Were you injured in a drunk driving accident in Minnesota?
At Bennerotte & Associates, P.A., we provide drunk driving accident representation on a contingency basis, so you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
If you were hit by a drunk driver in Minnesota, you may be facing serious injuries and concerns about how to hold the offending driver accountable. At Bennerotte & Associates, P.A., our Minnesota DUI lawyer represents the people drunk drivers hurt, not the drivers themselves. Thomas R. Bennerotte has worked in personal injury since 1991, and our attorneys bring 161 years of combined experience to these cases. We offer free consultations and charge nothing unless we recover for you. Reach out today and tell us what happened.
DUI Lawyer Minnesota
A DUI accident lawyer in Minnesota, in the sense we use the term, is a personal injury attorney who represents people injured or killed by impaired drivers. The drunk driver faces a criminal DWI charge brought by the county. You hold a separate civil claim for your injuries, and that claim is what we handle.
Minnesota DPS data shows 668 alcohol-related driving deaths and roughly 1,926 serious injuries from alcohol-related crashes across the state between 2020 and 2024. Nationally, NHTSA reports 11,904 drunk driving deaths in 2024 alone. Behind each number is a family dealing with the aftermath. Our Minnesota DUI accident attorneys help those families hold the driver, and sometimes the bar that overserved that driver, financially accountable.
Types of DUI Accident Cases We Handle in Minnesota
Drunk drivers cause every kind of crash, and the injuries tend to be worse because an impaired driver rarely brakes before impact. Our Minnesota DUI accident lawyers handle the full range of impaired driving injury claims across the state. The common thread is a driver who chose to get behind the wheel after drinking.
- Car accidents. Rear-end collisions, wrong-way crashes, and intersection T-bones are the most common ways a drunk driver injures someone. We gather the police report, breath or blood test results, and traffic camera footage before it disappears. Then we build the claim around the full cost of your injuries.
- Truck accidents. An impaired commercial driver puts 80,000 pounds behind a bad decision. These claims involve the trucking company, its insurer, and federal driver records. We move quickly to preserve logs and electronic data.
- Motorcycle accidents. Riders struck by drunk drivers often suffer fractures, road rash, and head trauma. Insurers sometimes try to shift blame onto the rider. We counter that with physical evidence and witness accounts.
- Pedestrian accidents. People walking home from a restaurant, crossing at a signal, or waiting at a bus stop have no protection from a swerving vehicle. We handle these cases with the care catastrophic injuries demand.
- Bicycle accidents. Cyclists hit by impaired drivers face the same severe injuries pedestrians do. We document the crash scene, the rider’s position in the lane, and the driver’s impairment level.
- Rideshare accidents. A drunk driver may hit your Uber or Lyft, or an impaired rideshare driver may cause the crash. Different insurance policies apply depending.
- Hit-and-run crashes. Impaired drivers flee more often than sober ones. When the driver is never identified, your own uninsured motorist coverage may be the path to recovery, and we pursue it.
- Dram shop claims. Minnesota law allows an injured person to bring a claim against a bar, restaurant, or liquor store that illegally sold alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person. These claims carry short notice deadlines, so we investigate where the driver was drinking right away.
- Wrongful death. When a drunk driver kills someone, the family can bring a civil claim no matter what happens in criminal court. We represent surviving spouses, children, and parents in these cases.
Why Choose Bennerotte & Associates, P.A. as my DUI Lawyer in Minnesota?
Nearly Two Decades Representing Minnesota Crash Victims
Thomas R. Bennerotte founded our firm in 2007 after starting his career in 1991 as an insurance claims adjuster. He understands how adjusters value a drunk driving claim because he once did that job. He is a life member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 since 2016, and a multiple-year Super Lawyers selection. He is also an active member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which matters when a case involves exactly the harm MADD exists to prevent. Our personal injury lawyer in Minnesota has the background and experience you want from a legal team when the other driver was drunk.
