California Car Accident Lawyers

Car accidents are at the heart of our practice. Most of the verdicts and settlements on our case results page come from vehicle collisions, and across all practice areas, Johnson Attorneys Group has recovered over $100 million for clients throughout California.

That experience shows up in how we work. We know how insurers evaluate injury claims, which arguments they use to cut payouts, and what evidence it takes to push back. Our firm is led by founding attorney James Johnson, who trained at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, and we prepare every case as if it might go to trial. That preparation is often what gets insurers to make a fair offer.

Here are a few of the car accident results we’ve secured for clients:

• $4,000,000: multi-vehicle freeway collision that resulted in a fatality
• $1,300,000: client rear-ended at high speed by an intoxicated driver
• $1,250,000: client hit from behind by a commercial vehicle, causing a back injury that required surgery
• $975,000: client struck by a speeding driver who ran a red light and tried to flee the scene
• $855,000: client hit on the passenger side by an impaired driver who ran a stop sign
• $775,000: client rear-ended while stopped at a red light

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.

See more of our case results

We serve clients statewide from our offices in Newport Beach and Bakersfield.

Hiring a lawyer shouldn’t feel like a mystery. Here’s what happens once you call us, and what we do at each stage to build the strongest claim possible.

1. Free Consultation and Case Review

We start by listening. We’ll go over how the crash happened, your injuries, and the insurance involved, including the at-fault driver’s coverage and your own policy. Many people don’t realize their own uninsured motorist or medical payments coverage may apply. You’ll leave the conversation knowing your options, with no cost and no obligation.

2. Immediate Investigation

Evidence fades fast after a crash. Once you hire us, we get to work gathering:

• The police or California Highway Patrol report and any 911 recordings
• Photos and video from the scene, nearby businesses, traffic cameras, and dashcams
• Witness statements, taken while memories are fresh
• Vehicle damage records and, when needed, data from the cars’ event data recorders

If fault is disputed, we work with accident reconstruction experts who can analyze vehicle damage, road evidence, and crash data to show what really happened.

3. Documenting Your Injuries and Treatment

Your health comes first, and your medical records are also the backbone of your claim. We help you stay on track with treatment and gather records, bills, and doctors’ opinions about your prognosis and future care. Gaps in treatment are one of the most common reasons insurers use to reduce a claim, so we help you avoid them.

4. Handling the Insurance Companies

From day one, adjusters call us, not you. We handle the communication, keep you from giving recorded statements that can be used against you, and help with your property damage claim, rental car, and repairs. Under California law, an insurer can’t require you to use a specific repair shop.

5. Calculating the Full Value of Your Claim

A fair settlement has to cover more than this month’s bills. We add up past and future medical costs, lost income and earning capacity, property damage, and the pain and disruption your injuries cause. In serious cases, we bring in medical experts and economists to project long-term costs.

6. Demand and Negotiation

Once your treatment is far enough along to understand your losses, we send a detailed demand to the insurer and negotiate. We review every offer with you and explain what you’d be giving up by signing a release, including rights to future claims. You make the final decision.

7. Filing a Lawsuit When Needed

If the insurer won’t pay what your case is worth, we file a lawsuit in California superior court and keep pushing through discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial if necessary. Filing also protects you from missing the two-year deadline.

8. Closing Out Your Case

When your case resolves, we work to resolve medical liens and reimbursement claims from health insurers, so more of the recovery ends up with you.

CTA: Unsure if you have a case? Let’s talk. It’s free. Call Johnson Attorneys Group at 1 (800) 208-3538.

We represent drivers, passengers, and families after every kind of crash, including:

• Rear-end collisions: the most common crash type, often causing neck, back, and head injuries
• T-bone and side-impact crashes: where the side of a car offers little protection
• Intersection accidents: red-light running, failure to yield, and unsafe left turns
• Head-on collisions: including wrong-way crashes on freeways and rural highways
• Rollover accidents: especially dangerous for SUVs and pickups
• Hit-and-run accidents: where your own insurance may be the path to recovery
• Drunk driving accidents: which may support a claim for punitive damages
• Distracted driving accidents: texting, phone use, and other inattention
• Speeding accidents
• Tailgating accidents
• Dangerous road conditions: potholes, missing signs, and poor road design
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims

We also handle rideshare, taxi, and truck accidents.

