If you are injured in a car accident in Minnesota, medical bills can quickly pile up, putting your family’s financial future in jeopardy. Accident victims frequently wonder who will pay those bills. Minnesota is a no-fault state, so you must turn to your insurance coverage first. However, if your bills exceed your no-fault coverage, you have options. You might be eligible to collect compensation from your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. You might also be entitled to file a claim with an at-fault driver’s insurance carrier or pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact our skilled car accident lawyers at Milavetz Injury Law, P.A., if you need assistance recovering damages for your medical bills and other expenses after a crash.
- Minnesota is a no-fault auto insurance state.
- Your personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage pays first for medical bills and other economic damages.
- If you get in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, you can turn to other parts of your insurance coverage to pay medical bills not covered by PIP.
- You can file a liability claim against an at-fault driver if your PIP coverage isn’t enough to cover your medical expenses.
- You can sue an at-fault driver if the money you collect from insurance claims doesn’t cover your damages.
Medical Bills Are Typically Covered by Your Own Auto Insurance in Minnesota
Minnesota is a no-fault auto insurance state. You must turn to your policy first to pay your medical bills. The no-fault insurance you must carry is called personal injury protection, or PIP. It pays for medical expenses, lost wages, and other economic costs related to your accident. It does not cover emotional harm or damage to your vehicle.
The state requires you to carry a minimum of $40,000 in PIP coverage. Of that, $20,000 is for medical expenses, and the other $20,000 is for lost wages and other costs. You cannot “move” compensation from one category to another. For example, if you have $30,000 in medical bills, your PIP medical compensation is still capped at $20,000.
Your auto insurance may pay some of your medical bills above your PIP limits through your required uninsured motorist coverage, or UM, and underinsured motorist coverage, or UIM. For both UM and UIM, you must carry a minimum of $25,000 for injuries to one person and $50,000 for injuries to multiple people.
UM helps you pay bills above your PIP limit when you are in an accident with an at-fault uninsured driver or if your medical bills result from a hit and run. When the combination of your PIP and the at-fault driver’s liability insurance isn’t enough to cover your damages, UIM protects you.
The Exception for Minnesota Car Accidents Involving Motorcycles
Minnesota law explicitly excludes motorcycles in the definition of motor vehicles, and the state does not require PIP coverage in motorcycle insurance policies. Motorcycle riders who own cars cannot use their auto PIP to cover medical expenses for their motorcycle accident.
If you own a motorcycle and haven’t purchased additional injury coverage, you can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company to pay your medical bills. You can also file a lawsuit to collect damages not otherwise covered.
Who Pays for Additional Medical Expenses Not Covered by My Auto Insurance?
Determining how medical bills are paid after a car accident can be challenging, especially if your expenses are significant. You may have charges before your auto insurance coverage kicks in or after you’ve exhausted your benefits. There are several places you can turn to cover excess medical expenses.
Health Insurance
Immediately after your accident, you can use your health insurance to cover your medical expenses so as not to delay treatment. You might continue using it until you receive money from an insurance company. You must reimburse your health insurer if you later receive other compensation, such as payments from your PIP coverage or a personal injury settlement, that pay your medical expenses.
Liability Claims Against At-Fault Drivers
Minnesota requires drivers to carry liability insurance that protects others. The minimum required liability coverage is as follows:
- $30,000 for injuries to one person
- $60,000 for injuries to two or more people
- $10,000 for property damage
If you have $30,000 in medical bills, you can file with the at-fault insurance driver’s insurance company for the $10,000 not covered by your PIP.
Liability coverage is fault-based, so insurance companies may try to blame you for the accident to avoid paying a claim or justify a low settlement.
Personal Injury Lawsuits
If the available insurance coverage is insufficient to cover your medical expenses, or the at-fault driver’s insurer refuses to offer a full and fair settlement, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver and pursue economic and non-economic damages.
However, to file suit, your claim must meet the following state-mandated threshold:
- Your medical expenses are more than $4,000, or
- You have a permanent injury or permanent disfigurement, or your loved one died, or
- Your accident causes a disability lasting more than 60 days
Under Minnesota’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, you must file your lawsuit within six years of the accident date. If a loved one has died from a car accident and you are pursuing a wrongful death action, you must file within three years of the date of death. However, the lawsuit must be filed no later than six years after the accident date. You will likely lose your right to pursue compensation if you don’t file on time.
Minnesota’s comparative negligence statute also determines your eligibility to file a claim. You can only collect damages against the other driver if you were 50 percent or less at fault in the crash. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the blame for the accident. For example, if you have $200,000 in damages and are 10 percent responsible, you can recover $180,000.
How Can an Attorney Help You Recover Excess Medical Expenses?
An attorney can help you recover medical expenses that exceed your no-fault PIP limit in several ways. They can determine whether you can pursue UM or UIM claims under your own coverage, file a liability claim with the other driver’s insurance company, or pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Dealing with insurers is never easy, even when it’s your own carrier. They are motivated by their bottom line and will seek to minimize the amount they pay out. An experienced and knowledgeable lawyer can refute insurance companies’ tactics and build a strong claim for compensation
To assist you in collecting insurance benefits or compensation through a lawsuit, an experienced car accident lawyer will do the following:
- Investigate and collect evidence such as police reports, medical records, photographs, videos, and accident debris
- Interview witnesses
- Consult accident reconstruction experts and medical professionals
- Refute attempts to blame you for the accident
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- File a personal injury lawsuit and complete all paperwork
- Fight for you in court
If the other driver was at fault in your accident and you have damages that exceed your no-fault coverage, partner with a skilled car accident attorney. They have experience building successful claims and dealing with insurance companies.
Contact Milavetz Injury Law To Learn Your Options
If you are injured in a car accident, you don’t need the additional stress of figuring out who pays for medical bills. Since 1963, our firm has been helping Minnesotans hurt by the negligent and reckless actions of others. We know Minnesota’s roads, laws, and key players and have vast experience in claims involving disputes over medical bills. We’ve collected over $500 million for our deserving clients and look forward to the opportunity to help you and your family.
Your voice, your story, and your rights matter to us. Call our personal injury lawyers today at 763-560-0000 or complete our contact form to schedule a free case evaluation.
