Experienced North Dakota Car Accident Attorneys Serving Grand Forks, Minot, and Beyond
Car accidents in North Dakota trigger a no-fault insurance process that pays initial medical costs through your own PIP coverage — but that coverage has a $30,000 cap and does not compensate for pain and suffering. When injuries are serious, stepping outside the no-fault system to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver is often the only way to recover full damages. At Pringle & Herigstad, P.C., our North Dakota car accident attorneys handle every stage of that process — from investigating liability and documenting injuries to negotiating with insurers and litigating when necessary. With offices in Grand Forks and Minot and more than a century of experience, we know how North Dakota courts handle these cases.
Why Choose Pringle & Herigstad for Your North Dakota Car Accident Case
North Dakota’s most established personal injury firm has a track record no out-of-state competitor can claim. We have over a century of results for real North Dakotans, from oilfield accidents to highway crashes. Reasons clients choose us to handle their claims include:
- Founded in 1909: We have over 115 years of experience representing North Dakota injury victims
- Successful Track Record: Hundreds of millions recovered for clients across the state, including some of the largest personal injury verdicts in North Dakota history
- Two offices: Grand Forks and Minot
- Free consultations: No upfront cost and no obligation
- Contingency fee: You owe nothing unless we recover for you
- Trial-ready from day one: We build every case for the courtroom, increasing our leverage during settlement negotiations
- 2025 Best Law Firm: The Minot Daily News Best of the Best awards as the community’s top-voted law firm for 2025
You can review our car accident case results for yourself. When you’re navigating one of the most difficult times in your life, you deserve an attorney who genuinely cares about your recovery, not just your case. We’re here to fight for the outcome you deserve, every step of the way.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident in North Dakota?
Call 911, document everything, seek medical care, and contact an attorney before speaking with the other driver’s insurance company. The steps you take in the first 24 hours directly shape the strength of your claim. This car accident checklist can help you protect your rights:
- Call 911 and remain at the scene until law enforcement arrives
- Exchange contact, driver’s license, and insurance information with all parties
- Photograph the scene, including vehicle positions, damage, injuries, road conditions, and signage
- Get a medical evaluation, even if you feel fine because symptoms from whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries often appear days later
- Do not admit fault or give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer without speaking to an attorney first
- Contact a North Dakota car accident attorney before accepting any settlement offer
Avoid the most common mistakes people make after a car accident. Insurance companies count on victims making errors after a car crash. The companies use these errors to undervalue and deny valid claims.
How Does North Dakota’s No-Fault Insurance System Work?
North Dakota is a no-fault state. Your own insurer covers your initial economic losses regardless of fault. To sue the at-fault driver directly, your injuries must cross a legal threshold and many do. Things you need to know about North Dakota’s no-fault insurance system include:
What Does PIP Cover?
Your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical and economic losses first, up to your policy limits. North Dakota law requires a minimum of $30,000 in PIP coverage per person.
The Serious Injury Threshold
To step outside the no-fault system and file a tort claim, you must sustain a serious injury. “Serious injury” is defined as your medical expenses exceeding $2,500 OR as an accidental bodily injury that results in death, dismemberment, serious and permanent disfigurement or disability beyond sixty days
Required Auto Insurance
North Dakota requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may apply, subject to your policy limits and North Dakota law. Learn more about uninsured and underinsured accident claims and how they impact your recovery. For a full explanation of how fault works in North Dakota, see our in-depth guide.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Car Accident in North Dakota?
North Dakota law allows injury victims to pursue three categories of damages in a tort claim. The full value of your claim may reach well beyond your initial medical bills. Damages you may recover for a car accident claim include:
Economic Damages
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement
- Out-of-pocket costs tied to the accident
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Diminished quality of life
Punitive Damages
- Available when the at-fault party acted with oppression, fraud, or actual malice
- Capped at the greater of twice your compensatory damages or $250,000
For a detailed breakdown of what a car accident settlement in Grand Forks includes, read our full guide.
What If You Were Partially at Fault for the Crash?
