Timothy W. Nelson

Education

  • Concordia College, B.A. – 1974
  • University of South Dakota School of Law, J.D. – 1984

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota (State and Federal)
  • South Dakota (State)

Memberships

  • Minnesota Association of Justice
  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Stearns-Benton Bar Association

Timothy W. Nelson

Timothy W. Nelson has been representing personal injury victims in Minnesota and South Dakota throughout the last five decades.

Originally from the small southwest Minnesota town of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, Tim graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1974. After college, Tim worked as a teacher, principal, and football, wrestling, and track coach until he received his law degree from the University of South Dakota in 1984, where he was a sterling honor graduate. He was admitted to the Minnesota bar in 1984 and the South Dakota bar in 1985.

In 1989, Tim joined a central Minnesota personal injury firm, which he helped build into a successful personal injury practice. In 1991, Tim tried a defective products claim against a swimming pool manufacturer, obtaining a $983,000 verdict for a woman injured while diving into a pool. The verdict was believed to be one of the largest in Sherburne County history at the time.

In 1992, Tim earned his certification by the Minnesota State Bar Association Emblem. This honor is reserved only for those attorneys who have been able to meet the rigorous requirements of certification, including demonstrated knowledge and substantial experience as a civil trial lawyer. Tim held this designation until 2023.
In 1993, Tim became a partner in Nelson Hanson Personal Injury Attorneys and in 1995, the firm became known as Nelson Personal Injury. Since then, he has committed his entire practice to fighting insurance companies to ensure that accident victims and their families obtain fair compensation for their injuries.

He is also a former member of the Board of Governors of the Minnesota Trial Lawyer’s Association. He has taught continuing legal education classes to other attorneys and served for many years as an adjunct professor of Trial Practice at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
In his free time, Tim enjoys golfing, fishing, and spending time with his seven grandchildren.

Reported Cases:

  • Kelley v. Tracy Fire Dept. Relief Ass’n, 390 N.W.2d 394 (Minn.App. 1986);
  • Kennedy v. LeFebvre, 847 F.2d 482 (8th Cir. 1988);
  • Dingmann v. Travelers Country Club, 420 N.W.2d 231 (Minn.App. 1988);
  • Kline v. Doughboy Recreational Mfg. Co., 495 N.W.2d 435 (Minn.App. 1993);
  • Anders v. Trester, 562 N.W.2d 45 (Minn.App 1997);
  • Granite Valley Hotel Ltd. Partnership v. Jackpot Junction Bingo and Casino, 559 N.W.2d 135 (Minn.App. 1997);
  • Lhotka v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co., 572 N.W.2d 772 (Minn.App. 1998);
  • Dougherty v. State Farm Mut. Ins. Co., 683 N.W.2d 855 (Minn.App. 2004);
  • Dougherty v. State Farm Mut. Ins. Co., 699 N.W.2d 741 (MInn. 2005);
  • Kern v. Janson, A10-355, File No. 49-CV-09-1679 (Minn.App. 2010);
  • Kern v. Janson, 800 N.W.2d 126 (Minn. 2011);