California Car Accident Lawyers

• California uses pure comparative negligence: if you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share, not barred.
• The minimum liability policy in California is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident since January 1, 2025 (Veh. Code §16056); serious injuries exceed it fast, so your own underinsured motorist coverage often matters.
• Fault is usually proved through the rules the other driver broke: the basic speed law, red lights, left turns, following distance, distraction or impairment.
• The vehicle's owner, the driver's employer and a rideshare company can all be liable alongside the driver.
• Two years to file a lawsuit (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1); six months to present a claim if a government vehicle or dangerous road was involved (Gov. Code §911.2).

Sources: Veh. Code §§16056, 17150, 21453, 21801, 22350 · Ins. Code §11580.2 · Civ. Code §§1431.2, 3294 · Code Civ. Proc. §335.1 · Gov. Code §911.2 · Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804

Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team that has represented thousands of injured Californians, with automobile accident recoveries including $36 million for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle and $28.5 million and $13.5 million for collisions involving commercial trucks. Car accident cases are decided by evidence that is easy to lose: the other vehicle's event-data-recorder download, the driver's phone records, intersection camera footage, and the CHP or police report with its diagram and witness list. We secure that evidence early, work with reconstruction experts when fault is disputed, document every injury with treating physicians, and handle every conversation with the insurance companies so you can focus on healing. There are no fees unless you get paid.

Take five steps to protect your health and your claim: seek medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine, because whiplash, concussion and internal injuries are often delayed; call the police and report the crash so an official report exists; photograph the scene, the vehicles, skid marks, signals and your injuries; exchange information and gather witness contacts; and speak with a car accident lawyer before giving a recorded statement to any insurer, including your own. Our step-by-step guide covers what to do after a car accident in detail.

Most California crashes come down to a driver violating a specific rule of the road, and that violation is how fault is proved. Rear-end collisions usually involve following too closely or speeding under the basic speed law, which requires every driver to travel no faster than is reasonable for conditions (Veh. Code §22350). Left-turn and intersection crashes involve a driver who failed to yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard (§21801) or who ran a steady red light (§21453(a)). Side-impact crashes at signals often trace to a right turn on red made without yielding (§21453(b)). Head-on and rollover crashes frequently involve impairment or unsafe passing. Multi-vehicle freeway pileups on the I-5, I-10, I-405 and I-15 raise questions of sequence that reconstruction resolves. When a driver violates a safety statute and that violation causes the kind of harm the statute exists to prevent, California presumes negligence (Evid. Code §669).

Usually more parties than the other driver. The vehicle's owner is liable for the negligence of anyone driving with permission, up to statutory limits (Veh. Code §17150). An employer is responsible for an employee driving on the job. A rideshare or delivery company's commercial policy applies when the driver was logged in or carrying a passenger. A public entity can be liable for a dangerous road design, a missing guardrail or a malfunctioning signal, subject to the six-month claim rule. A manufacturer can be liable for a defective airbag, tire or brake. Each defendant's share of non-economic damages is several, not joint (Civ. Code §1431.2), so identifying everyone who is responsible directly affects what can be collected. If you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage but not eliminated (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804).

The at-fault driver's liability policy pays first, and California requires only $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 in property damage for policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 (Veh. Code §16056). A single emergency room visit and surgery can exceed that. When it does, your own policy's underinsured motorist coverage fills the gap up to your limits, and uninsured motorist coverage applies if the driver had no insurance or fled, provided the crash was reported to police within 24 hours and to your insurer within 30 days in a hit-and-run (Ins. Code §11580.2). Medical payments coverage, health insurance and, for on-the-job crashes, workers' compensation can also apply. We review every policy in the household before any insurer puts a number on the case.

Injured drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians can generally recover economic damages (current and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, vehicle and property damage) and non-economic damages (pain, suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life). Where a driver acted with malice, such as driving drunk with knowledge of the danger, punitive damages may be available on clear and convincing evidence (Civ. Code §3294). In a fatal crash, the family may pursue a wrongful death claim. Every case is different, and a legal professional can review your losses during a free case review.

Most California crashes trace back to preventable driver negligence: distracted driving, speeding, driving under the influence, unsafe lane changes and turns, following too closely, and running signals. Road conditions contribute: poorly timed signals, construction zones without proper warnings, and freeway interchanges with short merge lanes. Establishing which driver, and sometimes which agency, was negligent is central to your claim, and our attorneys handle that investigation for you.

In most cases, two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1) and three years for property damage. Two deadlines are shorter: a written claim against a government entity within six months (Gov. Code §911.2), and, in a hit-and-run, a police report within 24 hours and a sworn statement to your insurer within 30 days to protect uninsured motorist coverage (Ins. Code §11580.2). Because missing a deadline can end your case, it is best to speak with a legal professional early.