Los Angeles County Personal Injury Lawyer

By Sami Sedghani, Pharm.D., J.D. · Synergist Law, P.C. · San Rafael, California · Updated October 25, 2026

This page provides general information about California law and local procedures as they apply to injuries in Los Angeles County. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case depends on its own facts. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed California attorney.

Los Angeles County is home to nearly 10 million people and 88 cities, and the agency that handles an injury claim depends on exactly where the crash happened. A crash on a City of Los Angeles street, a freeway interchange, a road in an unincorporated community, or a street in a city with its own police department each means a different report process, a different public agency for any claim, and different evidence to gather first.

I’m Sami Sedghani, a personal injury lawyer. My office is in downtown San Rafael on 4th Street, and I regularly handle cases in Los Angeles County, where I grew up, working with clients by phone and video and traveling when a case calls for it. This page covers what is specific to Los Angeles County. Our pages on car accidents, truck accidents, and self-driving car accidents cover the statewide rules.

What the City of Los Angeles’ own crash data shows

In January 2024, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation published a Vision Zero Safety Study that redrew the city’s High Injury Network, the streets where serious crashes concentrate. The new network covers 549 miles, about 7.5 percent of city streets, yet accounts for 61.8 percent of collisions that killed or severely injured someone. From 2017 through 2021, the study counted 7,484 such collisions, rising from 1,472 in 2017 to 1,658 in 2021.

According to a City presentation to the Council in August 2025, 336 people were killed in traffic crashes in the City of Los Angeles in 2023, roughly one a day. In unincorporated communities, the County’s Vision Zero program reports that on average about 100 people are killed and about 450 are severely injured each year.

The California Office of Traffic Safety ranks cities within size groups and adjusts for population and miles driven, where 1 is the worst. Among the 15 cities over 250,000 people, Los Angeles ranks in the bottom third of its group in the crash categories. The raw numbers are still the highest in its group: in 2023, 8,116 people were killed or injured in crashes in the City of Los Angeles, including 1,432 pedestrians and 393 bicyclists, and there were 2,549 fatal or injury hit-and-run collisions. Those city counts generally do not include crashes the CHP handles on freeways inside the city.

Pedestrian crashes and signalized intersections

Pedestrians were involved in 38 percent of the city’s killed-or-severely-injured collisions in the Safety Study data, and the study found that signalized intersections, only 11 percent of the city’s intersections, accounted for more than half of those collisions. That combination shapes many Los Angeles pedestrian cases. A driver must yield to a pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection (Vehicle Code § 21950), and a driver turning on a green light must still yield to pedestrians lawfully in the crosswalk (Vehicle Code § 21451). Insurers often argue that the pedestrian started crossing on a flashing or steady “Don’t Walk” signal. Signal timing records, the signal phase at the moment of impact, and video from nearby businesses and buses often decide that dispute.

First steps after a Los Angeles crash

• Call 911 if anyone is hurt or a driver appears intoxicated. According to LAPD, some minor and hit-and-run reports can also be made online or by calling 1-877-ASK-LAPD.
• Get the responding agency and report number. In Los Angeles County that could be LAPD, the CHP, a Sheriff’s station, or a city police department, and each releases reports differently.
• Photograph the scene, the signals, and any business, bus, or doorbell cameras facing the intersection, and send preservation requests quickly.
• If anyone was injured or damage exceeded $1,000, each driver must file an SR-1 report with the DMV within 10 days (Vehicle Code § 16000).
• Check your own auto policy for medical payments coverage and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. With hit-and-runs making up about a fifth of the city’s serious crashes, your own coverage is often part of the recovery.
• You do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and it is reasonable to wait until you understand your injuries.

Hit-and-run crashes in Los Angeles

With about one in five serious crashes in the city involving a driver who left, hit-and-run claims are a large part of Los Angeles practice. When the driver is never identified, the claim usually runs through your own uninsured motorist coverage, and California’s statute sets conditions that are easy to miss (Insurance Code § 11580.2, subdivision (b)): the injury generally must involve physical contact with the other vehicle, the crash must be reported to the police within 24 hours, and a sworn statement must be filed with your insurer within 30 days. Uninsured motorist coverage can apply even when you were walking or biking. See our guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.

Business, bus, and doorbell cameras can capture a hit-and-run vehicle or its license plate. Most systems overwrite footage within days, so a written request to preserve it should go out as early as possible.

