Construction Site Injuries in District of Columbia
Whether an injured construction worker in District of Columbia can sue beyond workers' comp, any scaffold or height-safety law, and the deadline to sue.
Short answer: Construction injuries: under the District's workers' comp law, the employer's liability for compensation is exclusive and in place of all other liability for a work injury, and comp is the exclusive remedy against the employer, co-workers, officers and the insurer acting within the scope… D.C. Code §§ 32-1504, 32-1535
| Construction site injuries | Construction injuries: under the District's workers' comp law, the employer's liability for compensation is exclusive and in place of all other liability for a work injury, and comp is the exclusive remedy against the employer, co-workers, officers and the insurer acting within the scope of employment. An injured worker may also seek damages from a third party outside that group (such as another contractor or an equipment maker); accepting comp under an order assigns the claim to the employer unless the worker sues within six months after the award. No scaffold-law statute was searched for or reviewed. Source: D.C. Code §§ 32-1504, 32-1535 |
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| Fault rule (comparative negligence) | Under the Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act, a pedestrian or "vulnerable user" (such as a cyclist or scooter, skateboard or motorcycle rider) hit by a motor vehicle or another vulnerable user is not barred from recovering because of his or her own negligence, unless that negligence was a proximate cause of the injury and greater than the combined negligence of all defendants. This statute covers only collisions involving pedestrians and vulnerable users. Re-verified 2026-10-27. |
| Deadline to sue for an injury | D.C. has no separate deadline that names personal injury; negligence-based injury claims fall under the general 3-year period for actions not otherwise specifically covered. Claims for assault, battery, libel, slander, false arrest or false imprisonment have 1 year. Which category applies to a particular injury claim can depend on how the claim is classified. Re-verified 2026-10-27. Source: D.C. Code § 12-301(a)(4), (8) |
More District of Columbia personal injury & wrongful death
- Deadlines to File an Injury Lawsuit in District of Columbia
- Wrongful Death Lawsuits in District of Columbia
- Medical Malpractice Rules in District of Columbia
- Car Accident Claims in District of Columbia
- Dog Bite Liability in District of Columbia
- Pedestrian Accident Claims in District of Columbia
- Bicycle Accident Claims in District of Columbia
- Uber and Lyft Accident Claims in District of Columbia
- All District of Columbia personal injury & wrongful death rules
FAQ
Can you sue for a construction accident in District of Columbia?
Construction injuries: under the District's workers' comp law, the employer's liability for compensation is exclusive and in place of all other liability for a work injury, and comp is the exclusive remedy against the employer, co-workers, officers and the insurer acting within the scope of employment. An injured worker may also seek damages from a third party outside that group (such as another contractor or an equipment maker); accepting comp under an order assigns the claim to the employer unless the worker sues within six months after the award.
Can you recover damages if you were partly at fault in District of Columbia?
Under the Motor Vehicle Collision Recovery Act, a pedestrian or "vulnerable user" (such as a cyclist or scooter, skateboard or motorcycle rider) hit by a motor vehicle or another vulnerable user is not barred from recovering because of his or her own negligence, unless that negligence was a proximate cause of the injury and greater than the combined negligence of all defendants.
What is the statute of limitations for personal injury in District of Columbia?
D.C. has no separate deadline that names personal injury; negligence-based injury claims fall under the general 3-year period for actions not otherwise specifically covered. Claims for assault, battery, libel, slander, false arrest or false imprisonment have 1 year.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.