No-Fault Insurance | St. Paul Attorneys

Minnesota's laws covering automobile insurance are extremely complicated. Called, no-fault Insurance, the laws are based on the concept that regardless of who may be responsible for causing an automobile accident, each individual involved in the accident will make claims with different insurance carriers for different reasons.

Instituted in 1975, Minnesota's no-fault laws require every motorized vehicle owner to purchase and carry no-fault insurance on that motorized vehicle. The purpose behind these laws are to provide any person harmed as the result of the negligent operation of a motor vehicle with an adequate amount of coverage so that the injured party can seek proper health care and other services in an effort to make them whole again.

Unfortunately, many people do not follow these laws and do not carry no-fault insurance coverage on their vehicles. Because of these uninsured drivers, the laws surrounding who is entitled to a claim, and against who's insurance carrier, gets very complicated. This is where the attorneys and staff at the Paige Donnelly law firm can help you the most.

For more than 40 years, the Paige Donnelly law firm has been helping injured people fight the insurance companies in the State of Minnesota for the benefits they are entitled to under Minnesota’s no-fault insurance laws.

What is Covered By No-Fault Insurance?

Contrary to popular belief, no-fault insurance does not mean that no one can be at fault in an automobile accident. In fact, the exact opposite is true. However, the concept of who is at fault only applies when considering the “pain and suffering” an individual experiences as the result of a motor vehicle crash. In other words, the person who caused, or is more at fault for causing, an individual to sustain injuries as the result of an automobile collision would be “at fault.”

But under Minnesota’s no-fault insurance laws, the person at fault will not be the person who pays the medical bills, lost wages and other replacement services for someone who has been injured in a motor vehicle crash. For these types of expenses, the injured person will turn to their own insurance. The following is a list of the kinds of things that are covered:

  • Medical Expenses
    A medical expense can include all medical care from doctors or hospitals, chiropractic, x-rays, optical, dental and rehabilitation services, such as physical therapy. It extends to ambulance costs, extended care facilities and nursing services. It can also include medically necessary devices such as artificial limbs, prescription drugs, and reasonable transportation expenses incurred traveling to receive the covered medical benefits.

  • Disability and Income Loss Benefits
    No-fault insurance policies will reimburse a person for their lost wages, up to 85% of the total gross income lost, as the direct result of being injured in a motor vehicle accident. This includes self-employed persons.

  • Replacement Services and Loss
    If a persons sustains injuries in a motor vehicle crash that keep them from performing their normal daily duties at home, they may be entitled to “Replacement Services.” For example, if a person’s injuries make it necessary for them to hire someone to clean the house, mow the lawn, shovel snow, or perform other regular household duties previously performed by the injured person, the no-fault insurance carrier is required to reimburse these extra expenses up to a maximum of $200 per week.

  • Funeral and Burial Expenses
    Reasonable funeral and burial expenses are covered up to a maximum of $2,000.00 if an individual dies as the result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash.

  • Survivor’s Economic Loss Benefits
    The survivor of someone killed in a car accident may be entitled to collect benefits to replace the monetary support they received from the deceased person prior to the accident.

  • Survivor’s Replacement Services Loss
    Like Replacement Services and Loss for an injured person, this benefit will provide up to $200 per week to the survivors of a person killed in a car accident so that someone may be hired to do the things the deceased person did before the accident.

No-Fault Insurance Limits

Unfortunately, there are limits to how much will be paid by no-fault insurance coverage. The basic limits in Minnesota are $20,000.00 for medical expenses and an additional $20,000.00 to cover a combination of income loss, replacement services, funeral expense, survivors economic loss, and survivor’s replacement services. Unfortunately, they must be made separate from one another and not “cross over.” For example, if someone has $50,000 in medical expenses, they cannot use part of their $20,000 for lost wages and replacement services to pay any of their medical expenses. Another source will need to be found to cover the additional $30,000.00 in medical bills. And after each of the benefits are exhausted, they are gone. There is no way to find more or renew the coverage.

Contact the attorneys at Paige Donnelly law firm today for help with your no-fault insurnace case.

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