- Free Consultation: 866-966-5240 Tap Here To Call Us
Free Consultation — Se Habla Español
Toll Free: 866-966-5240
Los Angeles: 310-592-0445
West Covina: 626-296-3555
What to Do After an Accident in Los Angeles — Complete Guide
| Article Summary — The steps you take in the first hours and days after an accident in Los Angeles directly determine the strength of your injury claim and the compensation you ultimately recover. The three most time-critical actions: (1) photograph everything at the scene, (2) seek medical evaluation within 24 hours, and (3) contact a personal injury attorney before giving any recorded statement to any insurance company. Surveillance footage — the most powerful evidence in many accident cases — is typically overwritten within 24–72 hours. An attorney engaged promptly can send a preservation demand before this window closes. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster — including your own — before consulting with an attorney. This is the single most common mistake that limits accident claim values. California requires drivers in accidents involving injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more to file the SR-1 form with the DMV within 10 calendar days under CVC Section 16000.The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in California is 2 years from the date of injury (CCP Section 335.1). Claims against government entities require a Government Tort Claim within 6 months. Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC offers free consultations to accident victims throughout Los Angeles and Southern California: 866-966-5240. |
What to Do After an Accident in Los Angeles — A Step-by-Step Guide from a 30-Year Personal Injury Attorney
In the minutes, hours, and days after an accident in Los Angeles, every decision you make affects two things simultaneously: your health and your legal rights. The actions you take — and the mistakes you avoid — during this period determine the strength of any personal injury claim you may later pursue.
Most people have never been through this process before. The insurance companies contacting you have done it thousands of times. They know what questions to ask, what documents to request, and what early settlement offers will close claims before injured people understand their rights. This guide is designed to level that playing field.
What follows is a complete, plain-language guide to what to do after an accident in Los Angeles — from the moment of impact through the resolution of your claim. It covers every action step, explains why each one matters, identifies the mistakes most commonly made by unrepresented accident victims, and explains how the insurance company’s timeline intersects with yours.
Quick Reference — What to Do and What to Avoid After a Los Angeles Accident
Before the detailed guide, this quick-reference table provides the essential do’s and don’ts in a format you can reference immediately after an accident.
| DO — Actions That Protect Your Claim | DO NOT — Actions That Damage Your Claim |
| ✓ Call 911 and request a police report even for seemingly minor accidents | ✗ Admit fault, apologize, or say anything that implies responsibility |
| ✓ Photograph everything at the scene — vehicles, road, injuries, environment | ✗ Leave the scene before exchanging information and speaking with police |
| ✓ Accept or request medical evaluation at the scene | ✗ Decline emergency medical evaluation at the scene |
| ✓ Get complete contact and insurance information from all drivers | ✗ Give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster without an attorney |
| ✓ Seek medical attention within 24 hours even if you feel “okay” | ✗ Sign any settlement offer, release, or authorization without attorney review |
| ✓ Notify your own insurance company of the accident | ✗ Post anything about the accident or your injuries on social media |
| ✓ File the California SR-1 form within 10 days if required | ✗ Authorize vehicle repair before it has been documented by your attorney |
| ✓ Write down everything you remember while memory is fresh | ✗ Discuss fault, injuries, or damages with the other driver’s insurance company |
| ✓ Follow all medical treatment recommendations without gaps | ✗ Miss medical appointments or allow gaps in your treatment record |
| ✓ Keep records of every accident-related expense | ✗ Accept the first settlement offer — it is almost never the best one |
| ✓ Contact a personal injury attorney before giving any statement | ✗ Assume you have more time than you do — deadlines are absolute |
| ✓ Keep a daily symptom and limitation journal | ✗ Represent yourself against an insurance company without understanding your rights |
The Complete 21-Step Post-Accident Action Guide — Los Angeles
The steps below are organized into four phases corresponding to the time periods when each action is most critical. Phase 1 actions must happen at the scene. Phase 2 actions must happen within 24 hours. Phase 3 actions should be completed within the first week. Phase 4 actions apply throughout the life of the claim.
