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Personal injury law involves civil claims in which an individual is injured through the negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct of another person, a company, or property owner. A personal injury lawsuit may arise from physical or emotional injuries. Personal injury law compensates individuals injured as a result of another’s negligence or intentional misconduct. Personal injury laws vary from state to state. If you believe you have a personal injury claim, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in Washington, DC to evaluate your claim.
The District of Columbia follows a pure contributory negligence system. With this system, if two or more people are in an accident, the injured person is only able to recover for his or her injuries and damages if he or she did not contribute to the accident in any way, even if it was only a very slight factor. For example, if Dave and Debbie were in an accident where Jane was injured, and Jane was only 5% at fault, she would recover nothing.
Click here to read about contributory vs. comparative negligence.
In the District of Columbia, the courts follow the common law doctrine of joint and several liability, where each defendant is jointly and severally liable for the entire amount of the financial judgment as it relates to a plaintiff’s compensatory claims. Any defendant named in the judgment is liable to the plaintiff for the entire amount, regardless of his or her share of the fault. However, any punitive damages awarded are allocated based on the defendant’s share of the fault.
Click here for more about Joint and Several Liability.
One of the best ways to research personal injury lawyers in Washington, DC is to contact courts in DC and ask them for information about the personal injury attorneys who utilize their legal facilities when they bring personal injury cases to court. We have compiled a list below of some courts in Washington, DC to get you started:
Supreme Court
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Moultrie Courthouse
500 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Room 6000
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-879-2700
Superior Courts
District of Columbia Superior Court
500 Indiana Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-879-1010
District of Columbia Superior Court
Building A
515 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-879-1010
District of Columbia Superior Court
Building B
510 4th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
202-879-1010
