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★ District of Columbia · workplace

Workplace settlements
in District of Columbia.

By Reviewed by Abd Shanti, Founder9 min read

DC pays temporary total disability at 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage, capped at the District’s average weekly wage of insured workers. A Metro train operator whose doctor rated her arm and shoulder at 35% was given 5%, and the court sent the case back. A worker awarded 10% for a knee injury won a new look because the judge never explained the number.

Facts that decide a workplace claim in District of Columbia

Weekly benefitTemporary total disability is 66 2/3% of average weekly wages, not above the average weekly wage of insured employees in the District.D.C. Code §§ 32-1508(2), 32-1505(b)
Explain the ratingA disability percentage must be explained well enough for a court to review it.Bowles v. DOES (D.C. 2015)
District employeesFor District government workers, the CMPA comp scheme is generally the exclusive remedy against the District, even for a traumatic brain injury caused by a coworker’s driving.Colbert v. District of Columbia (D.C. 2023)
united states · sister site
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★ DC · reported workplace outcomes

What District of Columbia courts have awarded.

Real District of Columbia decisions and verdicts, each linked to the court record or official report.

  • Alston v. D.C. Department of Employment Services
    D.C. Court of Appeals · 2024
    Reversed in part; remanded

    In March 2018 Connie Alston, a WMATA train operator, injured her right arm and shoulder at work and sought permanent partial disability. Her treating physician rated her at 35%; the judge adopted WMATA’s examiner’s 5%. The court held the board wrongly accepted that her doctor’s ratings conflicted with her testimony, and remanded.

  • Bowles v. D.C. Department of Employment Services
    D.C. Court of Appeals · 2015
    Decision vacated; remanded

    Vernice Bowles injured her knee at work in 2008. A judge awarded 10% permanent partial disability to her right leg, relying in part on evidence not in the record, and the review board affirmed. The court could not tell how the 10% was calculated, vacated the decision and sent the case back.

★ DC · workplace · in practice

What changes the number here.

What actually moves a workplace settlement in District of Columbia.

  1. 1

    Get a written impairment rating from your treating doctor with the method used.

  2. 2

    Make sure your testimony and your doctor’s findings line up.

  3. 3

    If you work for the District government, your claim runs through the CMPA.

★ DC · statute of limitations
3 years from date of injury

D.C. Code § 12-301

★ DC · fault rule
Pure contributory negligence

Pure contributory negligence, 1% claimant fault bars recovery, with a narrow exception for cyclists and pedestrians under D.C. Code § 50-2204.52.

★ workplace · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

How District of Columbia's fault rule and limitation period compare to jurisdictions in the same US region and to those running the same fault rule for workplace claims.

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationWorkplace page
District of Columbia · you are herePure contributory negligence3 years from date of injury—
MaineModified comparative, 50% bar6 years for personal injury, longest in the USME · workplace →
MarylandPure contributory negligence3 years from date of injuryMD · workplace →
MassachusettsModified comparative, 51% bar3 years from date of injuryMA · workplace →
New HampshireModified comparative, 51% bar3 years from date of injuryNH · workplace →
New JerseyModified comparative, 51% bar2 years from date of injuryNJ · workplace →
New YorkPure comparative negligence3 years for personal injury; 2 years 6 months for medical malpracticeNY · workplace →
North CarolinaPure contributory negligence3 years from date of injuryNC · workplace →
VirginiaPure contributory negligence2 years from date of injuryVA · workplace →
AlabamaPure contributory negligence2 years from date of injuryAL · workplace →
FloridaModified comparative, 51% bar2 years from date of injury (was 4; reduced by HB 837)FL · workplace →
GeorgiaModified comparative, 50% bar2 years from date of injuryGA · workplace →
HawaiiModified comparative, 51% bar2 years from date of injuryHI · workplace →
★ DC · workplace · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is independently coherent and references the relevant statute or authority document.

united states · sister site
Hurt at work in District of Columbia? See what your own claim could be worth.

FairSettlement, our US sister site, gives you a free estimate in about two minutes. No cost and no obligation.

Check my case

Sources

Checked 2026-09-30.

★ all of DC
District of Columbia overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for District of Columbia as a whole.

★ national frame
Workplace in United States

Workplace band structure and severity tiers at the US level.

★ all 15 countries
Workplace · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of workplace bands.

★ editorial note

Figures on this page are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult an attorney admitted in District of Columbia. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.