# Minnesota car accident law: deadlines, fault and your claim

> Minnesota crash claims: the 6-year deadline to sue for injuries, $40,000 no-fault PIP, the $4,000 pain-and-suffering threshold, the fault rule and reports.

Canonical page: https://accidentclaimfacts.com/location/minnesota/  
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026 by the Accident Claim Facts editorial team  
General information, not legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in your state.

## Quick answer

In Minnesota you generally have 6 years from the crash to sue for injuries or vehicle damage, but only 3 years from the date of death for a wrongful death claim. Minnesota is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection pays medical bills and lost income first, whoever caused the crash. You can sue for pain and suffering only if your medical expenses exceed $4,000 or the crash causes permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or disability for 60 days or more.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Injury lawsuit deadline | 6 years |
| Vehicle damage deadline | 6 years |
| Wrongful death deadline | 3 years, from the date of death |
| Fault rule | Modified comparative: barred if more at fault than the defendant |
| Notice to a city or county | Within 180 days of discovering the injury |
| Minimum liability insurance | $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash, $10,000 property |
| Insurance system | No-fault, with $40,000 of PIP per person |
| Traffic deaths in Minnesota, 2024 | 477 people |
| Lawyer referral | Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) |

## Filing deadlines in Minnesota

Minnesota Statutes section 541.05 sets a statute of limitations of 6 years for negligence claims, including most car-crash injury and vehicle damage lawsuits.

| Claim | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | 6 years | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5) |
| Damage to your vehicle or other property | 6 years | Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(4) |
| Wrongful death | 3 years from the date of death, and no later than 6 years after the crash | Minn. Stat. § 573.02, subd. 1 |
| Claim against a city or county | Written notice within 180 days (1 year for a death) | Minn. Stat. § 466.05 |
| Claim against the State | Notice to the attorney general within 180 days | Minn. Stat. § 3.736 |

For an injured child, the clock is paused while the child is a minor, but the extra time cannot run more than one year past the child's 18th birthday. This pause is a form of tolling.

Before suing a city, county or other local government, the law requires written notice of the time, place and circumstances, the employees involved and the amount demanded, to the governing body of the city or county. Actual notice of enough facts can count as compliance, and time while the injured person is incapacitated by the injury is not counted. Recovery from a city or the State is capped at $500,000 per claimant and $1,500,000 per occurrence.

> **Warning:** The long injury deadline does not cover everything. Government notices are due within months, wrongful death claims have their own clock, and insurer talks pause none of these deadlines.

## How fault is shared in Minnesota

Under section 604.01, your damages are reduced by your share of the fault, and you can recover only if your fault is not greater than the fault of the person you are suing. Minnesota compares your fault with each defendant separately, so with two other drivers you may recover from one and not the other.

> **Example:** A jury finds you 30% at fault, driver A 50% and driver B 20%. Your damages are reduced by 30%. Because your share is not greater than driver A's, you can recover from A, but because it is greater than driver B's, you cannot recover from B.

Fault does not affect your own no-fault benefits, which are paid whoever caused the crash. Try the [fault-rule explainer](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/tools/fault-rule-explainer/?state=mn&fault=30#fault) to compare Minnesota with other states.

## Insurance in Minnesota

Minnesota drivers must carry liability insurance of at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for injuries, plus $10,000 for property damage. Every policy also carries first-party coverage:

| Coverage | Minnesota rule |
|---|---|
| Personal injury protection | Required: $40,000 per person ($20,000 medical and $20,000 income loss and other non-medical benefits) |
| Uninsured motorist | Required: $25,000/$50,000 |
| Underinsured motorist | Required: $25,000/$50,000 |

If you later win a negligence case, the court subtracts no-fault benefits paid or payable from what you recover, so you are not paid twice for the same loss. Uninsured motorist coverage matters too: the Insurance Information Institute estimates 11.3% of Minnesota drivers were uninsured in 2023, against 15.4% nationally. The Minnesota Department of Commerce takes insurance complaints at 651-539-1600 (complaints); 1-800-657-3602 (Greater Minnesota). Our guide to [who pays medical bills](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/money/who-pays-medical-bills/) explains what happens when PIP runs out.

## After a crash in Minnesota

Minnesota law says each driver must notify the local police (or, outside a city, the State Patrol on a trunk highway or the county sheriff) by the quickest means after a crash that injures or kills someone. A peace officer who investigates must submit a crash report to the Department of Public Safety within 10 days.

