Hiring an Uber or Lyft Accident Lawyer in North Dakota
The insurance North Dakota requires for Uber and Lyft drivers, the deadline to sue, how lawyers usually charge (contingency fees), how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in North Dakota: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under North Dakota Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal, litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated; it must identify expenses the client owes whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined, including an itemization of expenses. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
|---|
North Dakota rules to know first
| Required Uber/Lyft insurance | While the driver is logged on to the app and available but has no ride, and also after accepting a ride until the passenger is on board, coverage must include primary liability of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for death and bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, plus primary uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection (no-fault). While a passenger is on board, primary liability coverage of $1 million for death, bodily injury and property damage is required, along with primary uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The coverage may be provided by the driver, the company, or both, and the company must cover from the first dollar if the driver's policy does not. |
|---|---|
| Fault rule | Modified comparative fault. An injured person's own fault does not bar recovery unless it was as great as the combined fault of all other persons who contributed to the injury (so 50% or more bars recovery); otherwise, damages are reduced by the person's percentage of fault. Liability among multiple defendants is generally several only (each pays its own share), except for persons who act in concert. Source: N.D. Cent. Code § 32-03.2-02 |
| Deadline to sue | Most personal injury lawsuits based on negligence must be filed within six years after the claim arises, under the catch-all for "any other injury to the person or rights of another not arising upon contract." Shorter deadlines apply to some claims: two years for assault, battery, false imprisonment, libel and slander. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar Association of North Dakota's Lawyer Referral Service matches paying clients with lawyers. A referral includes a lawyer's name, phone number and up to a 30-minute consultation with a lawyer in the area of law and town or county you choose. The charge for a referral is $30. Phone: (866) 450-9579. |
|---|---|
| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The North Dakota Court System (Supreme Court) publishes a lawyer search on its website that can be browsed by last initial, license status, city or state, plus a seniority list of currently licensed lawyers by bar admission date. The Disciplinary Board page links to it. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The North Dakota Disciplinary Board, through the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, handles complaints about unethical conduct by lawyers licensed in North Dakota. Send a written, signed and dated complaint describing the conduct, with witness names and copies of relevant documents, to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, 125 Slate Dr., Ste. 2, P.O. Box 2297, Bismarck, ND 58502-2297 (701-328-3925); you do not need a lawyer. Complaints without indications of misconduct are dismissed; others are investigated and referred to a district inquiry committee, which can dismiss, admonish, agree to probation or start formal proceedings that may go to a hearing panel and the Supreme Court. The process may take several months, and you get written notice of the outcome. A complaint does not change the outcome of a case and is not a claim for damages. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Services of North Dakota is a nonprofit that provides free legal assistance to North Dakota residents in a variety of matters based on income, and can check eligibility for the low-cost Volunteer Lawyers program. Call (800) 634-5263 if under age 60 or (866) 621-9886 if 60 or older (9 am-3 pm Central), or apply online. Dakota Plains Legal Services also provides free legal help to low-income people, older Americans and veterans in North and South Dakota, including tribal court matters. LSC lists Legal Services of North Dakota as its North Dakota grantee. LSND: https://lsnd.org/; LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
|---|
All legal help in North Dakota
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.