California Personal Injury Attorney

If another person, a business, a driver, or a property owner caused your injuries, California law gives you the right to pursue full compensation. Not partial. Not a quick settlement that covers your emergency room bill and nothing else. Full compensation for what you have lost, what you will lose, and what you will spend on treatment for years to come. Most injury victims have no idea what their case is worth until they speak with an attorney. By then, many have already given a recorded statement, signed a release, or let critical evidence disappear. The call costs nothing. The evaluation is free.

Do You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Not every incident requires legal representation. If the injury was minor, the other party accepts full responsibility, and the insurer pays without dispute, you may not need an attorney. That scenario is rare. Most injury cases involve disputed liability, minimized injuries, early settlement pressure, or evidence that disappears within days of the incident. If any of the following apply, call before you give any statement to any insurance company:

• You received medical treatment at a hospital, urgent care, or emergency room
• You missed work or expect to miss future work
• The other party or their insurer is disputing fault
• You suffered soft tissue injuries, fractures, head trauma, or spinal damage
• A family member was killed or permanently disabled
• A government vehicle, commercial truck, or rideshare driver was involved
• The incident occurred on someone else’s property
• You were bitten by someone’s dog

Insurance adjusters are professionals whose job is to settle claims for as little as possible. An experienced attorney levels that dynamic from day one.

Personal Injury Cases Pedram Law Handles

Pedram Law represents serious injury victims across every major category of California personal injury law. Each case type involves its own legal framework, evidence requirements, and insurance dynamics. The links below go to dedicated practice area pages covering the specific statutes, evidence rules, and damages analysis for each case type.

• • Car accidents on California freeways, surface streets, and intersections, including disputes over comparative fault, uninsured motorist coverage, and multiple vehicle crashes
  • Commercial truck and 18-wheeler crashes governed by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, involving electronic logging device data, multiple corporate defendants, and layered insurance coverage
  • Motorcycle accidents where insurer bias against riders requires aggressive evidence preservation, reconstruction analysis, and attorneys willing to confront anti-motorcycle narratives at trial
  • Pedestrian accidents at crosswalks, sidewalks, and parking lots, including hit-and-run cases and disputed right-of-way claims under California Vehicle Code Section 21950
  • Uber and Lyft accidents requiring analysis of the three-tier insurance coverage framework under California Public Utilities Code Section 5432, including app status disputes and UM/UIM coverage up to $1,000,000
  • Slip and fall and premises liability cases at California businesses, apartment buildings, and public properties, where surveillance footage preservation and notice analysis determine whether the case is winnable
  • Dog bite injuries under California Civil Code Section 3342 strict liability, including children’s cases involving facial scarring, reconstructive surgery, and long-term psychological trauma
  • Wrongful death claims coordinating both the wrongful death action under CCP Section 377.60 and the survival action under CCP Section 377.30, on behalf of surviving family members and the estate

  What to Do After Any Personal Injury Incident in California

  1. Get medical attention the same day. Adrenaline and shock mask pain after serious incidents. Injuries from crashes, falls, and dog bites frequently worsen over the first 24 to 72 hours. A delay between the incident and your first medical visit gives the insurer ammunition to argue your injuries are not serious or not caused by the incident.
  2. Call 911 and get a police or incident report. An official report creates a contemporaneous record of what happened, who was involved, and the conditions at the time. Without a report, the other party can later dispute basic facts.
  3. Photograph everything. The scene, all vehicles or property involved, the hazard that caused your fall, the animal that bit you, traffic signals, road conditions, lighting, and your visible injuries before treatment begins. Take more than you think you need.
  4. Collect witness information. Full names and phone numbers. Witnesses disappear fast and memories fade within days.
  5. Preserve physical evidence. The clothing you were wearing. The helmet and gear from a motorcycle crash. The product that caused a burn or defect injury. The dog bite victim’s clothing. Do not wash, repair, or discard anything from the day of the incident.
  6. Report the incident to your own insurer factually. Time, location, basic facts. Do not speculate about fault. Do not describe injuries in detail before a complete medical picture exists.
  7. Contact a personal injury attorney before giving any statement to the other party’s insurer. You have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company. Most victims who give one immediately regret it.

