New Ulm Personal Injury Lawyer

When someone suffers an injury or economic loss due to the negligent actions of another party, victims can file a personal injury lawsuit to recover their losses. New Ulm, Minnesota, residents can learn how a personal injury lawsuit works and what to expect after filing one during a free consultation with our attorneys. Plaintiffs with valid personal injury claims can receive several types of compensation after an injury, and the attorneys at Knutson+Casey can help.

Our firm has helped Minnesota clients recover after injuries since 1992. We understand the intricacies of personal injury cases and the various factors that complicate them, and we work closely with every client to help maximize their recoveries after suffering injuries from negligence.

Proving Negligence in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Plaintiffs bringing a personal injury lawsuit against a defendant have the burden of proving their claim is valid. Minnesota law requires four basic elements for proving negligence in personal injury cases:

• Duty, or the defendant’s duty to act with reasonable care in a given situation. The plaintiff must prove the defendant owed the plaintiff some type of duty of care for the claimed incident.
• Breach of duty or failure to meet a duty of care. The plaintiff then provides the court with evidence demonstrating how the defendant failed to use reasonable care.
• Damages. The plaintiff only has a claim if he or she sustained tangible injuries or measurable losses. If the defendant was negligent but the plaintiff suffered no losses, a plaintiff will have no grounds for a personal injury claim.
• Causation. This term refers to the link between the defendant’s negligence and the plaintiff’s damages. The plaintiff must either provide proof that his or her damages were the direct results of the defendant’s negligence or must prove that his or her damages would not have happened if not for the defendant’s negligence.

Damages in Personal Injury Claims

Plaintiffs who succeed with personal injury lawsuits generally receive economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include anything provable with an invoice, receipt, or other official financial document. Some common economic damages in personal injury lawsuits include medical expenses. If a defendant’s negligence resulted in physical injury to the plaintiff, the plaintiff can claim compensation for the immediate and future costs of treating the injury.

It’s important for plaintiffs to remember they must be able to prove a claimed injury resulted from a defendant’s negligence and not some other cause. For example, if you want to file a lawsuit for a back injury that occurred from a car accident, you may need to offer medical records or consult a medical expert witness to prove your injury wasn’t a preexisting condition.

Expert witnesses can also help you prove your other claimed damages in a personal injury case. A financial expert could testify to help the jury understand the full scope of your future lost earning capacity after a catastrophic injury, or a medical expert can help them realize the amount of pain and suffering your injuries and recovery have caused. Plaintiffs can claim their lost wages for time spent in recovery as well as lost future earnings in a case of permanent injury. Different courts calculate non-economic damages like pain and suffering using various methods, and an attorney can advise a client about which could apply to his or her claim.

Contact Your New Ulm Personal Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one recently suffered injuries in the New Ulm, Minnesota, area, and you believe another party is responsible for your damages, contact the attorneys at Knutson+Casey. We have extensive experience with a variety of personal injury cases and provide comprehensive representation, so you can maximize your recovery. Contact our office today to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our attorneys.