Car Accidents, Injuries, and Lawsuits in Washington, D.C.

Washington, DC traffic statistics

The District of Columbia had a population of 705,749 in 2019. Residents traveled 3,756 vehicle miles that year. There were 23 traffic fatalities—or a rate of 3.3 deaths per 100,00 residents, which was a lower rate than any state in the U.S.

The states (and district) with the 10 lowest fatality rates in 2019 included:

Source: IIHS Fatality Facts 2019, state by state

The D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles says there are nearly 450,000 drivers registered in the District, but this area is unique. A significant number of people who spend time within the District for work, school, or other reasons regularly commute in from neighboring states. In addition, tens of millions of people visit D.C. each year and many arrive in their own vehicles.

Even though D.C. doesn't have as much of a residential population as large cities like New York City or Los Angeles, it is home to some of the worst traffic in the country. While lots of people travel the city in their own private vehicles, there's also a lot of traffic from taxis and ride-sharing vehicles like Ubers or Lyfts.

That means plenty of potential for a car crash. Fortunately, most are fender-benders or minor accidents that result in vehicle damage and minor personal injury, if any.

If you are involved in a car accident, you should know the laws specific to the District and how to handle insurance claims and a personal injury lawsuit, if necessary.

Contributory negligence fault system in Washington, D.C.

Each state (and the District) follows 1 of 4 fault systems. These laws determine how much a plaintiff can recover in an accident where the plaintiff shares some responsibility for the injury.

But wait… you just said that D.C. follows no-fault rules and a plaintiff can receive benefits from their own insurance company, regardless of who is at fault!

Yes, both are true.

You can make a claim for PIP (no-fault) medical benefits from your insurance company. Because it's no-fault insurance, your claim should not be denied because of contributory negligence. However, you would not be able to recover damages in a lawsuit because of this negligence standard.

You are a customer of an insurance company, but you're not a client. You've already paid your premiums to have insurance, and the insurance company's profit is based on paying out less in settlements than what it takes in from premiums. Therefore, your own insurance company will look for any reason to deny your claim because that's how it makes a profit.

By contrast, most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. That means they don't earn money unless and until you receive a settlement or verdict payout. Your lawyer's role is to review and analyze the evidence in order to minimize your liability for the accident. Since any liability means you can't recover damages, your lawyer's expertise will be particularly important in a pure contributory negligence jurisdiction.

10 most common causes of car accidents

The reason we drive or ride in a car is usually because we have somewhere to go — and we want to get there quickly. In today's world, there are so many distractions — it's not just mobile phones (although those are ubiquitous and dangerous when used while driving). It's also the general hurry of our lives. We're busy, so we eat breakfast in the car on the way to work, we see a gathering happening outside and crane our necks to read the signs, we get lost in thought about what we need to do.

In D.C., there's also often the possibility of an unexpected detour or slowdown because of a presidential motorcade.

But distracted driving is a major problem and one of the most frequent causes of a car accident.

Here's a look at the top 10 causes of car accidents:

1. Distracted driving. Distracted driving is a serious problem. As people become more and more reliant on cell phones for maps, podcasts, music, traffic reports, and other functions, there is more and more reason why they feel that they "need" to check their phones. But you should never, ever handle your phone or any electronic device while driving. Other distractions can include eating, passenger behavior, personal grooming, or any other behavior that takes your mind, eyes or hands off driving.
2. Drunk driving. You're not allowed to drive if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or higher. If you're under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or some medications, it can severely affect your driving and raises your risk of causing an accident.
3. Aggressive driving. You've likely heard of "road rage," which is when a person becomes so angry at another driver that they might bully or even physically harm someone on purpose because they're annoyed at something about their driving. But there are other kinds of aggressive driving that don't necessarily involve anger at a specific individual. Some drivers might be impatient and speed or swerve around cars they think are driving too slowly, make unsafe lane changes, or behave recklessly in some other way that could result in an accident.
4. Speeding. Some speeding is aggressive, and some is just carelessness. You might speed because you're in a hurry or running late, but you shouldn't. Speeding doesn't get you to your destination any faster if you crash. And when you speed, you have less time to react to a traffic situation in front of you and less time to stop if necessary.
5. Reckless driving. Similar to aggressive driving, reckless driving is any kind of action behind the wheel that's unsafe. It might be speeding, weaving, dodging other cars, failure to stop at lights or stop signs, or any other number of aggressive driving practices that break road rules or are unsafe.
6. Inexperienced drivers. Your teenager might be the most responsible kid around, and they might care a lot about following road rules, driving at the correct speed, heeding stop lights and signs, and doing everything "right." But younger drivers are inexperienced. That lack of experience could cause even the most careful driver to misjudge the speed of an oncoming car, poorly execute a turn, or make other mistakes that result in an accident. And, some teenagers are more likely to take risks that a more experienced driver wouldn't. Statistically, younger male drivers are most likely to make risky driving decisions.
7. Tailgating. Tailgating is when a driver follows too closely behind the driver in front of them. Some tailgating is aggressive, but sometimes it happens because someone isn't paying attention or doesn't see the practice as dangerous. When traveling 55 mph, you should leave 16 car lengths (which is about 243 feet) between your vehicle and the car in front of you. Tailgating is dangerous because when you're too close to another vehicle, you don't have enough time to stop if you need to do so quickly.
8. Weather conditions. When the weather is extreme, it's best to stay off the roads when you can. But when that's not practical or realistic, exercise caution and drive slowly.
9. Failure to obey traffic laws. Traffic laws are more than just stopping at red lights. Following the speed limit, staying in your lane, passing bicyclists safely, and yielding to pedestrians are a few of the many necessary rules for safe driving. Be familiar with the traffic laws in your area and obey them to reduce your risk of a collision.
10. Failure to stop at a red light or stop sign. Although stopping for stop signs and traffic lights are part of following traffic rules, they're also among the ones drivers break most often. Even if you think you're driving through a "quiet" intersection, you should stop completely at stop signs and lights.

Being aware of stop signs and traffic lights is particularly important in D.C. where there are so many tourists and visitors. Drivers and pedestrians who aren't familiar with the city will probably be distracted by their navigation systems, so they might not be paying close attention to traffic.