What is a car accident claim worth in District of Columbia?
Every rule below is quoted from District of Columbia law or a state agency, with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
Nobody can price your claim from a web page, and any site that gives you one number is guessing. What we can show you is real: the amount insurers actually paid per claim in District of Columbia, and the District of Columbia rules that raise or lower what you collect. $15,321 was the average injury claim paid in District of Columbia in 2022.
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Averages come from NAIC 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report. State rules are quoted from District of Columbia law on this site, each with a link.
What claims paid in District of Columbia
Injury claims in District of Columbia averaged $15,321 each in 2022.
Car and property damage claims averaged $4,998.
| Injury claim paid by the at fault driver's insurance | $15,321 |
|---|---|
| Car and property damage | $4,998 |
| Personal injury protection, paid by your own policy | $10,903 |
| Medical payments coverage, paid by your own policy | $4,366 |
| Collision coverage, paid by your own policy | $5,581 |
These are averages of every claim insurers closed, from the largest to the smallest. A claim with a hospital stay sits far above the average, and a fender bender sits far below it.
What changes the number in District of Columbia
If you were partly at fault
The District of Columbia uses pure contributory negligence, one of the strictest rules in the country. If you were even slightly at fault for the crash, you cannot recover any money from the other driver, with a narrow exception for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users.
“the District of Columbia does not recognize different degrees of contributory negligence. The rule is simply that contributory negligence bars a plaintiff's recovery.”
The other driver's policy limit is the ceiling
DC drivers must carry at least $25,000 in liability coverage for one injured person, $50,000 total for everyone injured in one crash, and $10,000 for property damage.
“$25,000 per person injured in any 1 accident and $50,000 for all persons injured in any 1 accident”
If the other driver has no insurance
DC insurance policies must include uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 for one injured person, $50,000 for everyone injured in one crash, and $5,000 for property damage.
“$25,000 per person injured in any 1 accident, or $50,000 for all persons injured in any 1 accident, and coverage for property damage in an amount of $5,000”
The deadline that ends the claim
You have 3 years to sue over injuries from a car crash.
“for which a limitation is not otherwise specially prescribed, 3 years”
What a lawyer takes if you hire one
DC does not cap injury lawyer contingency fees by law, but the rules for lawyers require the fee agreement to be in writing, stating how the fee is calculated, the percentages for a settlement, trial, or appeal, and how costs are handled.
“A contingent fee agreement shall be in writing and shall state the method by which the fee is to be determined, including the percentage or percentages that shall accrue to the lawyer in the event of settlement, trial, or appeal”
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.