Minneapolis-St. Paul Courthouse Guide for Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury lawsuits in the Twin Cities are filed in the county where the accident happened or where the defendant resides. If your accident occurred in Minneapolis, the western suburbs (Bloomington, Edina, Plymouth, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie), or anywhere else in Hennepin County, you file in the 4th Judicial District — Hennepin County District Court.

Hennepin County Government Center — 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487. The civil filing counter is on the 3rd floor of C-Tower. Phone: (612) 348-6000. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mailing address: Hennepin County District Court, Attn: Civil Filing, Hennepin County Govt. Ctr. C-3, Minneapolis, MN 55487.

If your accident occurred in St. Paul, the eastern suburbs (Maplewood, Roseville, White Bear Lake, Woodbury), or elsewhere in Ramsey County, you file in the 2nd Judicial District — Ramsey County District Court. Ramsey County Courthouse — 15 West Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul, MN 55102. Civil filing phone: (651) 266-8253. General phone: (651) 266-8266. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If your accident happened in another Twin Cities suburb — Dakota County, Anoka County, Washington County, Scott County, or Carver County — you file in that county's district court. Minnesota has 87 counties, each with a district court. Check which county your accident location falls in before filing.

A personal injury lawsuit in Minnesota begins by drafting a Summons and Complaint. The complaint states the factual basis for your claim, identifies each defendant, sets out the legal theories of liability, and specifies the damages you seek. The complaint must comply with the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure.

File the Summons and Complaint with the district court clerk in the appropriate county. Attorneys must use the Odyssey File & Serve (eFS) electronic filing system. Self-represented (pro se) litigants may file in person or by mail — but once you file electronically in a case, you must continue using eFS for the entire case. All documents must be saved as PDFs before uploading to eFS. For eFS support, contact Tyler Technologies at 1-800-297-5377.

After filing, serve the defendant with the Summons and Complaint. Personal service by a process server or the county sheriff is the most common method. The defendant has 20 days after service to file a response under the Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure. The court then assigns a judge and issues a scheduling order setting deadlines for discovery, motions, and trial.

Filing fees in Minnesota are set by Minn. Stat. § 357.021 plus county-specific law library surcharges. In Hennepin County (Minneapolis), the filing fee for a civil complaint is $297 — $285 base fee plus $12 law library fee. In Ramsey County (St. Paul), the filing fee is $325 — $310 base fee plus $15 law library fee. If you request a jury trial at filing, add $100.

Other common fees: motion filing is $100, certified copies cost $14, and additional jury trial requests (if filed separately) are $100. These fees are current as of early 2026 — verify with the court clerk before filing, as amounts can change.

If you cannot afford the filing fee, Minnesota provides a fee waiver process. File an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (IFP) demonstrating financial hardship. If granted, most court fees are waived. Most personal injury attorneys in the Twin Cities work on contingency — they advance filing fees and costs and recover them from your settlement or verdict.

Minnesota's conciliation court is the equivalent of small claims court. As of August 2024, conciliation court handles civil claims up to $20,000 ($4,000 for consumer credit transactions). No jury trials are available, attorneys are allowed but not required, and the process is designed to be accessible to self-represented parties.

If your personal injury damages total $20,000 or less, conciliation court is faster and less formal than district court. However, most serious personal injury claims — those involving surgery, extended treatment, or permanent injury — will exceed $20,000 when you add medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. These cases belong in district court.

Either party can remove a conciliation court case to district court for a trial de novo (a completely new trial) within 20 days of the judgment. District court cases take longer (often 12 to 24 months to reach trial) but offer jury trials and no cap on recoverable damages.

Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) is the public system for looking up court cases statewide. Access it at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. You can search by person name, business name, attorney name, case number, citation number, or attorney bar number. The system shows the register of actions, case records, monetary judgment details, and publicly accessible documents. Searching is free.

MCRO draws data from the Minnesota Court Information System (MNCIS), which is the internal system used by all 87 county district courts. Access to case records is governed by Rule 8, Subdivision 2 of the Minnesota Rules of Public Access to Records of the Judicial Branch.

If you cannot find your case online, contact the Hennepin County court at (612) 348-6000 or the Ramsey County court at (651) 266-8253 during business hours. Bring your case number if you have it, or the names of the parties and approximate filing date.

Minnesota is a no-fault auto insurance state. After a car accident, you first collect from your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage regardless of who was at fault. PIP covers medical expenses, lost wages, and certain other costs up to your policy limits.

To step outside the no-fault system and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, your injuries must meet the tort threshold. Under Minnesota law, you can file a lawsuit if your medical expenses exceed $4,000, or if you suffered a permanent injury, permanent disfigurement, or disability lasting 60 or more days. If your injuries do not meet this threshold, you are limited to collecting from your own PIP coverage.

This threshold is critical for car accident cases in the Twin Cities. Many soft-tissue injuries (whiplash, minor sprains) may not meet the $4,000 medical expense threshold. If your injuries are serious enough to require surgery, physical therapy, or extended treatment, you will likely exceed the threshold. Your attorney can help you determine whether your case qualifies for a lawsuit.

Minnesota's statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is 6 years from the date of injury (Minn. Stat. § 541.05, Subd. 1(5)). This is one of the longest deadlines in the country. Wrongful death claims have a 3-year deadline. Medical malpractice claims have a 4-year deadline. Product liability (strict liability) claims have a 4-year deadline.

Minnesota uses a modified comparative fault rule (Minn. Stat. § 604.01). Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. The critical threshold is 51% — if you are found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. If you are 50% or less at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages are $100,000 and you are 30% at fault, you recover $70,000.

Even though Minnesota has a 6-year statute of limitations, do not wait to take action. Evidence deteriorates, witnesses forget details, and medical records become harder to connect to the accident over time. The sooner you consult an attorney and begin building your case, the stronger your claim will be.

If your injury was caused by the State of Minnesota, a county, a city (including Minneapolis or St. Paul), or another government entity, the Minnesota Municipal Tort Claims Act (Minn. Stat. § 466.01 et seq.) governs your claim. Government entities in Minnesota have limited immunity — they can be sued for most torts, but with important limitations.

You must provide written notice of your claim to the government entity within 180 days of the injury. The notice must describe the circumstances of the injury and the nature of the damages. Failure to provide timely notice can bar your claim entirely. For the City of Minneapolis, send notice to the City Attorney's office. For the City of St. Paul, send notice to the City Clerk.

Damages against government entities in Minnesota are capped at $500,000 per claimant and $1,500,000 per occurrence. These caps apply regardless of the severity of the injury. Government claims have strict procedural requirements — consult an attorney immediately if a government entity may be responsible.

If you were injured in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and you are considering filing a lawsuit, get your free Injury Claim Check. You will answer a few quick questions about your accident and injuries, and we will give you a personalized report that includes Minnesota's filing deadline for your specific claim, whether your case meets the no-fault tort threshold, and whether connecting with a personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

Even with Minnesota's generous 6-year deadline, starting early gives your attorney more time to investigate, gather evidence, and negotiate with insurance companies. Our Injury Claim Check is free, confidential, and gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about what comes next.