Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Attorney Long Beach

One moment you were slowing for traffic on the 405 or waiting to turn off Pacific Coast Highway. The next, your car was spinning. Now there is pain, time off work, and an adjuster who wants your version on tape before you have seen the right doctor.

If you are looking for a Long Beach car accident lawyer, Ravan Law represents people seriously hurt in crashes on Long Beach freeways and city streets. We secure the video before it is erased, and we identify every insurance policy that can pay.

Our office is in Los Angeles, on San Vicente Boulevard. We represent Long Beach clients from there, and we hold consultations by phone or video. Call (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.

Long Beach Car Accident Attorney: Where These Crashes Happen

The freeways. The I-405 crosses the city carrying commuters and freight together, and sudden slowdowns produce rear-end chains. The I-710 is the main truck route out of the port, so a car crash there often involves a commercial vehicle. SR-91 runs through north Long Beach. On these roads the California Highway Patrol (CHP) writes the report. CHP’s South Los Angeles Area office in Torrance lists Long Beach among the communities it serves, and we request the report from the area office that took it, using CHP Form 190.

The city streets. Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) is a state highway through the middle of the city, with heavy foot and bicycle traffic. T-bone and left-turn collisions are common there and on Long Beach Boulevard. Ocean Boulevard carries downtown and waterfront traffic toward the Long Beach International Gateway bridge. On city streets, the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) investigates.

In September 2023 the City announced lower speed limits on 92 miles of city streets under Assembly Bill 43, including stretches of Long Beach Boulevard, Cherry Avenue, Willow Street, Carson Street, 7th Street, and 10th Street. A City memo from October 2025 listed Anaheim Street, Atlantic Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, Second Street, and Shoreline Drive among the planned locations for its speed safety camera pilot under Assembly Bill 645. If you were hit on one of those corridors, we confirm the posted limit on the day of the crash.

Getting the LBPD collision report

LBPD collision reports are released through the department’s Information Management Division at 400 West Broadway, for a $30 application fee, and the department says processing can take up to about six months.

We do not wait for it. Camera footage from a business on PCH or Anaheim Street is often overwritten within days, so we send preservation letters first and collect the report when it is ready.

Fault, Insurance, and Reporting Rules in a Long Beach Car Crash

California is an at-fault state with pure comparative fault. You can recover even if you were partly to blame, reduced by your share: 20 percent at fault on a $200,000 claim recovers $160,000. Insurers use that rule to shave a claim, and we answer with evidence. Our guide to who is at fault in a car accident covers the common patterns.

Rule	What it means after a Long Beach crash	Authority
Report an injury crash	To CHP or LBPD within 24 hours	Vehicle Code 20008
SR-1 report to the DMV	Within 10 days if anyone was hurt or killed, or damage exceeded $1,000	Vehicle Code 16000
Minimum liability limits	$30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage	SB 1107, effective January 1, 2025
Hit-and-run uninsured motorist claim	Physical contact, a police report within 24 hours, and a sworn statement to your insurer within 30 days	Insurance Code 11580.2
Uninsured at the time of the crash	No pain and suffering damages in most cases, unless the at-fault driver is convicted of DUI; medical bills and lost wages remain	Civil Code 3333.4 (Proposition 213)

A $30,000 policy is far below the cost of one spinal surgery, so we also look to an employer’s coverage if the driver was working, and to your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We explain the limits in new California auto insurance minimums under SB 1107.

If the driver who hit you never stopped, the 24-hour police report decides whether your own uninsured motorist coverage can pay. See the phantom driver rule.

