Do I Have To Sue If I Am Involved In A Car Accident?
I am frequently asked by injury victims whether a lawsuit will be necessary in order to pursue compensation for lost wages, medical expenses and injuries. The short answer is: maybe not.
Under Minnesota law, wage losses and medical expenses are first covered under a no-fault system of insurance. Meaning, the injured party goes first to his or her own automobile insurance for medical expense and wage loss coverage. No-fault coverage is available without having to establish who was responsible for causing the accident.
However, medical expenses or wage losses may exceed the amount of available no-fault coverage. Further, the injury victim may have ongoing injuries and pain and disability. An additional legal claim can be made against the at fault driver and his or her insurance company for pain and suffering and the full extent of medical expenses and wage losses.
Before commencing litigation, I routinely work directly with the insurance company in an effort to negotiate the old fashioned way - without a lawsuit. While the SiebenCarey lawyers certainly have the training, skill, experience and resources to litigate your case, we exhaust all avenues of negotiation so you can better understand what is at stake.
Contact SiebenCarey for a full case evaluation if you have been injured in an accident.