Protests over the death of George Floyd have been intense over the past few weeks. Tens of thousands of protestors hit the street to have their voices heard over what was perceived to be police brutality.

In response to these protests, police officers from around the state were dispatched in an effort to rein in these protests, which at times got out of hand. Many people, though, feel that these police officers caused further problems through the use of rubber bullets.

Below, we’re going to discuss the potential dangers of these rubber bullets being used during the protests. There’s a chance that people who are injured by these bullets may be entitled to file a Minnesota personal injury claim against the Minneapolis Police Department. We’ll then go into the personal claims process in the state of Minnesota and what you can expect.

How Can Rubber Bullets Be Dangerous To Protestors?

Police departments around the country have adopted the use of rubber bullets as a non-fatal means of riot control. Over the past few weeks, these rubber bullets have heavily been used to rein in protestors in states around the country.

While these rubber bullets may be sold as a non-lethal means of riot control, they are not without extreme danger. Some of the injuries that people struck by rubber bullets have sustained in the past include:

● Severe bruising
● Internal bleeding
● Punctured skin
● Fractured bones
● Eyeball damage

These are just some of the injuries that have occurred from these supposedly non-lethal bullets. There have even been reports of people dying after being hit in the head with rubber bullets.

With police in Minneapolis being accused of firing these rubber bullets indiscriminately at protestors, it is important that you know what you could be getting into.

How Can Those Injured By Rubber Bullets File Minnesota Personal Injury Claims?

So, what if you are injured by the act of a police officer?

If you were at one of the many protests that occurred over the past weeks and were lawfully exercising your rights, officers are obligated under the law to protect your rights. This means they must let people who are not breaking the law protest.

In the event they fire rubber bullets on lawful and peaceful protestors, the police may be violating negligence laws. These laws are meant to determine if a person who has a duty to protect others, such as a police officer, has violated their duty.

In the event that you are injured by a rubber bullet while legally protesting, the police officer that fired upon you has likely violated these negligence laws. At this point, you are entitled to make a personal injury claim.

Filing a Minnesota Personal Injury Claim

In the event you are a victim of the above type of injury, you will need to file a personal injury claim. You are required by Minnesota law to make a claim within 180 days of the alleged injury occurring.

You will need to document the time, place, and circumstances surrounding the alleged injury. It’s also important that you know the names and other identifying information of the officers involved in the incident. This information will be required when filing a claim.

After a claim is filed, you will be required to furnish the full facts and information surrounding the claim within 15 days. This includes any information about hospital bills or other damages sustained from the injury. You will be required to list the desired compensation at this time as well.

Because there are hard dates that must be followed during the claims process, you need to get it right the first time. If you let any of these deadlines pass you may lose your right to bring forth a claim and demand the compensation you are entitled to.

About the Author:

Andrew T. Poole is a Minnesota native who has served in the Army for more than 18 years and is currently a JAG lawyer in the Army Reserves in addition to serving as a partner at LaCourse, Poole & Envall. He has handled thousands of criminal and family law cases over the course of his career and has a firm belief that all hardworking Minnesotans should be entitled to the best possible legal counsel. Mr. Poole boasts a 10/10 Superb rating on Avvo, is Lead Counsel rated, and has been recognized multiple times by SuperLawyers, National Trial Lawyers, and others for his work.