Orange County Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Attorney Orange County

One moment you were slowing for traffic where the 5 meets the 405. The next, someone hit you from behind. Now your neck hurts, and an adjuster wants a recorded statement before you have seen a doctor.

If you are looking for an Orange County car accident lawyer, we can help. At Ravan Law, we represent people seriously hurt in freeway and surface street crashes across the county. We find out who is responsible, which insurance applies, and whether a deadline shorter than two years is already running. Our Orange County personal injury page covers other claim types.

We represent clients in Orange County from our Los Angeles office on San Vicente Boulevard, and consultations are available by phone or video.

Call (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.

Orange County Car Crash Lawyer Guide: Where These Collisions Happen and Who Writes the Report

The road you were on decides which agency took the report, which cameras may have recorded the crash, and whether a public entity belongs in your claim.

The I-5 and I-405 merge in Irvine, and the 405 beyond it. Lanes combine, traffic compresses, and late lane changes turn into sideswipes and rear-end chains.
SR-55, the Costa Mesa Freeway. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) describes it as one of the most heavily congested freeways in Southern California.
SR-57, SR-22, and SR-91. The Orange Freeway runs north through Anaheim, the Garden Grove Freeway crosses the center of the county, and the 91 funnels commuters toward Riverside County.
Wide arterials in Santa Ana and Anaheim. Left turns across several lanes produce broadside crashes. Beach Boulevard is State Route 39 through Huntington Beach, Westminster, and Stanton, a state highway under Caltrans, which matters if a signal or road defect played a part. In Anaheim and Buena Park it is now a city street.
SR-74, the Ortega Highway. From San Juan Capistrano it climbs into the mountains as a two-lane road, where a crossed center line leaves no room to recover.

In the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 rankings, Anaheim placed 5th worst of the 15 California cities with more than 250,000 residents for total people killed or injured in traffic crashes (2,135 victims).

Which agency has your crash report

California Highway Patrol (CHP): freeways and toll roads. Three CHP area offices cover the county: Santa Ana, Westminster, and Capistrano. We request the report from the office that took it, using CHP Form 190.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department: unincorporated areas and the cities that contract with the Sheriff for police services, including Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and Yorba Linda.
City police: Anaheim and the other cities that run their own departments each have a records process for traffic collision reports.

An officer’s opinion on fault is evidence, not a verdict. When the report is wrong, we answer it with video and witnesses.

California Fault and Insurance Rules, Applied to an Orange County Car Accident

California is an at-fault state, and Civil Code 1714 makes each driver responsible for harm caused by a failure to use ordinary care. As your Orange County car accident lawyer, we test your case against these rules first.

Rule	What it says	What it means for your crash
Pure comparative fault	Your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, not eliminated	Found 20% at fault on a $300,000 claim, you recover $240,000. Expect the adjuster to argue for a share
Following too closely (Vehicle Code 21703)	The rear driver is usually at fault	The usual starting point for a rear-end crash on the 405 or the 55
Minimum limits (SB 1107)	$30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident since January 1, 2025	Often far below the cost of a serious injury, so your own UM/UIM coverage may shape the settlement
Hit-and-run (Insurance Code 11580.2)	Physical contact, a police report within 24 hours, a sworn statement to your insurer within 30 days	The report goes to city police, or to the Sheriff or CHP outside a city

Our main page on car accident claims explains each rule in depth, and our article on who is at fault in a car accident covers common collision patterns.

Car Accident Attorney in Orange County: Crashes With an OCTA Bus, a County Vehicle, or a Dangerous Road

Some collisions here are caused by a public employee or a public road: an OC Bus changing lanes, a Sheriff’s Department patrol car, a city truck, a dark signal on a state highway. A public entity answers for an employee’s negligent driving on the job (Vehicle Code 17001) and for a dangerous condition of public property it created or knew about in time to fix (Government Code 835).

These claims need a written claim, presented to the right agency within six months of the injury under Government Code 911.2, before any lawsuit. Where it goes depends on who was involved:

OCTA (OC Bus, the 91 Express Lanes): OCTA Risk Management.
County of Orange (Sheriff’s vehicles, county roads): the Clerk of the Board.
A city: each city publishes its own form. Anaheim’s is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.
State highways: Caltrans takes claims of $12,500 or less at its district claims office, and claims over $12,500 go to the State’s Government Claims Program at the Department of General Services. On the 73, 133, 241, and 261, the State owns the road and the Transportation Corridor Agencies operate it.

Each agency must receive its own claim. See claims against Caltrans and the State of California after a highway crash.

What Your Car Accident Claim Can Recover

Economic damages cover medical care past and future, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and your vehicle. California generally limits past medical damages to the amount actually paid rather than billed (Howell v. Hamilton Meats, 2011), so an early offer built on billing totals can look larger than it is.

Non-economic damages cover pain, emotional distress, scarring, and the parts of your life the crash took away. California does not cap them in ordinary car accident cases.

A concussion or disc injury often does not show at the scene. We wait for the medical picture before we put a number on your claim.

