File a Car Accident Personal Injury Case in North Dakota
A serious car accident can turn your life upside down in seconds. Between medical bills, missed work, pain, insurance adjusters, and uncertainty about what comes next, many people feel overwhelmed fast. The North Dakota car accident lawyers at Sand Law PLLC
Quick Facts About North Dakota Car Accident Claims
- Main Causes of ND Car Accidents: Speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, drowsy driving, reckless driving, winter weather, and unsafe road conditions continue to cause serious crashes across North Dakota.
- Common Injuries: Car accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, whiplash, burns, internal injuries, and long-term chronic pain.
- Compensation Available: Victims may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and other accident-related losses.
- Insurance Companies Are Not On Your Side: Insurance adjusters often try to minimize payouts, delay claims, or shift blame to reduce what they owe injured victims.
- North Dakota Filing Deadlines: Most North Dakota car accident injury claims must be filed within six years, while wrongful death claims generally have a two-year deadline.
- Why Legal Representation Matters: An experienced North Dakota car accident lawyer can gather evidence, deal with the insurance companies, calculate damages, and prepare your case for settlement negotiations or trial.
Sand Law is your North Dakota Car Accident Team
Car accidents occur every day in North Dakota. There are many traditional factors, such as North Dakota’s often unpredictable weather, that play a factor in how many accidents occur during a given time.
During the winter, snowstorms create hazardous driving conditions that can cause car accidents. Spring brings with it not only April showers but slick roads that can be bothersome for drivers. Summer and fall have their own effects on driver safety as well.
It’s true that over the years, safety improvements to both roads and vehicles have significantly reduced the number of serious injuries from car accidents compared with a few generations ago.
However, new distractions such as texting and driving, the use of electronic devices while behind the wheel, and other negligent acts still cause serious, injury-producing motor vehicle accidents on a regular basis.
The car accident lawyers at Sand Law are experienced in fighting against insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to secure the compensation you deserve.
Call us at (701) 609-1510 or submit our online contact form to book a free consultation with a North Dakota personal injury lawyer today.
North Dakota Is a No-Fault Insurance State
North Dakota follows a no-fault insurance system. This means your own insurance policy may initially cover certain medical expenses and lost wages through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, regardless of who caused the accident.
However, many people misunderstand what this actually means.
Being a no-fault state does not automatically prevent you from pursuing compensation against the at-fault driver. If your injuries are serious or your damages exceed your available PIP coverage, you may still be able to file a personal injury claim against the person responsible for the crash.
Insurance companies do not always make this process easy to understand. That is one reason why many injured victims choose to speak with an attorney early in the process.
Important North Dakota Car Accident Statistics
Car accidents remain a serious problem across North Dakota, even as traffic fatalities have gradually declined over the past decade. According to the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the state recorded 9,803 crashes in 2024 alone. Those crashes resulted in 89 deaths and 3,592 injuries.
While those numbers may seem smaller than those of larger states, North Dakota consistently faces unique crash risks tied to rural highways, long travel distances, oilfield traffic, severe winter weather, speeding, and impaired driving.
Some of the most important North Dakota car accident statistics include:
TOTAL CRASHES: 9,803 total crashes in 2024 resulting in injuries, fatalities, or property damage.
TOTAL DEATHS: 89 traffic fatalities in 2024, marking the lowest number of traffic deaths in North Dakota in more than two decades.
TOTAL INJURED: 3,592 people were injured in North Dakota crashes in 2024.
NO SEATBELT FATALITIES: 48% of people killed in crashes in 2024 were not wearing seat belts.
SPEEDING & AGGRESSION:: 33% of fatal crashes involved speeding or aggressive driving.
ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT: 23% of fatal crashes involved alcohol.
LANE DEPARTURE: 54% of fatal crashes involved lane departures, making them one of the deadliest crash types in the state.
YOUNG DRIVERS: Young drivers continue to face elevated crash risks, particularly drivers between the ages of 18 and 24.
RURAL ROADS: Rural highways remain especially dangerous because of high speeds, long emergency response times, reduced visibility, and winter road conditions.
DISTRACTED DRIVING: Distracted driving continues to be a growing problem, with hundreds of citations issued during statewide enforcement campaigns targeting phone use behind the wheel.
SPEEDING & AGGRESSION DEATHS: Fatal crashes linked to speeding and aggressive driving consistently account for roughly one-third of deadly crashes statewide.
ALCOHOL & FATALITIES: Alcohol-impaired driving remains one of the leading causes of fatal accidents in North Dakota every year.
MEN CAUSE MORE ACCIDENTS: Men account for a significantly larger percentage of serious and fatal crashes compared to women.
MOST FATALITIES HAD NO SEATBELT: Unbelted occupants continue to represent a disproportionate number of fatality victims despite years of public safety campaigns.
WINTER WEATHER creates another major risk factor across North Dakota. Snow, ice, drifting snow, black ice, and reduced visibility frequently contribute to chain-reaction crashes, rear-end accidents, rollovers, and lane departure collisions during our cold months.
Unfortunately, many of these crashes are preventable.
Simple decisions like slowing down, putting the phone away, wearing a seat belt, and avoiding impaired driving continue to play a major role in reducing serious injuries and fatalities on North Dakota roads.
What Are My Rights If I Have Been Involved In An Accident?
If you have been injured in a car accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your losses and injuries. In the law, we call these damages. Under North Dakota law, if you have been involved in a car accident and sustained damages – you can recover monetary compensation for pain and suffering, emotional harm, disfigurement, and humiliation.
You can also recover damages for medical expenses, lost income, and property damage. The best way to go about enforcing these rights is to hire a car accident lawyer who is familiar with the local court system. There are many ins and outs of the legal system that require the expertise of an experienced attorney.
We always advise anyone who has been involved in a car accident that whether they hire us or another law firm, it is important to speak to a car accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident.
And if you were injured—no matter if you were in Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Fargo, Williston, Watford City, or anywhere else in North Dakota—hiring an experienced accident and injury law firm that has the resources and skills to back you up is imperative.
At Sand Law, we do WHATEVER IT TAKES! Let us show you why we’ve had hundreds of repeat clients and maintain a 4.9 rating on Google with hundreds of reviews.
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Do I Have To Go To Court If I Was Injured In An Auto Accident?
Many of our clients are worried that they will have to be dragged through a long, drawn-out trial. Others are nervous about testifying on the stand in court. The car accident lawyers at Sand Law are here to help you every step of the way and ease your mind.
We are the ones that fight for you in court. If you do have to testify, we prepare our clients for what to expect. You will not be surprised and will feel comfortable with how the process works.
At Sand Law, we pride ourselves on being a litigation law firm. Our approach to auto accident cases is to prepare as if a case is going to trial. However, the vast majority of car accident claims settle out of court prior to trial, either at mediation or at settlement conferences.
Our Car Accident Lawyers Will Fight the Insurance Companies For You
At Sand Law, PLLC, our car accident lawyers are determined to achieve positive results for our clients. Fighting the power of the insurance industry requires a proactive approach. We have the experience and knowledge of how adjusters and claims representatives approach their work to anticipate challenges.
Insurance companies rely on lawyers to minimize their risk. In some cases, insurers will even engage in bad faith practices to devalue car accident claims. We level the playing field by providing our clients with zealous advocacy and tenacious representation.
We Will Build a Strong Case for Your Compensation
For many car accident cases or personal injury claims, you may be entitled to compensation for things such as lost wages and medical bills.
Our team of auto accident attorneys will review your medical records, any police reports, and witness statements. Additionally, we’ll gather evidence from videos and reconstructions as we build your case.
Our law firm has the resources and skills to fight for your best interests across the spectrum of motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Rideshare Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Oilfield Vehicle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
Insurance companies frequently delay settling injury claims. They know that as you recover, your memories about your current struggles and pain will fade. We work with clients to help them understand the nuances of battling the insurance industry to maximize compensation.
Our car accident lawyers will guide you every step of the way as we prepare for the trial. A strong position at every stage of litigation is strong medicine in solving legal disputes over the harm you have suffered.
Common Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
North Dakota car accidents can be devastating, leaving victims with injuries that could take months to years to recover from. Some people don’t recover from their car accident injuries at all and are left with a disability. Car accidents can also leave people with minor injuries that may still cause pain and suffering, high medical bills, and more.
Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are very common in car accidents, as they occur when the head is struck or penetrated with great force. Types of brain injuries include concussion, contusion, anoxic brain injury, and coup, contrecoup, and coup/contrecoup injuries.
Coup injuries occur when the head is struck, and the brain is damaged at the site where it was struck. A contrecoup injury occurs when the brain shifts and strikes the opposing side of the skull, causing damage at the side opposite to the site of impact.
A coup/contrecoup injury occurs when the brain shifts back and forth, causing damage at both the site of impact and the opposite side of the brain. These injuries are often misdiagnosed, causing further problems down the road.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries occur when the back is struck with great force. This type of injury is incredibly common in rear-end accidents. The higher on the spinal cord the injury occurs, the more severe the consequences of the injury.
Damage to the spine may cause either complete or incomplete paralysis. Complete paralysis means that the victim has lost all ability below the site of the injury. Incomplete paralysis refers to a partial loss of movement and sensory ability below the site of the injury.
There is no cure for spinal cord injuries, but they can be treated with different surgeries, injections, and physical therapy. The costs associated with spinal cord injuries can be very high and may last a lifetime.
Broken Bones
Broken bones aren’t often serious but may require surgery if the break isn’t clean. A clean break can be set into a cast to heal, but a more serious break will need surgery to make sure that it’s set in the correct position before placing it in a cast.
Serious breaks, like multiple broken bones or a bone broken in multiple different places, may require physical therapy after treatment to help the patient get used to walking again. Car accident victims may also sustain facial injuries that include broken bones, like teeth or eye sockets.
Burns
Burns can be caused by hot metals or a car fire. Serious burns require skin grafts and are at high risk for infection. They also leave the victim with lifetime scars. If the burn occurs near the airway, it could cause trouble breathing and death.
Soft Tissue Injuries
The most common type of soft tissue injury is whiplash. Whiplash is also one of the most common injuries associated with car accidents as it occurs when the neck moves back and forth rapidly. Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries can lead to chronic pain even after the injury has fully healed.
Amputated Limbs
In the case of a catastrophic injury that leads to an amputated limb, a patient may need to spend money on prosthetics and even the cost of amputation. Amputation can occur at the scene of the accident or at the hospital if the limb is beyond saving.
Neck and Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries include whiplash, a very common injury associated with car accidents, herniated discs, soft tissue injuries, and more. Back injuries can cause a lifetime of back pain and often require physical therapy or surgery to repair the damage.
Internal Injuries
Internal injuries, like damage to the organs or internal bleeding, often go undiagnosed. After an accident, you may feel a surge of adrenaline that masks the pain of injuries not visible. Internal injuries often require surgery to repair the damage to the organs or stop the bleeding. If left untreated, internal injuries can lead to fatality.
Crush Injuries
Crush injuries are fairly common in car accidents as the metal of the vehicle can warp when damaged by another car. This can cause limbs, most often the legs and arms, to be crushed. Crush injuries include multiple broken bones and amputation.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
There are many different causes of car accidents. Sometimes the cause of an accident is a driver acting with negligence, like speeding or talking on the phone. The driver is doing something they don’t think will cause an accident.
However, sometimes drivers are more grossly negligent, doing things that are knowingly risky, like drunk driving or aggressive driving.
Speeding
Speeding most often causes read-end, sideswipe, and T-bone collisions. A driver may be speeding so fast that they’re unable to stop in time, rear-ending the driver in front of them.
Depending on how fast they’re speeding, this could also cause a chain reaction accident, causing the person they hit to hit the car in front of them and so on. Speeding may also cause accidents if a driver is weaving in and out of lanes on the highway.
