Alternative No-Fault Coverage Scenarios

Previously, this space has discussed ways that residents of the State of Minnesota can be qualified for medical coverage under their automobile insurance utilizing the Minnesota No-Fault Insurance Coverage Act. This coverage provides up to $20,000.00 of medical coverage and $20,000.00 of wage loss and/or reimbursement for outsourcing household duties.

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident you can be eligible to receive this coverage in one of 3 ways,

1. You are the owner of a vehicle and pay for an insurance policy.

2. You reside with a family member that owns and insures a vehicle.

3. If the vehicle you were in at the time of the accident was insured and none of the above two situations apply, then the insurer of that vehicle provides No-Fault insurance coverage. Under this prong, a pedestrian or cyclist can receive benefits from the automobile that hit them.

These 3 steps provide a framework showing which insurance company will provide coverage for medical expenses and wage loss. 

Most of the time, a typical motor vehicle accident will give rise to a claim for benefits. A typical accident is one involving two vehicles colliding on a roadway. This type of accident will always trigger a claim for benefits. But there are other scenarios that can also give rise to a claim.

The most common of these scenarios involves the “maintenance and use of a motor vehicle.” This term is defined fairly broadly and can be used to describe a number of different situations.

For example, No-Fault coverage can be extended to those that,

• suffer a slip and fall getting into or out of the vehicle.

• suffer an injury while filling the gas tank.

No-Fault coverage may not be extended for those that are loading and unloading a vehicle. Minnesota can prevent this type of injury from being granted access to No-Fault benefits.

There are a great many scenarios where No-Fault benefits can be extended. If you’ve been involved in any type of accident involving a motor vehicle, even one where you don’t think it would be possible to gain access to these benefits, please call the attorneys at Aaron Ferguson Law for a free consultation.