Deadlines for an Orange County Car Accident Claim

Claim	Deadline	Authority
Injury lawsuit against a driver	Generally 2 years from the injury	Code of Civil Procedure 335.1
Vehicle damage only	Generally 3 years	Code of Civil Procedure 338
Claim against OCTA, the county, a city, or the State	6 months from the injury	Government Code 911.2
Hit-and-run report for uninsured motorist coverage	24 hours	Insurance Code 11580.2

For an injured child, the two-year deadline is generally tolled until age 18. The six-month government claim is not paused, although late-claim relief may be available (Government Code 911.4, 911.6).

How We Handle a Car Accident Case for Clients in Orange County

We listen, and we tell you plainly whether you have a claim.
We preserve evidence. Letters go out for business and bus video, and for vehicle event data, which generally cannot be downloaded without the owner’s consent or a court order (Vehicle Code 9951).
We get the report from CHP, the Sheriff, or the city department that responded.
We review every policy, including an employer’s if the driver was working, and your own UM/UIM coverage.
We present any government claim inside the six-month window.
We negotiate, and we file suit when the offer is not fair. Injury lawsuits arising here are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange. Its Central Justice Center, at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana, hears unlimited civil cases.

Motor vehicle results

These are results from across our personal injury practice, not Orange County results.

Recovery	Case type
$3,500,000	Motor vehicle accident with a county vehicle
$500,000	Motor vehicle accident
$200,000	Motor vehicle accident

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.

Talk to an Orange County Car Accident Lawyer Today

Video is overwritten within days. A hit-and-run report is due in 24 hours. If a bus, a county or city vehicle, or a public road was involved, the six-month claim started on the day of the crash. You should not have to track all of that while you heal. As your Orange County car accident lawyer, we track it for you.

Call Ravan Law at (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.

Ravan Law, 6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 401, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Attorney Advertising. Ted H. Ravan, Esq., Ravan Law, Los Angeles, CA. This content is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.

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What Our Clients Are Saying

    
 
 
         
   Terri Smith 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great communication from start to finish. I’d recommend at least giving him a call, explaining your situation, and asking a few questions or setting up a consultation. Ted Ravan is a great attorney and has already helped me with two cases, both very successfully.
  
 
        
   Arianna Vincent 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ted Ravan is a very knowledgeable and experienced attorney. I’m really glad I found him because I needed help obtaining compensation after being hit in a traffic accident, and the case was complicated due to certain issues. In the end, everything was resolved successfully.
  
 
        
   Dennis Langford 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The best law firm. They helped me with a case that seemed very difficult to get any accident compensation from, but they managed to secure a very favorable outcome. Thank you!
  
 
        
   Florence Addis 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ravan Law went above and beyond for me. They were always available, kept me updated, and handled everything with professionalism. The settlement outcome was fantastic. Highly recommend their services to anyone looking for strong legal representation.
  
 
        
   Ruth Gardiner 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’m very impressed with the service I received from Ravan Law. They were professional, responsive, and achieved a great settlement for my case. I felt supported the entire time. I highly recommend them.
  
 
        
   Angelica Orozco 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a great experience working with Raven Law. Their office helped settle our case for the maximum possible outcome, and we truly felt supported throughout the entire process. All of our questions were answered promptly and clearly, which made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. The team was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to our needs from start to finish. We are very grateful for their hard work and would absolutely recommend this law office to family and friends.,
  
 
        
   suraj chachale 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I had an ongoing medical emergency and was fortunate to have Attorney Cesar from Ravan Law by my side. He was extremely supportive, professional, and attentive throughout the entire process. His guidance and follow-up made a stressful situation much easier to handle. I highly recommend Cesar and Ravan Law for anyone seeking reliable and compassionate legal assistance.
  
 
        
   Diana Castaneda 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Ravan Law is the Best! If you are usually hesitant or nervous about lawyers, No Worries! Ted and his team have been nothing, but amazing! They removed liability from an accident that was not my fault, and closely assisted me through out the rest of the process! I highly recommend them! Thank you Ravan Law always appreciate all your hard work! <333
  
 
        
   Zack Nosrati 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you so much to everyone for helping me with my case and my settlement! I could not have won my uber case without you!
  
 
        
   Franklin X 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Son muy dedicados te acompañan en todo el proseso y están pendiente de tu caso eso me gusta de una firma puedo decir que ellos tienen un nuevo cliente
  
 
  
 
  
 
   Google rating score: 4.9 of 5, based on 65 reviews 
 
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Frequently Asked Questions

I was hit on a toll road. Is that a government claim?

It can be. The 73, 133, 241, and 261 are owned by the State of California and operated by the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which are public joint powers authorities. If another driver simply hit you, your claim is against that driver. If the road itself contributed, the six-month rule applies.

I live in Orange County but the crash happened on the 405 in Long Beach. Where is my case filed?

Under Code of Civil Procedure 395, an injury case can generally be filed where the injury happened or where a defendant lives, so that case may belong in Los Angeles County. We explain the choice before anything is filed.

The driver who hit me on a Santa Ana street drove off. What now?

Report it to that city's police within 24 hours, then notify your own insurer. Uninsured motorist coverage may pay if there was physical contact and you send a sworn statement within 30 days. If you are in the hospital, a family member can make the report.