Minnesota injury / public data
Choosing a personal injury lawyer in Minnesota: records, deadlines and questions to ask
We won’t name one. Settlement amounts are usually private, and the size of a verdict says little about your case. Here is what crash records show, how the deadlines and no-fault rules are written, and how to compare fees.
- people injured in crashes a year, 2019 to 2023
- people killed in crashes, 2019 to 2023
- minimum no-fault benefits, in dollars
- dollars of medical costs: one route to pain and suffering claims
Draft for human review. Prepared by AI research from public records. No Minnesota lawyer has reviewed this page, including the deadline and no-fault summaries. Deadlines are especially fact-specific, so confirm yours with a lawyer.
This site offers general information, not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send us details of your legal situation.
Short answers
- Is there a best personal injury lawyer in Minnesota?
- We do not name a best personal injury lawyer. Settlement amounts are usually private, and the size of a verdict says little about your case. Use the state's license and discipline records, then compare the lawyers you are considering with the first-meeting questions on this page.
- How long do I have to bring an injury claim in Minnesota?
- It depends on the claim, and Minnesota has no single injury deadline. Minn. Stat. 541.07 sets 2 years for "libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, or other tort resulting in personal injury," but it gives way where another section, including 541.05, says otherwise. Minn. Stat. 541.05 sets 6 years for "any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract." Which of the two covers a given injury is a legal question, so do not count on either number. Wrongful death actions generally have 3 years after the death (573.02), and malpractice claims against health care providers 4 years (541.076). Deadlines have exceptions; ask a lawyer about your date.Statute text: Minn. Stat. 541.07, Minn. Stat. 541.05, Minn. Stat. 573.02, Minn. Stat. 541.076
- How many people are hurt in Minnesota crashes?
- State crash tables show 119,348 people injured and 2,092 killed in 336,524 crashes from 2019 to 2023.
What records can settle
Records can tell you
- Whether a lawyer is licensed, and whether there is public discipline.
- How many people are hurt in crashes where you live.
- What the statutes say about no-fault benefits and deadlines.
Records cannot tell you
- Who gets the most money. Most settlements are private, and large verdicts are chosen for advertising.
- What your claim is worth. That depends on injuries, fault and insurance.
- Whether anyone’s review score reflects results. Reviews mostly measure service.
Crash injuries, county by county
119,348 people injured and 2,092 killed in 336,524 crashes from 2019 to 2023. Pick a county or tap the map.
Hennepin County
6.41
people injured in crashes each year per 1,000 residents 15 and older, 2019 to 2023
2nd highest of 87 counties. Minnesota overall: 5.16.
- Injured a year
- 6,654.6
- Per law office
- 7.5
- Killed, 5 years
- 272
Counted where the crash happened, so highways and visitors raise this. It covers crashes only, not other injuries.
All 87 counties, highest first
| County | Per 1,000 residents | Injured a year | Per law office | Killed, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkin | 7.49 | 39.0 | None | 7 |
| Hennepin | 6.41 | 6,654.6 | 7.5 | 272 |
| Benton | 6.37 | 207.6 | 51.9 | 18 |
