If you have auto insurance in the State of Minnesota, then you are entitled to No-Fault benefits if you are injured in an motor vehicle accident.
No-Fault insurance coverage applies to individuals who have sustained injuries in an accident when the injuries occurred in connection with the maintenance or use of a motor vehicle. Under Minnesota law, individuals that qualify for No-Fault benefits are entitled to up to $20,000.00 in medical benefits to cover reasonable and necessary bills for accident-related treatment or more if you have additional insurance coverage. The types of medical expenses covered include:
(1) medical, surgical, x-ray, optical, dental, chiropractic, and rehabilitative services, including prosthetic devices;
(2) prescription drugs;
(3) ambulance and all other transportation expenses incurred in traveling to receive other covered medical expense benefits;
(4) sign interpreting and language translation services, other than such services provided by a family member of the patient, related to the receipt of medical, surgical, x-ray, optical, dental, chiropractic, hospital, extended care, nursing, and rehabilitative services; and
(5) hospital, extended care, and nursing services.
Medical expenses that are not covered by No-Fault insurance can be submitted to your health insurance carrier for payment consideration.
In addition to medical expenses, an injured individual’s No-Fault coverage also provides for up to $20,000.00 or more if you have additional insurance coverage for income loss, replacement services loss, funeral expense loss and survivor’s loss. With respect to loss of income, the injured person is allowed to make a claim for 85% of the injured person’s loss of present and future gross income from inability to work due to the injury subject to a maximum of $500.00 per week.
Replacement service loss allows for reimbursement of expenses reasonably incurred by or on behalf of the injured person in obtaining usual and necessary substitute services in lieu of those that had the injured person not been injured the injured person would have performed not for income but for direct personal benefit or for the benefit of the injured person’s household. For example if the injured individual needs to hire someone to do a particular task involving home maintenance that he or she would normally perform (eg. shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, etc.), the individual could submit a claim for reimbursement to their No-Fault carrier. Replacement services benefits are subject to a maximum of $200.00 per week.
If a person is killed in a motor vehicle accident, reasonable funeral and burial expenses of the deceased not to exceed $5,000.00 are payable by No-Fault coverage.
Finally, in the event of a death as a result of the motor vehicle accident, No-Fault coverage also applies to survivors benefits. Survivors are entitled to a maximum of $500.00 per week to cover losses incurred after the insured’s death for contributions of money or tangible things of economic value. This includes wage loss as well as expenses incurred in maintaining the household.
If you are injured in an accident, we want to make sure you receive all the benefits you are entitled under the Minnesota No-Fault Act. Please contact our office if you have any questions about your benefits.
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