South Dakota Government Resources
Law Schools in South Dakota
South Dakota Legal Associations
South Dakota Personal Injury Overview
Personal injury law involves civil claims in which an individual is injured through the negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct of another person, a company, or property owner. A personal injury lawsuit may arise from physical or emotional injuries. Personal injury law compensates individuals injured as a result of another’s negligence or intentional misconduct. Personal injury laws vary from state to state. If you believe you have a personal injury claim, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in South Dakota to evaluate your claim.
South Dakota follows a pure comparative negligence system. With this system, a judge or jury assigns a percentage of fault to each responsible party and then apportions the damage award accordingly. Using this system, an injured person may recover his or her damages even if the injured person was 99% at fault in causing the injury, with those damages reduced by his or her portion of the fault. For example, in a car accident between Dave and Debbie where Debbie was found to be 99% responsible, and the jury found that Debbie suffered $10,000 in damages, that award would be reduced by Debbie’s 99% fault in causing the injury. In the end, Dave would only have to pay 1% of Debbie’s damages, or $100 in this case.
Click here to read about contributory vs. comparative negligence.
A statute of limitations is a type of law that restricts the period of time that a person may initiate legal proceedings. Time limits can vary depending on the type of case and the state where the particular cause of action occurred. To learn more about statutes of limitations, read our Statute of Limitations page. To see a state by state comparison chart for the personal injury statute of limitations for each state, read our Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Actions page.
South Dakota Statutes of Limitations
In South Dakota, the courts follow a modified joint and several liability approach in entering judgment against multiple defendants. A defendant found to be less than 50% negligent in causing the injury, that defendant may not be jointly or severally liable for more than twice his or her percentage of the fault.
Click here for more on Joint and Several Liability
One of the best ways to research personal injury lawyers in South Dakota is to contact courts in SD and ask them for information about the personal injury attorneys who utilize their legal facilities when they bring personal injury cases to court. We have compiled a list below of some courts in South Dakota to get you started:
Supreme Court
South Dakota Supreme Court
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-3511
Circuit Courts
Aurora County
PO Box 366
Plankinton, SD 57368-0366
605-942-7165
Beadle County
PO Box 1358
Huron, SD 57350-1358
605-353-7165
Bennett County
PO Box 281
Martin, SD 57551-0281
605-685-6969
Bon Homme County
PO Box 6
Tyndall, SD 57066-0006
605-589-4215
Brookings County
314 6th Avenue
Brookings, SD 57006-2041
605-688-4200
Brown County
PO Box 1087
Aberdeen, SD 57402-1087
605-626-2451
Brule/Buffalo County
300 S. Courtland #111
Chamberlain, SD 57325-1599
605-734-4580
Butte County
PO Box 237
Belle Fourche, SD 57717-0237
605-892-2516
Campbell County
PO Box 146
Mound City, SD 57646-0146
605-955-3536
Charles Mix County
PO Box 640
Lake Andes, SD 57356-0640
605-487-7511
Clark/Codington County
PO Box 294
Clark, SD 57225-0294
605-532-5851
Clay County
PO Box 377
Vermillion, SD 57069-0377
605-677-6756
Codington/Clark County
PO Box 1054
Watertown, SD 57201-6054
605-882-5095
Corson County
PO Box 175
McIntosh, SD 57641-0175
605-273-4201
Custer County
420 Mt. Rushmore Road
Custer, SD 57730-1934
605-673-4816
Davison County
PO Box 927
Mitchell, SD 57301-0927
605-995-8105
Day County
711 W. 1st Street
Webster, SD 57274-1359
605-345-3771
Deuel County
PO Box 308
Clear Lake, SD 57226-0308
605-874-2120
Dewey County
PO Box 96
Timber Lake, SD 57656-0096
605-865-3566
Douglas County
PO Box 36
Armour, SD 57313-0036
605-724-2585
Edmunds County
PO Box 384
Ipswich, SD 57451-0384
605-426-6671
Fall River/Shannon County
906 North River Road
Hot Springs, SD 57747-1387
605-745-5131
Faulk County
PO Box 357
Faulkton, SD 57438-0357
605-598-6223
Grant County
PO Box 509
Milbank, SD 57252-0509
605-432-5482
Gregory County
PO Box 430
Burke, SD 57523-0430
605-775-2665
Haakon County
PO Box 70
Philip, SD 57567-0070
605-859-2627
Hamlin County
PO Box 256
Hayti, SD 57241-0256
605-783-3751
Hand County
PO Box 122
Miller, SD 57362-0122
605-853-3337
Hanson County
PO Box 127
Alexandria, SD 57311-0127
605-239-4446
Hughes/Stanley/Jones County
PO Box 1238
Pierre, SD 57501-1238
605-773-3713
Hutchinson County
140 Euclid, Room 36
Olivet, SD 57052-2103
605-387-4215
Hyde County
PO Box 306
Highmore, SD 57345-0306
605-852-2512
Jackson County
PO Box 128
Kadoka, SD 57543-0128
605-837-2122
Jerauld County
PO Box 435
Wessington Springs, SD 57382-0435
605-539-1202
Jones/Hughes/Stanley County
PO Box 448
Murdo, SD 57559-0448
605-669-2361
Kingsbury County
PO Box 176
DeSmet, SD 57231-0176
605-854-3811
Lake County
200 East Center
Madison, SD 57042-2941
605-256-5644
Lawrence County
PO Box 626
Deadwood, SD 57732-0626
605-578-2040
Lincoln County
425 North Dakota Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104-2470
Lyman County
PO Box 235
Kennebec, SD 57544-0235
605-869-2277
Marshall County
PO Box 130
Britton, SD 57430-0130
605-448-5213
McCook County
PO Box 504
Salem, SD 57058-0504
605-425-2781
McPherson County
PO Box 248
Leola, SD 57456-0248
605-439-3361
Meade County
PO Box 939
Sturgis, SD 57785-0939
605-347-4411
Mellette County
PO Box 257
White River, SD 57579-0257
605-259-3230
Miner County
PO Box 265
Howard, SD 57349-0265
605-772-4612
Minnehaha County
425 North Dakota Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57102-0136
605-367-5900
Moody County
PO Box 226
Flandreau, SD 57028-0226
605-997-3181
Pennington County
PO Box 230
Rapid City, SD 57709-0230
605-394-2575
Perkins County
PO Box 426
Bison, SD 57620-0426
605-244-5626
Potter County
PO Box 67
Gettysburg, SD 57442-0067
605-765-9472
Roberts County
411 2nd Avenue E
Sisseton, SD 57262-1403
605-698-3395
Sanborn County
PO Box 56
Woonsocket, SD 57385-0056
605-796-4515
Shannon/Fall River County
906 North River Road
Hot Springs, SD 57747-1387
605-745-5131
Spink County
210 East 7th Avenue
Redfield, SD 57469-1299
605-472-4535
Stanley/Hughes/Jones County
PO Box 758
Ft. Pierre, SD 57532-0758
605-223-7735
Sully County
PO Box 188
Onida, SD 57564-0188
605-258-2535
Tripp/Todd County
PO Box 311
Winner, SD 57580-0311
605-842-2266
Turner County
PO Box 446
Parker, SD 57053-0446
605-297-3115
Union County
209 East Main Street, Suite 230
Elk Point, SD 57025-0757
605-356-2132
Walworth County
PO Box 328
Selby, SD 57472-0328
605-649-7311
Yankton County
PO Box 155
Yankton, SD 57078-0155
605-668-3080
Ziebach County
PO Box 306
Dupree, SD 57623-0306
605-365-5159
