Washington, D.C. Personal Injury Overview

Personal injury law is a very broad area of law that covers accidents and injuries related to vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, product liability and premises liability. While the basic laws of personal injury are the same from state to state, there are some aspects of the law that vary.

In Washington, D.C., if you have suffered a personal injury due to someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be compensated for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Permanent disability
• Permanent disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Property damage

Determining Negligence

The District of Columbia follows the doctrine of "pure comparative negligence," which states that you cannot collect compensation if you are to blame for your injuries; even if you are only one percent to blame for your injuries, you cannot collect a dime. However, you should not determine whether or not you were at fault. Only an experienced personal injury attorney can do this for you. If another party tells you that you were at fault, or even if a police officer states you are fault, you should still consult an experience accident attorney to get his/her opinion.

Washington, D.C. also follows the doctrine of joint and several liability, which states if there are multiple parties responsible for your injuries, then they each must pay their part. If one party cannot pay his part, you cannot try to collect his share from the other parties.

If you live in the Washington, D.C. area and feel you have a valid personal injury claim, please contact an experienced Washington area personal injury attorney to schedule your confidential consultation.