Who takes the report after a Los Angeles County crash

• City of Los Angeles streets: LAPD. According to the department, traffic collision reports can be requested online once at least 45 days have passed, or by mail with a $19 fee; reports involving an arrest, a death, or a juvenile must be requested by mail. LAPD generally does not write a report for a collision with no injury that is not a hit-and-run when all drivers are licensed, so say so if anyone was hurt (LAPD collision questions).
• Freeways and unincorporated roads: CHP. The CHP’s Southern Division has many area offices across the county, including West Valley, West Los Angeles, Central Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, Santa Fe Springs, Baldwin Park, Altadena, Newhall, and the Antelope Valley. The Central Los Angeles office patrols the East Los Angeles Interchange, where I-5, I-10, US-101, and SR-60 meet. CHP reports are requested through the CHP’s own process.
• Contract cities: the Sheriff. Dozens of cities contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for police services, so a crash in one of them is usually handled by the local Sheriff’s station.
• Cities with their own police. Cities such as Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Glendale have their own departments and their own records rules. Long Beach, for example, charges $30 for a report and says processing may take up to about six months.

Under Vehicle Code § 20012, collision reports are released only to people with a proper interest, such as those involved, their attorneys, and their insurers. Write down the agency name and report number at the scene. On a freeway on-ramp or off-ramp, either the CHP or local police may respond.

Claims against the City, the County, Metro, and schools

A claim against a California public entity for personal injury generally must be filed within six months (Government Code § 911.2). In Los Angeles County, each public agency receives its own claims, and some will not accept them by email:

• City of Los Angeles: the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 395. Claims can be filed online, by mail, or in person; the City does not accept them by email or fax (City Clerk claims page).
• County of Los Angeles, including County-maintained roads in unincorporated areas: the Executive Officer of the Board of Supervisors, 500 W. Temple Street, Room 383, in person or by mail (County claims page).
• LA Metro buses and rail: Metro Legal Services, in person or by mail only; Metro says emailed claims will be rejected (Metro legal services).
• Los Angeles Unified School District: the Division of Risk Management and Insurance Services, 333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 28th Floor (LAUSD claims).
• State highways and freeways: Caltrans for claims of $12,500 or less under its claim instructions, with Los Angeles County claims going to the District 7 office; larger claims go to the Department of General Services Government Claims Program.

A claim based on a dangerous road condition requires showing that the condition created a substantial risk of injury and that the agency created it or knew or should have known about it in time to fix it (Government Code § 835). Agencies have defenses, including design immunity (Government Code § 830.6). A street’s place on the City’s High Injury Network does not prove a dangerous condition, but it can be a reason to look.

Freeways, trucks, and the ports

Caltrans District 7 is responsible for 886 miles of freeways and highways in Los Angeles County, and about 105 million vehicle miles are traveled each day on the district’s freeways and highways, which also extend into Ventura County. Freight adds to that. A preliminary analysis posted by Metro for the Long Beach to East Los Angeles corridor estimated about 39,000 trucks a day on I-710 south of I-405, about 85 percent of them port trucks.

Truck crashes bring federal safety rules, driver logs and electronic logging data, maintenance records, and higher insurance limits into the case, and the motor carrier, broker, and shipper can each matter. See our page on truck accidents. On any freeway, fault often turns on speed and following distance: California’s basic speed law requires a speed that is safe for conditions, whatever the posted limit (Vehicle Code § 22350), and Vehicle Code § 21703 prohibits following too closely.

Scooters and robotaxis

Shared e-scooters operate across the City of Los Angeles under LADOT permits. According to LADOT, riders must be 18 or older with a valid California driver’s license, scooters are capped at 15 mph, only one rider is allowed, and sidewalk riding is prohibited. A scooter crash can involve the rider, a driver, the scooter company, and sometimes the condition of the street.

Driverless vehicles also operate in parts of the Los Angeles area. State regulators approved Waymo’s driverless service in portions of the Los Angeles area in 2024, and in August 2026 the CPUC approved a further expansion into additional parts of Northern and Southern California. Crashes involving autonomous vehicles raise their own questions about vehicle data, company responsibility, and rider terms. See our page on self-driving car and robotaxi accidents.

Where a Los Angeles County case is filed

Injury lawsuits arising in Los Angeles County are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, one of the largest trial courts in the country. Attorneys must file electronically in civil cases, and how personal injury cases are assigned has changed in recent years, so the filing location and courtroom depend on the court’s current rules and the district where the case belongs. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 395, a case can generally be filed where the injury happened or where a defendant lives.

