The one thing your employer is hoping you never find out: you can open a workers' comp claim and still preserve evidence against other people who caused the crash.

From the insurance company's perspective, they want this to look simple: use your own no-fault coverage, let PIP pay up to $30,000 in basic medical and wage-loss benefits, give a short statement, and move on. If your boss is telling you "just use your own insurance," that helps them. They are counting on missing photos, missing witnesses, and deleted video.

Reality: on a winter crash outside Dickinson - especially on I-94, Highway 22, or a gravel oilfield road - evidence disappears fast under snow, traffic, tow trucks, and road crews.

Save this right now if you can:

• Photos of all vehicles, license plates, VIN sticker, damage, skid marks, gouges, broken glass, road surface, black ice, snowbanks, salt/sand, signs, mile markers, and weather conditions
• Screenshot your phone's time, weather app, call log, and location history
• Names and numbers for every witness
• Your employer texts, dispatch messages, and any message telling you not to file
• Dashcam footage from your truck, nearby vehicles, or businesses
• The tow yard location and who took the vehicle
• Your clothing, boots, helmet, and damaged gear - do not wash or throw them out

Call law enforcement and ask how to get the crash report. In Dickinson, that may be the Dickinson Police Department, Stark County Sheriff, or the North Dakota Highway Patrol depending on where it happened.

If it happened while working, report it to your employer in writing and keep a copy. For North Dakota workers' comp, that means Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI). If another driver, a contractor, or even a road maintenance issue played a part, your photos, video, and witness names may matter more than the police report.

If there's video, send a written request fast telling the owner to preserve footage before it gets overwritten.