| # | Action | Why It Matters and How to Do It |
| PHASE 1: AT THE SCENE | ||
| 1 | Call 911 | Report the accident immediately. A police report creates the official record of the collision and is essential evidence in virtually every personal injury claim. Request that the officer complete a Traffic Collision Report (TCR) — do not accept a simple exchange of information without a report being filed if anyone is injured. |
| 2 | Do not admit fault | Do not apologize, say “I didn’t see you,” or make any statement that could be interpreted as accepting responsibility. Fault in California is a legal determination based on all the evidence — not what you say at the scene. Statements made at the scene are admissible and can be used against you. |
| 3 | Photograph everything | Use your phone to photograph: all vehicle positions before they are moved, damage to all vehicles from multiple angles, skid marks and road conditions, traffic controls (signals, signs, lane markings), any visible injuries on your body, road debris or hazards that contributed to the accident, and the surrounding environment (weather, lighting, visibility). Take at least 20–30 photographs. You cannot take too many. |
| 4 | Exchange information | Get from every other driver: full legal name, driver’s license number, license plate number, vehicle make/model/year, insurance company name and policy number, and contact information. Get contact information for all witnesses before they leave the scene. |
| 5 | Preserve physical evidence | Do not move your vehicle if it is safe to leave it in place until the officer arrives and photographs the scene. If you must move for safety, photograph positions first. Preserve any physical evidence — broken glass, vehicle parts, debris — where it fell. |
| 6 | Accept or request medical evaluation | If emergency medical personnel are at the scene, accept evaluation. Do not decline medical attention solely because you feel “okay” — many serious injuries (concussion, soft tissue, internal) are not immediately symptomatic and worsen in the hours and days following the incident. Your refusal of treatment is documented and can be used by insurers to minimize your claim. |
| PHASE 2: FIRST 24 HOURS | ||
| 7 | Seek medical evaluation | Visit an emergency room, urgent care clinic, or your primary care physician as soon as possible — ideally the same day as the accident if you did not receive treatment at the scene. Tell the treating provider about the accident and describe every symptom, even minor ones. The medical record created at this visit establishes the connection between the accident and your injuries. Gaps between the accident date and first treatment are used by insurers to argue that injuries were not caused by the accident. |
| 8 | Get the police report number | Ask the responding officer for the TCR (Traffic Collision Report) number. In Los Angeles, police reports are filed with the LAPD, LASD, or the relevant municipal police department depending on where the accident occurred. Request a copy of the completed report — in Los Angeles, reports are typically available within 5–10 business days and can be ordered online or in person at the reporting agency. |
| 9 | Notify your own insurance company | Report the accident to your own insurer promptly — most policies require notification within a reasonable time and failure to report can affect coverage. However, this notification is different from giving a recorded statement. Tell your insurer that an accident occurred, provide basic facts, and state that you are consulting with an attorney before providing any detailed statement. Do not discuss fault, injuries, or settlement. |
| 10 | File the California SR-1 form with the DMV | California Vehicle Code Section 16000 requires any driver involved in an accident resulting in injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more to file a Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1 form) with the California DMV within 10 calendar days of the accident. This deadline is strictly enforced — failure to file can result in license suspension. The SR-1 is filed at dmv.ca.gov or by mail. It is separate from the police report. |
| 11 | Write down everything you remember | While memory is fresh, write a detailed account: exactly what happened in sequence, what you observed about the other driver (speed, behavior, phone use, signs of impairment), what was said by anyone at the scene, the road and weather conditions, and any other details you noticed. This contemporaneous record is admissible and may be the most accurate account you will ever have of what happened. |
| 12 | Preserve your vehicle — do not repair yet | Do not authorize vehicle repairs before the insurance adjuster has inspected the damage and before photographs have been taken by your attorney or investigator. Vehicle damage evidence can be critical in establishing collision severity, impact angle, and force of impact — all of which affect the damages calculation. Once the vehicle is repaired, that evidence is gone. |
| PHASE 3: FIRST WEEK | ||
| 13 | Contact a personal injury attorney | The optimal time to engage an attorney is within the first week after an accident — ideally sooner. Evidence deteriorates and disappears quickly. The other driver’s insurer has already opened a file and assigned an adjuster. Surveillance footage at the accident location (traffic cameras, business cameras, residential cameras) is typically overwritten within 24–72 hours. An attorney engaged promptly can send preservation demands and begin investigation before this window closes. |
| 14 | Do not give a recorded statement | Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster — including your own insurance company — before consulting with your attorney. Insurance adjusters are specifically trained to ask questions in ways that elicit responses useful for limiting claim value. A recorded statement given without legal guidance can damage your case in ways that are very difficult to undo. This is the single most important instruction on this entire list. |
| 15 | Continue all medical treatment | Follow your treating providers’ instructions precisely. Attend every scheduled appointment. Fill all prescriptions. If you are referred to a specialist, follow through promptly. Gaps in treatment — even brief ones — are used by insurers to argue that your injuries were not serious or that you failed to mitigate your damages. Your treatment record is your medical evidence. Build it carefully. |
