Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney

If you were injured in Los Angeles because of someone else’s negligence, you may have the right to pursue compensation for any costs that resulted from the accident like medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering. However, no matter what kind of accident you have been involved in, insurance companies may dispute liability, medical treatment, or the extent of the damages to minimize their costs. 

At West Coast Trial Lawyers, our firm understands how insurance companies and negligent parties try to minimize their damages and are committed to holding them responsible and helping you get the compensation you deserve. With over 25 years of experience representing clients throughout LA county, our firm has recovered more than $2 billion on behalf of injured clients. 

By hiring our firm for your claim, you can focus on recovering while we fight for your rights. On top of it all, there are also no upfront attorney fees because we work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Call us at (213) 927-3700 or fill out our online contact form for a free case consultation.

Why Hire a Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer?

While it is not mandatory to hire a personal injury lawyer to handle your claim, it is highly recommended to do so, because whether you have been involved in a car crash or a motorcycle accident, an insurance company may begin investigating an accident and come up with strategies to minimize your claim before you have even had time to understand the full extent of your injuries.

That is where a personal injury lawyer steps in, because they will be responsible for protecting the legal side of your recovery and ensures that those responsible is not only held accountable, but will constantly negotiate with insurance companies so you get the compensation you need to make a full recovery. 

Why Choose West Coast Trial Lawyers for a Los Angeles Personal Injury Case?

Los Angeles is one of the largest and most legally complex cities in California. Depending on what caused your injury, a claim could involve a major insurance carrier, rideshare company, a major corporation, or even a government agency. However, West Coast Trial Lawyers is headquartered in the heart of Los Angeles and has handled thousands of injury cases throughout California, representing claims against major corporations and highly influential figures with a strong legal team. When you hire our team of attorneys, you are getting a legal team who have what it takes to win. 

What You Get When You Hire West Coast Trial Lawyers

• An In-House Trial Team– Our attorneys investigate and prepare claims with the intent to go to trial, so if the responsible party refuses to provide appropriate compensation, our team is prepared to take the case to a judge and a jury of your peers.
• Direct Access to Your Legal Team– From the moment you sign with us, you will receive access to the legal professionals responsible for your case and will answer any questions or concerns you have.
• Experience Taking on Major Defendants– Our firm has an established track record of pursuing cases involving major insurance companies, corporations, commercial defendants, and other well-resourced parties.
• A Los Angeles Headquarters– Our headquarters at 1147 South Hope Street gives clients access to our firm in Downtown Los Angeles.

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Los Angeles

Personal injury law encompasses many different accidents and forms of negligence. However, each case can raise different questions about liability, available insurance, evidence, medical treatment, and damages.

• Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer
• Los Angeles Premises Liability Attorney
• Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Bus Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Burn Injury Attorney
• Los Angeles Wrongful Death Attorney
• Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Food Delivery Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Uber and Lyft Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Truck Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Scooter Accident Attorney
• Los Angeles Brain Injury Attorney
• Los Angeles Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
• Los Angeles Dog Bite Attorney

What Should You Do After an Accident in Los Angeles?

Whether you have been involved in a drunk driving accident in Koreatown or a slip and fall accident at LA Live, your health should come first after an accident. Seek appropriate medical attention and make sure you follow all recommended treatment follow ups. However, if you are physically able, it is recommended to begin documenting what happened by taking photos and videos of the accident scene, who was involved, and what caused the accident in question. 

There are also many potential sources of video evidence that can strengthen your claim and try to keep any other relevant documents that can help your claim like medical records and accident reports. Furthermore, you should also be cautious when speaking with another party’s insurer, because statements made after an accident can later be compared with medical records, photographs, witness accounts, or testimony when liability or damages are disputed.

How Do You Prove a Personal Injury Claim in California?

In most Los Angeles personal injury claims, the most reliable way to prove a claim is to establish that the at-fault party was negligent in their actions and has caused compensable damages to the injury victim. For example, in a rear-end accident, the injured party will need to prove that the driver who rear-ended them were driving negligently or recklessly and as a result, caused the damage to their car and to their injuries. 

However, stating your version of events is not enough and you will need to provide evidence to support your version of events. Evidence such as dashcam footage, photographs, medical bills, property damage statements, police reports, and witness statements are all reliable forms of evidence that can prove the nature and the severity of the accident. 

What if More Than One Person or Company Caused Your Accident in Los Angeles ?

Accidents with multiple responsible parties are completely common in Los Angeles personal injury claims and if your accident involves multiple people or a business, it is vital to identify who was responsible and to what extent they are responsible for. 

For example, a multi-car freeway collision involving a semi-truck can not only hold all of the drivers accountable, but the trucking company of the semi-truck can be held responsible too, especially if the semi-truck driver was the one who caused the accident. 

What if the Person Who Injured You Was Working at the Time?

An accident may involve additional liability when the person who caused it was performing job duties. This is particularly relevant in Los Angeles, where crashes can involve delivery drivers, rideshare drivers, commercial vehicles, and service technicians traveling throughout the city. However, in these cases, it will depend on the circumstances like the driver’s employer insurance and liability policy.

Why Does It Matter Whether the Driver Was Working?

If the driver was working when they got involved in an accident then the company’s liability insurance will be in effect, because the driver was performing a task on company time. For example, rideshare accidents are the most common example of this, because Uber and Lyft have a policy where if the rideshare driver got into an accident during a trip, then the company’s third party insurance policy will be in effect and cover all damages. 

However, if the rideshare driver was not on their way to pick up or drop off someone, then their own personal auto insurance will cover damages, because they did not get into an accident on company time. As a result, determining what the driver was doing at the moment of the accident can therefore become an important part of the investigation.

What Evidence Can Disappear After an Accident?