You can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault is below 50%. North Dakota’s modified comparative fault system decreases your award by your percentage of fault. However, if you are 50% or more at fault, you receive nothing.
For example, suppose a jury awards you $100,000 in damages with 20% fault assigned to you. The court would reduce your recovery by 20% ($20,000) so you would only receive $80,000.
Insurance adjusters routinely inflate fault percentages to reduce payouts or deny claims. An attorney challenges those assessments with evidence. Read more about how contributory negligence works in North Dakota.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in North Dakota?
Most North Dakota car accident victims have six years to file a lawsuit, but shorter deadlines apply in specific situations, and missing them ends your case permanently. The statute of limitations for car accident claims include:
- Personal injury and property damage: 6 years from the accident date
- Wrongful death: 2 years from the date of death
- Claims involving a government vehicle or employee: You must notify the state in writing within 180 days after the injury is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. Additionally, the deadline to file suit against the state is 3 years, not the standard 6 years. Notice and filing deadlines may vary for claims against local political subdivisions.
Evidence disappears and witnesses’ memories fade. Know the full deadline to file a personal injury claim in North Dakota before time runs out. Contact an attorney as soon as possible.
What to Expect When You Work With Our Team
From your first call, we take over the process so you can focus on recovery. You can expect us to:
- Free initial consultation means we review your case with no cost and no commitment required.
- All insurance communication is handled by us so you do not need to worry about recorded statements. No settlement accepted without your informed consent.
- Full case investigation, including gathering accident reports, witness accounts, medical records, and expert analysis, to build a solid case
- Aggressive negotiation with the goal of recovering maximum compensation, not a fast close
- Trial-ready preparation so if the insurer refuses to offer a fair settlement, we go to court.
Know what to expect before filing a car accident claim and walk into your consultation prepared.
Speak With a North Dakota Car Accident Attorney in Grand Forks or Minot
Contact us for a free consultation. We work on contingency so you owe nothing unless we recover for you. Pringle & Herigstad has served North Dakota from our Grand Forks and Minot offices for over 115 years. Put that record to work for your case today.
Frequently Asked Questions About North Dakota Car Accidents
How Do I Get a Car Accident Report in North Dakota?
Crash reports are available through the North Dakota Department of Transportation for a fee. You can also request a report directly from the Grand Forks Police Department or the North Dakota Highway Patrol, depending on which agency responded to your crash. For step-by-step instructions, see our guides on how to get a car accident report in Grand Forks and how to get a car accident report in Minot.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in North Dakota?
North Dakota roads carry serious hazards year-round. The most frequent causes of injury crashes in the state include:
- Distracted driving from phones, navigation systems, and in-vehicle distractions
- Impaired driving from alcohol and drugs
- Rear-end collisions from tailgating or sudden stops
- Winter road conditions, including ice, snow, and reduced visibility
- Lane departures, a leading factor in fatal North Dakota crashes
- Hit-and-run accidents
When another party’s negligence causes your car crash, you could be entitled to compensation beyond PIP benefits. A qualified attorney can evaluate your case and explain your legal options.
Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer?
No, not before speaking with an attorney. Insurance companies typically open with offers that do not account for future medical costs, ongoing lost wages, or pain and suffering. Once you sign a settlement release, you cannot return for additional compensation. Before accepting anything, review what to know before filing a car accident claim and call Pringle & Herigstad for a free, no-obligation evaluation of what your case is actually worth.
Does my insurance pay for a car accident?
North Dakota follows a no-fault system, meaning your insurance company pays for your medical bills, lost wages, and other specific damages after an accident. However, your insurance company does not pay for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. After an accident, you have the option of collecting compensation through your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage provided by your auto insurance company and filing a third-party lawsuit against another person/party who was at fault for the crash. To step outside the no-fault system and file a third-party car accident lawsuit, you will have to meet certain requirements.
Can I file a car accident claim if I was at fault?