  Expert Legal Tip from the Attorneys at Pedram Law. The most common and most expensive mistake injury victims make is accepting the first settlement offer before understanding the full scope of their injuries. Insurers contact victims within days of an incident with fast offers that sound reasonable when medical bills are mounting. These offers almost never account for future medical care, lost earning capacity, or pain and suffering. Once you sign a release, the claim is permanently closed regardless of how your injuries develop. If an insurer contacts you with an offer in the first two weeks, do not sign anything. Call an attorney first. The offer itself is the signal that your case is worth more than they are offering.

  What NOT to Do After a Personal Injury Incident

  • Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to produce answers that minimize claims. The transcript will be used against you in negotiations and at trial.
  • Do not accept an early settlement offer. Once you sign a release, the claim is closed permanently. There is no reopening it regardless of how your injuries progress.
  • Do not post about the incident or your recovery on social media. Defense teams and insurers monitor accounts actively. Any photograph, post, or check-in that contradicts your injury claims will be screen captured and used against you.
  • Do not miss follow-up medical appointments. Gaps in treatment tell insurers your injuries were not serious enough to require consistent care. Every missed appointment weakens the case.
  • Do not dispose of physical evidence. Clothing, gear, defective products, and damaged personal property are all evidence. Keep everything from the day of the incident in its post-incident condition.
  • Do not wait to call an attorney. Surveillance footage overwrites on 30 to 90 day loops. Witnesses forget. Physical evidence degrades. The sooner an attorney is preserving evidence, the stronger the case.

  Common Personal Injury Damages in California

  California personal injury law allows injured victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages. The specific categories available depend on the type of incident and the severity of the injuries.

  Economic damages cover measurable financial losses:

  • Medical expenses, past and future, including emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medications, and projected lifetime care
  • Lost wages during recovery
  • Loss of future earning capacity if injuries affect the ability to work
  • Property damage including vehicle repair or replacement
  • Out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the injury

  Non-economic damages cover the human toll:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and psychological injuries including PTSD, anxiety, and depression
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Loss of consortium for a spouse or domestic partner
  • Disfigurement and scarring

  In cases involving catastrophic injuries, future medical costs are projected through life care plans and vocational assessments prepared by expert witnesses. In cases involving egregious conduct such as drunk driving or intentional harm, punitive damages may also be available.

  Why Personal Injury Cases Are Legally Complex

  Personal injury litigation looks straightforward from the outside and almost never is once the case is actually being worked. Three complications appear in virtually every serious injury case regardless of type.

  Disputed liability and comparative fault manipulation. California is a pure comparative fault state. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault but never eliminated. If your case is worth $1,000,000 and a jury finds you 25% at fault, you still recover $750,000. Defense teams exploit this by inflating the plaintiff’s fault percentage beyond what the evidence supports. Pushing back requires reconstruction analysis, witness testimony, and attorneys who know how fault arguments play in front of California juries.

  Insurance coverage disputes. Policy limits, exclusions, coverage stacking, and bad faith tactics all affect what you ultimately recover. Identifying every available insurance policy across every potentially liable party is not something an unrepresented claimant can do effectively. A single incident may involve the direct tortfeasor’s policy, an employer’s policy, an umbrella policy, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and in some cases government entity coverage.

  Rapid evidence loss. The most damaging category of complexity is the one most people don’t see coming. Surveillance footage overwrites in days. Vehicle black box data gets erased when vehicles are repaired. Electronic logging device data from commercial trucks disappears under retention policies. Witnesses scatter. Physical evidence degrades. Every category of evidence that proves fault and establishes damages disappears on a schedule that favors the defense unless someone is actively preserving it.

  How Pedram Law Builds Your Personal Injury Case

  1. Free case evaluation. We review the facts of the incident, the medical picture, the insurance landscape, and the potential defendants. You leave the call understanding what your case looks like and what needs to happen immediately to protect it.
  2. Evidence collection and investigation. We pull police and incident reports, obtain available surveillance footage before it overwrites, preserve physical evidence, pull electronic data through preservation letters, photograph scenes, and interview witnesses while memories are fresh. In complex cases we retain accident reconstruction experts and investigators.
  3. Damage documentation. We coordinate with your treating physicians, retain medical experts where needed, and document the full scope of your injuries, treatment, and prognosis. In catastrophic cases we bring in life care planners and vocational economists to project lifetime costs.
  4. Insurance negotiations. Once your medical picture is complete, we send formal demands to every available insurer backed by the full documented evidence. Most cases settle in this phase because the insurer recognizes the case is prepared for trial.
  5. Litigation and trial preparation. If the insurer refuses fair value, we file and prepare for trial. Pedram Law treats every case as if it will go before a jury. That posture changes how insurers respond at the negotiation table.