Speeding while changing lanes can lead to a sideswipe accident if a driver isn’t paying close enough attention.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving doesn’t just include texting. It also includes talking on the phone, using a GPS, talking to someone in the back seat, looking for something in the back seat, and generally doing anything that will keep your eyes, ears, and mind off the road.
When people think of distracted driving, they most often think about physical distractions, like texting or eating, but mental distractions can cause crashes too. For example, daydreaming or just generally not paying attention can cause an accident to occur.
Drunk Driving
Driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher is considered drunk driving in North Dakota. Drunk driving is an incredibly dangerous act that puts everyone on the road, including the driver, at risk.
Driving while intoxicated can cause slow reaction times and distraction. Drunk drivers may also have a hard time paying attention and tracking other cars on the road or get easily distracted by headlights, streetlights, and more.
Drowsy Driving
Many people don’t think that driving while tired can cause an accident, but that’s completely untrue. Driving while tired is dangerous, as falling asleep at the wheel is a hazard for all drivers on the road.
Tired drivers may close their eyes for just a second, not even knowing that they’re falling asleep, and then wake up because of a crash that they caused.
Reckless or Aggressive Driving
Reckless and aggressive driving includes road rage, cutting people off, and intentionally trying to hit other vehicles. An accident may occur if someone cuts someone off too quickly or even sideswipes their car on purpose. This is considered to be grossly negligent.
Defective Car Parts
Rarely a car accident will occur because of a defective car part. This could mean failed brakes, a steering malfunction, or another issue with the car. In these cases, it could be the fault of the manufacturer of the vehicle. However, this is only true if the car has been kept in good condition by the driver.
Lack of Maintenance
If the vehicle hasn’t been kept in good condition by the driver and an accident is caused by failed brakes or other maintenance issues, the driver could be liable for the accident, especially if they knew that they needed to get their car serviced.
Types of Car Accidents
The different types of car accidents are categorized based on how one vehicle impacts the other. Different accidents can cause different injuries, and some types of car accidents are more dangerous than others.
Head-on collisions
A head-on collision occurs when the front of one car collides with the front of another car. Head-on collisions are pretty rare, but they can cause fatalities because of where the driver is located. These accidents might occur if one driver is driving in the wrong direction or if they veer into oncoming traffic.
Rear-end accidents
Rear-end accidents, unlike head-on collisions, are common. These accidents occur when the at-fault driver doesn’t stop fast enough, hitting the car in front of them. This can commonly cause whiplash or spinal cord injuries.
These may occur at stoplights when a driver doesn’t come to a stop quickly enough or at a high speed if the driver is distracted. Rear-end accidents are almost always the fault of the driver doing the rear-ending.
T-bone collisions
T-bone collisions most often happen at intersections and stop signs. If a driver runs a red light or a stop sign, they could hit a driver who’s following the rules of the road. Depending on which side of the vehicle is hit, the results of these accidents can be devastating.
Sideswipe accidents
Sideswipe accidents occur in busy cities and on crowded highways when one driver skims the side of another driver’s car. This could be a parked car on the side of the road or a vehicle in the next lane over.
The severity of these accidents depends on how fast the vehicles were going and what side of the vehicle the accident occurred on.
Chain reaction crashes
Chain reaction crashes happen when someone is rear-ended at a high speed, causing the vehicle that was rear-ended to move forward and slam into the vehicle in front of them. These accidents can be tricky, as multiple parties are involved.
They can also cause serious injuries, as the driver of the middle car will face impact from both behind and in front of themselves. In North Dakota, chain reaction car accidents are linked to snow in many cases, which lowers visibility and decreases traction on the roads.
North Dakota Car Accidents in an Uber or Lyft
Ridesharing has completely changed the transportation industry, making it easier and more convenient than ever for computers to find a ride and for individuals to earn money driving.
However, one of the main drawbacks that companies like Uber and Lyft now face is that more and more rideshare accidents are occurring, and it is unclear who is responsible and how injured victims should be compensated.
