District of Columbia Car Accident Settlement Calculator and Laws

District of Columbia filing deadlines

D.C. Code 12-301(3) and (8); D.C. Code 16-2702; D.C. Code 12-309. Counted from the accident date in most cases.
Claim	Deadline
Personal injury lawsuit	3 years
Vehicle and property damage	3 years
Wrongful death	2 years
Notice of a claim against a government	Written notice to the Mayor within 6 months after the injury or damage for unliquidated damages claims against the District (D.C. Code 12-309(a)); a police report in regular course of duty can suffice.

Negligence personal injury has no specific provision and falls under the 3-year catch-all in 12-301(8). Wrongful death: 16-2702 'within 2 years after the death of the person injured' raised from 1 year by D.C. Law 19-177 in 2012). Notice:

If you were partly at fault

District of Columbia follows contributory negligence. If you were even slightly at fault, you can be barred from recovering anything, subject to narrow exceptions such as last clear chance.

With $100,000 in damages and 30% of the fault, you would recover $0.
With 55% of the fault, you would recover $0, because the rule bars your claim.

D.C. retains common-law contributory negligence for most claims, including driver vs. driver car accidents. Statutory exception: pedestrians and 'vulnerable users' (cyclists, scooter riders, etc.) hit by a motor vehicle are barred only if their negligence is greater than all defendants' combined (a modified-51 style rule, with no statutory reduction of damages stated).

Source: Common law; exception in D.C. Code 50-2204.52 (Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act). Compare all states in the comparative negligence table.

Choice no-fault state

Your own personal injury protection pays your medical bills and lost wages first, with a required minimum of Optional PIP that insurers must offer: medical and rehabilitation at least $50,000 per victim (options of $50,000 and $100,000), work loss at least $12,000 (options $12,000 and $24,000), funeral up to $4,000. The threshold to claim pain and suffering from the at-fault driver: Only if the victim elects PIP benefits (election due to the PIP insurer within 60 days of the accident): may then sue only for substantial permanent scarring or disfigurement, substantial permanent impairment, inability to perform usual daily activities for more than 180 continuous days, or medical/rehab expenses or work loss exceeding available PIP. A victim who does not elect PIP keeps full tort rights. Which rules apply depends on the option chosen on the policy.

DC's 'Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act' is a hybrid: PIP purchase is optional for the owner (31-2404(a)(1): insurers 'shall offer... optional personal injury protection insurance'), and the injured victim (not the buyer) chooses after the accident between PIP with a tort threshold or a regular tort claim.

Minimum car insurance in District of Columbia

$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, $10,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage is required.

Many drivers carry only the minimum, so the bodily injury limit is often the most the at-fault driver's insurer will pay one person. Property damage minimum $10,000 (31-2406(b)). UM is mandatory: insurers 'shall include' UM of $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury and $5,000 property damage ($200 deductible) (31-2406(f)(2)). UPCOMING: the Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Amendment Act of 2026 (D.C. Law 26-155), shown as a pending change effective Oct. 1, 2027, raises minimums to $50,000/$100,000 bodily injury and $20,000 property damage, UM to 50/100/20, adds enhanced UIM by default (waivable), and provides further increases every 10 years from Jan 1, 2037.

Damage caps

District of Columbia does not cap pain and suffering in ordinary car accident cases.

Dog bite law

One-bite rule (no strict liability statute). No current strict liability statute found; liability rests on common law (scienter/negligence), and leash-law violations (8-1808) may support negligence.

Source: D.C. Code 8-1812 (repealed 2017). Estimate a claim with the dog bite calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in District of Columbia?

3 years from the accident for an injury lawsuit and 3 years for vehicle damage (D.C. Code 12-301(3) and (8); D.C. Code 16-2702; D.C. Code 12-309). Insurance claims should be reported much sooner, and claims against a government agency can have shorter notice deadlines.

Is District of Columbia a no-fault state?

District of Columbia is a choice no-fault state: drivers choose between no-fault coverage with limits on lawsuits and full tort rights. To sue for pain and suffering: Only if the victim elects PIP benefits (election due to the PIP insurer within 60 days of the accident): may then sue only for substantial permanent scarring or disfigurement, substantial permanent impairment, inability to perform usual daily activities for more than 180 continuous days, or medical/rehab expenses or work loss exceeding available PIP. A victim who does not elect PIP keeps full tort rights.

What happens if I was partly at fault in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia follows contributory negligence (Common law; exception in D.C. Code 50-2204.52 (Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act)). If you were even slightly at fault, you can be barred from recovering anything, subject to narrow exceptions such as last clear chance.

What is the minimum car insurance in District of Columbia?

$25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, $10,000 for property damage (25/50/10). Uninsured motorist coverage is also required.

Does District of Columbia cap pain and suffering damages?

Not in ordinary car accident cases.

Sources

Checked against official District of Columbia sources November 5, 2026.