  

  California Laws Every Injury Victim Needs to Know

  Statute of limitations. Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss this deadline and your claim is permanently barred regardless of how serious your injuries are. If a government entity, a city vehicle, a county employee, or government-maintained property contributed to your injury, you must file an administrative claim within six months under the Government Claims Act. The six-month deadline is absolute and is frequently missed by victims who do not realize a government entity was involved.

  Pure comparative fault. California follows pure comparative fault under Civil Code Section 1431.2. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault but never eliminated. You can recover even if you were 99% at fault. The practical implication is that every personal injury case in California becomes a fight over fault percentages, and the defense team’s primary job is to inflate your percentage as high as the evidence will allow.

  California minimum insurance requirements. California Vehicle Code Section 16000 requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $5,000 for property damage. These minimums are frequently insufficient for serious injuries. When the at-fault party’s coverage is inadequate, identifying every additional source of recovery becomes the difference between a partial settlement and a full one.

  Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. California Insurance Code Section 11580.2 requires auto insurers to offer UM and UIM coverage with every policy. If you were injured by an uninsured driver, a hit-and-run driver, or a driver with insufficient coverage, your own UM or UIM policy may provide recovery. Even claims against your own insurer can be disputed, so do not assume your own carrier will pay fairly without representation. The California Office of Traffic Safety publishes annual data showing the scope of uninsured driver exposure across the state.

  Government Claims Act. California Government Code Section 911.2 requires a formal administrative claim within six months when a government entity bears any responsibility for the injury. This applies to incidents involving city vehicles, county employees, state agencies, public transit, government-maintained roadways and sidewalks, and public school districts. Missing the six-month deadline bars the case against the government entity permanently, even if the underlying facts are strong.

  Insurance Tactics Used Against California Injury Victims

  Insurance adjusters are skilled professionals whose job is to minimize claim payouts. Understanding their tactics before they are deployed is one of the most concrete benefits of having experienced legal representation.

  • The early lowball offer. Insurers contact victims within days of an incident with fast settlements that sound reasonable when medical bills are mounting. These offers are almost never close to full case value. The speed of the offer is the signal that the case is worth more.
  • The recorded statement trap. An adjuster calls, sounds empathetic, and asks you to walk through what happened. The transcript of that call will be analyzed for inconsistencies and used to minimize your claim or deny it outright.
  • Disputing the severity of injuries. Insurers hire medical reviewers who have never examined you to issue opinions that your injuries are pre-existing, exaggerated, or unrelated to the incident. These opinions are generated for negotiation leverage, not medical accuracy.
  • Delay as a weapon. Dragging out the claims process creates financial pressure that pushes unrepresented claimants toward accepting low offers just to end the uncertainty.
  • Social media surveillance. Defense teams and insurer investigators monitor every publicly accessible account. A single photograph or post that contradicts your injury claims will be collected and used against you in negotiation and at trial.
  • The gap-in-treatment argument. Any delay in medical care, any missed follow-up appointment, or any gap between treatment visits becomes an argument that your injuries were not serious or were not caused by the incident. Establish a continuous medical record from day one.

  Three Questions California Injury Victims Always Ask

  Can I File a Claim If I Am Undocumented?

  Yes. California law prohibits using immigration status in personal injury cases. Your documentation status does not affect your right to file a claim, pursue compensation, or be represented by an attorney. If a negligent party injured you, you are entitled to the same legal protections as any other California resident. Silvia Gonzalez spent years in immigration court before joining Pedram Law and represents Spanish-speaking clients regularly. Your status will not be raised, shared, or used against you in any way in your civil claim.

  What If I Was Partly at Fault?

