If you are familiar with our blog or have lived in Minnesota long enough, you’ve probably heard that we are a “No Fault” state when it comes to automobile accidents. Being a no fault state makes it easier for those involved in a car crash to get compensation to pay for medical bills, lost wages or other expenses as a result of the accident, but it doesn’t mean that you automatically get all expenses covered no matter who caused the accident.
No fault coverage is oftentimes a bit misunderstood in Minnesota, so we want to use today’s blog to clarify what no fault coverage means and when you may need a lawyer to help you get additional compensation following a car accident.
Understanding No Fault Insurance Coverage
Every person who drives in Minnesota is required to carry car insurance, and a required part of your car insurance policy is known as Personal Injury Protection, or PIP. Personal Injury Protection is an aspect of your insurance policy that allows you to collect compensation for damages regardless of who is at fault in the accident. Even if somebody else ran a red light and hit your car, you would first file a claim through your own car insurance provider’s PIP policy.
In Minnesota, the minimum coverage for a PIP policy means that every individual in the vehicle will be covered for up to $40,000 in expenses as a result of the accident. That $40,000 is split into two different categories, with $20,000 earmarked for medical expenses and $20,000 for non-medical expenses, like lost wages, replacement services, etc. If you do not surpass either of those thresholds, you should be able to earn full compensation for the accident through your own car insurance policy provider.
Things get more complex when you go above and beyond these basic thresholds, and considering how costly medical expenses and replacement services can be, it doesn’t take much for you to surpass these amounts after an accident. We may be a no fault state, but only before these $20,000 caps are met. If you exceed $20,000 in expenses for medical or non-medical expenses, you will no longer be working with just your insurance provider. Now, you will be looking to file a claim with the at-fault driver.
Here’s where you’ll want to connect with an attorney, because attempting to collect compensation from another person’s insurance company is never easy. Their insurance company will have a bevy of legal experts at their disposal, so you need to counter with an expert of your own. Not only will you need to prove that you incurred specific medical expenses or lost wages, you will also need to prove that the other driver was at fault for the accident.
Sometimes it is pretty obvious that the other driver is at fault. If a camera or dash cam footage clearly shows that the other driver caused the accident, you may be able to make a pretty strong case. However, it’s not always this easy. Even if the other driver was at fault, they may argue otherwise or even flat out lie about what happened to save face. In these instances, you want a powerful team of lawyers by your side to help build an airtight case that proves you are the one telling the truth. We can also employ an army of expert witnesses like accident reconstruction specialists or physics experts who can look at the damage caused by an accident and determine what elements led to the crash. We’ve had experts prove that another driver was speeding or failed to brake like they claimed they did, and we can put these experts to good use helping to build your injury claim.
So while we are a no fault state here in Minnesota, know that it doesn’t mean that fault never matters. In more significant crashes involving more than one party, fault will likely play a big role in determining who is eligible for compensation. We’ve helped countless clients get the compensation owed to them after a crash, and we can do the same for you. For more information, or to see if you may have a valid accident claim, contact the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
