N.D. Cent. Code § 65-09-02
An employee whose employer is in violation of section 65-04-33, who has been injured in the course of employment, or the employee's dependents or legal representatives in case death has ensued, may file an application with the organization for an award of compensation under this title and in addition may maintain a civil action against the employer for damages resulting from the injury or death. In the action, the employer may not assert the common-law defenses of:
The organization is subrogated to the recovery made in the action against the uninsured employer. The subrogation interest is determined according to section 65-01-09, with the uninsured employer being the person other than the fund with a legal liability to pay damages with respect to the employee's injury or death. An injured employee, or the dependents of an employee who died as a result of a work-related accident, shall file the original claim for compensation within one year after the injury or within two years after the death. The organization shall notify the claimant and the employer that the matter is being processed under this chapter, and subsequently shall hear and determine the application for compensation as it would for other claims before the organization. A determination by the organization that a person is not an employer required to obtain workforce safety and insurance coverage under this title is a defense to any claim that the person failed to obtain coverage for the time period during which the determination is effective.
N.D.C.C. § 65-09-02