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San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers

San Francisco recorded 25 traffic deaths in 2025, a 42% drop from 43 in 2024, according to a joint announcement by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and the San Francisco Police Department. The 2024 total of 42 was the deadliest year on San Francisco roads since 2007 and prompted a Civil Grand Jury report titled “Failed Vision: Revamping the Roadmap to Safer Streets,” which found that San Francisco fell well short of its 2014 commitment to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024. Pedestrians remain the most at-risk group, with 24 pedestrians killed in 2024.

San Francisco is one of the few jurisdictions in California that is both a city and a county. The consolidated City and County of San Francisco covers about 49 square miles at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with a population of roughly 810,000 residents. About 34% of San Franciscans are Asian (the city has long been home to one of the largest Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese communities in the United States), about 33% are White, about 16% are Hispanic or Latino, and about 5% are Black. Roughly one in three residents is foreign-born. The local economy is a mix of professional services, finance and the Financial District (Bank of America Center, Wells Fargo Tower, the Embarcadero), technology (Salesforce Tower, X (formerly Twitter), Uber, Airbnb, Block, OpenAI), biotech and life sciences (Mission Bay), tourism (Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, North Beach, the Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Moscone Center), and government and the courts. The transportation network includes the U.S. 101 / I-80 / I-280 freeway system, San Francisco International Airport (SFO, just south of the city in San Mateo County), the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) bus and Muni Metro light rail system, the cable cars, BART regional rail, Caltrain commuter rail, and the SF Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Ferry systems.

That mix produces a distinctive injury caseload. Wrecks on the U.S. 101 corridor running through the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge. Crashes on I-80 across the Bay Bridge to Oakland and the East Bay. Pedestrian fatalities concentrated in the Tenderloin and South of Market (SoMa) neighborhoods, which together account for a disproportionate share of crashes on the city’s high-injury network. Tourist injuries on cable cars, on the cracked sidewalks of the older neighborhoods, on the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car turnarounds, and around the bars and restaurants of North Beach and the Marina. Falls on the steep hill streets in neighborhoods like Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, and Telegraph Hill. Workplace injuries at the Mission Bay biotech build-out, the construction sites along Market Street and in SoMa, the warehouse and trucking corridors south of the city, and the seismic-retrofit work going on across the older housing stock. Plus the steady volume of crashes on Geary Boulevard, Van Ness Avenue, Mission Street, Market Street, 19th Avenue (which is also SR-1), Lombard Street, Cesar Chavez Street, 6th Street, Eddy and Turk in the Tenderloin, Folsom and Howard in SoMa, Bayshore Boulevard, and Ocean Avenue.

You shouldn’t have to take an insurance company’s first offer just because medical bills are piling up. You deserve an attorney who knows San Francisco, knows the Civic Center Courthouse on McAllister Street, and isn’t afraid to push back when an insurer won’t pay what your case is worth.

At DJC Law, our San Francisco personal injury lawyers help accident victims and their families recover after serious injuries. If you were hurt in a wreck on U.S. 101, I-80, or I-280, hit by a Muni bus or Muni Metro light rail vehicle, struck by a Waymo or other autonomous vehicle on a city street, hit while walking in the Tenderloin or SoMa, injured at work on a Mission Bay or SoMa construction site, or harmed in any other accident caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help.

We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Hablamos español.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law lets people who’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct seek financial compensation for their losses. These are civil claims, separate from any criminal charges. They hold the responsible party accountable and help injured victims recover the money they need for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Most personal injury cases come down to negligence. To win a negligence claim, you have to prove four things: that the defendant owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty, that the breach caused your injuries, and that you suffered actual damages.