Depending on the type of accident you are involved in, there are multiple forms of evidence that can disappear due to circumstances. Surveillance footage is a common example, because businesses, parking structures, apartment buildings, or residences may have recorded an accident, but the system could automatically overwrite the video before the injured person realizes it exists. As such, it is recommended to hire a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who can help secure any timely evidence before it disappears. 

How Common Are Serious Accidents in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles is a large and diverse city with an average population of 3.8 million people according to the 2026 U.S. Census. With that many people throughout the city, the chances of an accident occurring is very high and according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, traffic accidents remain a major safety problem throughout Los Angeles.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 report, 8,116 people were killed or injured in traffic collisions throughout Los Angeles. These numbers do not establish liability in any individual case, but they demonstrate the frequency with which serious accidents affect Los Angeles drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists.

Where Are Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuits Filed?

Personal injury lawsuits in Los Angeles County are generally filed through the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles when state court is the proper forum. However, Los Angeles County does not route every personal injury claim to one courthouse, because newly filed personal injury cases must be filed in the judicial district where the incident occurred. 

Since January 8, 2024, personal injury cases filed in the Central District have been assigned to Independent Calendar departments at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Furthermore, hiring a lawyer also does not mean your case will automatically go to trial, because many personal injury cases resolve through negotiations and settlement discussions before a jury trial becomes necessary.

What Compensation Can You Recover For a Personal Injury Claim?

Depending on the case, an injured person may be able to pursue both economic and non-economic damages for a personal injury claim. Economic damages are referred to as calculable financial losses like medical expenses, lost income, and property damage. Meanwhile, non-economic damages are designed to compensate injury victims for any physical pain and emotional suffering they have suffered. 

How Much Is a Los Angeles Personal Injury Case Worth?

Due to the nature of personal injury claims, there is no reliable average settlement that can determine what a single Los Angeles personal injury case is worth. In fact, there are a number of factors that can impact the value of a claim like severity of the injuries, number of responsible parties, available insurance coverage, and whether an injury is temporary or permanent.

For example, an accident victim who receives several weeks of medical treatment will generally have a different claim from someone who experiences permanent disability or cannot return to the same occupation. While there are personal injury settlement calculators that can provide a rough estimate of what can be recovered, consulting with an experienced personal injury lawyer can give you a more accurate evaluation. 

What Kind of Cases Did West Coast Trial Lawyers  Win?

At our firm, we have obtained substantial settlements from a variety of personal injury claims such as:

• $1.7 million for a car accident
• $6 million for a rideshare car accident
• $1.1 million for a pedestrian accident
• $15.4 million for a wrongful death case

In addition to these, WCTL has demonstrated success across various personal injury cases, achieving settlements like $3.85 million for a truck accident, $1.75 million for a pedestrian accident, and significant amounts for brain and spinal cord injury cases.

Our success story doesn’t end there. In a landmark case involving a defective tire, the firm was an integral part of a trial team that won a record-breaking $55.6 million verdict – the largest jury verdict in history for such a case. These results underscore West Coast Trial Lawyers’ dedication to delivering justice and maximum compensation for injury victims, solidifying our reputation as top personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles, CA.

What if You Were Partially Responsible for the Accident?

To some people’s surprise, being partially responsible for an accident does not automatically prevent you from recovering compensation in California. In fact, the California Supreme Court established precedence in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. that damages in a negligence case can be reduced according to the injured person’s percentage of responsibility rather than automatically barring recovery.

Meaning, that if you were partially responsible for an accident, you will be held accountable for the percentage you are at fault. For example, if your damages were valued at $100,000 but you were found to be 20% responsible, your recovery could generally be reduced to $80,000. This makes disputes over fault particularly important because increasing the percentage assigned to an injured person can reduce the amount another party may ultimately owe.

How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Los Angeles?

Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, an action involving injury or death caused by another person’s wrongful act or negligence generally must be filed within two years. Any failure to file a claim within that timeframe will automatically waive their right to file a claim and recover compensation for the accident. There may be some exceptions to the state’s statute of limitations, but accident victims should never assume they are eligible. 

What if a City Vehicle, Metro Bus, or Dangerous Public Road Contributed to Your Injury?

If you have been involved in an accident with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, a transit agency, or a state affiliated public entity, you may be able to recover compensation. However, the deadline can be substantially shorter than the ordinary personal injury statute of limitations. 

Under California Government Code § 911.2, a claim involving injury or death generally must be presented to the appropriate public entity within six months after the claim accrues. Failing to follow the government-claim procedure can create serious problems even when an injured person would otherwise have a valid negligence claim.

How Much Does a Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

West Coast Trial Lawyers handles eligible personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That means clients do not pay an upfront attorney fee to hire the firm. Instead, the attorney fee is calculated as an agreed-upon percentage of the compensation recovered.

The contingency fee agreement should explain how the attorney fee and case-related expenses are handled and your attorney should review the agreement with you before you sign it so you understand the fee arrangement. However, it is important to note that depending on the nature of the case, there may be applicable costs that may affect the amount that is ultimately distributed after a settlement or judgment.

Speak With a Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Today

No matter what kind of accident you have been involved in, a serious accident can create problems that extend far beyond the initial injury. If you were involved in an accident that left you with medical treatment, missed work, a mountain of bills, and uncertainty about what happens next, a personal injury lawyer from West Coast Trial Lawyers can give you the legal guidance you need to get through this.

With over 25 years of experience, our team of attorneys can investigate what happened and craft a personalized legal strategy to help you win your case. As a result of our firm’s dedication, we have recovered over $2 billion in financial compensation on behalf of our injured clients. By hiring us for your claim, you won’t have to navigate the legal process by yourself.

Call us today at (213) 927-3700 or fill out our online contact form for a free case consultation.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles Personal Injury Claims