DC Personal Injury Guide
DC personal injury case & accident info
Washington, DC is the home of the federal government: the Supreme Court, congress and the president. It's also home to ridiculous traffic and insane gridlock. This can lead to many traffic accidents, incidents with pedestrians and more.
Maybe it's you who was hurt and needs advice, or perhaps it was a friend or family member. Whatever the case, if you need guidance for your personal injury case, Enjuris has the answers.
DC personal injury law: the basics
DC statutes online
This is where you’ll find DC's laws. The website has information regarding how long you have to bring a case, damage caps on personal injury claims, and other helpful information.
To read:DC's car accident statutes of limitation
In DC, you have three years to bring both a personal injury claim and a property damage claim. That doesn't mean the whole lawsuit must be completed in three years; all that means is the paperwork has to be filed with the court before that time is up.
To read:Accidents & injuries in the District of Columbia
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Accident worksheets
Your First Meeting with an Attorney
A worksheet to prepare for your first meeting with a personal injury attorney – what to bring, what they'll ask
Download in PDF format
Documents & Evidence Checklist
Checklist of 30 items to help you prepare for making a personal injury or accident claim
Download in PDF format
Personal Injury Attorney Interview Sheet
Worksheet with questions to ask a personal injury attorney to help determine if he or she will be a good fit for your case
Download in PDF format
Damages/Expenses Worksheet
Damages worksheet to track expenses for your injury claim (medical treatment, property damage, lost wages, prescriptions)
Download in PDF format
Post-Accident Journal Form
Sample accident journal/diary to help you document the effect on your daily life
Download in PDF format
Accident Report Form
Sample post-accident report form to keep in your glove box - fill out at the scene or as soon as you can after a car accident
Download in PDF format
Hiring a lawyer in DC
DC has more attorneys than you can shake a stick at. Unfortunately, they most likely all specialize in governmental matters and constitutional law.
The initial meeting with a personal injury attorney is normally free. (Keep in mind that other legal specialties, such as patent law or estate planning law, are different.) After that, lawyers work on a contingency fee, which means that they will receive a third of the eventual reward, plus office expenses.
If your case ends up going to trial, the percentage could rise to 40% of the eventual reward or judgment. These numbers aren't set by law, so don't be surprised if your lawyer suggests something different.
Want to hire a lawyer and need some help?
Check out some of our best articles:
Examples of personal injury cases and accidents
Personal injury cases (also know as a tort lawsuit) come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Auto accidents, medical malpractice and premises liability (slip/fall) are a few examples of the most common types of personal injury cases, but there are many more. In fact, torts are among the most common legal actions in the United States. Read more
Read our complete guide to finding the right injury attorney for your case. Read insights from Enjuris attorneys and lawyers across the USA on when and why you need to hire a car accident attorney. Learn more
Need a lawyer?
Law libraries in DC
There are certain issues you can solve without the help of an attorney. If you don't know where to begin, a law librarian can help you. They are usually legally trained, and they can help you both with texts or online research engines like Westlaw or LexisNexis.
Do you like libraries? DC's got a lot of them.
- American University, Washington College of Law: Pence Law Library
- Catholic University, Columbus School of Law: Judge Kathryn K. DuFour Law Library
- George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School: Law Library
- Georgetown University: Law Library
- George Washington University Law School: Jacob Burns Law Library
- Howard University School of Law: Law Library
- Library of Congress
- Montgomery County Circuit Court: Law Library
- United States Department of Agriculture: National Agriculture Library
- National Labor Relations Board
- National Library of Education
- National Transportation Library
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Library
- University of the District of Columbia: Charles N. and Hilda H. M. Mason Law Library