PERSONAL INJURY — SLIP & FALL
What You Need to Know About Dog Bite and Animal Attack Cases
An attack can happen in an instant: a walk around the block, a neighbor's backyard, a delivery route, an afternoon at the dog park. Some encounters end with a scare and a scraped knee. Others leave puncture wounds, nerve damage, infection, permanent scarring, and medical bills that keep arriving long after the stitches come out.
Why This Matters
You Should Not Have to Fight Alone While You're Still Healing
If another person's dog or animal attacked you because its owner failed to control it, you may be entitled to compensation. Since 1994, W. Thomas Yi & Associates has helped injured people across the D.C. metropolitan region recover for what an attack took from them: physically, emotionally, and financially.
Consultations are always free, and we can speak with you in the language you're most comfortable in.
OUR ROLE
How We Help After a Car Accident
Injuries, treatment, and pain can make it nearly impossible to manage everything that follows a serious collision. Whether you were hurt in a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accident, our team can manage every part of your claim, including:
Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries
Sudden back and forth motion of the head and neck, common in rear end crashes. Symptoms may not appear for days and can cause lasting discomfort.
Fractures
From simple breaks to compound fractures requiring surgery, commonly to the arms, legs, ribs, and collarbone.
Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Caused by a blow to the head or violent shaking. Even a mild concussion can bring lasting headaches, dizziness, and memory problems.
Catastrophic Injuries
Including severe burns and amputations.
Because some injuries do not appear immediately, or worsen in the days that follow, it is critical to see a doctor right away and have your injuries documented, even if you feel fine at the scene.
Back and Neck Injuries
Including herniated discs and other injuries that can limit mobility long term.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Can cause partial or complete paralysis and require lifelong care.
Types of Cases
Common Injuries in Car Accidents
Types of Cases
WHEN TO CALL A LAWYER
Signs It's Time to Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
You needed medical treatment for injuries from the crash.
You've lost income or can't return to work because of the accident.
An insurance company (yours or the other driver's) has already reached out to you.
A commercial truck, drunk or reckless driver, or a defective auto part played a role in the collision.
You may need continued care or rehabilitation for your injuries down the road.
You've been blamed for a crash that wasn't your fault.
Someone you love died in the accident because of another driver's negligence.
You have no idea what your accident claim is actually worth.
We have staff members fluent in
Amharic (ethiopian)
spanish
korean
vietnamese
thai
Types of Cases
Types of Car Accidents We Handle
Collisions take many forms, each with its own causes and legal complications.
Rear End Collisions
One of the most common crash types, these typically happen when a driver fails to stop in time, often due to distraction, tailgating, or a sudden stop ahead. The rear driver is frequently, though not always, presumed at fault.
T Bone Collisions
These occur when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, usually at intersections, often from a driver running a red light, failing to yield, or ignoring a stop sign. Because of the point of impact, these crashes can cause severe injuries to occupants on the struck side.
Rollovers
Among the most dangerous crashes, rollovers often involve taller vehicles like SUVs and trucks and can result from sharp turns at speed, collisions, or striking curbs and guardrails. The risk of catastrophic or fatal injury is significantly higher because of the violent nature of the crash.
THE BASICS
A Crash Can Change Everything in an Instant
One moment you are driving to work or heading home to your family. The next you are facing serious injuries, a wrecked vehicle, mounting medical bills, missed paychecks, and an insurance company that seems more focused on its bottom line than your recovery.
You do not have to face any of it alone. Since 1994, our firm has represented the diverse communities of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, seeking fair compensation for everything our clients have lost physically, emotionally, and financially because of another person's negligence. Based in Annandale, we handle auto accident claims throughout Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
You don’t need to have everything figured out
You don't need to know whether you have a case before calling. You only need to know that you were hurt in a crash and have questions. We'll listen to what happened on the road, ask focused questions about the accident, and help you understand whether W. Thomas Yi & Associates can help you recover.
What You May Recover
Damages You May Be Able to Recover
Injuries are only one of the ways a crash affects your life. Depending on the facts of your case, you may be entitled to recover several categories of damages.
Types of Cases
Auto Insurance Laws Across DC, Maryland, and Virginia
The three jurisdictions we serve share the same strict contributory negligence rule, but their insurance systems and minimum coverage requirements differ in important ways. Knowing which rules apply to your crash matters a great deal.
Virginia
Insurance is now mandatory. The former option to pay a fee to register an uninsured vehicle was eliminated on July 1, 2024.
As of January 1, 2025, minimum liability limits are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage.
Policies must include uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at matching limits unless rejected in writing.
Tort, at fault state
Washington, D.C.
Liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $10,000 for property damage.
Uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, plus $5,000 property damage.
Insurers must offer Personal Injury Protection, with a 60 day window to decide between PIP benefits and a claim against the at fault driver.
Choice, no fault system
Maryland
Liability coverage of $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is required, including uninsured motorist property damage.
Personal Injury Protection of at least $2,500 pays medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault, and can only be dropped with a signed written waiver.
Fault based, with PIP
Filing a Claim and Understanding Your Deadlines
As the injured party you have the right to file a claim for your losses, usually through the at fault driver's insurance carrier. If that insurer has not accepted liability, you may need to notify your own insurance company, for example to get your car repaired or a rental arranged.
If you file through your own carrier, often called first party coverage, you will typically pay your deductible. Your insurer will then usually pursue a subrogation claim against the at fault driver's insurer to recover what it paid, including your deductible. When it works, this is also how you get your deductible back.
Statute of Limitations by Jurisdiction
Before you call any insurance company, including your own, talk to an experienced car accident lawyer first. What you say early on can affect your entire claim under our region's strict contributory negligence rules.
Taking Action
WHY THESE CASES MATTER
A Personal Injury Case Involves Far More Than Medical Bills
In the days after an injury, healing is usually the only thing on your mind. But the consequences rarely stop there. You may be out of work, staring down months of treatment, living with ongoing pain, or trying to rebuild a life that suddenly looks different than it did before.