How the North Dakota system works
Like Ohio and Washington, North Dakota runs a state-fund monopoly: employers pay premiums to WSI, and WSI decides and pays claims. There's no bad-faith lawsuit against a private carrier because there is no private carrier — your remedies live inside WSI's decision-and-appeal structure: written decisions, reconsideration requests, administrative hearings, and the courts.
Every deadline that matters
| What | Deadline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Report to your employer | Immediately — within 7 days as a working rule | Fast written notice starts care and the record. |
| File your claim with WSI | 1 year from the injury | Short. The First Report of Injury goes to WSI directly — online or by phone — and the employer's knowledge doesn't substitute for your filing. |
| Ask reconsideration of a WSI decision | 30 days from the notice of decision | Every WSI decision letter carries its own appeal window — read each one the day it arrives. |
With no carrier to negotiate against, WSI's written decisions define your claim — and each is appealable only inside its printed window (reconsideration, then a formal administrative hearing). The Ohio/Washington habit applies here: every envelope from WSI is urgent until proven otherwise.
Doctor rules
You may generally choose your initial treating doctor; WSI's managed-care apparatus then oversees treatment plans, authorizations, and any change of provider. WSI can direct examinations and uses preferred-provider structures for some care. Engage fully, request what you need in writing, and use the reconsideration process when treatment is denied.
The benefits
| Benefit | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Medical care | All reasonable treatment for the compensable injury, through WSI's system. |
| Temporary Total (TTD) | Two-thirds of your gross weekly wage within caps — with additional dependency allowances for children. |
| Permanent Partial Impairment (PPI) | Whole-body impairment awards above a threshold percentage — lump-sum multiples set by statute. |
| Vocational rehabilitation / death benefits | Retraining support with defined options hierarchy; survivor and burial benefits. |
How North Dakota disputes get resolved
- 1
Request reconsideration
Within 30 days of any adverse WSI decision — a simple written request keeps the claim alive.
- 2
Administrative hearing
An independent ALJ hears the appeal with evidence and testimony.
- 3
Courts
District court review, then the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Free official help
- WSI — Workforce Safety & Insurance — claims, decisions, and worker services: workforcesafety.com (800-777-5033).
- Decision Review Office — WSI's internal office that helps workers understand and challenge decisions — free, and a required stop for some appeals.
Denied claims past the Decision Review Office, PPI threshold disputes, vocational-rehab fights, and hearings. North Dakota has fee rules designed to make worker representation viable in administrative appeals; consultations typically free.