Orange County Car Accident Lawyers

Car Accident Claims in Orange County

The Ledger Law Firm represents people hurt in car crashes across Orange County, from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa to Irvine, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Huntington Beach. The firm’s California office is at 5160 Birch Street, Suite 200, Newport Beach, and it was founded in 1998.

Call (949) 377-1111

The firm works on a contingency fee: the fee is a percentage of what is recovered. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee, but you may still be responsible for court costs and case expenses.

What to do after a car crash in Orange County

Stop and get to a safe place. The California Driver Handbook says you must stop after a collision, and it says to call 911 right away if anyone is hurt.
Get medical care, even if you feel fine at first. Some injuries show up hours or days later, and a prompt medical record ties the injury to the crash.
Trade information and take photos. The handbook says you must show your driver license, vehicle registration card, insurance information and current address to the other driver, to a law enforcement officer and to anyone else involved. Photograph the vehicles, the road, the signs and your injuries, and get the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
File the DMV report if it applies. The California DMV says every driver must report a crash to the DMV on form SR 1 within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if damage to property was more than $1,000. It cites Vehicle Code section 16000. The DMV says the report is required regardless of fault and in addition to any police, California Highway Patrol or insurance report.
Tell your own insurance company that the crash happened. Talk to an attorney before you give a recorded statement to the insurer of the other driver or sign a release.

Car crash claims we see in Orange County

Rear end and intersection crashes on the county’s busy surface streets.
Freeway crashes on Interstate 5, Interstate 405 and State Routes 55, 57, 73 and 91.
Pedestrian and bicycle crashes near beaches, campuses and shopping areas.
Crashes with a driver who has no insurance or too little of it.
Rideshare crashes. See our page on Uber and Lyft accidents.
Crashes with a commercial truck. See our page on truck accidents.

What a car accident claim can cover

A claim can seek payment for medical bills, income you lost while you recovered, repair or replacement of your vehicle, and the pain and the disruption the injury caused. What your own claim is worth depends on your injuries, your records and the insurance involved. The firm does not promise any result.

California rules that matter in a car crash claim

Injury: two years

California gives you two years to file a lawsuit for an injury caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another person. The statute is Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.

Property: three years

For damage to property, such as a crashed vehicle, the California courts list three years from the date the property was damaged, under Code of Civil Procedure section 338.

Public bodies: six months

A claim against a city, a county or another public body, for example for a dangerous road, has a shorter deadline. You must first present a written claim to that body within six months, counted in the usual case from the day of the crash, under Government Code section 911.2. Exceptions exist, so ask an attorney about the dates in your own case.

Shared fault

California uses a rule the courts call pure comparative negligence. The California Supreme Court adopted it in 1975 in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. In a negligence claim, your own share of the fault does not bar the claim. It reduces your damages in proportion. At 20 percent fault, your damages drop by 20 percent.

Minimum insurance

Since January 1, 2025, Vehicle Code section 16056 has set the lowest limits for a liability policy at $30,000 for the injury or death of one person, $60,000 for two or more people in one crash, and $15,000 for damage to the property of others. A driver who carries only the minimum may not have enough coverage for a serious injury, so ask about your own policy’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

How The Ledger Law Firm handles a car accident claim

Free case evaluation. You tell us what happened and we tell you whether we can help. It costs nothing.
Evidence. We collect the crash report, photos, witness statements, and your medical records and bills.
Insurance. We deal with the insurance companies so you do not have to.
Demand. We add up your medical costs, lost pay and other losses, and we send a written demand to the insurer.
Your decision. We bring every offer to you, and you decide whether to accept it. If no offer is acceptable to you, a lawsuit can be filed in a California court before the deadline.

Questions about an Orange County car accident claim

Do I need a lawyer after a minor crash?

Not every crash needs one. If you were hurt, if fault is disputed, or if the insurer offers less than your bills, a free case evaluation costs nothing and tells you where you stand.

What if the other driver has no insurance?

Your own policy may include uninsured motorist coverage. Tell your insurer about the crash promptly and keep your medical records.

How long do I have to file?

Two years for an injury and three years for property damage in the usual case, and six months to present a claim against a public body. See the rules above.

Who is licensed in California

The attorneys of the firm licensed in California are Emery Brett Ledger and Sabrina Sabbagh. The Ledger Law Firm was founded in 1998 by Emery Brett Ledger. Its California office is at 5160 Birch Street, Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

More on this site

Call The Ledger Law Firm at (949) 377-1111 for a free case evaluation.

If you were hurt in a car crash in San Diego County, see our San Diego car accident lawyers page.

If your crash was in Irvine, see our Irvine car accident lawyers page.

If your crash was in Anaheim, see our Anaheim car accident lawyers page.