If you are involved in an accident anywhere in the area and it involved government property, you may be able to claim compensation if you were injured or your car damaged.
Claims against federal governments can be difficult because of rules that protect them from civil claims called “sovereign immunity." Nevertheless, it is still possible to make a claim for compensation as long as negligence can be demonstrated and you follow the strict guidelines laid down by the
Laws Regarding Government Personal Injury Claims
Making a claim against any government agency means that a “Notice of Claim” is received within 6 months of the injury. The notice of claim is not itself a personal injury claim but a forerunner to it. In some circumstances, if the circumstances are very clear-cut and negligence is detected, identified and acknowledged by the authorities, you may receive compensation quite quickly. Usually, there is a 60 day delay in which the notice of claim is examined. If you do not hear from the Office of Risk Management, with which the claim is lodged, or the claim is denied, then you have the opportunity to go ahead with a personal injury claim against the government.
It is important that you have as much supporting documentation as possible when submitting the notice of claim. This includes your name, address, contact details, where and when you were injured, how it happened, why you consider a government party was involved, how much you are claiming, medical reports and bills and any relevant photos, e.g. of a crash scene or damage to your vehicle.
Government Property and Your Car Accident
Certain laws allow you to claim against the government if you can prove that someone employed by the government acted negligently, or there was a fault in the maintenance or construction of government property which led to your injury. Here's a little more information on how you can prove negligence in a personal injury claim.
The most common accidents of this type are bus accidents, especially where you and your vehicle have been damaged by a colliding bus. There are several other government owned and operated vehicles used every day, like police cars, and it is quite feasible that you could be hit by one of them.
There are many government offices across the city and most of them have parking lots. If your car has an accident in one of these parking lots and you are injured there may be grounds for a claim.
Bus Accidents and You
If you have an accident and are injured by public transportation it is most likely going to be a bus. Bus accidents are not particularly frequent, but do happen. If the accident was not your fault, then the most likely factors would be driver error, poor maintenance of the bus or a defective part. Driver error constitutes the majority of bus accidents. Drivers may be tired, distracted, dunk, affected by drugs they have taken, may not have signaled their intentions, failed to keep a proper look out or failed to yield the right of way.
Whatever the cause of the accident, if a claim is to succeed, there must be sufficient proof of what went wrong.
A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You With a Claim Against a Government Entity
It’s not worth pursuing a claim against the government alone. The chances of having your claim denied, for any number of reasons, are too high. Discuss your accident with an experienced personal injury attorney who will advise you how to go about making a claim and helping you through what can be a complex and protracted process.
Disclaimer
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against the city of Washington DC, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