| 16 | Collect and organize documentation | Begin assembling all accident-related documentation in one location: police report (when available), photographs, witness contact information, all medical records and bills, your insurance policy (declarations page and all coverage sections), all communications from any insurance company, records of missed work and lost income, and any repair estimates or rental car costs. Your attorney will need all of this; having it organized accelerates the case evaluation. |
| 17 | Lock down your social media | Set all social media accounts to private. Do not post anything about the accident, your injuries, your treatment, or your activities. Insurance defense investigators routinely monitor plaintiff social media accounts searching for posts that can be used to contradict injury claims — a photograph of you hiking, attending an event, or simply smiling can be presented to a jury as evidence that you were not as injured as claimed. The safest approach is to post nothing until the case is fully resolved. |
| PHASE 4: ONGOING UNTIL RESOLUTION | ||
| 18 | Document your symptoms and limitations | Keep a daily pain and symptom journal: what hurts, how severely (on a 1–10 scale), what activities you cannot perform or must modify, how sleep is affected, and how your quality of life has changed. This journal becomes evidence of your pain and suffering damages — and it provides your attorney with a contemporaneous record that is far more persuasive than memory alone at the time of deposition or trial. |
| 19 | Track all accident-related expenses | Keep receipts and records for every out-of-pocket expense caused by the accident: co-pays and deductibles, prescription costs, transportation to medical appointments, home care or household help required because of your injuries, adaptive equipment, and any other cost you would not have incurred but for the accident. These are recoverable economic damages. |
| 20 | Do not accept any settlement offer without attorney review | Insurance companies frequently contact unrepresented accident victims with early settlement offers designed to close the claim before the full extent of injuries is known. These offers are almost always below the actual value of the claim — often dramatically so. Do not sign any release or accept any payment from any insurer without having an attorney review the offer. Once you sign a release, your claim is closed permanently, regardless of how your injuries progress. |
| 21 | Monitor your statute of limitations deadline | California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 provides a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. This deadline runs from the date of the accident, not the date you retained an attorney or the date treatment concluded. For claims against government entities — a city vehicle, county road, public bus — a Government Tort Claim must be filed within six months of the incident. Your attorney tracks these deadlines, but you should know them too. |
| “When I was struck by a car on my motorcycle on the way to work in Glendale, the other driver was yelling that it was my fault. You investigated the facts and proved that it was the other driver’s fault, you got his insurance company to pay the FULL POLICY LIMITS, and you got my insurance company to pay me an additional amount under my UNDERinsured motorist coverage (I didn’t even know I had this coverage!).” — Motorcycle Accident Client, Glendale, CA |
What the Insurance Company Is Doing While You Are Recovering
One of the most important things to understand after an accident is that the insurance company is not waiting. From the moment the accident is reported, a claims file is open, reserves are set, and an adjuster is working to manage the claim at the lowest possible cost. The following table maps the insurer’s timeline against what it means for you.
| Timeframe | What the Insurance Company Is Doing | What It Means for You |
| Day 1–2 | The at-fault driver’s insurer receives notice of the accident. A claims file is opened. An adjuster is assigned. Internal reserves are set based on the adjuster’s initial assessment of claim value. | You are in the hospital or doctor’s office. You do not know a file has been opened, reserves have been set, or that the adjuster’s initial value estimate — made without your input — will anchor the settlement negotiations that follow. |
| Day 2–5 | The adjuster attempts to contact you directly. They may call multiple times. The purpose of early contact is to take a recorded statement before you have legal representation — and before you fully understand the scope of your injuries. | If you give a recorded statement at this stage, you are providing information that will be used to limit your claim. Statements about how you feel, what happened, and what you were doing are all subject to being taken out of context or used as admissions. |
| Week 1–2 | The insurer sends you a medical authorization to sign, requesting access to your complete medical history — often going back years, not just treatment since the accident. They may also request a recorded statement in writing. | A blanket medical authorization gives the insurer access to your entire medical history, including pre-existing conditions they will argue were the real cause of your injuries. An attorney reviews and limits any authorization before you sign. |
| Week 2–4 | If you are unrepresented and still communicating with the adjuster, the insurer may make an early settlement offer — often framed as generous. The offer is designed to close the claim before your injuries have fully manifested and before you understand your legal rights. | Early settlement offers on injury claims are almost always far below actual case value. Once you sign a release, the claim is permanently closed — even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than they appeared at the time of settlement. |
| Week 4+ | If you have retained an attorney, the insurer’s approach shifts. They know a recorded statement will not be taken, that a blanket authorization will not be signed, and that the claim will be properly documented before any settlement discussion begins. | Represented claimants recover substantially more than unrepresented claimants — even after attorney fees. The Insurance Research Council has documented this gap consistently across injury types and claim sizes. |
The practical implication: the insurance company’s most effective tactics work specifically because unrepresented claimants do not know what is happening on the other side of the phone call. An attorney engaged early eliminates the information asymmetry that makes these tactics effective.