Results Without Upfront Cost
Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for injured clients across Minnesota. Our MN DUI lawyers take every case on contingency. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation, and the first consultation is free. We maintain offices in Eagan, Apple Valley, St. Paul, and Woodbury, and we handle claims from every corner of the state.
What Is Important to Understand About a DUI Accident Case?
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for DUI Accident Cases
Liability in a drunk driving crash is usually easier to establish than in other collisions. The driver’s arrest, blood alcohol test, and conviction are powerful evidence of negligence. Under Minnesota’s comparative fault law, you can still recover if you were partly at fault, as long as your share of fault is not greater than the defendant’s, and your award is reduced by your percentage.
Damages fall into a few categories:
- Medical expenses, past and future, including rehabilitation and home care
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering, including emotional distress
- Disfigurement and permanent disability
- Punitive damages, which Minnesota law allows when a defendant showed deliberate disregard for the safety of others
- Wrongful death damages for surviving family members
Minnesota’s no-fault system pays initial medical and wage benefits through your own policy regardless of fault. A claim against the drunk driver for pain and suffering generally requires meeting the state’s injury threshold, which most people hurt by impaired drivers do.
What Are Important Aspects of a DUI Accident Case?
The driver’s criminal case can end in a plea deal or a dismissal without affecting your civil right to compensation. A DUI injury attorney in MN keeps those tracks separate and uses one to strengthen the other.
- The criminal file, including the BAC result and the arresting officer’s observations, becomes evidence in your civil claim
- Dram shop liability requires written notice to the bar within 240 days of the date you hire an attorney
- Drunk drivers frequently carry minimum policies, so a claim against an uninsured driver or your own underinsured motorist coverage often becomes central
- Punitive damages require a separate motion and clear evidence of deliberate disregard
- Shared fault arguments from the insurer still come up, even when the other driver was intoxicated
What Is the DUI Accident Case Timeline?
The general statute of limitations for a negligence injury claim in Minnesota is six years from the date of the crash. A wrongful death claim must be filed within three years of the death and no later than six years after the crash itself. Dram shop claims against a liquor licensee must be commenced within two years. Those are outer limits. Evidence disappears far sooner.
- Investigation and evidence preservation in the first few weeks
- Medical treatment until your condition stabilizes or reaches maximum improvement
- A demand to the insurer, followed by negotiation
- Litigation if the insurer refuses a fair offer
- Settlement or trial
Most claims a Minnesota DUI accident lawyer handles resolve within one to two years. Serious injury cases that go to trial take longer.
What Should You Bring to Your DUI Accident Consultation?
Bring whatever you have of the following to your consultation. These items let a Minnesota DUI attorney give you an accurate first assessment:
- The police report or the incident number
- Photos of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries
- Medical records and bills received so far
- Your own auto insurance declarations page
- Contact information for any witnesses
The meeting is free and usually takes under an hour. Our attorneys will tell you whether you have a claim and what it is likely worth, and a little preparation before that first attorney meeting makes the time more productive.
Most Dangerous Locations for Drunk Driving Accidents in Minnesota
Impaired driving crashes cluster around nightlife districts and the highways that lead out of them. Several of the most dangerous roads in the state appear below for that reason.
Dangerous streets:
- Lake Street, Minneapolis. Bars and restaurants line the corridor from Uptown to the Mississippi River.
- Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis. Late-night traffic leaving the Warehouse District and North Loop mixes with pedestrians.
- University Avenue, St. Paul. Heavy traffic, frequent crossings, and nightlife along the Green Line.
- West 7th Street, St. Paul. Event crowds from Xcel Energy Center spill onto a busy arterial.
Dangerous highways:
- Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul, especially overnight on weekends.
- Interstate 35W through south Minneapolis and the southern suburbs.
- Highway 169 from Shakopee north through Bloomington and Brooklyn Park.
- Highway 10 through Anoka and Coon Rapids.
Reach Out to Bennerotte & Associates, P.A. to Schedule a Consultation
If a drunk driver hurt you or took someone from your family, speak with a DWI accident lawyer in Minnesota before you talk to the other driver’s insurer. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win. Contact us to get started.