  You can still recover. California’s pure comparative fault rule reduces your damages by your percentage of fault but does not eliminate your right to file. If your case is worth $500,000 and a jury finds you 40% at fault, you recover $300,000. Many injury victims assume partial fault means no case and never call an attorney. That assumption costs them real money. Let us evaluate the specific facts before you make that decision.

  What If I Was Working When the Incident Happened?

  A work-related injury can trigger both a workers compensation claim and a separate civil personal injury claim against the at-fault party. The two legal paths run simultaneously. Workers comp covers medical bills and partial lost wages regardless of fault. A civil claim against the negligent third party recovers the full range of damages including pain and suffering, which workers comp does not pay. Navigating both requires strategy from the start, and Pedram Law handles this overlap regularly.

  Why Choose Pedram Law for Your California Personal Injury Case

  Nima Pedram founded Pedram Law after being injured by a negligent driver. He went through the same medical recovery, insurance dispute, and legal process that his clients now face. That experience is not a marketing line. It shapes how every case is handled from the first call.

  Nima earned his JD from Loyola Law School while simultaneously working as a Vice President at JPMorgan. He is admitted to the California State Bar and is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California, and the American Association for Justice.

  Silvia Gonzalez leads litigation alongside Nima. She holds a Stanford undergraduate degree, a Harvard master’s degree, and a Loyola Law School JD. Before law she ran healthcare operations at a Fortune 500 company and then spent years in immigration court before joining Pedram Law. Her background gives the firm a substantive advantage with Spanish-speaking clients and those navigating California’s legal system for the first time.

  Together, Nima and Silvia have recovered $1,000,000 in a slip and fall, $600,000 in a car accident, $500,000 in a wrongful death case, $500,000 in a sexual abuse case, and $287,000 in a separate auto matter. The firm represents serious injury victims statewide on a contingency basis. No fees unless we win. Free case evaluation.

  What to Bring to Your First Consultation

  You do not need to have everything organized before you call. Pedram Law will help gather what is missing. If you have any of the following, bring it.

  • Medical records, bills, and discharge paperwork from any provider you have seen since the incident
  • Photos and videos of the scene, any vehicles or property involved, and your injuries
  • The police, incident, or animal control report, or the report number if you have not received the full report
  • Your own insurance policy and any communication from the other party’s insurer
  • Names and contact information for any witnesses
  • Proof of lost income, such as pay stubs, employer letters, or time-off records
  • Any physical evidence from the incident including clothing, gear, or defective products

  If you have none of these, call anyway. The most important step is reaching out early so we can preserve evidence and identify deadlines before either becomes a problem.

  Evidence Checklist: What You Need to Support Your Personal Injury Claim

  • Police, incident, or animal control report
  • Photographs of the scene, all vehicles or property, and your injuries from the day of the incident
  • Surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, or dashcams
  • Witness names, statements, and contact information
  • Physical evidence including clothing, gear, and defective products in post-incident condition
  • Complete medical records, imaging results, and treatment notes from every provider
  • Medical bills and all out-of-pocket expense receipts
  • Proof of lost wages including pay stubs and employer verification
  • All communications from any insurance company including letters, emails, and recorded call summaries
  • Your own insurance policy declarations page
  • Any prior incident reports involving the same party, property, or animal

  What to Look for When Hiring a California Personal Injury Lawyer

  Case type experience

  Does the firm handle your specific type of case, not just personal injury generally? A car accident case, a premises liability case, and a wrongful death case each involve different legal frameworks, evidence requirements, and damages analysis. Ask for specific results in your case category. Pedram Law handles all major PI case types and has recovered results across car accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall, sexual abuse, and more.

  Trial readiness

  Does the firm actually try cases, or does it settle everything? Insurers track which firms go to trial and adjust their settlement offers accordingly. Pedram Law prepares every case as if it will go before a jury. That posture is why our demands produce serious responses from carriers who would otherwise stall and minimize.

  Local court familiarity

  Does the attorney know the courthouse where your case would be filed, the local judges, and the local defense firms? Pedram Law litigates across California courts and knows the local insurance carriers, defense counsel, and jury tendencies in every market we serve.

  Communication and accessibility

  Will the attorney personally handle your case, or will it be passed to a junior associate or case manager? Nima Pedram personally handles client relationships. Silvia Gonzalez leads litigation alongside him. You will always have direct access to the attorneys working your case.

