Statute of Limitations for General Personal Injury / Negligence in District of Columbia

Overview

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Statute Of Limitations calculator.

In the District of Columbia, the statute of limitations (SOL) for general personal injury and negligence claims is 3 years under D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1). This 3-year rule is the default/baseline period for typical negligence-style personal injury claims in D.C. and is based on when the claim accrues—not on the particular negligence theory you label in the complaint.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you translate that legal rule into a practical deadline date once you enter the relevant dates (for example, the injury/incident date that you treat as accrual, plus any tolling/exception trigger dates you want to model). In general, the practical difference between “file by” and “within 3 years of” often comes down to date math and whether an exception pauses or changes the clock.

Limitation period

For general personal injury / negligence claims in D.C., the SOL is 3 years from the date the claim accrues. The governing provision is D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1).

Because this page is intentionally focused on the general/default rule, it does not apply a claim-type-specific sub-rule unless such a sub-rule is clearly identified. For this jurisdiction and claim category, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the 3-year period is treated as the baseline.

What “3 years” means in practice

Use this quick checklist to gather inputs before using the calculator:

How the deadline changes when facts change

In many straightforward situations, the deadline can look like:

• Accrual date + 3 years = deadline to file

However, if an exception pauses the clock (tolling) or affects when the claim is considered to accrue, the deadline can shift. That’s why the calculator is most useful when you enter the exact dates you intend to rely on for your scenario.

Key exceptions

D.C. SOL analysis can involve exceptions and tolling concepts that change the filing deadline. This section is meant to highlight common categories to check and how they may change the calculator’s output—not to guarantee that any exception applies to your specific case.

Because this page centers on the general/default rule, the items below are best treated as possible inputs you may consider after you verify whether the category fits your facts.

Common categories to verify

• Minority / disability tolling: If the person with the claim was a minor or otherwise legally incapacitated, the SOL may extend for some claims.
• Discovery-related accrual disputes: Some cases raise questions about whether accrual is tied to when an injury was discovered (or reasonably should have been). Whether that approach applies depends on D.C.’s accrual standards in the relevant context.
• Fraudulent concealment: If a defendant allegedly concealed facts in a way that prevented discovery of the claim, the SOL analysis may shift.
• Continuing wrong concepts: If harm stems from repeated or ongoing conduct, the key question becomes when the claim accrues for SOL purposes.

How to use exception inputs in DocketMath

When you use the calculator:

This helps you see how much the deadline shifts and prevents treating uncertain tolling assumptions as settled.

Statute citation

The general SOL for personal injury / negligence claims in the District of Columbia is 3 years, as provided in:

• **D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1)

Source (for the statute text):
https://law.justia.com/codes/district-of-columbia/2014/division-iv/title-23/chapter-1/section-23-113/

Practical summary of the citation

• The governing limitations period is 3 years for covered civil actions under the general provision.
• This page treats the 3-year period as the default because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for the general personal injury / negligence scenario.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator to convert the 3-year rule in D.C. Code § 23–113(a)(1) into a deadline date you can track.

Start here: /tools/statute-of-limitations

If you want to compare scenarios (for example, “no tolling” vs. “tolling present”), run separate calculations and keep a short note for each run so you can track your assumptions.

Calculator inputs (what to gather before you click)

• Accrual date: The date you treat as when the clock starts (commonly the incident/injury date for straightforward cases).
• Tolling/exception flags (if applicable): Whether you believe an exception pauses or changes the SOL.
• Exception date details: Some exceptions require additional dates (such as a period of disability, or relevant concealment/discovery timing).

Output you should expect

The calculator will typically return:

• A deadline date (the last day to timely file under the selected rules)
• Often a baseline vs. adjusted view if you include tolling/exception inputs

How output changes when you change inputs

Use quick “what-if” comparisons:

• Change the accrual date by a few days → the deadline generally shifts by the same number of days.
• Add a tolling period → the deadline generally moves later by the amount of time the clock is paused.
• Toggle an exception incorrectly → the computed deadline may become unrealistically late (or too early). Keep track of why each option was selected.

Quick workflow for deadline tracking

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator