Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

Who is liable for a car accident in California?

Usually the other driver, but rarely only the other driver. A serious Los Angeles collision often has more than one responsible party, and each one can bring its own insurance:

• The driver whose negligence caused the crash, such as speeding, running a light, an unsafe lane change or distracted driving.
• The vehicle owner, who can be liable for a driver they allowed to use the car, within the limits set by Vehicle Code section 17151.
• An employer, when the driver was working at the time: delivery vans, company cars and commercial trucks.
• Uber or Lyft, through layered coverage that depends on whether the app was off, waiting for a ride or carrying a passenger.
• A public agency, for a dangerous road condition, a failed signal or a government vehicle, under Government Code section 835. These claims carry the six month deadline.
• A manufacturer, when a defective part such as brakes, tires or an airbag caused or worsened the injury.

What insurance pays after a Los Angeles car accident?

California’s minimum liability limits rose to $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident on 1 January 2025. That is still well short of what a serious injury costs, so most of the value in a Los Angeles claim depends on finding the other layers:

• The at-fault driver’s liability policy, and any umbrella policy above it.
• Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which applies when the other driver has no insurance, too little, or drove away. Many people carry it without realising.
• Medical payments coverage on your own auto policy, which can pay bills early regardless of fault.
• Employer and commercial policies, when the driver was working.
• Health insurance, which pays treatment as it happens and may later claim reimbursement from the settlement. That reimbursement is negotiated before you receive a net figure.

What compensation can you recover after a car accident?

• Medical expenses, past and future, including surgery, therapy and long term care.
• Lost earnings and loss of future earning capacity.
• Property damage to your vehicle and belongings.
• Pain, suffering and emotional distress, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive damages under Civil Code section 3294 where the driver acted with malice, as can happen in a drunk driving crash.
• Wrongful death damages for the family under Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60 when a collision is fatal.

A case’s value cannot be known before the medical picture is clear. It turns on the injury, the treatment still to come, the available insurance and the strength of the evidence on fault.

How is fault decided in a California car accident?

California follows pure comparative fault, so being partly responsible reduces your recovery by your share rather than ending the claim. An insurer that assigns you a percentage early is doing so before the investigation is finished, and that figure is argued, not fixed. Where the other driver broke a traffic law, such as running a red light or making an unsafe turn, Evidence Code section 669 can create a presumption of negligence. Fault is proved with the police or CHP report, the vehicles, photographs, witnesses, video and, in serious cases, accident reconstruction.

How long do you have to file a car accident claim in California?

• Two years from the date of injury to file an injury lawsuit, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.
• Three years for property damage only, under Code of Civil Procedure section 338.
• Six months to present a written claim if a public entity is involved, under Government Code section 911.2. This shorter deadline governs, and missing it usually ends the claim.

Other facts can shorten or extend these periods, so have your date confirmed at the start rather than assuming the two year rule applies. Under Los Angeles Superior Court Local Rule 2.3(a)(1)(A), a case is filed in the judicial district where the collision happened, which the Court’s filing locator identifies, not downtown by default.

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

No fee unless there is a recovery. Broukhim Legal PC takes car accident cases on a contingency fee, so there is nothing to pay up front and the fee is paid out of what is recovered. If nothing is recovered, no fee is owed. The fee agreement is put in writing and signed before any work starts, as California law requires, and it also explains how the costs of running the case are handled. Your first conversation is free, confidential and carries no obligation.

Car accident lawyers across Los Angeles County

Broukhim Legal PC represents people hurt in car accidents throughout Los Angeles County from its office at 550 S Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. Each city page covers the local police or Sheriff report, the courthouse that hears the case and how a claim against that city is presented:

See all locations we serve, or tell us about the collision for a free case review.

Meet your Los Angeles car accident lawyer

Bejan Broukhim, Founder and Lead Attorney
State Bar of California, license number 183036

Bejan Broukhim brings years of California legal experience to injury and mass tort cases and personally reviews each one. He earned his J.D. at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, served as a judicial extern in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the Van Nuys Superior Court, and appeared in preliminary hearings as a certified law clerk with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Every case is prepared from day one as though it will go to trial.

Office: 550 S Hill Street, Suite 1390, Los Angeles, CA 90013, serving all of Los Angeles County and California. Get directions