Being involved in a car crash that causes catastrophic injuries requiring you to undergo extensive medical treatments and long-term care is extremely stressful. Trying to deal with your physical recovery while juggling ongoing doctor’s appointments can be overwhelming for most people, especially once the medical bills start rolling in.
At TSR Injury Law, our experienced car crash lawyers in Minnesota have seen firsthand the devastating impact catastrophic injuries have on victims and their families. Our legal team is deeply committed to holding at-fault parties accountable for their careless or negligent actions. When we represent you, we work tirelessly to recover the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.
This guide explains how Minnesota law treats catastrophic injury claims. You’ll learn about the types of injuries that qualify, how insurance requirements affect your claim, and the legal deadlines you need to meet. We’ll also cover how fault is determined and what steps you should take to protect your rights.
Does Minnesota Law Define Catastrophic Injuries in Personal Injury Claims?
Minnesota law does not officially have a separate legal category called “catastrophic injury.” However, these life-altering injuries are recognized and treated differently from minor injuries that victims can fully recover from.
Minnesota Insurers, Courts & Lawyers Recognize and Manage Catastrophic Injuries Differently
Insurance companies, courts, and legal professionals recognize that certain injuries are fundamentally different from other, more minor injuries. A broken finger that heals in weeks is managed much differently than a spinal cord injury that causes paralysis and changes everything in a person’s life forever. The law accounts for these significant differences through how damages are calculated and proven.
Minnesota Injury Claims Are Valued Based on Their Overall Impact
Minnesota courts evaluate injury claims based on their actual impact on the crash victim. Severe injuries that result in permanent disability, long-term care needs, or substantial life changes receive different consideration than temporary injuries. The compensation available reflects the true scope of harm the victim suffered.
Why Do Injury Distinctions Matter When Calculating Damages?
Medical expenses for catastrophic injuries often reach millions of dollars. Lost earning capacity can represent decades of income. Pain and suffering calculations account for lifetime impacts. Courts and juries understand that these injuries deserve substantial compensation.
What Types of Injuries Are Considered Catastrophic in Minneapolis Car Crashes?
Catastrophic injuries fundamentally alter a person’s ability to function independently. These injuries often involve permanent damage, long-term disability, or life-threatening complications. The medical treatment required is extensive, expensive, continuing for years or a lifetime.
These are some of the most common catastrophic injuries resulting from car crashes in Minneapolis:
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis. Victims may lose function below the injury site. These injuries often require lifetime care, mobility assistance, and home modifications. Many spinal cord victims may also suffer from secondary complications requiring additional care.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): Severe head trauma can cause permanent cognitive impairment, personality changes, and physical disabilities. TBI victims may need ongoing rehabilitation and, depending on the severity of their injury, may never be able to return to work.
- Amputations: Loss of a limb drastically impacts a person’s daily life. Victims face challenges with mobility, employment, and basic activities. Prosthetics require ongoing maintenance and replacement.
- Severe Burns: Third-degree burns covering significant body areas cause permanent scarring and disfigurement. Treatment includes multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and long-term therapy.
- Multiple Bone Fractures: Compound fractures or multiple broken bones can lead to permanent mobility limitations. Some victims develop chronic pain conditions that last indefinitely.
- Organ Damage: Internal injuries affecting vital organs can require transplants or lifelong medical management. These injuries often come with ongoing health complications.
- Permanent Disfigurement: Facial injuries and severe scarring affect both physical function and psychological wellbeing. These injuries may require reconstructive surgery and counseling.
The common thread connecting these injuries is permanence. Recovery may be partial at best. Many victims never return to their previous quality of life. Medical expenses often continue for years. The ability to work and earn income is permanently affected.
How Do Minnesota’s Insurance Requirements Affect Catastrophic Injury Claims?
Minnesota requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance coverage. As of current law, drivers must carry at least $30,000 in coverage per person for bodily injury and $60,000 per collision. Unfortunately, these minimums fall dramatically short when catastrophic injuries occur.
A spinal cord injury victim can face medical bills exceeding one million in the first year alone. Lifetime care costs can reach five million or more. The state’s minimum insurance requirements don’t come close to covering these expenses. This creates a serious problem for injury victims.
Minnesota Does Not Cap Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Minnesota does not cap damages in personal injury cases. Unlike some states that limit compensation for pain and suffering, Minnesota allows juries to award what they determine is appropriate. This means catastrophic injury victims can pursue full compensation without artificial limits.
It is Difficult to Recover Full Compensation From At-Fault Drivers With Minimum Insurance
However, the absence of damage caps doesn’t help if the at-fault driver lacks adequate insurance. When the responsible party carries only minimum coverage, victims hit a financial ceiling. The insurance policy pays its limits, and victims must look elsewhere for additional compensation.
