A Primer on Minnesota No-Fault Automobile Insurance

Abstract

The Minnesota No-Fault Act has undergone substantial change since its enactment in 1974. Recent legislative modifications and judicial constructions of the Act's provisions have served to correct earlier deficiencies, but have raised new and complex problems of interpretation. In light of these developments, Professor Steenson provides an overview that explains how the Act functions. After tracing the history of automobile insurance regulation in Minnesota, Professor Steenson examines in detail the various compulsory and optional insurance coverages under the Act, the proper sources of payment under those coverages, and the limitations imposed by the Act on the right to recover damages in a tort action.

Keywords: Minnesota No-Fault Act, automobile insurance, basic economic loss benefits, automobile insurance regulation, optional insurance coverage, torts