On Friday January 14, 2010 there was a terrible fatal car crash on Canal Road in Washington, D.C. on Canal Road. The two people killed in the crash were Milos Milicevic and Radovan Vulikic were driving a Jaguar near Reservoir Road. Their vehicle slid across the road and crashed into a pickup truck. This Washington, D.C. car crash is still being investigated. We all need to remember that in the winter the roads in Washington, D.C are going to be slick. This is due not only to the ice, rain, snow and precipitation, but also because there are quite often water main breaks due to lack of maintenance and the water on the roadway tends to freeze and create very dangerous conditions.

While I do not know for certain that this particular crash was caused by the negligence of the D.C. Government or the DC WASA, it is indeed a possibility. In order to make a legal claim for damages against the D.C. Government, a plaintiff must put the D.C. Government on “notice” of the claim within 180 days of the incident. Otherwise the claim will be barred forever by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. The notice given must comply with Section 12-309 of the D.C. Code.

D.C. Code § 12-309 provides:

“An action may not be maintained against the District of Columbia for unliquidated damages to person or property unless, within six months after the injury or damage was sustained, the claimant, his agent, or attorney has given notice in writing to the Mayor of the District of Columbia of the approximate time, place, cause, and circumstances of the injury or damage.”

The case law is very specific about what constitutes proper notice to the D.C. Government of a tort claim and what does not. The bottom line is that if you are contemplating filing a lawsuit against the D.C. Government it is a good idea to hire a lawyer to help make sure that proper notice of the negligence claim is given.

Should you or a loved one be injured in a car accident you may want to contact an injury lawyer to learn more about your legal options. At Goldberg Finnegan, our Washington DC car accident lawyers have many years of experience handling lawsuits in the D.C court system and we are ready to help you today. For your free, initial consultation, contact us today at (888) 213-8140.