Mankato Personal Injury Lawyer

Over the past few years, personal injury claims have been on the rise in Mankato, Minnesota. These cases occur after accidents that have taken place while on the job, at home, or as a result of another individual’s negligence. Depending on the circumstance surrounding the incident, a personal injury accident can have lasting medical consequences for the victim. 

If you have recently experienced a personal injury due to the negligence of another person and you want to pursue a claim, you need the help of an experienced Mankato lawyer who will work with you to build and strengthen your case. The team of legal professionals at Knutson + Casey is dedicated to helping clients in Mankato, Waseca, Austin, Owatonna, Southern Minnesota, and the surrounding areas take their personal injury cases to court and obtain the compensation they deserve.

How a Personal Injury is Defined in Mankato, Minnesota

There are a variety of circumstances that can result in a personal injury case, but they each share the same definition. Mankato laws define a personal injury dispute as one that occurs when a person believes they were injured due to the direct actions, or inaction, of another individual. In the United States, personal injury cases can go one of two ways: either through a formal court proceeding or an informal settlement.

  • Informal settlements are much more common than cases actually going to trial. If you’re going up against an insurance company to receive compensation for medical expenses, for example, filing a suit encourages action. These can involve settlement mediations, arbitrations, or direct settlements with the insurance company. 
  • Formal civil trials are a last resort and are primarily used when all other options for negotiation have failed. These can last much longer than the settlement process and may end up causing more stress on the victim.  It is not common for our clients to end up in a formal civil trial or jury trial, and most cases resolve before trial.

If you are unsure of whether or not your case qualifies for a personal injury suit, your best option is to schedule a consultation with one of the award-winning attorneys at Knutson + Casey to discuss your options and better understand the actions you can take as a victim of another individual’s negligent behavior. Contact our Mankato personal injury attorneys today to schedule a free case review. 

Frequently Reported Personal Injuries in Mankato, MN

Personal injury accidents can result in a variety of problems for the victim, both physically and mentally. Our team at Knutson + Casey has represented thousands of personal injury clients in our years of practice, each of them with a unique case. We have recovered more than $10 million dollars for our clients in the last several years.  And we have spent years helping clients in Mankato manage their most serious personal injury matters, including the unexpected death (called wrongful death cases) of a loved one. Some of the most common injuries that we have successfully represented include:

Many personal injury accidents can change a victim’s life, as well as the life of their family if they are the primary caretaker. Clients often live with permanent disabilities due to another individual’s negligence. Our lawyers in Mankato help clients hold the responsible parties accountable by fighting for full and fair compensation.

How Can an Attorney Help my Mankato Personal Injury Case?

Most personal injury cases that are reported in Minnesota result in long-term consequences for the victim and their family. These consequences can be physical, mental, or even financial. Some individuals even lose their jobs because they are unable to continue working after their accident. In most circumstances, victims of negligence are left to pay for different fees associated with their accident, including:

  • Medical bills 
  • Medication costs
  • Physical therapy
  • Lost wages due to missed work
  • Emotional damages
  • Pain and suffering

Insurance companies are notoriously challenging when it comes to paying out a fair amount of compensation for victims of personal injury accidents, and they always seek to award the smallest amount of financial assistance. Some insurance companies attempt to delay the case, or confuse the issues, leaving victims frustrated.  As a result, many victims are left to pay out-of-pocket for their expenses. Many of our clients do not want to sue anyone, but are left with no choice when the insurance company does not deal with them fairly.  To protect your best interests, hire the trusted legal team at Knutson + Casey to represent your personal injury case in Mankato, Minnesota.

How can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help with Insurance Claims?

When pursuing a personal injury claim, accident victims will need to work with insurance claims adjusters. Claims adjusters work for the insurance company that received the claim or for a third party that the insurer hired for the case. The adjuster is responsible for reviewing the insurance claim, communicating with the claimant, determining if a settlement will be rewarded, and deciding how much the settlement amount will be. 

In many personal injury cases across Mankato, the settlement offers that victims receive from an adjuster are as low as possible. This is the adjuster’s way of saving the insurance company money. Sometimes, the insurance adjuster has been given a limit for settling the case, which can be a very low number.  Hiring a reliable personal injury attorney in Mankato to represent your claim can prevent you from accepting a settlement from an insurance claims adjuster that is less than you deserve, and can help get you to the real decision makers at the insurance company, who can then offer you a fair settlement.

Contacting a Mankato personal injury lawyer can strengthen your settlement negotiations and give you peace of mind, while you focus on recovery from your injuries. The team at Knutson + Casey has years of experience going up against large insurance companies on behalf of our clients in an effort to pursue fair financial compensation.  

What Do You Need to Win a Personal Injury Case in Minnesota?

A successful personal injury suit requires proving through a preponderance of the evidence that someone else caused or contributed to the victim’s injuries. The lawyers at Knutson + Casey are trained in helping clients provide the court with this burden of proof by bringing in experts and taking other proven measures to strengthen your case. During the negligence claim, a victim and their legal representative must prove four key elements of the case.

