Fault & Liability in Car Accidents in DC

The District of Columbia doesn't fit the usual no-fault or at-fault labels. It runs an at-fault system with an optional no-fault PIP layer, plus one of the country's strictest contributory-negligence rules.

The District of Columbia is one of the few places that still applies pure contributory negligence, where 1 percent of fault can bar a driver's entire crash claim. Here's how the rule works and the narrow exceptions that soften it.