Purchasing Optional UM/UIM Insurance Can Provide Additional Coverage
This is where the limits and options you purchase for your own insurance becomes critical. Your policy can provide additional compensation when the at-fault driver’s coverage is insufficient. Many Minnesota drivers carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage—which is optional in Minnesota—specifically to protect against catastrophic injury scenarios. Some drivers operate vehicles illegally without any insurance. If an uninsured driver causes your catastrophic injury, your own UM coverage may be your only source of compensation.
An Experienced Attorney Can Identify All Sources of Compensation
The gap between minimum requirements and actual needs emphasizes why pursuing every available source of compensation matters. Having an experienced attorney manage your case who knows how to identify all potential sources of recovery can make a significant difference to your claim. This might include multiple insurance policies, business liability coverage, or other assets.
What Is Minnesota’s Statute of Limitations for Catastrophic Injury Claims?
Minnesota law generally allows six years from the date of the accident or injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This timeframe is significantly longer than in many other states. The extended deadline gives victims time to understand the full extent of their injuries before committing to a settlement.
However, several important exceptions can affect this timeline. If you miss your filing deadline, you will likely be barred from pursuing any compensation at all – even if your injuries are severe. To find out what deadline applies to your situation, you should contact an experienced lawyer as soon after your crash as possible. Despite the six-year window, waiting too long creates problems. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details. Medical records become harder to obtain. Insurance companies become less willing to negotiate.
How Does Minnesota’s Comparative Fault Rule Impact Your Catastrophic Injury Claim?
Minnesota follows a modified comparative fault system with a 51 percent bar rule. This means you can recover compensation as long as you were 50 percent or less at fault for the crash. If you were 51 percent or more responsible, you cannot recover any damages.
If you are partially at fault but not enough to bar you from filing a claim, you will still have to pay compensation for your percentage of fault. Any compensation awarded to you will be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 20 percent to blame, with damages totaling one million, you would receive $800,000.
Insurance companies frequently dispute fault percentages in catastrophic injury cases. They know that increasing your fault percentage by even 10 percent effectively reduces their payout – potentially by hundreds of thousands of dollars. They investigate thoroughly and often argue victims bear more responsibility than they actually do.
The 51 percent threshold creates an all-or-nothing scenario in some cases. If the insurance company successfully argues you were 51 percent at fault, you receive nothing regardless of how severe your injuries are. This makes aggressive legal representation essential when insurance company disputes fault.
Our Approach to Catastrophic Injury Cases in Minneapolis
For a catastrophic injury claim to be successful, you need an attorney who has a comprehensive understanding of both immediate and long-term damages. Our legal team works with medical professionals, life care planners, and economic experts to document and calculate the full scope of your losses. This includes current medical expenses, future treatment needs, lost earning capacity, and lifetime care requirements.
Building a strong catastrophic injury claim takes time and resources. We investigate thoroughly to establish liability and calculate economic losses accurately, accounting for inflation and future needs. We prepare cases as if they will go to trial, even while pursuing settlement negotiations.
Insurance companies take these cases seriously too, because the stakes are high. They scrutinize your claim thoroughly, looking for any reason to deny or reduce your claim.
Why Experience Matters in Catastrophic Injury Claims
Catastrophic injury cases involve complex medical evidence, substantial economic analysis, and sophisticated legal arguments. These claims often involve multiple insurance policies, disputed liability, and negotiations with experienced insurance defense teams. The difference between adequate and excellent legal representation can mean hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
High-quality legal teams understand how to value these claims properly. They know which experts to consult and how to present medical evidence effectively. They recognize when insurance companies are making lowball offers and have the resources to take cases to trial when necessary.
Need Legal Help After a Catastrophic Injury in Minneapolis? Contact TSR Injury Law Today
We’ve handled complex injury claims throughout Minnesota for decades. This experience is important, because it means we have an up close and personal understanding of how a car crash and the resulting consequences impact you and your family every day.
If you or a loved one sustained a catastrophic injury in a car crash, time for filing a claim is not on your side. Once we are managing your case, we will take immediate steps to preserve evidence and help you gather medical documentation. You don’t need to manage your case or even communication with the insurance company on your own.
Contact TSR Injury Law today for a free consultation. We are ready to help and listen to your story. Once we know more about your situation, we can answer your questions and explain your legal options. Since we take injury cases on contingency, you pay us nothing up front. We do not get paid unless we recover compensation for you.
Call TSR Injury Law. We’d be honored to help you. (612) TSR-TIME