Four Elements of Negligence

  • The defendant owed the victim a duty of care.
  • The defendant breached this duty through some act or omission.
  • The defendant’s breach was the main cause of the victim’s injuries.
  • The victim suffered damages because of the defendant’s breach of duty.

The process of proving fault in a personal injury case can be challenging, but the trial-tested team at Knutson + Casey has been successfully helping a variety of personal injury clients for decades. Working with a Mankato personal injury attorney to obtain testimony and gather evidence for your case on your behalf can allow victims to relax and concentrate on healing while their lawyer manages the claims process.

How to Pursue a Personal Injury Claim in Mankato, MN

Consistent contact with a legal representative is key to building a strong personal injury case. When a personal injury victim retains the services of Knutson + Casey, our team is dedicated to keeping them informed during each step in the process of pursuing their claim. 

We understand that severe injuries can cause emotional, physical, and mental distress, so we ensure that our clients are updated frequently regarding their cases to provide them with peace of mind while they heal from their accident-related injuries. 

The proceedings often vary between cases, but the guide to pursuing a personal injury claim in Minnesota has a few fundamental aspects to be aware of, including:

  • Record notes, photographs, or videos at the scene of the accident if your injuries are not severe enough to limit your mobility. Note the location of the incident, who was around or involved, where your injuries appeared, and any other important information that can function as evidence.
  • File an accident report with local law enforcement as soon as possible and having a record on file of the accident can help you down the road.
  • Work with one of our lawyers to investigate data from insurance reports, medical notes, and police records of the accident. We’ll speak with witnesses, request important documents, and do anything we can to piece together an accurate picture of events.

Once the evidence has been gathered and assessed, our lawyers can help you determine the best legal avenue to explore for your particular case depending on the nature of your injuries, the negligence involved, and how the accident occurred.

Possible Compensation from a Mankato Personal Injury Claim

Victims of personal injury accidents collect higher-than-average medical bills as a result of their injuries. Compensation for insurance companies is often not enough to cover medication, physical therapy, hospital bills, and the other associated fees that come with being hurt in a personal injury accident. An experienced Mankato personal injury lawyer can establish legal grounds for your case by pursuing damages such as:

  • Punitive damages, which are meant to punish the responsible party for negligent misconduct.
  • Compensatory damages, which cover forms of distress, as well as – 
    • Loss of wages
    • Loss of earning capacity
    • Medical bills
    • Disability claims
    • Emotional damage
    • Pain and suffering

Retaining the help of a Mankato personal injury lawyer from Knutson + Casey will be your best option for securing a fair amount of financial compensation to pay for important fees and other associated personal costs related to the personal injury accident. 

Damages for Pain and Suffering After an Accident in Mankato

Minnesota civil laws enable accident victims to seek restitution for pain and suffering after certain cases. These non-economic damages reimburse the victim for financial losses and intangible damages suffered due to the negligence of the defendant. In Mankato, pain and suffering damages can encompass many different compensation types, including:

  • Past and future physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Mental anguish
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Diminished enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium

The state of Minnesota does not have any cap on pain and suffering damages, which means that the state does not limit how much money a plaintiff can seek for personal injury-related pain and suffering. An experienced personal injury attorney in Mankato can seek as much compensation as they deem necessary or reasonable.

How Long Do Personal Injury Claims Take in Minnesota?

Every personal injury claim is unique. However, most follow the same general processes to progress from initial claims filing to settlement or judgment award. The timeline of a case will depend on the circumstances around it, what the victim’s injuries were, and whether or not the accident resulted from another’s negligent behavior. 

Settling a case without going to trial can reduce the length of time that your claim will be open and speed up the process of obtaining some level of compensation for medical bills and related expenses. Most settlement negotiations typically end within one to three months, while a trial could take a year or more.

Contact an Experienced Mankato Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Personal injury cases can be devastating for victims and their families in Mankato. If you have recently experienced an accident in Minnesota due to another individual’s negligence, the reliable lawyers at Knutson + Casey can help you establish a strong case and obtain the financial compensation that you need and deserve. 

To schedule a free consultation with one of our trial-tested personal injury lawyers, call us at (507) 344-8888 or reach out to us online today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit?

For cases involving negligence, the statute of limitations is 6 years.  However, there are many cases where it is only 2 years. In many car accident cases, it ends up being 6 years for negligence claims against another driver who was at fault, but you should talk to an attorney to find out for certain, as it does vary by case. 

How do I know if I have a personal injury case?

For car accidents, if someone else was at fault for the accident, you have a personal injury case if you end up with more than $4000 in medical bills, OR you have a permanent injury or scar, OR you have more than a 60 day disability.  For other accidents, you may have a personal injury claim if someone else was at fault, and you were injured in any way.

Who is responsible for paying my medical bills?

In auto accident cases, the responsible party for the accident is ultimately responsible, along with their insurance.  As an added benefit, your own auto insurance is responsible for your first $20,000 of medical bills right away, until things can get sorted out with the insurance for the driver at fault.  This is called No Fault insurance, and no fault starts paying right away for medical bills in auto accident cases.  zNo fault also pays for mileage to and from doctors, for wage loss, and for loss of work around the home in many cases.  Then if there are more than $20,000 in medical bills, the insurance for the driver at fault is responsible.