Most crashes come down to a driver choice that could have been avoided. The causes we see most often include:

• Distracted driving, including texting, scrolling, navigation apps, and eating behind the wheel
• Speeding or driving too fast for traffic, weather, or road conditions
• Driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs
• Running red lights and stop signs
• Unsafe lane changes and failing to check blind spots
• Following too closely, especially in stop-and-go freeway traffic
• Drowsy driving and long commutes

Proving the cause matters. When a driver breaks a traffic law, such as running a red light or speeding, and causes the kind of crash the law is meant to prevent, California law can presume that driver was negligent.

The at-fault driver is usually the starting point, but other parties may also be legally responsible:

• The driver’s employer. If the driver was working at the time, such as making a delivery or driving a company car, the employer is generally responsible for their negligence.
• The vehicle owner. California holds owners responsible when someone drives their car with permission. That liability is capped at $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 for property damage, unless the owner was also personally negligent, for example by lending the car to someone they knew was unfit to drive.
• Rideshare companies. Uber and Lyft carry insurance that may apply depending on whether the driver was logged in, matched with a rider, or carrying a passenger.
• Government agencies. A dangerous road condition can make a city, county, or Caltrans responsible. These claims generally must be filed within six months.
• Vehicle and parts manufacturers. A defective airbag, brakes, tires, or driver-assist system can create a product liability claim.

California is an at-fault state, so the driver who caused the crash, and their insurer, is responsible for your losses. A few rules shape how much you can recover:

• Minimum coverage. Since January 1, 2025, California drivers must carry at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus $15,000 for property damage. Serious injuries often cost far more than that.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. If the other driver has no insurance or too little, your own UM/UIM coverage may make up the difference.
• Medical payments coverage. MedPay on your own policy can help with medical bills regardless of fault.
• Your choice of repair shop. Insurers can’t require you to use a particular body shop.
• Uninsured drivers face limits. Under California’s Proposition 213, drivers who were uninsured at the time of the crash generally can’t recover pain-and-suffering damages, though they can still recover medical bills and lost wages. Drivers convicted of DUI in connection with the crash face the same limit.

California law allows you to recover for the harm a negligent driver caused. Depending on your case, that can include:

• Medical expenses, from the ambulance ride to surgery, therapy, and future care
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement and rental costs
• Pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Wrongful death damages for families who have lost a loved one

There’s no set formula for pain and suffering. The value depends on how serious your injuries are, how long recovery takes, and how much they affect your daily life. Strong medical records and personal documentation make a real difference.

If you share some of the blame, you can still recover. California follows pure comparative fault, so a $100,000 claim would be reduced to $80,000 if you were found 20 percent at fault.

1. Get to safety and call 911. Report injuries and get medical help.
2. Exchange information. Get names, license numbers, insurance details, and contact information from the other drivers and any witnesses.
3. Document the scene. Photograph vehicle damage, the road, traffic signals, skid marks, and your injuries.
4. See a doctor promptly. Some injuries, like concussions and whiplash, take time to show symptoms.
5. Make the required reports. If police didn’t respond to an injury crash, California law requires you to report it to the local police or CHP within 24 hours. You must also file an SR-1 report with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed or property damage exceeded $1,000.
6. Notify your insurer, but be careful with theirs. Report the crash to your own insurance company. Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer or sign anything before talking with a lawyer.
7. Call Johnson Attorneys Group. The sooner we start, the more evidence we can preserve.

Most car accident injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash. Claims for vehicle and property damage generally have three years. If a government agency is involved, you usually must file a written claim within six months. Wrongful death claims generally have two years from the date of death. Insurance negotiations don’t pause these deadlines.

Usually not without having it reviewed first. Early offers often come before you know the full extent of your injuries, and accepting one typically means signing a release that ends your claim for good. A lawyer can compare the offer against your actual losses and future needs.

Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may pay for your injuries up to your policy limits. UM coverage can also apply in hit-and-run crashes, though California policies generally require that the other vehicle made physical contact with you or your car. We review every available policy, including any coverage through the at-fault driver’s employer or the vehicle’s owner.

Yes. Under California’s pure comparative fault rule, you can recover damages even if you share some of the blame. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers often try to inflate that percentage, so solid evidence about how the crash happened is important.

Nothing up front. Your consultation is free, and we handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you, and we’ll explain exactly how fees work before you sign anything.