Evidence That Disappears After an Accident — and How Long You Have
Evidence that could make the difference between a low settlement and a full recovery does not last. The table below shows the most time-sensitive categories of post-accident evidence, how quickly each is at risk of disappearing, and what can be done to preserve it.
| Evidence Type | Disappears Within | Why It Matters and How to Preserve It |
| Surveillance footage — traffic cameras, business cameras, residential doorbell cameras | 12–72 hours | Most commercial surveillance systems overwrite footage automatically on a rolling cycle. Business camera footage is typically gone within 24–48 hours. Traffic camera footage managed by LADOT or CalTrans may be available longer but requires a prompt formal request. An attorney can send a preservation demand (spoliation letter) immediately — but only if engaged in time. |
| Accident scene conditions | Hours to days | Road conditions, spill or debris that contributed to the accident, temporary traffic controls, construction zones, and other scene-specific conditions change or are remediated quickly. Photographs taken at the scene are the primary preservation mechanism — but what could not be photographed at the time may require a return visit within hours. |
| Vehicle positions and physical evidence | Hours | Once vehicles are moved from the accident scene — for safety, towing, or at police direction — their positions are gone unless photographed. Physical evidence including glass, parts, and debris disperses or is cleaned up. The police report will document positions if the officer photographs the scene; your own photographs are critical backup. |
| Witness availability and memory | Days to weeks | Witnesses who were present at the accident scene disperse immediately. Their contact information, if not collected at the scene, may be recoverable from the police report — but witnesses become harder to locate and their memories less reliable with each passing week. Witness statements taken close in time to the incident are more credible and more useful than those taken months later. |
| Electronic data — vehicle EDR (black box) | Days to weeks | Modern vehicles contain event data recorders (EDRs) that capture pre-collision speed, braking, steering input, and seatbelt status in the seconds before impact. This data is overwritten or becomes inaccessible over time and may be lost when a vehicle is repaired or declared a total loss. Preservation requires a prompt legal hold notice and may require forensic download before repair is authorized. |
| Commercial vehicle data — driver logs, GPS, dashcam | Days | Commercial trucking companies are required to maintain driver hours-of-service logs under FMCSA regulations, but electronic logging device (ELD) data, GPS tracking records, and dashcam footage are frequently overwritten within days. Truck accident cases require immediate legal action to preserve this data — typically through an emergency motion or spoliation letter sent within 24–48 hours of the accident. |
| “I went from the insurance company offering to give me $500 for my ‘minor injuries’ to settling for $16,500, after you got involved. You’re the best!” — Car Accident Client, Los Angeles |
Los Angeles-Specific Considerations After an Accident
Which police department to call
Los Angeles County has multiple law enforcement jurisdictions, and the agency responding to your accident depends on where it occurred. In the City of Los Angeles, contact the LAPD (911 for emergencies, 1-877-ASK-LAPD for non-emergency). In unincorporated LA County areas and many smaller cities that contract with the County, contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Many incorporated cities — Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Monica, Torrance, and others — have their own police departments. The officer’s agency determines where you obtain your police report.
Obtaining your Los Angeles traffic collision report
LAPD traffic collision reports are available online through the LAPD Records and Identification Division website or in person. LASD reports are available through the Sheriff’s Department Records Bureau. Reports typically take 5–10 business days to be finalized and available. The report number given to you at the scene allows you to check availability. Your attorney can obtain the report on your behalf.
Filing the SR-1 form — California-specific requirement
California is one of a small number of states that requires drivers to file a separate accident report directly with the DMV — in addition to the police report — when an accident involves injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage. The SR-1 must be filed with the California DMV within 10 calendar days of the accident under Vehicle Code Section 16000. This is not the same as the police report and is not automatically filed by law enforcement. Failure to file can result in license suspension. File at dmv.ca.gov or by mail.
