Statute of limitations for slip and fall in North Dakota

Rule or statute summary

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

If you’re dealing with a slip-and-fall claim in North Dakota, the key timing question is the statute of limitations—the deadline for filing a lawsuit after the injury.

For many personal injury claims (including common slip-and-fall negligence scenarios), North Dakota’s limitations period is generally 6 years from when the claim accrues. In practical terms, that usually means the clock starts when the injury is discovered (or should have been discovered) under the applicable accrual rules, rather than automatically on the day of the fall for every case.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator (tool name: DocketMath) can help you model the end date by using a clearly chosen start date (often the injury date or the accrual/discovery date, depending on the facts). It’s a planning aid—not a substitute for legal advice about your specific claim.

How DocketMath approaches the timing question

DocketMath’s /tools/statute-of-limitations flow is designed to make the inputs explicit:

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota (US-ND)
• Case type/category: mapped to the most common statute category for slip-and-fall style personal injury claims
• Start date: usually the incident/injury date or an accrual/discovery date
• Output: the calculated deadline (commonly shown as a “last day to file” style date)

If your theory is unusual (for example, a claim not treated as a typical tort/negligence personal injury), the governing limitations rule could differ. The calculator is intended to model the baseline limitations framework; you should still verify the correct category for your facts.

Citations

Use these sources to confirm the authoritative text before finalizing the calculation.

• N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-18

Capture the source for each input so another team member can verify the same result quickly.

When rules change, rerun the calculation with updated inputs and store the revision in the matter record.

Primary limitation period (most slip-and-fall personal injury claims)

North Dakota has a general limitations period for many personal injury actions:

• N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-18 — provides that certain actions “must be commenced within six years…”

For typical slip-and-fall cases brought as a form of personal injury/tort (often negligence), this is frequently the anchor statute—but accrual rules determine when that six-year window begins.

Accrual / discovery concepts (how the clock starts)

Even when the limitations period is “six years,” the practical question is when the cause of action accrues. North Dakota generally treats accrual in terms of when the claim is considered to have arisen—often tied to when the injured person knew or reasonably should have known of facts giving rise to the claim.

That matters for slip-and-fall cases where the injury or its seriousness may not be immediately apparent, or where a medical condition is diagnosed later. Two people could experience the same incident date but have different deadline dates depending on the accrual/discovery start date supported by the facts.

Additional citation anchors to keep handy

• N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-18 (six-year personal injury limitations framework)

Use the calculator

You can run DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator here:

• /tools/statute-of-limitations

Run the Statute Of Limitations calculation in DocketMath, then save the output so it can be audited later: Open the calculator.

If an assumption is uncertain, document it alongside the calculation so the result can be re-run later.

What to enter (North Dakota / US-ND)

In the calculator, check the settings for:

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota (US-ND)
• Statute category: Personal injury / slip-and-fall mapped to the most common limitations category consistent with N.D. Cent. Code § 28-01-18
• Start date (accrual/discovery): choose the start date that matches your supported accrual theory, such as:

  • Incident date (the date of the slip/fall) when the injury was apparent at that time, or
  • Injury discovery/accrual date (the date you knew or reasonably should have known you had a compensable injury), when later discovery is supported

What DocketMath outputs

Based on a start date, DocketMath will calculate:

• Calculated deadline date ≈ start date + 6 years
• A simplified “last day to file” style end date

Example timeline (how changing inputs shifts the output)

Below are illustration-only examples to show how the output changes when you pick different start dates (not legal advice):

A shift of the start date by weeks shifts the calculated deadline by the same amount. That’s why picking the correct accrual/discovery date is often the difference between “safe” and “risky.”

Practical filing takeaway (timing-aware planning)

Even if the limitations period is “6 years,” many steps can take time, such as:

• collecting incident details,
• obtaining witness information,
• securing medical records and bills,
• and preparing the paperwork required to file and serve a lawsuit.

So, treat the calculator’s end date as a backstop and consider working earlier than the deadline.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator