Minnesota Personal Injury Lawyer

Nobody gets up in the morning expecting to be injured in an accident. But according to a report by the Minnesota Department of Health, falls, motor vehicle accidents and other unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death, disability and economic loss in Minnesota. On average, each year in the state…

• Over 1,900 people are killed in accidents. Accidental injuries are the fourth-leading cause of death after cancer, heart disease and stroke.
• Nearly 300,000 people visit emergency rooms for treatment for injuries, but actual injuries are higher. The numbers of people who are treated in doctors’ offices and medical clinics or who go untreated are not reported in this figure.
• The cost of unintentional injuries is in the billions of dollars. Nationwide, economic loss from accidental injuries is estimated to be more than $730 billion.

Not all deaths and injuries are due to another party’s negligence, but many are. If your injury was caused by another person or entity, do not hesitate to arrange a free consultation with our personal injury attorney. Our attorney can help you hold the responsible party accountable and get the compensation you need to pay your bills as you recuperate and move on with your life.

If you were injured in an accident that you believe another party caused, you may have a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims are based on negligence, or carelessness about the safety and well-being of others. People who text while driving are behaving negligently. Manufacturers who release defective products into the marketplace are behaving negligently. Store owners and other property owners who allow hazardous conditions to exist may be negligent if visitors are injured. These are just a few examples of how accidents can happen that injure innocent people and lead to personal injury claims. To learn whether you may have a claim, reach out to our personal injury attorney team.

The majority of personal injury cases are resolved through settlements with the insurance companies of at-fault parties. However, even though your case may be resolved in a settlement, we always prepare cases as if we are going to trial. Insurance companies and their attorneys know that our assertive personal injury lawyer is always ready, willing and able to take cases all the way to trial in order to get clients the compensation they deserve.

Often insurers do not want to face the expense and time of a court case, so they will agree to settle for a fair amount. But if we cannot reach an out-of-court settlement, we will advise you about filing a lawsuit and going to trial. Even when lawsuits have been filed, cases can still be resolved at any time. If a settlement does not happen, we will aggressively argue on your behalf in front of a judge and jury. The difference is that when a case settles, you are guaranteed compensation. If your case goes to trial, there is no guarantee that the case will go in your favor.

Every case is different and there are many considerations to take into account when deciding whether to settle or go to court. When our Minnesota personal injury lawyer team first takes your case and understands all the factors involved, we will discuss a plan for handling your claim that will have the best chance of getting you the resolution you need. Then we will work together collaboratively to achieve the most satisfactory outcome possible.

Any person or entity who injures another through a negligent or reckless act may be held liable in an injury claim. Depending upon the type of accident or incident, liable parties could include:

• Other drivers who cause crashes
• Companies that employ drivers that cause accidents
• Designers or manufacturers of consumer products that malfunction
• Dog owners whose animals bite someone
• Property owners who allow dangerous conditions
• Contractors or other third parties in workplaces who cause injuries
• Daycare operators and staff
• Nursing home operators and staff
• Doctors or other healthcare professionals who cause injuries.

When we take your case, we will work hard to establish the fault of all responsible parties. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation about your case.

How long it takes to resolve a personal injury claim depends on the circumstances involved. Straightforward cases with minor injuries may be fairly quickly settled through negotiations, possibly in just months. In complex cases with serious injuries and multiple potentially liable parties involved, settlement negotiations can take much longer. If negotiations break down and a case goes to trial, it can take a year or longer. Every case is different. While we cannot predict exactly how long your case will take, when we meet with you and learn about the facts in your case and its strength based on the evidence involved, we may be able to give you an idea of how we think it may progress and a general estimate of how long we think it may take.

If your claim can be settled outside of trial for the amount that it is worth and that you deserve, you will not have to testify in court. However, if the at-fault party is unwilling to admit fault or the insurance company will not offer a fair settlement, then your other available option for potentially getting compensation is to take your case before a judge or jury to be decided. If your case goes to trial, you will typically have to testify. Should this happen in your case, our experienced personal injury attorney will make sure that you understand the process and are well-prepared to take the stand.

Every state has a time limit, called a statute of limitations, for filing personal injury lawsuits. In Minnesota, as set forth in §541.07(1), you generally have six years from the date of your injury accident or from the date you discovered you were injured in which to take your claim to court. If the injured person died, there is a general timeframe of three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim.

However, there are some exceptions to these deadlines based on the specific circumstances and factors involved. Learn about deadlines for your situation by speaking with our experienced personal injury attorney. Call us at (651) 259-1113 to schedule a free consultation.

Our personal injury lawyer works on a contingency fee basis. What this means is that you don’t pay anything up front, you pay us when we win your lawsuit or recover a settlement. When we do so, you pay us a previously agreed upon percentage of your compensation. If for some reason we are unable to get you a settlement or award, you will not owe us any attorney fees. It must be noted, though, that there are other costs involved in filing lawsuits, such as court filing fees, expert witness costs, documentation costs and other expenses. If we take your case, we will pay these costs up front and only get them back if we get you money. When we meet with you in a free consultation, we will discuss our fee structure with you and make sure you understand all the other potential costs associated with filing a claim.

You have the right to hire a lawyer to represent you in your personal injury claim, but you are not required to have a lawyer. Statistics have shown, however, that people who have legal representation receive significantly larger settlements than those who do not have an attorney handling their claim. With that being said, if your case is simple and your injuries were very minor, you may be able to get an adequate insurance settlement on your own, if you are comfortable negotiating with insurance adjusters.

However, if your injuries are more serious, it is to your benefit to have a personal injury attorney represent you. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, so the least amount of money they can pay out, the better for their bottom line. They also have their own teams of lawyers representing them and looking out for their interests. Insurance claims can be very complicated and confusing when you are not used to dealing with them. You will help level the playing field when you have an attorney who is a skilled negotiator and litigator looking out for your rights and interests. Our law firm offers free, no-obligation consultations in a low-pressure environment so you can learn how our Minnesota personal injury lawyer can help your case.