Accidents & Injuries in District of Columbia

D.C. Code Section 12-301(8) provides a three-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. However, if your claim involves the DC government, you must file a notice of claim under DC Code Section 12-309 within six months of the incident. Failure to file the government notice on time may bar your entire claim.

Yes. The District of Columbia is one of only five jurisdictions in the US still applying traditional contributory negligence. Under this doctrine, if a jury finds that you were even slightly at fault for the accident — even 1% — you may be completely barred from recovering any damages from the other party. This makes DC one of the most difficult jurisdictions for accident plaintiffs in the country.

No. DC operates under a traditional tort (fault-based) system. The at-fault party and their insurer are responsible for compensating injured victims. DC does not require personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.

Under D.C. Code Section 12-309, if your accident involved a DC government vehicle, a defective DC sidewalk or road, or any other DC agency, you must file a written notice of claim within six months of the injury. This notice must be filed with the DC Office of Risk Management. Missing this deadline may permanently bar your claim against the government, even if the three-year limitations period has not yet expired.