If you have been involved in a rideshare accident, you should consult a qualified Uber and Lyft accident lawyer to learn your rights and options. Injury claims involving Uber and Lyft collisions require a special kind of experience and legal skill.
At Sand Law, our car accident lawyers have obtained large settlements and fair compensation for rideshare injury victims.
You may be able to file an injury claim after a rideshare accident if you were:
- A passenger in a rideshare and the ridesharing driver was at fault.
- In another vehicle that was hit by a negligent rideshare driver.
- A rideshare driver was injured in an accident in which someone else was at fault.
- A passenger was injured in a rideshare accident, and the other driver has little or no insurance.
Hurt in a Rideshare Car Accident? Call Sand Law, Uber, and Lyft Accident Lawyers
If you were hurt in an accident involving a rideshare company in North Dakota, then contact the Sand Law PLLC. We have extensive experience recovering compensation for Uber and Lyft accident victims. Contact us by filling out the form below or by clicking on our phone number in the header.
Compensation in a Car Accident Injury Lawsuit
If you want to know whether you should file a lawsuit for a Fargo car accident injury, seek compensation for a Grand Forks collision that totaled your car, or pursue a settlement for a Bismarck crash that sidelined you at work, first take a look at your damages.
If the total cost of your damages exceeds your PIP coverage, speak to North Dakota car accident lawyers about filing a personal injury claim for compensation. Damages may include:
Medical expenses
Medical expenses include costs for hospital or emergency room visits, visits to your regular physician or a special physician, surgery costs, physical therapy, treatment, ambulance rides, and more.
Lost income
When you’re involved in an accident that results in injuries, severe or otherwise, you’ll be required to take time off of work to receive treatment and recover. You can recover the wages that you lost while you were out of work.
You can also recover damages for loss of earning capacity. This means you are no longer able to work your job anymore because of the injuries you sustained.
Pain and suffering
Pain and suffering compensation is calculated based on how much your life has changed before and after the accident. Depending on how much you’ve been through and how much the injuries have impacted your life, this compensation could be higher or lower.
Generally, the more your quality of life has changed because of the accident, the more compensation you’re likely to receive.
Punitive damages
Punitive damages are rare. However, some parties still receive them. Punitive damages are given out as a punishment to the at-fault party. They’re given out when the at-fault party has acted with gross negligence and are used to prevent the at-fault party from committing the same act again in the future.
Property damage
Property damage in a car accident often only means damage to your vehicle. In the event that your insurance doesn’t cover the damage or total loss of your vehicle, you can claim further compensation for repairs or the cost of a replacement vehicle.
Wrongful Death
If your loved one was killed in a car accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf. A wrongful death claim can seek to recover compensation for damages left behind by the deceased and damages caused to the family.
This may include medical bills or funeral expenses from the person who was killed or pain and suffering and lost wages from the surviving state.
Get Started On Your Car Accident Recovery With Sand Law
The personal injury lawyers at Sand Law have office locations in Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, Watford City, and Williston. We are conveniently located to serve all of North Dakota. Let us walk you through the car accident claims process to secure the settlement you deserve.
To arrange a no-pressure consultation with a top-rated injury attorney, please send us a message online or call (701) 609-1510. There is no fee unless we obtain compensation on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time do I have to file a car accident claim in North Dakota?
You generally have six years to file a personal injury or property damage claim following a car accident in North Dakota. Wrongful death claims, however, must be filed within two years. Acting quickly is essential to avoid losing your right to compensation.
How much does an ND car accident lawyer cost?
Sand Law car accident lawyers in North Dakota operate on a contingency fee basis. You only pay us if we secure a settlement or win your case. Attorneys fees are typically around 33% of the compensation awarded. Always discuss fees during your initial consultation.
How do I file a claim for compensation against an uninsured motorist?
To claim against an uninsured motorist, you must typically rely on your own uninsured motorist coverage, if available. This involves filing a claim with your insurer, providing evidence like police reports, and documenting damages. Legal help can ensure fair compensation.