Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer

What should you do first after a car accident?

Get medical help for injuries. Call 911 if someone needs emergency assistance or there is immediate danger. If you can document the scene safely, save photographs and contact details. You do not need to settle an argument about fault at the roadside. Give an accurate account of what you know, and distinguish it from what you are unsure about.

A few organized records can make the next conversation easier:

Keep originals and avoid deleting relevant messages or footage. These are practical evidence-preservation steps, not a requirement to finish your own investigation before asking for help.

How can Providence help with your injury claim?

We start by listening to what happened and how the injury is affecting your life. Our work is to protect your story, guide evidence preservation and prepare the case with trial seriousness, not simply pass an insurer’s offer along without an explanation.

An ordinary negligence claim requires proof of negligent conduct, harm and a causal connection between the two. The California civil jury instructions describe the required connection as a substantial factor in causing the harm. That is why the records showing how a crash occurred and the records showing its consequences both matter.

Car accident representation is part of our Los Angeles personal injury practice. If the crash involved a commercial truck or an impaired driver, tell us at the outset. Our truck accident and DUI injury pages explain issues specific to those situations.

Sources for this section: Judicial Council of California: Civil Jury Instructions, 2026 edition.

A police report, a DMV report and a damage claim are different tasks

In Los Angeles, “the accident report” can mean several different things. Requesting an existing police report does not necessarily satisfy a separate reporting obligation. Start with the agency identified on your paperwork rather than assuming which department investigated the crash.

The DMV expressly says the SR-1 is additional to reports made to police, CHP or an insurance company. Ask about it promptly; do not assume someone else’s report completed the task for you.

For a potential claim against the City of Los Angeles, the City Clerk’s official instructions describe online, mail and in-person routes and say emailed or faxed initial claims are not accepted. That City process is not a universal form for every Los Angeles-area government claim. Do not assume it applies to a County, Metro or state-property matter. Identifying the proper entity and deadline needs separate attention.

Sources for this section: Report of traffic accident occurring in California (SR-1) · California VEH section 16000 · California Government Code section 911.2 · File a claim.

What if the insurance company says you share the blame?

Being partly responsible does not automatically defeat a California negligence claim. If your negligence contributed to your harm, damages can be reduced by your percentage of responsibility. An adjuster’s accusation is not the same as a demonstrated allocation of fault. The evidence of each person’s conduct and its connection to the injury needs review.

Save the explanation for a denial or reduced offer, including any photographs or statements the insurer relies on. Tell us about evidence that seems unfavorable as well as evidence that supports your account. A case needs an honest assessment, not a selectively assembled story.

Sources for this section: Judicial Council of California: Civil Jury Instructions, 2026 edition.

What compensation may a car accident claim include?

The losses recoverable in a particular case depend on liability, causation and proof. They can include economic losses and non-economic harm; none of the categories below is an automatic payment.

A settlement value cannot be read from a list of injuries or calculated by automatically multiplying medical bills. The available evidence, disputed responsibility and applicable coverage also need assessment.

Are California’s minimum insurance limits the value of my case?

No. The DMV currently lists standard minimum liability amounts of $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage. Those figures are not a promised payout, proof of the driver’s actual policy, or a measure of your losses. Commercial or other special requirements may differ.

Bring any policy documents or coverage letters you have. We need the actual documents to assess a coverage question; an insurance card alone does not answer every issue.

Sources for this section: California CIV section 3333 · California CIV section 1431.2 · Judicial Council of California: Civil Jury Instructions, 2026 edition · Vehicle insurance requirements.

How long do you have to act?

California’s general limitation period for an ordinary personal-injury lawsuit is two years. The start date and exceptions can be fact-specific. Covered claims against public entities generally require an earlier administrative claim, within six months after accrual, followed by separate rules for a lawsuit.

Do not use a website to calculate your individual deadline, assume delayed symptoms create an extension, or wait for an insurance negotiation to finish before asking about time limits. If an agency or insurer has sent you a notice, keep the whole document and envelope and have it reviewed promptly.

Sources for this section: California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 · California Government Code section 911.2 · Statute of limitations.

Clear guidance, with the settlement decision left to you

Providence Trial Lawyers, formerly Law Offices of Edward Y. Lee, has helped injured clients since 1995. The firm’s $375M+ recovered is a firmwide history, not a promise about a new case. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.

We are based at 777 S. Figueroa St, Suite 3050, Los Angeles, CA 90017. You can meet our lawyers and read client reviews as you consider who should represent you.

Our approach includes direct communication with the team, guidance through the pressure and preparation for the possibility of trial. We will not settle your case without your approval. You should understand the decision you are being asked to make.

Final Thoughts and Next Steps:

Gather any photographs, the incident number, insurance letters and medical paperwork you already have. You do not need a complete file to ask for help. We can discuss what needs further investigation and explain the next step.

You deserve a clear explanation before making decisions about your injury claim. Call 213-380-5858 or request a free consultation. Providence Trial Lawyers is available 24/7.

This page provides general information, not advice about a particular claim.