Yes, Minnesota is a ‘no-fault’ state, but that has nothing to do with who is at fault in a crash. The terms ‘fault’ and ‘no-fault’ have very different meanings.
In general, being a ‘no-fault’ state only means that, in a car crash, the first $20,000 of medical bills and first $20,000 of economic losses must be covered by your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) auto policy. If you don’t have your own PIP auto policy, there are other ways to get those bills and wage losses covered by an alternate PIP policy. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can help.
When it comes to ‘fault,’ whether you have a strong personal injury or property loss claim against the other driver can be complex. To win compensation, the other driver must have more fault than you. Fault may be obvious, or it can get very complicated. Most often, determining who is at fault in an accident is evaluated by looking at lots of factors, such as the police report, witness statements, weather, road conditions, video or photo evidence, roadway signage, drivers’ statements, and potentially a multitude of other factors. An experienced personal injury attorney can help sort out issues of fault.
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