San Diego Car Accident Lawyers

Car Accident Claims in San Diego

The Ledger Law Firm helps people hurt in car crashes in San Diego and the county around it. The firm has attorneys licensed in California, and its California office is at 5160 Birch Street, Suite 200, Newport Beach. You can start with a call or with the form below, and the first conversation is a free case evaluation.

Call (800) 300-0001

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 San Diego

Move out of traffic if you can do it safely, and call 911 if anyone is hurt. The California Driver Handbook says to stop after a collision and to exchange information.
See a doctor soon, even when you feel only sore. A visit the same day or the next one gives you a record that links the injury to the crash.
Photograph the cars, the lanes, the signals and your injuries. Write down the name of the other driver, the plate number and the insurer, and ask witnesses for a phone number.
Check whether you must report to the DMV. The California DMV says a report on form SR 1 is due within 10 days if someone was injured, however slightly, or killed, or if property damage was over $1000. The DMV accident reporting page explains who files it.
Let your own insurer know about the crash, and keep copies of every letter and bill from here on.

Where San Diego crashes happen

People who call about a San Diego crash describe many different roads. These are the kinds of claims the firm hears about in the county.

Crashes on Interstate 5, Interstate 8, Interstate 15 and Interstate 805, and on State Routes 52, 94 and 163, where speeds change quickly near merges and interchanges.
Crashes on surface streets in downtown San Diego, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach and La Jolla, including turns across traffic and parking lot collisions.
Crashes in North County, along the coast and inland, between Oceanside, Escondido and the communities around them.
Pedestrian and bicycle crashes near the waterfront, the campuses and the neighborhood business districts.
Crashes involving a driver with no insurance, or with too little of it to cover the injuries.
Rideshare and commercial vehicle crashes. See our pages on Uber and Lyft accidents and truck accidents.

Who may be at fault and how fault is shared

More than one person can share the blame for a crash. Fault can rest with the other driver, with your own choices, with a vehicle owner or employer, or with a public body that kept a dangerous road.

California follows a rule called pure comparative fault. If part of the fault is yours, that share does not bar your claim. It reduces your damages by the same percentage. A claim with damages of $100,000 and 20 percent fault on your side would be reduced by $20,000.

The deadline to file

Injury: two years

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

Property damage: three years

A claim for damage to property, such as a wrecked car, has a longer period, three years in the usual case.

Claims against a public body: six months

If a city, county, transit agency or other public body may be responsible, for example for a road hazard, a written claim must be presented first. Government Code section 911.2 sets a deadline of six months, counted in the usual case from the day of the crash. Exceptions exist, so ask an attorney about the dates in your own case.

What a claim can include

A car accident claim can seek payment for medical bills, pay you lost while you could not work, repair or replacement of your vehicle, and the pain and disruption the injury caused. What a particular claim is worth depends on the injuries, the records and the insurance involved, and the firm does not promise any result.

Talking to an insurance company

Your own insurer needs prompt notice. The insurer of the other driver may call you soon after the crash and ask for a recorded statement or offer a quick payment. You are not required to give that statement right away, and it helps to speak with an attorney before you do or before you sign a release. The California DMV lists the minimum liability limits for a policy as $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for more than one person and $15,000 for property damage (see the DMV insurance requirements page). A serious injury can cost more than that, so ask about the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy.

How the free case evaluation works

You call or send the form and tell us what happened.
We ask about the injuries, the insurance and the dates, and we tell you whether the firm can help.
If you want to go ahead, we collect the crash report, photos and medical records, and we deal with the insurers.
Every offer comes to you, and you decide.

The fee

Questions about a San Diego car accident claim

Do I need a lawyer after a small crash?

Not every crash needs one. If you were hurt, if the other driver blames you, or if the insurer offers less than your bills, a free case evaluation shows 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 every medical record.

What if the crash was partly my fault?

You can still make a claim in California. Your damages are reduced by your share of the fault.

Do I have to come in before I can ask about a claim?

No. You can begin with a phone call or with the form on this page, and the firm will tell you whether it can help.

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 (800) 300-0001 for a free case evaluation.

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