When it comes to car insurance, North Dakota uses the no-fault system. That means a driver’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance pays their medical bills up to the coverage limits no matter who is at fault for the accident. However, no-fault does not apply to vehicle and other property damage occurring in an accident.
Under some circumstances, an injured party can step outside of the state’s no-fault system and file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible driver. To do so, under North Dakota the individual must have accident-related medical expenses exceeding $2,500, and they must have suffered a serious and permanent disability or disfigurement lasting in excess of 60 days.
The North Dakota statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit resulting from a car accident is six years from the date of the accident, one of the longest such timeframes in the nation. If a person dies from their accident-related injuries, family members have two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Under North Dakota law, motorists must carry a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance, as well as at least $25,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage. BIL pays for the medical and other accident-related expenses of those injured in the crash, up to the coverage limits. PDL pay for the other driver’s car repairs and other property damage, up to the coverage limits. Neither BIL nor PDL pays for expenses incurred by the at-fault driver.
North Dakota also requires that drivers carry a minimum of $30,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, which does cover the at-fault driver’s medical expenses and those of any injured passengers, as well as funeral expenses, up to the coverage limit.
State law mandates that drivers purchase at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in both uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Keep in mind that all of these amounts are minimal requirements, and most drivers should carry additional coverage to protect their personal assets in case of a serious accident.
While the state does not require collision or comprehensive coverage, lenders will almost certainly mandate such insurance for financed or leased vehicles. Even if you own your car outright, it is wise to purchase such coverage if you cannot afford to replace the vehicle if it is totaled in a crash.
Drivers convicted for driving under the influence, actual physical control, driving while revoked, driving for suspension when suspended for more than 91 days, experiencing a crash when no insurance was in effect, or convictions for negligent homicide, manslaughter or a felony when a motor vehicle is used, must have their insurance company file an SR‑22 Form with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) before license reinstatement. An SR-22 form is a certificate of financial responsibility. Drivers who have a civil judgment against them resulting from a motor vehicle accident must also file an SR-22 Form.
Fewer than 800,000 people call The Flickertail State home, and approximately 560,000 of them hold drivers’ licenses. While the state is the 19th largest in area, it ranks as the fourth smallest by population. North and South Dakota were both admitted to the Union on the same day in 1889.
Agriculture is by far the leading industry, with its top products including wheat, beef, corn, pork, dairy production, soybeans, barley, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, and sugar beets. Other leading industries include manufacturing, mining, natural gas production, banking, and insurance.
Major attractions in North Dakota include Theodore Roosevelt National Park; Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site; the Plains Art Museum in Fargo; the Scandinavian Heritage Park in Minot, and Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.
Based on population and number of miles driven, North Dakota has often had the unfortunate distinction of the highest automobile fatality rate in the country. There are roughly 15,000 crashes per year in North Dakota. In 2017, the exact number of crashes numbered 15,280, with 116 fatalities and 4,432 injuries. That is a significant drop from 2012 when 170 people were killed and 5,311 injured. Deaths and injuries have declined since 2012, although there was a slight uptick in 2017 fatalities over the previous year.
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/north-dakota-no-fault-car-insurance.html
https://statelaws.findlaw.com/north-dakota-law/north-dakota-civil-statute-of-limitations-laws.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/wrongful-death-lawsuits-north-dakota.html
https://www.statista.com/statistics/198029/total-number-of-us-licensed-drivers-by-state/
https://www.netstate.com/economy/nd_economy.htm
https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/north-dakota-usnd.htm
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