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Know
Your Auto Insurance Rights
If you have been injured in an automobile
accident it is important for you to know the answers to following two
questions:
1.
Who pays for my medical expenses and economic losses?
- Under
Minnesota
law, your auto insurance must pay for your medical expenses and economic
losses, no matter who was at fault for the accident. Therefore,
if you are in an accident with another car, your insurance company, not
the other car’s insurance, will be required to pay for your medical
and economic losses.
- If
you were the driver or a passenger of another person’s vehicle at
the time of the accident, your auto insurance still must pay for your
medical and economic losses. (If you
are living with a family member who has auto insurance, you will be covered
under their policy.)
- If
you were the driver or a passenger of another person’s vehicle at
the time of the accident, and you do not have auto insurance, then
the insurance for the vehicle you were in must pay for your medical
and economic losses.
- If
you were not in a vehicle (i.e. a pedestrian) when you were injured by a
vehicle, your auto insurance must pay for your medical and economic
losses.
- If
you were pedestrian when you were injured by a vehicle, but you do not
have auto insurance, then the insurance company for the vehicle that
hit you must pay for your medical and economic losses.
- If
you are not covered under any of the above scenarios, you still may be
eligible for medical and economic loss protection through
Minnesota
’s assigned claims plan.
- Every
auto insurance policy in
Minnesota
is required to provide at least $20,000.00 in coverage for medical
expenses and another $20,000.00 for economic losses, such as income loss
and the cost of replacement services.
2.
How Can I Get Compensated for My Pain and Suffering?
- If
the accident was another person’s fault, then you can get
compensated for your pain and suffering from the other person’s insurance
company if you suffered any
one of the following:
a.
Medical expenses in excess of $4,000.00;
b.
A permanent injury;
c.
A disability for sixty days or more;
d.
Permanent disfigurement; or
e.
Death.
- If
the vehicle that hit you was not insured, then your own auto
insurance must compensate you for your pain and suffering.
- If
you were a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in an accident, then you
can get compensated for your pain and suffering from either the insurance
company covering the vehicle you were in, or the insurance company covering
the other vehicle, depending on which driver was at fault for the accident.
- Every
auto insurance policy in
Minnesota
is required to provide at least $30,000.00 in liability coverage per
person, subject to a $60,000.00 per accident limitation, with $10,000.00 in
property coverage per accident; and underinsured and uninsured motorist
insurance coverage in the amount of $25,000.00 bodily injury coverage per
person, subject to a $50,000.00 per accident limitation.
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