Car Accident Lawyers in North Dakota

Before a North Dakota driver can sue over a car accident, their own insurance usually pays first. That is the trade-off built into a no-fault state: guaranteed medical and wage coverage up to $30,000 regardless of blame, in exchange for a threshold that has to be cleared before a liability claim against the other driver even opens up. Add a 50% fault bar and a six-year filing deadline, and North Dakota’s car accident rules stand apart from almost every state around it.

PIP First, Liability Claim Second

Every North Dakota auto policy must include at least $30,000 in personal injury protection (PIP), which pays medical bills and lost wages after a crash without regard to who caused it. That coverage handles the bulk of minor and moderate collisions on its own. A standard liability claim against the at-fault driver — the kind that can recover pain and suffering — only becomes available once an injury is serious enough to clear the no-fault threshold.

25/50/25, Plus Matching Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Liability minimums sit at 25/50/25: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage, plus $25,000 in property damage coverage. North Dakota also requires matching 25/50 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on every policy, an important backstop given the state’s long rural highway stretches and heavy oil-field truck traffic in the western counties.

The 50% Bar, Not 51%

Once a claim clears the no-fault threshold, North Dakota applies modified comparative fault under N.D.C.C. § 32-03.2-02. A claimant’s award is reduced by their own percentage of fault — someone found 20% responsible for a $100,000 verdict still collects $80,000 — but the bar sits at 50%, not the 51% threshold used in many neighboring states. A driver found exactly half at fault recovers nothing at all, which makes the fault fight itself the central issue in most contested North Dakota car accident claims.

Six Years to File, With Two Sharper Exceptions

• Six years from the crash date for most claims under N.D.C.C. § 28-01-16(5).
• Wrongful death claims run on a separate two-year clock under § 28-01-18.
• Claims against a state agency require written notice within 180 days under § 32-12.2-04.
• Compensatory damages are uncapped; punitive damages are capped under § 32-03.2-11.

A six-year deadline is generous by national standards, but it lulls some claimants into waiting too long to gather evidence, and it does nothing to extend the much shorter notice period that applies when a state vehicle or employee is involved in the crash.

Finding a Car Accident Lawyer in North Dakota

The Lawyer Atlas is a directory, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice about your specific crash. Look for an attorney who can explain clearly whether your injury clears the no-fault threshold, who understands how local juries apply the 50% fault bar, and who works on contingency so a free consultation costs nothing upfront. Browse the North Dakota city page above to reach attorneys serving Bismarck and the surrounding area.