Accident And Injury Claims
Personal Injury Lawyer In Minneapolis, MN
If you were hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle accident in Minneapolis, Saint Paul or elsewhere in the Twin Cities because someone else was careless, the law may let you recover medical bills, lost wages, property damage and, for more serious injuries, pain and suffering. Whitlock Reyes LLP handles injury claims for accident victims, working with the police report, the medical records and the insurance companies so you can concentrate on getting better.
How It Works
What Can You RecoverAfter A Crash?
The first consultation is free, and you can ask how fees work on that first call.
Halvard Okonjo
Trial Partner, Whitlock Reyes LLP
Practice Areas
Who It Is For
Who Is ThisFor?
Car accidents.
Collisions on the interstates, the river bridges or a neighborhood street, where another driver's negligence caused the injury.
Truck accidents.
Crashes involving commercial trucks, which often bring larger insurers and more than one responsible party.
Motorcycle accidents.
Riders across the metro, where injuries tend to be serious and fault is often disputed.
Pedestrians and cyclists.
People on foot or on a bicycle who were struck by a car, where no-fault and uninsured motorist coverage questions often come up.
Step By Step
How Does ItWork Here?
The first conversation
You explain what happened and where treatment stands, and you learn what a claim would involve.
Gathering the record
Police reports, medical records, witness statements and photos, collected and put in order.
The insurance companies
Claims are presented and negotiated with the insurers, so you are not handling those calls yourself.
Settlement or court
If an insurer will not resolve the claim fairly, the case can be prepared for court.
The Details
Which Rules ShapeYour Claim?
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| No-fault and PIP. | Minnesota is one of the states with a no-fault system for car accidents. Your own personal injury protection coverage pays first for part of your medical bills and lost wages, whoever caused the crash, up to the policy's limits. |
| The injury threshold. | In a no-fault state, recovering pain and suffering from the at-fault driver generally requires the injury to cross a threshold set by statute, such as a level of medical expense, a permanent injury or disfigurement, or a period of disability. |
| Comparative fault. | Most states reduce an injured person's recovery by their share of fault, and many bar recovery entirely once that share passes a set line. How fault is divided often becomes the central question in a disputed crash. |
| The deadline. | Every state sets a statute of limitations for injury lawsuits, and claims against a city, county or state agency can require formal notice much sooner. It is worth calling early rather than waiting to see how you heal. |
What damages can you claim? | |
| Economic damages. | Medical bills, future medical care, lost wages and lost earning ability, property damage and other out-of-pocket costs beyond what no-fault benefits pay. |
| Non-economic damages. | Pain and suffering, mental anguish and the loss of enjoyment of life, available against the at-fault driver when the injury meets the threshold. |
| The records behind both. | Both depend on documentation: treatment notes, bills, work records and a consistent account of how the injury affects daily life. |
In Detail
Injury Claims,Question By Question.
What changes in a truck accident?
Commercial trucks are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as well as state law. Hours-of-service limits, driver qualification files, inspection and maintenance records, and electronic logging data can all show what went wrong, and that evidence can be overwritten or discarded if no one asks for it promptly. More than one party can be responsible: the driver, the motor carrier, the company that loaded the cargo, or the company that maintained the truck. A letter asking the carrier to preserve that evidence is usually one of the first steps.
What changes in a motorcycle accident?
Motorcycle coverage often works differently from car coverage, and in many states a rider's own no-fault benefits are optional or limited, so an injured rider's medical bills often run through health insurance and uninsured motorist coverage while the claim against the at-fault driver is pursued. Fault is often disputed in motorcycle crashes, which makes witness names, photos and any video from the scene especially important.
Whose insurance pays?
The driver who caused a crash may carry only the minimum liability coverage, or none at all. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy can fill that gap, and a truck or delivery crash may bring in commercial policies as well. Part of the first conversation is identifying every policy that may apply, including your own.
What should you bring?
The crash report or report number, your insurance card and the other driver's details, photos of the scene, the vehicles and your injuries, medical records and bills, proof of missed work, witness names, and any letters from insurance companies.
Before giving a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company, talk it through first.
Questions
Questions AboutInjury Claims.
When to call us
Call for a free consultation. You will learn what the law covers in your situation, which insurance policies may apply, which deadlines are running, and what a claim would involve.
(555) 014-2200What should I do after a car accident?
Get medical care, report the crash, photograph the scene and the vehicles, collect the other driver's insurance details and witness names, and keep every bill and letter. Then call before you sign anything from an insurer.
Who pays my medical bills after a crash?
In a no-fault state your own personal injury protection coverage generally pays first, up to its limits. A claim against the at-fault driver may cover more when injuries are serious.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Every state sets deadlines for injury lawsuits, and claims against a government body can require formal notice much sooner. Call early.
Will my case go to court?
Many injury claims resolve with the insurance company without a trial, but some do not. Your claim is prepared so either path remains open.
What if I was partly at fault?
You may still recover, but your recovery is generally reduced by your share of fault, and past a certain share many states bar recovery against the other side.
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance adjuster?
Be careful. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer, and what you say early can be used later. Talk it through first.
What is my claim worth?
No one can honestly put a number on a claim at the first call. The value depends on the injuries, the treatment, the available insurance and questions of fault, and it becomes clearer as treatment progresses and the records come in.
Free Consultation
Tell Us What Is Going On.The First Call Is Free.
- A plain answer on the first call
- You speak with a partner, not an intake line
- Open weekdays, 8:00 to 6:00, or leave a message
Marguerite Whitlock