When a Long Beach Car Accident Involves a Public Agency

A crash becomes a government claim when a public employee was driving on the job (Vehicle Code 17001) or when a dangerous condition of public property, such as a dark signal, helped cause it (Government Code 835). In Long Beach, that can mean:

City of Long Beach. City vehicles, LBPD patrol cars, Port of Long Beach vehicles, and city streets and signals. A claim for injury must be filed within six months of the occurrence. It goes to the City Clerk at 411 West Ocean Boulevard, then to the City Attorney’s office, where a liability claims adjuster is assigned.
Long Beach Transit. The bus system is separately incorporated, so we confirm where its claim must be presented before we file.
LA Metro. A Line trains serve eight Long Beach stations, from Wardlow to Downtown Long Beach, on a line that now runs to Pomona.
State of California. The I-405, I-710, SR-91, PCH, and the Gateway bridge are state highways under Caltrans District 7. A claim over a state highway defect goes to the Caltrans district claims office if it is $12,500 or less. A claim over $12,500 is presented to the state’s Government Claims Program at the Department of General Services.

A claim sent to the wrong agency does not stop the clock. The rule behind all of this is Government Code 911.2: a written claim within six months of the injury, before any lawsuit. Our guide to claims against Caltrans and the State of California after a highway crash covers the state process.

What Your Long Beach Car Accident Claim Can Recover

Economic damages: emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, future treatment, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and the repair or replacement of your car.
Non-economic damages: pain, emotional distress, scarring, and the loss of the daily life you had before the crash. California does not cap these in a car accident case.

Concussions and disc injuries often show up days after the collision. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center is on Los Angeles County’s trauma center list. If you were sent home from the scene, get evaluated anyway.

Deadlines for a Long Beach Car Accident Claim

Claim	Deadline	Authority
Injury lawsuit against a driver	Generally 2 years from the crash	Code of Civil Procedure 335.1
Claim against the City, Long Beach Transit, Metro, or the State	6 months from the injury	Government Code 911.2
Late-claim application	Within a reasonable time, not to exceed 1 year from the injury	Government Code 911.4
Injured child	Two-year deadline generally tolled until 18; the six-month claim is not paused	Code of Civil Procedure 352

If a child’s six-month claim was missed, late-claim relief may be available under Government Code 911.4 and 911.6, but it has to be requested within a year. See the full guide to California personal injury time limits.

How We Handle a Car Accident Case for Clients in Long Beach

Free consultation by phone or video. You hear plainly whether there is a claim, even when the answer is no.
Preservation. Letters go out for business and bus video, and for the other car’s event data, which generally cannot be downloaded without the owner’s consent or a court order (Vehicle Code 9951).
Reports. We request the LBPD or CHP report. An officer’s fault conclusion is an opinion, and errors can be corrected with other evidence.
Insurance review of every policy, including your own.
Government claim, if one applies, inside six months.
Demand and negotiation, once treatment shows what the injury will cost.
Lawsuit where needed. We file in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The court’s South District sits at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse, 275 Magnolia Avenue in downtown Long Beach, and the court assigns each injury case to a courthouse.

You work with us directly, and we keep you updated at every stage. For the full picture of the law, see our main Los Angeles car accident lawyer page, or our Long Beach personal injury page for other claim types.

Firm Results

These are results obtained for Ravan Law clients across our practice. They are not results from Long Beach cases.

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.

Speak With a Long Beach Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you were seriously hurt in a crash in Long Beach, the first weeks carry the most weight. If a city vehicle, a Long Beach Transit bus, or a state highway played a part, the six-month clock under Government Code 911.2 started on the day of the collision.

Call Ravan Law at (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win. For other injuries, see our Long Beach pages on truck accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents, slip and falls, and dog bites. You can also see all of our locations.

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.

Book a Free Consultation

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 
 
    Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified that these reviews were published on Ravan Law's Google Business Profile. Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

I was hit by a City of Long Beach vehicle. Is that different from a normal claim?

Yes. You have six months from the injury to file a claim with the City, under Government Code 911.2. The same applies to a Port of Long Beach vehicle, because the Port is the City's Harbor Department.

Do I need a Long Beach car accident lawyer if the other driver's insurer has already made an offer?

An early offer usually arrives before anyone knows whether you need surgery. Once you sign a release, the claim is closed. We can review the offer with you first, and the consultation is free.