Hit-and-run accidents in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has among the highest hit-and-run accident rates of any major U.S. city. If the at-fault driver fled the scene, your primary recovery avenue is through your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage — which California requires all insurers to offer under Insurance Code Section 11580.2. In hit-and-run cases, physical contact between the vehicles is typically required to trigger UM coverage (though California courts have interpreted this requirement broadly in some circumstances). Report the accident to police immediately — a police report documenting the hit-and-run is required for most UM claims.
Accidents involving government vehicles or road conditions
If your accident was caused by a government vehicle (city bus, police vehicle, LADOT vehicle, county vehicle) or a dangerous road condition on public property (pothole, failed traffic signal, inadequate signage), different rules apply. A Government Tort Claim must be filed with the responsible public entity within six months of the incident. This is a strict deadline — missing it permanently bars your lawsuit against the government entity. An attorney should be engaged immediately if a government entity may be involved.
Rideshare accidents — Uber and Lyft
If your accident involved an Uber or Lyft driver, the insurance coverage available depends on the phase of the trip at the time of the collision: offline (driver’s personal insurance only), app on with no passenger (TNC contingent coverage), or en route/trip in progress (TNC’s $1 million liability policy). Determining which phase applied requires obtaining TNC trip records, which require a legal request. Do not accept any settlement from a rideshare TNC without understanding which coverage layer applies and whether it is the maximum available.
What a Personal Injury Attorney Does That You Cannot Do on Your Own
After understanding what you need to do after an accident, it helps to understand specifically what an attorney does that changes the outcome — not in abstract terms, but in concrete actions that happen in the first days and weeks after engagement.
- Sends immediate preservation demands — Written legal notices (spoliation letters) to the at-fault party, their insurer, commercial carriers, property owners, and any location with surveillance footage, demanding that all evidence be preserved pending litigation. These letters are effective precisely because they have legal consequences if ignored.
- Obtains police reports and official records — Through formal request channels that produce complete versions of reports, not summaries.
- Identifies all liable parties and coverage sources — Beyond the obvious at-fault driver, experienced attorneys identify additional defendants (employers of commercial drivers, property owners, product manufacturers) and additional coverage (umbrella policies, commercial carrier excess coverage, UM/UIM layers) that unrepresented claimants routinely miss.
- Manages all insurance communications — Handles all contact with every insurance company involved, preventing the recorded statements, blanket medical authorizations, and premature settlement discussions that damage unrepresented claims.
- Coordinates medical treatment and liens — In cases where medical treatment is needed and health insurance coverage is limited, attorneys can connect clients with medical providers who treat on a lien basis. At settlement, the attorney negotiates those liens to maximize the client’s net recovery.
- Builds the damages case — Gathers and organizes all medical records, bills, employment records, and expert reports needed to document the full value of the claim — including future damages that unrepresented claimants rarely quantify.
- Negotiates from a position of credible trial threat — An attorney with a demonstrated trial record negotiates settlements at a different level than an unrepresented claimant or an attorney who never litigates.
Statutes of Limitations — Filing Deadlines by Accident Type
The deadline to file a lawsuit varies by case type and by whether a government entity is involved. Missing a deadline permanently bars the claim regardless of its merit. The table below provides a quick reference for the most common accident types in Los Angeles.
