Every jurisdiction has their own time limit called a statute of limitations, and in D.C., depending upon what kind of case it is, that statute of limitations will vary; wrongful death is two years, medical malpractice can be three years, auto accident three years. It varies based upon the type of case and the issues involved.
Well, the best way to determine the time limit for you case is having consulted an attorney from the very beginning of the case, and then that becomes the lawyer’s responsibility. I would not recommend that the potential client try to figure out that on their own necessarily because of the different time limits allowed for the different causes of action that can be brought. The client needs someone knowledgeable about the type of case that the client has, the type of causes of action that can be brought, and because it varies depending upon the circumstances, it’s very important that they consult with an attorney as opposed to a lay person.
No, you do not. This is a diverse area and we have foreign visitors and cases are brought on behalf of non-citizens all the time.
No. Again, people come to this area and they’re injured from all different states and countries and you do not need to be a DC resident to file a claim. The requirement of filing a claim in DC is that you were hurt in DC. It’s not the residency or citizenship, it’s just whether you are injured while in DC.
No. The defendant does not have to be a resident of DC or live in DC. The jurisdiction and venue of the matter will be considered to be DC because that’s where the injury occurred.
The defendant, however can also be sued where they live or work. And corporations can be sued where their principal place of business is.
So, what establishes the case initially is where the injury occurred.