The deadlines are the same as anywhere in California: generally two years to file an injury lawsuit against a private person or company (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1), and six months for a claim against a public agency. A child’s lawsuit deadline is usually paused until age 18, but the six-month claim deadline is not paused the same way.

Atención en español

Casi la mitad de los residentes del Condado de Los Ángeles son hispanos o latinos, según la Oficina del Censo de EE. UU. Sami Sedghani habla español con fluidez. Si usted resultó lesionado en un accidente en el Condado de Los Ángeles, puede llamar al (415) 835-4448 para una consulta gratuita. En las calles de la Ciudad de Los Ángeles, el informe lo hace LAPD; en las autopistas, la CHP. Si el conductor huyó, repórtelo a la policía dentro de 24 horas para proteger la cobertura de conductor sin seguro. El plazo para presentar un reclamo contra la Ciudad, el Condado o Metro generalmente es de seis meses. Como el plazo depende de los hechos, es mejor que un abogado con licencia en California determine el plazo que aplica en su caso, en lugar de calcularlo por su cuenta. Esta información es general y no constituye asesoría legal.

How we handle a Los Angeles case

Los Angeles is where I grew up. I was raised in the Westwood area, went to Horace Mann Elementary and Beverly Hills High School, and attended USC, and I keep close ties to the city. When a case brings me back, I am working in a place I know well.

When you choose a lawyer for an injury outside Marin, a local office is a convenience, not a qualification. Every California-licensed lawyer is licensed to practice in every county in the state. The questions worth asking any lawyer you interview, including me, are about the advocacy itself: experience with the kind of case you have, a clear strategy for proving it, and whether you trust that lawyer to tell you the truth about it.

Distance changes logistics, not the work. Early on, the priorities are local: the right agency’s report, preserving business and bus video, identifying every insurance policy, and filing any government claim with the right office. Records, insurer communications, and negotiation are handled by phone, video, mail, and email, and I travel for depositions, inspections, and court when a case calls for it.

Before founding Synergist Law, I spent nine years at large law firms handling complex and product liability litigation for companies, and I am a former clinical pharmacist, which shapes how I read medical records. Neither background predicts any outcome.

Other service areas: all areas we serve, Marin County injury claims, where my office is, and the Sonoma County injury overview.

Frequently asked questions about Los Angeles County injury claims

Who takes the report for a crash in Los Angeles?

On City of Los Angeles streets, LAPD. On freeways and in unincorporated areas, the California Highway Patrol. In cities that contract for police services, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and in cities with their own departments, such as Long Beach or Pasadena, the local police.

How do I get an LAPD traffic collision report?

According to LAPD, reports can be requested online once at least 45 days have passed, or by mail with a $19 fee. Reports involving an arrest, a death, or a juvenile must be requested by mail. Reports are released only to people with a proper interest, such as those involved, their attorneys, and their insurers.

How do I file a claim against the City of Los Angeles?

Claims against the City are filed with the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street, Room 395, online, by mail, or in person. The City does not accept claims by email or fax. For personal injury, the claim generally must be filed within six months. Because the deadline depends on the facts, it is better to have a licensed California attorney determine the deadline that applies than to calculate it yourself.

How do I file a claim against LA Metro after a bus or train injury?

Metro claims go to Metro Legal Services, in person or by mail only. Metro says emailed claims will be rejected. The six-month deadline for claims against public agencies applies. Because the deadline depends on the facts, it is better to have a licensed California attorney determine the deadline that applies than to calculate it yourself.

Can a San Rafael lawyer handle my Los Angeles injury case?

Yes. California lawyers can practice anywhere in the state, and Sami regularly handles cases in Los Angeles County. Most of the work is done by phone and video, and he travels for depositions, inspections, and court when a case calls for it.

Talk to a lawyer about a Los Angeles County injury

If you were seriously injured in Los Angeles County, I can review the report, the insurance, and your medical records with you and identify the deadlines that apply. Call (415) 835-4448 or request a free consultation. Se habla español. Office: 1299 4th Street, Suite 301, San Rafael, CA 94901.

Contingency fee: no attorney’s fee unless we obtain a recovery for you. Depending on the terms of your written fee agreement, you may be responsible for case costs we advance even if there is no recovery. Your fee agreement explains this before representation begins.

Local procedures, projects, and data described here may change after the date shown above. Every case turns on its own facts, and nothing on this page predicts any outcome, timeline, or value in your matter.