No-fault benefits. No-fault benefits include payment of all medical expenses for the care and treatment of injuries and 85% of your wage loss, up to a maximum of $250.00 per week.

Thresholds. In automobile cases, Minnesota requires injuries to meet certain thresholds before a lawsuit can be brought against a negligent driver. Once the threshold has been met, the injured person can then pursue a claim for pain, suffering, disability, and general damages against the party at fault and their insurance company. In order to claim these damages, you must have one or more of the following:

• sixty or more days of disability, not necessarily in consecutive order
• $4000 or more in medical expenses
• a permanent injury or disability

We help people understand these thresholds, monitor their cases until the time the threshold has been met, and then assist them in obtaining settlements or verdicts against the negligent driver. We have obtained substantial recoveries on behalf of clients (see the section on Representative Settlements and Verdicts).

In non-automobile injury cases, we help you get payment for the medical treatment you need and if disabled or hurt, compensation for that and pain and suffering. Since it can take time to obtain a settlement or get to a jury trial, it is important to begin the process promptly.

We will monitor your injury by getting medical records and reports from your doctors so that when the injury has stabilized and the treating doctors can give opinions as to the outcome of the injury, we can pursue settlement negotiations as soon as possible.

Negotiations will take place with the other party's insurance company and attorneys. Some companies negotiate through claim adjusters while other will use attorneys. When we form an opinion as to the settlement value of your case, and you agree with that valuation, we will negotiate a settlement or if the case cannot be settled, then the case will go to a judge or jury to have the matter decided as soon as possible.

Injuries incurred as a result of treatment by a physician, surgeon, hospital, dentist, or other health professional that occurred after August 1, 1999, have a four year Statute of Limitations while veterinarians have a two-year Statute of Limitations and other professionals, such as attorneys, have a six year Statute of Limitations in Minnesota (other states may have different time limitations). This means that if claims are not brought within this time period, they may be forever barred. This is not necessarily easy to determine as there can be questions of whether the injury resulted from a single act or a continuing course of treatment. When a child is involved, the time limit can be longer. It may also be longer for a person suffering from certain disabilities, such as insanity. It is important to bring a claim within the time allowed if such action is warranted.

Claims of professional negligence, especially medical negligence, must be backed up by an expert's report under Minnesota law. That expert must be prepared to testify that the health care provider deviated from the applicable standard of care and that such negligence caused injury to the plaintiff. Part of our role is to assist the injured person in finding a medical expert who will review the facts and medical records and help determine whether or not the applicable standard of care was followed. The medical expert giving such an opinion must be one who is qualified in the same area involved, for example, in medicine we use medical providers experienced in the same area of medicine as the original provider. These persons might be orthopedic surgeons, obstetricians, or nurses. They can address the standard required by physicians (or other medical providers) practicing in that area of medicine and state whether the treating physician deviated from the applicable standard of care and how such deviation from the standard of care caused injury.

Just because a person experienced a bad result does not necessarily mean that there was negligence. Or just because there was negligence does not mean that a person was injured. The right attorney will help a potential client by reviewing the facts with the client, reviewing the medical records, and often discussing the case with medical experts. And just because one attorney turns down a case, doe not necessarily mean there is no claim. We have been successful in obtaining a recovery in cases where other attorneys have failed to continue.

Some of the areas we handle are:

1. Negligence regarding misdiagnosis of heart conditions
2. Negligence in surgical procedures
3. Negligent filling of prescriptions
4. Product liability matters such as defective medical products
5. Legal malpractice
6. Accounting malpractice

We will handle your case on a contingency fee basis, which means we will get paid only if we succeed in getting a recovery for you.

If you have more questions or would like us to review your matter over the Internet, click here. If you prefer, please call us. We have people standing by to discuss cases during normal business hours.  (800)-222-4336

Workers' compensation is for people who have been injured at work. The first thing to do is notify your employer if you have been injured while on the job. This should be done within fourteen days of the date of the injury to avoid any delay or denial of benefits. If the employer does not have actual knowledge of the injury, then it is important to give written notice of the injury to your employer.

Workers' compensation insurance should begin to pay you for the days you miss work, except it does not have to pay wages for the first three days of disability; however, if the disability continues for ten days or longer, then the wage loss is computed to the commencement of the disability. You should receive 2/3 of your normal wages. If there is a delay, a denial, or a refusal to pay benefits, it is time to get a lawyer. An employer may sometimes deny benefits, claiming that the injury is not work-related, especially if the injury is something like stress, toxic exposure, or emotional trauma. A lawyer can help you overcome the non-work related argument or perhaps find a source of reimbursement other than your employer.

Even if the injury improves and you are able to go back to your normal job and your medical bills and wage losses are paid, you may still need a lawyer to help you obtain a lump sum payment for any disability that qualifies under the schedules. We have found a lot of companies not offering this. We can work with you and your doctor to help you obtain these benefits and a disability rating. Once you have received that rating, you have some options available to you.

Remember, you do not have to return to work until your doctor has determined that you are able to work. If your doctor believes that your duties should be limited, have the doctor spell this out very carefully, in writing, and give it to your employer so that there is no confusion about what you can and cannot do.

If you cannot return to your normal job, your employer may offer you other employment. You have fourteen days to accept the job. I you accept the job and it pays less than your former job, the employer or insurance company should make up the difference between the old wage and the new wage. If a suitable job is offered to you and you do not accept it, it can be a reason for an employer not to have to pay you any further wage loss benefits. You should consult an attorney or a QRC, whom we can put you in contact with, before refusing or accepting alternative employment.

Even if your injury is not permanent, but you cannot perform your job, you may be entitled to help from a QRC (qualified rehabilitation counselor). We can put you in touch with such a person to work with you. A QRC can help you to maximize your opportunities for retraining and other Workers' Compensation benefits under the law.

The attorneys' fees for Workers' Compensation are set by law. We are paid only if we benefit you. We and the QRC never charge you unless we benefit you or we can arrange to have the employer/insurance company pay us directly.

If you have more questions about how the Workers' Compensation system works, or want details about a case, please click here or just give us a call for an appointment.
(800)-222-4336

For representative cases we have handled for injured persons, see the section on Representative Settlements and Verdicts.

Harassment and Discrimination

Harassment and discrimination are illegal and prohibited actions. There are specific provisions for employees that protect them from discrimination due to age, race, sex, religion, and certain disabilities.

While some people consider "dirty jokes" amusing, they can create a hostile work environment for some employees and can be cause for a valid lawsuit.

We have helped numerous people make it through the maze of legal and administrative rules and regulations to achieve a remedy, which in many cases is a compensation award.

See Settlements and Verdicts for more details.

In such cases, we are usually paid through a court award, a percentage of the recovery obtained,or a combination of both.

If you want more information about your situation, give us some of the facts by clicking here, or call us at one of our numbers. (800)-222-4336 or (952)-925-3202