Yes, you can file a car accident claim with your insurance company regardless of fault. Your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance covers certain economic damages (such as medical expenses, lost wages, etc.) after an accident, even if you were partially or fully at fault. If you wish to file a third-party lawsuit against another at-fault driver, you will need to prove that you were less than 50% at fault for the accident to have grounds for a claim (in addition to other requirements).
When can you file a third-party car accident lawsuit in North Dakota?
Most car accident claims are resolved through North Dakota’s no-fault insurance system, meaning you recover compensation for your financial losses by filing a personal injury protection (PIP) claim. However, PIP coverage is limited, and there are certain instances in which it may be appropriate/necessary to step outside the no-fault system and seek compensation directly from the at-fault party. To do so, you will need to prove that you suffered “serious and permanent disfigurement or disability” that lasts or is expected to last more than 60 days, or that your total necessary medical expenses were more than $2,500. Under the state’s modified comparative negligence rule, you will also need to prove that the other party was 50% or more at fault for the crash.
What if the other driver is uninsured?
If you are injured in an accident and the responsible party does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance, your liability policy may cover your claim under your uninsured or underinsured coverage. Typically, you have the same amount of this coverage under your policy as you do liability coverage, so you are protected against drivers that either do not insure themselves or don’t purchase enough insurance for the injuries involved.
Do I need a car accident lawyer?
While the law does not require you to hire a lawyer to file a car accident claim, there are many reasons to do so. The insurance company will likely go to great lengths to dispute, underpay, or deny your claim. Your attorney can not only help you understand all your legal options but can also fight back against deceitful insurance company tactics and efforts to avoid paying your rightful claim.
How much does a car accident lawyer cost?
Personal injury attorneys, including those at our firm, typically provide their services on a contingency fee basis. This means that clients do not pay any upfront fees or out-of-pocket expenses when they hire a car accident lawyer. Instead, your attorney will generally cover the initial costs of handling your claim and will only collect attorney fees if/when they win your case. In other words, if your attorney does not secure a settlement (or verdict) on your behalf, you do not pay anything.
Is North Dakota a no fault state for car insurance?
Yes. North Dakota follows a “no-fault” car insurance system, wherein your own insurance is designed to cover certain losses resulting from a car accident, primarily personal injury expenses, and related damages, regardless of who is deemed at fault for the incident—at least in the initial stages. However, it’s important to note that the specifics of no-fault coverage can vary, and understanding your policy’s terms and limitations is crucial to navigating the claims process effectively.
Is it illegal to drive without insurance in North Dakota?
Yes, it is illegal to drive without insurance in North Dakota. The state mandates all drivers to have a minimum liability insurance coverage to legally operate a motor vehicle. Driving without insurance or allowing your insurance to lapse can result in penalties, fines, suspension of your driver’s license, and potential legal consequences. It’s essential to maintain continuous insurance coverage and comply with North Dakota’s requirements to avoid violating the law and facing the associated penalties.
What shouldn't I do after a car accident in North Dakota?
There are numerous steps that you should take after a car accident to protect your right to compensation. However, there are some things that you should avoid that would typically be used against you, even by your own insurance company. Knowing the things to avoid can help you in the long run and prevent you from falling prey to the insurance company’s tactics.
Here are some of the things that you want to stay away from after a crash:
- Avoid Leaving Without Exchanging Information: If you leave the scene of the accident without exchanging information, multiple problems may arise. First, it may prevent you from being able to take additional action against the liable party for property damages or in a third-party lawsuit. Second, it may appear as though you committed a hit-and-run. This is an illegal act that can not only impact your ability to file a personal injury claim but could also result in criminal charges.
- Avoid Saying Sorry to the Other Driver: While you may be empathetic to what happened, even if you feel the accident was your fault, you should never apologize. Saying sorry is often seen as an admission of fault in an accident. While the other party cannot use this against you in a regular claim, your own insurance company may try to use this statement against you.
- Avoid Social Media: While you may think your social media accounts are private, insurance companies have experts for this specific situation. What you post can be used against you. For instance, if you put in a claim with your insurance company for a back injury, but you are posting activities that contradict this claim, the insurance company may try to devalue your injury or claim it did not happen at all.
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