| Accident / Claim Type | Deadline | Critical Notes |
| Car, motorcycle, truck accident — private parties | 2 years from date of injury | CCP Section 335.1 — if suit not filed within 2 years, claim is permanently barred |
| Slip and fall — private property | 2 years from date of injury | CCP Section 335.1 |
| Dog bite | 2 years from date of injury | CCP Section 335.1 |
| Accident involving a government vehicle or public property | Government Tort Claim within 6 months; lawsuit within 6 months of claim rejection | Gov. Code Sections 911.2, 945.6 — the 6-month GT Claim deadline is the critical one; missing it bars the lawsuit entirely |
| Wrongful death | 2 years from date of death | CCP Section 335.1 |
| Claim involving a minor | Tolled until minor turns 18; lawsuit by 20th birthday | CCP Section 352 — does not reduce urgency of immediate evidence preservation |
| Uber / Lyft rideshare accident | 2 years for personal injury; Government Tort Claim if public road hazard contributed | Standard PI SOL applies against driver and TNC; additional government entity deadline if applicable |
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the most important thing to do immediately after an accident in Los Angeles? |
| Call 911 and photograph the scene — those are the two actions with the most immediate and irreversible consequences if not done. After those: accept or request medical evaluation, collect the other driver’s information, and do not admit fault. Within 24 hours, seek formal medical evaluation and contact a personal injury attorney before communicating further with any insurance company. |
| Do I need a police report after an accident in Los Angeles? |
| A police report is not legally required in every accident, but it is essential for any personal injury claim of meaningful value. The report creates an official, contemporaneous record of the collision — vehicle positions, driver information, preliminary fault assessment, witness names, and road conditions. Without a police report, the accident becomes a he-said/she-said dispute that is significantly harder to win. Always call 911 after any accident involving injury or significant property damage. |
| How long do I have to file a claim after an accident in California? |
| Two years from the date of injury for most personal injury claims against private parties under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. Six months to file a Government Tort Claim if a government entity is involved — and this six-month deadline is the one most commonly missed with fatal consequences for the claim. Do not wait. The evidence preservation window closes in days, even if the legal filing window is years. |
| Should I give a recorded statement to the insurance company after an accident? |
| No — not before consulting with a personal injury attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained interviewers whose purpose in taking a recorded statement is to elicit information that limits the value of your claim. Statements about how you feel, what you were doing, and what happened are all subject to being used against you. Your own insurance company has the same incentive to minimize payouts. The single most common mistake unrepresented accident victims make is giving a recorded statement before understanding their rights. |
| What is the SR-1 form and do I have to file it? |
| The SR-1 (Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California) is a form required by California Vehicle Code Section 16000. Any driver involved in an accident that resulted in injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more must file it with the California DMV within 10 calendar days of the accident. It is separate from the police report — law enforcement does not file it for you. Failure to file can result in license suspension. File online at dmv.ca.gov or by mail to the DMV’s Financial Responsibility Unit. |
| What if I was in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles? |
| Report the accident to police immediately — a police report documenting the hit-and-run is essential. Then notify your own insurance company and file a claim under your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which California requires all insurers to offer. UM coverage pays your injury damages when the at-fault driver is uninsured or cannot be identified. If you do not have UM coverage, an attorney can help identify other potential recovery sources. Hit-and-run cases have specific procedural requirements — contact an attorney promptly. |
| Can I handle my own accident claim without a lawyer? |
| You can — there is no legal requirement to hire an attorney. However, represented claimants consistently recover substantially more than unrepresented claimants, even after attorney fees. The Insurance Research Council has documented this gap across decades of claim data. The insurance company has adjusters and attorneys working to minimize your recovery. An experienced personal injury attorney levels that playing field. For accidents involving significant injury, disputed liability, commercial vehicles, or government entities, self-representation is particularly ill-advised. |
| How soon should I contact a personal injury attorney after an accident? |
| As soon as possible — ideally within the first 24–72 hours. Evidence disappears fastest in the first days after an accident: surveillance footage is overwritten, scenes are cleaned up, witnesses disperse, and vehicle data is at risk of being lost. An attorney engaged promptly can take preservation steps that simply are not possible weeks or months later. The free consultation costs nothing. The cost of waiting can be measured in evidence that is gone forever. |
Related Resources on This Website
- Free Personal Injury Consultation in Los Angeles — What to Expect and How to Schedule — victimslawyer.com
- How to Choose a Car Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles — victimslawyer.com
- California SR-1 Form: When You Must File It, How to Do It, and What Happens If You Don’t — victimslawyer.com
- Hit by an Uninsured Driver in Los Angeles — UM/UIM Coverage Explained — victimslawyer.com
- How California Contingency Fee Personal Injury Cases Work — victimslawyer.com
- Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Los Angeles — victimslawyer.com
- Los Angeles Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer — California Premises Liability Claims — victimslawyer.com
Injured in a Los Angeles Accident? Call Before You Talk to the Insurance Company.
The most important call you can make after an accident in Los Angeles is to a personal injury attorney — before you give any statement, sign any authorization, or accept any offer. At Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, the initial consultation is free, confidential, and creates no obligation. You will speak directly with attorney Steven M. Sweat. No fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Phone: 866-966-5240
Website: victimslawyer.com
Address: 11500 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90064
| About the Author Steven M. Sweat is the founding attorney of Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC. He has spent more than 30 years exclusively representing injured individuals and wrongful death victims throughout Los Angeles and Southern California. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers annually since 2012, holds an Avvo 10.0 rating, and is a member of both the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. The firm handles all cases on a contingency fee basis from its West Los Angeles office at 11500 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 400, Los Angeles, CA 90064. |