| Faribault | 6.36 | 72.8 | 24.3 | 19 |
| Kandiyohi | 6.19 | 215.6 | 18.0 | 34 |
| Nobles | 6.05 | 101.6 | 12.7 | 11 |
| Martin | 6.01 | 97.2 | 19.4 | 14 |
| Mille Lacs | 5.92 | 129.0 | 16.1 | 17 |
| Renville | 5.85 | 68.8 | None | 18 |
| Blue Earth | 5.83 | 337.6 | 14.7 | 22 |
| Isanti | 5.80 | 196.6 | 24.6 | 27 |
| Douglas | 5.78 | 186.8 | 12.5 | 30 |
| Freeborn | 5.76 | 145.4 | 18.2 | 18 |
| Hubbard | 5.76 | 103.2 | 34.4 | 10 |
| Goodhue | 5.70 | 223.2 | 24.8 | 24 |
| Crow Wing | 5.68 | 316.4 | 13.2 | 33 |
| Mahnomen | 5.66 | 22.4 | None | 7 |
| Jackson | 5.59 | 45.6 | 15.2 | 8 |
| Stearns | 5.58 | 716.2 | 14.3 | 64 |
| Cook | 5.49 | 27.0 | None | 3 |
| Grant | 5.47 | 27.0 | None | 6 |
| Pine | 5.47 | 136.0 | 22.7 | 28 |
| Dakota | 5.39 | 1,909.2 | 14.5 | 93 |
| Olmsted | 5.38 | 703.8 | 16.4 | 47 |
| Rice | 5.32 | 295.2 | 17.4 | 33 |
| Becker | 5.21 | 148.6 | 29.7 | 21 |
| Ramsey | 5.21 | 2,287.2 | 8.6 | 128 |
| Wright | 5.18 | 583.6 | 21.6 | 51 |
| Sherburne | 5.16 | 402.6 | 44.7 | 58 |
| Cass | 5.15 | 131.8 | 16.5 | 31 |
| Chippewa | 5.13 | 51.0 | 17.0 | 10 |
| Cottonwood | 5.12 | 46.4 | None | 9 |
| Watonwan | 5.00 | 44.0 | 14.7 | 6 |
| Meeker | 4.93 | 93.0 | 18.6 | 8 |
| Rock | 4.92 | 38.0 | 7.6 | 7 |
| Todd | 4.79 | 96.6 | 24.2 | 15 |
| Steele | 4.77 | 143.0 | 20.4 | 11 |
| Sibley | 4.76 | 57.8 | None | 12 |
| Anoka | 4.65 | 1,373.6 | 32.7 | 112 |
| Scott | 4.65 | 558.6 | 32.9 | 38 |
| Otter Tail | 4.64 | 229.4 | 20.9 | 33 |
| Yellow Medicine | 4.60 | 35.4 | None | 7 |
| Lyon | 4.56 | 91.0 | 15.2 | 11 |
| Redwood | 4.56 | 55.8 | 9.3 | 8 |
| Chisago | 4.55 | 213.2 | 23.7 | 33 |
| Aitkin | 4.51 | 62.8 | 20.9 | 12 |
| McLeod | 4.47 | 134.4 | 16.8 | 18 |
| Itasca | 4.43 | 167.2 | 12.9 | 32 |
| Murray | 4.40 | 29.4 | 9.8 | 7 |
| Carver | 4.34 | 372.0 | 15.5 | 38 |
| Traverse | 4.33 | 11.6 | None | 1 |
| Pipestone | 4.30 | 31.2 | None | 4 |
| Wadena | 4.08 | 45.4 | 11.4 | 9 |
| Norman | 4.06 | 21.2 | None | 5 |
| Brown | 4.05 | 85.4 | 9.5 | 7 |
| St. Louis | 4.02 | 681.2 | 13.4 | 89 |
| Carlton | 4.01 | 120.2 | 17.2 | 18 |
| Kanabec | 4.01 | 54.0 | None | 19 |
| Mower | 4.01 | 127.0 | 12.7 | 14 |
| Nicollet | 3.97 | 112.0 | 18.7 | 13 |
| Fillmore | 3.94 | 67.2 | 11.2 | 13 |
| Pope | 3.88 | 36.4 | 9.1 | 8 |
| Clearwater | 3.87 | 26.4 | None | 8 |
| Marshall | 3.87 | 28.2 | None | 7 |
| Washington | 3.84 | 840.4 | 8.3 | 60 |
| Dodge | 3.83 | 63.8 | 21.3 | 13 |
| Wabasha | 3.74 | 66.0 | 13.2 | 20 |
| Morrison | 3.72 | 102.6 | None | 28 |
| Le Sueur | 3.70 | 86.6 | 28.9 | 18 |
| Polk | 3.66 | 90.2 | 12.9 | 13 |
| Lac qui Parle | 3.64 | 20.0 | None | 4 |
| Waseca | 3.63 | 56.2 | 11.2 | 6 |
| Lake | 3.60 | 33.2 | None | 8 |
| Winona | 3.55 | 150.4 | 15.0 | 19 |
| Lincoln | 3.43 | 15.6 | None | 4 |
| Houston | 3.42 | 52.8 | 13.2 | 12 |
| Swift | 3.20 | 25.6 | 8.5 | 9 |
| Clay | 3.09 | 160.6 | 14.6 | 26 |
| Big Stone | 3.00 | 12.6 | None | 4 |
| Beltrami | 2.91 | 107.2 | 11.9 | 27 |
| Koochiching | 2.67 | 27.4 | None | 5 |
| Kittson | 2.62 | 9.0 | None | 2 |
| Stevens | 2.55 | 20.2 | None | 5 |
| Pennington | 2.29 | 26.0 | 6.5 | 6 |
| Roseau | 1.89 | 23.2 | 7.7 | 4 |
| Red Lake | 1.53 | 4.8 | None | 2 |
| Lake of the Woods | 1.12 | 3.6 | None | 3 |
The rate is not where the volume is
Most people injured a year
- Hennepin6,655
- Ramsey2,287
- Dakota1,909
- Anoka1,374
- Washington840
- Stearns716
Highest rate per 1,000 residents
- Hennepin6.41
- Benton6.37
- Faribault6.36
- Kandiyohi6.19
- Nobles6.05
- Martin6.01
Counties with at least 10,000 residents 15 and older.
