Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

If you were hurt in a crash anywhere in Los Angeles County, the insurance company is already working on your claim. An adjuster has been assigned, a value has been estimated, and somebody is deciding what your injury is worth before you have even finished your first doctor’s appointment. LA Injury Attorneys exists to sit on the other side of that conversation.

Our founder, Alex Sarajian, did that job. He worked as a claims adjuster and fraud investigator at Farmers Insurance Exchange, valuing injury claims from the inside. Our lead trial attorney spent 30 years defending insurance carriers before joining this firm. We know how a claim file gets priced, which parts of it a carrier hopes you never document, and what a first offer usually means.

Consultations are free, and you pay nothing unless we win. Call (866) 292-3051 — we answer 24/7, including nights and weekends. Hablamos Español.

What to do after a car accident in Los Angeles

The first few days shape everything that follows. If you are physically able:

1. Get medical attention, even if you feel fine. Soft-tissue and head injuries frequently present a day or two later. A gap between the crash and your first medical record is the single most common argument an insurer uses to reduce a claim.
2. Report the collision. California requires a report to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeds the state threshold. If police responded, get the report number.
3. Document the scene while it still exists. Photograph vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, signals, weather and your own visible injuries. Ask witnesses for names and numbers — they scatter quickly.
4. Be careful with the other driver’s insurer. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side, and adjusters often call within 48 hours precisely because you do not yet know what your claim is worth.
5. Keep everything. Bills, mileage to appointments, missed shifts, prescriptions, repair estimates. Losses that are documented get paid; losses that are remembered get argued about.

Who pays after a crash in California

California is an at-fault state. The driver responsible for the collision — through their liability insurance — pays for the harm they caused. Three features of California law matter more than most people expect:

Comparative fault does not end your claim

California uses pure comparative negligence. If you are found partly responsible, your recovery is reduced by your share rather than eliminated. An insurer suggesting that you were “partly at fault, so there is nothing here” is describing its negotiating position, not the law.

Minimum policy limits are low

California’s minimum liability limits are modest relative to what a hospital stay costs, which is why an at-fault driver’s policy is often only part of the picture. Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy, a commercial policy behind a work vehicle, or a rideshare company’s coverage can all become relevant. Finding every applicable policy is part of the work.

There is a deadline

The general statute of limitations for personal injury in California is two years from the date of injury. Claims involving a public entity — a city bus, a county vehicle, a dangerous roadway — can require a formal claim within six months. Waiting is the one mistake that cannot be fixed later.

What your car accident claim can include

A properly built claim accounts for more than the emergency-room bill:

• Medical treatment already received, and treatment you will still need
• Lost wages, lost shifts, and reduced earning capacity
• Vehicle repair or replacement, and a rental while you are without a car
• Pain, physical limitation, and the disruption to your normal life
• Ongoing care, therapy, or accommodations after a serious injury

Anyone quoting you a number before reading your medical records is guessing. What we can tell you early is how an adjuster is likely to value the file, and what would have to be documented to change that. Our case value calculator is a rough starting point, and you can read more about how car accident compensation is calculated.

The kinds of crashes we handle

• Rear-end collisions — usually clear on liability, frequently fought on injury severity.
• Intersection and left-turn collisions — where two accounts conflict and physical evidence decides it.
• Hit-and-run and uninsured drivers — where your own uninsured-motorist coverage may be the route to recovery.
• Truck and commercial-vehicle crashes — carriers dispatch investigators the same day; evidence has to be preserved immediately.
• Uber and Lyft collisions — coverage turns on whether the app was on and whether a passenger was in the car.
• Motorcycle crashes — where insurers lean on rider-blame assumptions.
• Pedestrian and cyclist collisions — often serious injuries and contested right-of-way.

Los Angeles roads where our cases happen

We take cases across Los Angeles County — the 405, the 101, the 5 and the 10, Ventura Boulevard through the Valley, Olympic and Wilshire on the Westside, and the surface streets around Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Downtown. Our office is in Burbank at 1611 N. San Fernando Blvd, which means we are close to the courts and the treatment providers most of our clients use.

Why clients choose this firm

• We have worked the other side. A former Farmers claims adjuster and fraud investigator, and a trial attorney with 30 years of insurance-defense experience.
• Rated 4.7 across 118 Google reviews.
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum member firm.
• No fee unless we win, and a free consultation before you decide anything.
• Bilingual team. Hablamos Español.

How working with us actually goes

1. A free call. You tell us what happened. We tell you honestly whether you need a lawyer.
2. We take over the phone calls. Adjusters talk to us instead of you.
3. We build the file. Records, bills, wage loss, photographs, witnesses, experts where the injury warrants it.
4. We demand and negotiate. You see every offer, and no settlement happens without your decision.
5. We file suit when the number is wrong. Some claims only move once litigation is real.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a car accident lawyer cost in Los Angeles?

We work on contingency. There is no fee for the consultation and no fee unless we recover money for you. The percentage and the handling of case costs are set out in writing before you sign anything.

Do I have a case if the crash was partly my fault?

Often, yes. California’s pure comparative negligence rule reduces a recovery by your share of fault rather than barring it. Fault is also frequently assigned wrongly at first, and it can be re-examined.

Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?

Not before someone has read your medical records. A first offer is typically made while treatment is incomplete, which means it prices an injury nobody has finished diagnosing.

How long does a car accident claim take?

It depends on treatment more than on paperwork. A claim cannot be valued properly until your medical picture is stable. Straightforward claims can resolve in a few months; disputed liability or serious injury takes longer, and filing suit extends the timeline.

What if the other driver had no insurance?

Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and there may be other policies in the picture. Bring your declarations page to the consultation and we will tell you what coverage you actually have.

How long do I have to file a claim in California?

Generally two years from the date of injury for a personal injury claim, but claims against a public entity can require notice within six months. If a deadline is close, call today rather than next week.

Talk to us before you talk to the adjuster

A free case review costs you nothing and takes a few minutes. Call (866) 292-3051 any time, or use the form on our contact page. You can also read more about the attorneys who would handle your case.