Minnesota Injuries Glossary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

The point that confuses people most is that admitting some or all of the underlying facts does not automatically mean losing. An affirmative defense says, in effect, "even if...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-26

arraignment

You just got a letter that says you need to appear in court for an arraignment after a charge was filed. That hearing is usually the formal start of the criminal case in front...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

bail vs bond

They are not the same thing, even though people use the words like they mean one thing. Bail is the amount of money or security a court sets to help make sure a person comes...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

damage cap for government

$500,000 for one person and $1,500,000 for one incident can be the difference between being fully compensated and being stuck with unpaid losses. If you do not know a...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

demand letter

Not a lawsuit, a court filing, or a guarantee that an insurer will suddenly play fair. A demand letter is a written notice sent before or during settlement talks that explains...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

determinate vs indeterminate sentence

The part that trips people up most is that both kinds of sentences can involve a range of time in custody, but the key difference is who decides the release date. With a...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

double jeopardy

Being prosecuted or punished twice for the same offense. "Twice" matters because the protection is aimed at repeat government attempts after a case has already been resolved....

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

exclusionary rule

A court-made rule that blocks prosecutors from using evidence obtained through a violation of a person's constitutional rights, most often an unlawful search, seizure, or...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-28

expungement

Not a magic eraser that makes an arrest or conviction vanish from every database forever. In most cases, expungement means a court orders a record to be sealed from public...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-29

Gillette injury

$0 on the day it starts can still turn into a serious injury claim later - kind of like a hinge that loosens one tiny turn at a time until the door finally drops. In Minnesota,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

grand jury

Like a dock foreman deciding whether there is enough evidence to send a damaged load further down the line for full inspection, this is a screening body, not the final...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

insanity defense

You just got a letter that says a defendant plans to raise an insanity defense, and suddenly a case that looked straightforward does not look so simple. An insanity defense is...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-29

Miranda rights

A police warning that you can stay silent, ask for a lawyer, and have one appointed if you cannot afford one. Each part matters. "Stay silent" means you do not have to answer...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

Monell liability

$250,000 in medical bills later, you just got a letter that says the city is not responsible for what one employee did. That is where Monell liability usually comes up. It is...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

motion to compel

You may see this in a court filing, an attorney email, or a hearing notice saying the other side has filed a motion to compel because someone did not fully answer questions,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

own recognizance release

Insurance companies and even defense lawyers can twist this phrase to make someone look less harmed or less credible: "If the court released them without bail, the case must...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

probation vs parole

Insurance companies and defense lawyers may bring up probation or parole to paint someone as careless, unreliable, or already "in trouble," especially after a crash or...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-01

qualified immunity

The part that catches people off guard is this: a government employee can violate someone's rights and still avoid personal liability if the law was not "clearly established"...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

right to remain silent

Not a free pass to ignore every question from every person, and not an admission of guilt either. The right to remain silent is the constitutional protection that lets a person...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

search warrant requirements

Defense lawyers use this phrase to attack bad police work, and prosecutors hate when it works. They know a sloppy warrant can blow up a case. What it really means is the set of...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

self-defense claim

People often mix up a self-defense claim with defense of others. Self-defense is a person's argument that using force was legally justified to protect themselves from an...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

sentencing guidelines

Not a fixed sentence handed down automatically, and not a promise that every judge will punish every case the same way. Sentencing guidelines are a structured set of rules...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

statute of limitations for criminal charges

A statute of limitations for criminal charges is the legal deadline for prosecutors to file a criminal case after an alleged offense happens. Once that deadline runs out, the...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

voir dire

You just got a letter that says you may need to report for jury duty, or your lawyer tells you the case is heading into jury selection. That stage is called voir dire. It is...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22