Deadlines depend on the kind of claim
Minnesota has no single injury deadline. These are limits written in statute, in years. The 2-year and 6-year sections overlap in their wording, so do not count on either number for your claim. Exceptions and notice rules can shorten or change them, and claims against a government can differ. Deadlines have exceptions; ask a lawyer about your date.
2years
Libel, slander, assault, battery, false imprisonment, or “other tort resulting in personal injury”
The statute's words. It gives way where another section, including 541.05, says otherwise. Minn. Stat. 541.07.
6years
“Any other injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract”
The statute's words. Whether this or 541.07 covers an injury claim is a legal question. Minn. Stat. 541.05.
3years
Wrongful death
Generally within 3 years after the death and 6 after the act. Medical negligence and murder have their own rules. Minn. Stat. 573.02.
4years
Malpractice claims against health care providers
From when the cause of action accrued. Separate rules can also apply. Minn. Stat. 541.076.
How no-fault fits in
Minimum benefits
Basic economic loss benefits are at least $40,000: $20,000 for medical expenses and $20,000 for income loss, replacement services, funeral and similar costs (Minn. Stat. 65B.44).
Pain and suffering
Claims for non-economic loss need medical expenses over $4,000 (the statute leaves some costs, such as diagnostic x-rays, out of that count), or permanent injury or disfigurement, death, or disability of 60 days or more (Minn. Stat. 65B.51).
Shared fault
A person can recover only if their fault is not greater than the other party’s, and an award is reduced by their share (Minn. Stat. 604.01).
Questions for a first meeting
- What percentage do you take, and does it change if the case goes to trial?Get it in writing, with whether it is figured before or after costs.
- Who pays case costs if we lose?Experts and records can be costly. Ask this directly.
- Which deadline do you think applies, and what date are you working from?The limit depends on the claim. Ask for the date in writing.
- How many cases like mine have you taken to trial or settled?Ask for numbers, and know that past results do not predict yours.
- Who will handle my case day to day?Ask who returns calls and how often you will hear.
- How do no-fault benefits and health insurance fit in?Repayment claims can change what you take home. Ask for an example.
Lawyer money and the state fund
$905,671
69 claims, personal injury matters
Minnesota’s Client Security Board repays clients when a lawyer dishonestly takes their money, up to $150,000 a claim. Since 1987 it has paid 741 claims totaling $8,971,093, tied to 212 lawyers. Settlement money often passes through a lawyer's trust account. These counts have no denominator, so they are not a rate for this kind of law. The practical point: ask how your money will be held, and get the fee in writing.
Sources
- Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, 2023 (and 2019 to 2022 editions)
- Minnesota Statutes chapter 65B, no-fault insurance
- Minnesota Statutes chapter 541, limitation periods
- Minn. Stat. 573.02, wrongful death
- Minn. Stat. 604.01, comparative fault
- Census Bureau, ACS table B12001, 2019 to 2023
- Client Security Board 2026 annual report