Copies must be provided by the Department of Public Safety, a driver and vehicle services full-service provider or the law enforcement agency, on request, to people involved in the crash, the representative of a deceased person's estate, other injured people, and their lawyers and insurers. The fee is $5. Under state law, the report must not be used as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal, so the facts in it have to be proven another way, such as through witnesses and photos. See our [police report guide](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/claim-process/police-report/) for how insurers use the report.

## Special rules in Minnesota: when you can sue

Minnesota uses a serious injury threshold. Under section 65B.51, you can claim pain and suffering only if:

1. Your medical expenses are more than $4,000, not counting diagnostic X-rays and rehabilitation; or
2. The injury results in permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or disability for 60 days or more.

"Disability" here means the inability to engage in substantially all of the injured person's usual and customary daily activities. If neither test is met, PIP is the main source of payment for your injury losses. Vehicle damage claims are not limited by the threshold. See [pain and suffering](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/money/pain-and-suffering/) for how these damages are valued.

## Crashes on Minnesota roads

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety counted 477 crash deaths in Minnesota in 2024, or 8.2 per 100,000 people, compared with 11.5 per 100,000 people nationally. Rural roads accounted for 58% of the deaths, and speeding played a part in 29%. An estimated 23% of the drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or higher.

## Finding a lawyer in Minnesota

The Minnesota bar associations run the Minnesota Lawyer Referral and Information Service (MNLRIS) through [its website](https://www.mnfindalawyer.com/). Its referral counselors can set up appointments with private attorneys, and free 30-minute legal consultations are available. See our guide to [lawyer referral services](https://accidentclaimfacts.com/choosing-a-lawyer/lawyer-referral-services/).

Before you hire anyone, use the [lawyer search](https://olpr.mncourts.gov/lawyer-search/) of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility to check that the lawyer is licensed in Minnesota and whether they have public discipline.

## FAQ

### What is the statute of limitations for a car accident in Minnesota?

Generally 6 years for injury and vehicle damage claims based on negligence. Wrongful death claims must be filed within 3 years of the death, and claims against a city or county need written notice within 180 days.

### Is Minnesota a no-fault state?

Yes. Your own policy pays basic economic loss benefits of up to $40,000 per person, whoever caused the crash. You can sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if you meet the medical expense or serious injury threshold.

### When can I sue for pain and suffering in Minnesota?

When your medical expenses, not counting diagnostic X-rays and rehabilitation, are more than $4,000, or the crash caused permanent disfigurement, permanent injury, death, or disability for 60 days or more.

### Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Minnesota?

Yes, against any defendant whose fault is at least as great as yours. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault.

### How do I get a crash report in Minnesota?

Ask the Department of Public Safety, a driver and vehicle services full-service provider or the police agency that investigated. People involved in the crash, their lawyers and insurers can get a copy for $5.

### Can a Minnesota crash report be used in court?

No. State law says the report must not be used as evidence in any trial, civil or criminal. Insurers still read it, and the facts in it can be proven through witnesses.

## Sources

- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 65B.51](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/65B.51) — tort threshold and deduction of no-fault benefits
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 541.15](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/541.15) — deadlines for minors
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 466.05](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/466.05) — notice to local governments
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 3.736](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/3.736) — claims against the State
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 169.09](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.09) — crash notice, reports and copies
- [Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, Resources for the Public](https://lprb.mncourts.gov/about/resources-for-the-public/) — lawyer referral service
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 541.05](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/541.05), checked October 29, 2026
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 573.02](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/573.02), checked October 29, 2026
- [Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minn. Stat. § 466.04](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/466.04), checked October 29, 2026
- [Insurance Information Institute, Facts + Statistics: Uninsured motorists](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-uninsured-motorists), checked October 29, 2026
- [NHTSA, Drunk Driving (risky driving page)](https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving), checked October 29, 2026
- [Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, Helpful Tips for Hiring a Lawyer](https://lprb.mncourts.gov/about/helpful-tips-for-hiring-a-lawyer/), checked October 29, 2026
- [Minnesota Statutes, Section 65B.49 (security; residual liability; uninsured and underinsured motorist)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/65B.49), checked October 28, 2026
- [Minnesota Statutes, Section 65B.44 (basic economic loss benefits)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/65B.44), checked October 28, 2026
- [Minnesota Department of Commerce, Home page](https://mn.gov/commerce/), checked October 28, 2026
- [IIHS, Fatality Facts 2024: State by state](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/state-by-state), checked June 1, 2026