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Minnesota injury rights, deadlines, and help

You are dealing with a lot right now. This page can help. If you were hurt in Minnesota, the first question is usually: how long do I have to act?

Are you in an emergency right now?
Check yourself and others for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is not safe.
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Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries hide for days.
This page is for after you are safe.

This page covers Minnesota injury deadlines and what to do right now. We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

The deadline box: Minnesota's key time limits

Personal injury lawsuit: 6 years. Under Minn. Stat. § 541.05, subd. 1(5), most negligence injury claims (car crashes, slip and falls, and most other injury cases) must be sued on within 6 years. This is the statute of limitations (the legal deadline to file a lawsuit). (Source)
Someone hurt you on purpose: 2 years. Under Minn. Stat. § 541.07(1), claims for assault, battery, false imprisonment, or defamation (libel or slander) must be sued on within 2 years. This shorter clock only applies to these intentional acts, not to ordinary accidents. (Source)
Medical malpractice: 4 years. Under Minn. Stat. § 541.076, a claim against a health care provider must be sued on within 4 years from the date of the malpractice. (Source)
Wrongful death: 3 years. Under Minn. Stat. § 573.02, a wrongful death claim must be sued on within 3 years of the death, and never more than 6 years from the event that caused it (4 years if the cause was medical malpractice). (Source)
Work injury, report to your employer: 14 days for full protection. Under Minn. Stat. § 176.141, notice within 14 days keeps full benefits. Notice within 30 days still works unless the employer proves prejudice. From 30 to 180 days, you need a recognized excuse. After 180 days, the claim is barred unless you were incapacitated. (Source)
Work injury, file the claim: 3 years. Under Minn. Stat. § 176.151, a workers compensation claim (the state system that pays for work injuries) must be filed within 3 years after the employer's written injury report to the state, and never more than 6 years from the accident. (Source)
Injury involving the government: 180 days. Notice to the Attorney General for state claims (Minn. Stat. § 3.736, subd. 5) or to the governing body for city and county claims (Minn. Stat. § 466.05) is due within 180 days of when you discover the loss. Wrongful death: 1 year. (Source, source)

Warning: don't wait! Minnesota's 6-year injury clock is a trap, because it feels like plenty of time. It is not. The deadlines that actually end cases are much shorter: 14 days to report a work injury for full protection, 180 days to notify a government agency, and 4 years for a medical malpractice claim. Insurance policies can carry their own short deadlines too. Waiting kills cases. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and documents get lost, long before 6 years pass. Collect and save what you can, then talk to an advocate immediately. And important: medical claims can have different, often shorter deadlines. Do not assume the standard rule covers a hospital or doctor case.

Protect your case

Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
If it happened at work, give your employer written notice today. Fourteen days protects you fully, but same-day notice protects you best. Keep a copy.
Write down what happened while it is fresh: date, time, place, people, and conditions.
Take photos of the scene and anything involved (a vehicle, an icy walkway, a machine).
Get names and contact information for witnesses.
Note who owns the place where you were hurt. If the state, a city, or a county is involved, the 180-day clock is already running.

Talk to an advocate. You do not have to sort out these deadlines alone.

Never do these

Never sign anything from an insurance company before you understand your full costs. Talk to an advocate first.
Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to an advocate first.
Never sit on a rejection from one lawyer without getting a second opinion quickly. Shorter deadlines, like the 14-day work-injury notice or the 180-day government notice, keep running while you wait.
Never post about the incident or your recovery on social media. Insurers use these posts against you.

Common situations in Minnesota

Hurt at work. Minnesota's tiered notice system rewards speed. Every day you wait moves you down a tier, from automatic protection toward a complete bar at 180 days. Report in writing the same day, even if the injury seems minor. Injuries that "seem fine" can get worse, and an early written record settles later arguments about when and how it happened.

Hurt on the road. Minnesota uses modified comparative negligence (a rule that reduces or blocks recovery based on your share of fault). Under Minn. Stat. § 604.01, you can recover as long as your fault is not greater than the other side's, with your payment reduced by your share. (Source) Because your fault percentage is worth real money, gather evidence early: photos, witnesses, and the crash report.

Hurt on someone's property. Falls, dog bites, and unsafe conditions follow the same 6-year lawsuit clock. Minnesota's dog statute is one of the broadest in the country. Under Minn. Stat. § 347.22, an owner or keeper is liable for the full damages when a dog attacks or injures a person who is acting peaceably and is lawfully present. It covers injuries beyond bites, and you do not have to prove the dog was known to be dangerous. (Source) If a public sidewalk or building is involved, remember the 180-day notice.

A true story: the lawyer who said "no case"

In 1971, John Togstad suffered a devastating injury while being treated in a Minnesota hospital, leaving him paralyzed and unable to speak. About 14 months later his wife Joan met with a lawyer. He listened for less than an hour, did no research, requested no medical records, and said he did not think they had a case. He never mentioned that a filing deadline was running. Trusting him, the family waited a full year before asking another lawyer. By then the deadline had passed, and a claim that experts later called a winner was gone forever. The family spent years suing the lawyer instead, and in 1980 the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld a large verdict against him. (Source: Togstad v. Vesely, Otto, Miller & Keefe, Minn. 1980) Get a second opinion quickly if one lawyer turns you down. The deadline keeps running while you wait.

What we can help with

We are on your side, and our help is free to injured people. We can help you:

Understand which Minnesota deadlines apply to your situation
Understand why a written work-injury notice, sent today, matters
Know what records, photos, and timeline details to keep
Connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves

We do not give legal advice, and we never take money from injured people. We explain your rights in plain language and connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours.

Talk to an advocate. A settlement should reflect what your recovery is really worth. Let us help you connect with a lawyer who handles cases like yours. Start the form or open the chat.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-08-17

This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines can change or vary with the facts. A licensed attorney can confirm the rule for your situation.

Injury types we cover in Minnesota

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