Yes, you should usually report a hit-and-run in California, even if your vehicle appears undamaged. A clean bumper does not always mean the vehicle escaped damage, and you may not notice an injury right away. There is an important legal...
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Once you hire an attorney, your lawyer begins protecting and building your claim. Early steps may include notifying insurers and other parties of the representation, preserving important evidence, obtaining accident or incident reports, and gathering medical and financial records. As...
To get workers' compensation in California, tell your employer about your injury as soon as possible, usually within 30 days. Then, request a DWC-1 claim form. Submit the completed form to your employer. California's workers' compensation system generally operates on...
California generally allows you 2 years to file a personal injury lawsuit after a slip-and-fall on private property. If a public entity may be responsible, however, you may need to present a written government claim within 6 months after the...
Most pedestrian accidents occur in the evening and at night. The Traffic Safety Facts 2023 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that most accidents involving injured pedestrians (49.7%) occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Meanwhile, pedestrian...
In 2023, Los Angeles County ranked 37th out of California’s 58 counties for pedestrians killed or injured, with 4,034 pedestrian victims. For pedestrians age 65 and older, the county ranked 9th out of 58, with 562 victims killed or injured....
Depending on your situation, it can be too late to make an insurance claim. In California, there’s no actual deadline to file every type of insurance claim. That is why, when gauging if you can still pursue compensation from your...
If you fail to make or cause to be made a required accident report within 24 hours, you may violate California Vehicle Code (CVC) § 20008. The violation can result in a traffic infraction and a fine. For most non-common-carrier...
The deadline to file a motorcycle accident claim can vary depending on the type of claim, when the cause of the claim began, and whether special rules apply. Under California law, you generally have two years from the date of...
No, it’s generally not too late to report a hit-and-run. Missing a reporting deadline does not necessarily mean you can no longer report the hit-and-run or pursue a claim. The more important question is what rights may have been affected...
Orange County has announced an e-bike buyback program that highlights legal issues riders and parents should understand under California law. Some high-powered electric two-wheelers do not qualify as electric bicycles under California law and may instead be treated as motorcycles...
You may be able to get free legal guidance during an initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer. Also, you may be able to get free or low-cost help from legal aid groups and State Bar-certified lawyer referral services, depending...
Yes, California imposes separate time limits for accident reports depending on the circumstances and the type of report required. Some reporting deadlines begin immediately after the accident. One important filing deadline concerns the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) SR-1...
In California, insurers generally must acknowledge a claim, initiate any necessary investigation, and provide the required forms and assistance within 15 calendar days of receiving notice of the claim. Additionally, they typically have to accept or deny a claim, in...
Pedestrian negligence happens when a pedestrian, driver, or both act carelessly, and that conduct contributes to a crash. Fault depends on what each person did before the accident, not simply on the fact that a pedestrian was hit. California recorded...
After an accident in California, do not admit fault, delay medical care, or sign any document until you understand what it covers. Also, avoid oversharing with insurance adjusters, posting about the accident online, or waiting too long to report the...
The driver may be financially responsible if their negligence caused or contributed to the pedestrian's injuries. In practical terms, this means that the driver failed to use reasonable care while driving, which contributed to the collision and caused the pedestrian...
California does not publish an official list naming one intersection as the most dangerous in the state. The answer depends on what is measured. An intersection could be ranked the most dangerous based on: Total traffic accidents. Injury crashes. People...
Our analysis of 408 Altadena-area intersection crash records from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS) from 2021 through 2025 shows that the most common causes of intersection accidents in Altadena include: Failure to yield Red-light violations Unsafe turns Stop-sign violations...
There is no fixed California settlement for a semi-truck crash involving back pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The amount depends on the seriousness of the back injury, the effect of PTSD, medical costs, lost income, fault, evidence, and available...
One way to know if you need a lawyer for a bodily injury claim is by checking whether your situation meets specific criteria. For example, you can ask yourself: Did you sustain serious injuries? Is it clear who is legally...
California sets no fixed formula or dollar amount that applies to every case. What you may recover depends entirely on the facts of your case. Your injuries, how they affect your life, and what caused them all shape the outcome....
After a semi-truck accident in California, prioritize your safety. Call 911, seek medical attention, and document the scene. Gather as much evidence as you can, such as witness statements, dashcam footage, and the other driver’s contact and insurance details. A...
“Pedestrian violations” are actions by pedestrians that violate traffic-safety laws. In California, they were the most frequently recorded primary crash factor in fatal and serious-injury pedestrian crashes in 2023. However, SafeTREC cautions that the classification does not establish which party...
The evidence that matters most in a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) accident case includes police reports, chemical test results, video footage, eyewitness accounts, physical evidence from the scene, and medical records. Together, these records can show that the driver...
A pedestrian can be entirely or partly at fault for getting hit under California law, depending on the facts of the accident. Determining fault is often more complicated than it first appears, especially when questions arise about whether the pedestrian's...
If you were injured in a crash on an Alameda street or on a freeway serving the East Bay, you may have a personal injury claim against the driver who caused the collision and, in some cases, against a trucking...
A Mansfield bar is the common name for a rear underride guard, a strong metal structure mounted low across the back of many commercial trailers and semi-trailers. Its job is to help stop a smaller passenger vehicle from sliding underneath...
After a car accident in Los Angeles, your first question is usually about the money: not just what you might recover, but what legal help will cost you before you see a dime. The good news is that you have...
Bicycle accident settlements do not follow one fixed formula. Each claim depends on its own facts. A basic estimate starts by adding economic and non-economic damages. The amount may then be adjusted for the cyclist's share of fault. The strength...