Personal injury claims in Los Angeles, CA.
What Los Angeles residents need to know before settling a personal injury claim. Local court, 2-year filing deadline, fault rules, and the practical math behind settlement value in Los Angeles County.
Where Los Angeles personal injury cases are filed
Civil PI cases are filed in LA County Superior Court (Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N Hill St) under California's pure comparative negligence rule.
What California law means for your claim
California is a pure comparative state — fault percentage reduces but never bars recovery. CCP 335.1 sets the 2-year SoL for injury.
How settlement value is built in Los Angeles
Settlement value in Los Angeles comes from the same building blocks as anywhere in the US: documented medical bills, lost wages, and a non-economic component (pain and suffering) calculated using the multiplier method. Local venue matters at the margins — a Los Angeles County jury pool will value the same injury differently than a rural county in the same state.
The biggest single driver of your case value is not the city; it is the strength of the medical documentation, the available insurance policy limits, and how clearly fault is established. Because California is a fault state, the at-fault driver's liability policy is the primary source of recovery.
Los Angeles filing deadline
California personal injury claims must generally be filed within 2 years of the injury. Government claims: 6-month notice (Gov. Code § 911.2). Claims against government entities (California DOT, the city of Los Angeles, transit authorities) usually carry much shorter notice deadlines, sometimes 60 to 180 days.
Case types we cover
Related reads
How California's pure comparative negligence rule shapes auto settlement value.
Multi-party liability, FMCSA regulations, and the 30-day evidence window.
Helmet laws, rider bias, and comparative fault.
Premises liability and the negligence elements you must prove.
Standard of care and California's med-mal rules.
Strict liability vs one-bite rule by state.
State law deep dive
For the full state-by-state breakdown of negligence rules, damages caps, and statute of limitations, read the California state hub.
Frequently asked questions
Different city? See all city hubs.