coverage available in any particular situation depends on the policies involved and current law.

Minnesota does not impose a general cap on compensatory damages in most personal injury cases. Special rules and limits apply to certain claims and parties, including claims involving governmental entities, and some categories of damages are subject to separate legal standards. Because these rules can vary by claim and may change, this page does not determine what damages may be available in any particular matter.

Minnesota personal injury lawsuits may be filed in the state's district courts, which have general civil jurisdiction, with conciliation-court procedures available for some smaller matters. Many injury claims are resolved through insurance processes or negotiation without a lawsuit being filed. Which court, if any, would be appropriate depends on the nature of the claim, the relief involved, and other facts that a licensed Minnesota attorney can evaluate.

A licensed Minnesota attorney can explain how rules involving deadlines, fault, insurance, damages, and procedure may apply to a specific situation—something a general reference page cannot do. This platform helps injured people seek connections with participating local personal injury attorney offices in the Minnesota communities listed below, based on availability. Requesting a connection is free and carries no obligation to hire an attorney.