Washington D.C. Car Accident Settlement Calculator

Washington D.C. is among only a handful of jurisdictions that still follow contributory negligence for car accident cases. The practical effect: insurance companies will investigate every detail of your driving behavior at the time of the crash, looking for any basis to assign even 1% fault and eliminate your claim completely. Preserving evidence of the other driver’s exclusive fault is paramount. A pedestrian or cyclist hit by a motor vehicle is not barred unless their negligence exceeds all defendants' combined negligence (D.C. Code § 50-2204.52).

The statute of limitations for this type of claim in Washington D.C. is 3 years — in line with the national average of 2.7 years. This is a standard timeframe, but acting sooner preserves evidence and strengthens your position. Importantly, Washington D.C. recognizes a discovery rule, which can extend the filing window in cases where the harm was not immediately apparent.

Washington D.C.’s mandatory minimum auto insurance is 25/50/10 (bodily injury per person / per accident / property damage). These are relatively low minimums. Medical costs from even a moderate car accident frequently exceed $25K, which means you may need to pursue additional recovery options if the at-fault driver carries only the minimum. Washington D.C. requires uninsured motorist (UM) coverage but not underinsured motorist coverage. Adding UIM coverage to your own policy is recommended.

If your car accident involved a government vehicle or occurred due to a government-maintained road defect in Washington D.C., you face a significantly shorter deadline. Washington D.C. requires you to file a notice of claim within 180 days of the incident — far shorter than the standard statute of limitations. Missing this notice deadline can permanently bar your claim against the government entity, even if the regular filing deadline has not yet passed.