Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, the statute of limitations for standard personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits is two years from the date of the incident. However, if your injury involves a California government entity (such as a Los Angeles Metro bus, LAPD vehicle, or Caltrans road defect), you must file a formal administrative claim within six months (180 days) under California Government Code Section 911.2 before you can initiate a lawsuit.

California applies a 'pure comparative negligence' system (established by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co.). This means you can recover compensation regardless of your percentage of fault. For example, if a court determines your total damages are $200,000 but finds you were 25% responsible for the crash, you can still recover 75% of your damages ($150,000) from the other liable party.

Most catastrophic and unlimited civil injury lawsuits (cases where damages exceed $35,000) in Los Angeles are filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central District, headquartered at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Depending on incident jurisdiction, cases may also be assigned to regional district courthouses such as Van Nuys, Santa Monica, or Long Beach.

Most Los Angeles personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee agreement, meaning no upfront legal fees are charged unless a financial recovery is obtained. Typical contingency fees range from 33.3% (one-third) if settled prior to filing a lawsuit, to 40% or more if litigation, expert witness testimony, or jury trials are required. All contingency fee agreements in California must comply with California Business and Professions Code Section 6146/6147.

1. Call 911 and obtain an official collision report from LAPD or California Highway Patrol (CHP). 2. Seek immediate medical evaluation at an emergency facility such as Cedars-Sinai, LAC+USC Medical Center, or Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. 3. Document the scene with photos, video, witness contact details, and preserve vehicle damage. 4. Do not provide recorded statements to third-party insurance adjusters without consulting an attorney.

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Yes. California law allows clients the absolute right to substitute counsel at any stage of litigation. Your new attorney handles the transfer of your case file from previous counsel, and the previous attorney's fee claim is generally resolved via an equitable attorney fee lien on the final settlement without increasing your overall contingency percentage.