  Fee structure

  Does the firm work on contingency with no upfront costs? What percentage do they take at settlement versus trial? Are litigation costs deducted before or after the contingency calculation? Pedram Law operates on a pure contingency basis. No fees unless we win. Free case evaluation. No upfront costs at the moment clients can least afford them.

  Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

  What types of personal injury cases do you handle?

  Pedram Law handles all major California personal injury case types including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, rideshare crashes, slip and fall, dog bites, and wrongful death. Additional practice areas including brain injury, spinal cord injury, catastrophic injury, sexual abuse, and employment law are handled as well.

  Will you personally handle my case?

  Yes. Nima Pedram personally manages client relationships and Silvia Gonzalez leads litigation alongside him. Your case will not be handed to a junior associate or a case manager you have never met.

  Will you take my case to trial if necessary?

  Yes. Pedram Law prepares every case as if it will go before a jury. When insurers refuse fair value, we file and litigate. That trial readiness is the reason carriers take our demands seriously in negotiation.

  How do you charge for personal injury cases?

  Contingency only. You pay no attorney fees unless we win. There are no upfront costs, no hourly billing, and no retainer. Your initial case evaluation is free.

  How long will my case take?

  Cases with clear liability and documented injuries can settle in three to six months after treatment is complete. Cases involving disputed liability, serious injuries requiring ongoing treatment, or insurers acting in bad faith can take a year or longer. Cases that proceed to trial in California courts typically take one to three years. We will give you a realistic assessment at the consultation based on the specific facts of your case.

  

  Frequently Asked Questions

  How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in California?

  Two years from the date of injury under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 for claims against private parties. If a government entity was involved, you have six months to file an administrative claim under the Government Claims Act. Missing either deadline permanently bars the case. Do not assume an extension applies without an attorney confirming it.

  How much does a personal injury case cost to pursue?

  Nothing upfront at Pedram Law. We handle all personal injury cases on contingency. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Case costs advanced by the firm are recovered from the settlement. Your initial evaluation is free.

  What is my personal injury case worth?

  Case value depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, the total cost of past and future medical treatment, your lost income and future earning capacity, the degree of the other party’s fault, and the available insurance coverage. There is no honest way to give you a number without reviewing the specific facts. What is consistent is that unrepresented claimants recover less than those with experienced legal representation.

  Can I still file if the other party has no insurance?

  Yes. Your own uninsured motorist coverage under California Insurance Code Section 11580.2 may apply. If the at-fault party had insurance but insufficient limits, your underinsured motorist coverage may bridge the gap. Hit-and-run cases are often covered under UM policies. Pedram Law identifies every available source of recovery on every case.

  What if I was partially at fault for the incident?

  You can still recover. California’s pure comparative fault rule reduces your damages by your percentage of fault but does not eliminate them. If your case is worth $1,000,000 and you are found 25% at fault, you still recover $750,000. You can file even if you are 99% at fault. Call before you assume you have no case.

  Do I have to go to court?

  Most personal injury cases in California settle before trial. Pedram Law prepares every case as if it will go before a jury, which is why insurers take our demands seriously. If the insurer refuses fair value, we file and try the case. You will not be pressured to accept a settlement you are not satisfied with.

  How do I know if I have a personal injury case?

  If someone else’s negligence caused your injury and you suffered damages (medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering), you likely have a case worth evaluating. The free consultation costs nothing and takes minutes. You will leave the call knowing whether you have a case, what it may be worth, and what the next steps are.

  Serving Injury Victims Across California

  Pedram Law represents personal injury victims throughout California, including Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Murrieta, Pomona, West Covina, and Garden Grove. The firm office is located at 8383 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1024, Beverly Hills, California 90211.

  Pedram Law, PC
  8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1024
  Beverly Hills, CA 90211
  (844) 344-4444

  If you or someone you love was seriously injured anywhere in California because of someone else’s negligence, Pedram Law is ready to evaluate your case at no cost. Free case evaluation. No fees unless we win.

  Get Your Free Case Evaluation

  This content has been reviewed by the attorneys at Pedram Law, PC, licensed to practice law in the State of California.

  Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.