Minnesota has a 6-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases.
Most states have 1-2 years.
That single difference changes everything about how we practice PI law here.
Here’s why Minnesota is one of the best states for injury victims:
I hear stories from PI attorneys in other states who are constantly racing against the clock. Cases get rushed. Evidence gets missed. Clients feel pressured to settle before they’re ready.
In Minnesota, we don’t have that problem.
Six years gives us time to:
• Let injuries fully develop
• Gather comprehensive medical evidence
• Build stronger cases
• Negotiate from a position of strength
But the statute of limitations isn’t the only advantage Minnesota offers.
We also have some of the strongest third-party bad faith protections in the country.
That means if an insurance company uses unfair or unreasonable tactics while negotiating, like refusing to settle a clear claim within policy limits, it can later be held accountable.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you’re insured by State Farm with a $100,000 policy limit. You hit someone, and I represent the injured person.
I demand to settle for your policy limits – $100,000.
State Farm refuses.
We go to trial and get a verdict of $1 million.
In most states, you’d be *personally* responsible for that $900,000 difference, even though your insurance company had the chance to settle within your limits.
In Minnesota, we don’t let that happen.
After the verdict, your rights against State Farm can be assigned to the injured person, who can then bring a separate bad faith action against the insurer. If successful, the insurance company (not you) pays the $900,000 excess verdict.
It’s called the Short v. Dairyland standard, reaffirmed in Kissoondath v. U.S. Fire, and it holds insurance companies accountable when they put their own interests ahead of yours.
Under Minnesota law, insurance companies have four key responsibilities:
• Stay in touch with their insureds and keep them informed.
• Treat their insured’s interests equally to their own.
• Give honest advice like a lawyer who is only looking out for the insured.
• Settle when it’s reasonable to do so, instead of gambling with someone else’s money.
If they fail to do any one of these things, that alone can be bad faith under Minnesota law.
These protections matter because they force insurance companies to take settlement offers seriously. They can’t just ignore reasonable demands and hope the injured person gives up.
Minnesota’s laws are built to protect injury victims, not insurance companies.
That’s why I’m proud to practice here.