That sounds simple enough on paper. In practice, insurance companies spend a lot of time and money working to deny, delay, and minimize claims. In San Francisco, you may also be dealing with a national trucking carrier moving freight along U.S. 101 or I-80, the City and County of San Francisco, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, which operates Muni and the cable cars), the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), the Port of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District (a separate public entity that owns and operates the Golden Gate Bridge), Caltrans, the State of California, a major Financial District commercial real estate owner, an autonomous vehicle operator like Waymo, a hospital system, or a federal agency operating on the Presidio or Treasure Island. Each comes with its own defense team. An experienced personal injury attorney can level the conversation and improve your chances of a fair recovery.

Why Choose DJC Law

Not every personal injury firm is the same. Here’s what sets DJC Law apart.

You Pay Nothing Unless We Win

We take personal injury cases on contingency. There are no upfront fees, and you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Our payment comes out of your settlement or verdict, so we only get paid when you do.

Personal Attention From Your Attorney

You won’t get handed off to a paralegal or left wondering what’s going on with your case. Our attorneys stay involved at every stage. We return calls. When you have a question, you’ll get an answer from the lawyer actually handling your case.

Bilingual Representation

San Francisco is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, with about 34% of residents Asian, 33% White, 16% Hispanic or Latino, and 5% Black, and roughly one in three residents foreign-born. The Asian community includes some of the largest Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean populations in the United States. The Hispanic community is concentrated in the Mission, Excelsior, Bayview, and Visitacion Valley. Your attorney shouldn’t be a barrier to understanding your own case. Our team works in English and Spanish, so you can ask questions and make decisions in the language you’re most comfortable with.

Experience With San Francisco’s Distinctive Defendants

San Francisco produces a kind of case mix you don’t see in other California cities. A wreck involving a Muni bus on Market Street or a Muni Metro light rail vehicle in the Twin Peaks Tunnel. A pedestrian struck on Geary Boulevard, Van Ness Avenue, or in the Tenderloin. A Waymo robotaxi crash on a SoMa or Mission street. A construction injury at a Mission Bay biotech jobsite or a SoMa high-rise. A slip-and-fall in a Financial District office tower or a Union Square hotel. A cable car incident around the Powell Street turnaround. A wreck on the Golden Gate Bridge involving the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District as a defendant separate from the City. A fall on the cracked sidewalks and steep grades of Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, or Pacific Heights. An injury caused by inadequate seismic retrofitting in a soft-story building, against the backdrop of the city’s mandatory retrofit ordinance. Each of those cases comes with corporate, governmental, or technology-company defendants, layered insurance policies, and experienced defense teams. We’re comfortable building cases involving multiple potentially responsible parties (driver, employer, premises owner, contractor, transit agency, vehicle manufacturer, software developer, governmental entity) rather than settling for the first or easiest target.

Trial-Ready Representation

Insurance companies and corporate defendants pay attention to which firms actually take cases to court. When they know we’re prepared to try a case, they’re a lot more willing to settle for a fair number. If they aren’t willing, we’re ready to put your case in front of a San Francisco County jury at the Civic Center Courthouse.

Local Knowledge, Local Commitment

We know the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, with its main civil docket centered at the Civic Center Courthouse on McAllister Street. We know the federal courts in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California at the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Golden Gate Avenue. We know the dangerous corridors. From the U.S. 101 spine running the length of the city, to the high-injury network streets of the Tenderloin and SoMa, to the steep hill streets of Russian Hill and Nob Hill, to the Golden Gate Bridge approach via Doyle Drive and the Presidio Parkway, we work cases here regularly.

Personal Injury in San Francisco: By the Numbers

San Francisco has a population of about 810,000. Because the city and county are consolidated, the City and County of San Francisco serves both functions. According to San Francisco Vision Zero data, the San Francisco Police Department, and other public sources:

    • San Francisco recorded 25 traffic deaths in 2025, down 42% from 43 in 2024. The 2024 total was the deadliest year on San Francisco roads since 2007. Per the Vision Zero Traffic Fatality Protocol, fatality data is reconciled monthly by representatives of SFDPH, SFMTA, and SFPD using Office of the Medical Examiner and SFPD records. Pedestrian fatalities declined by 33% from 2024 to 2025, but pedestrians (particularly seniors) remained the largest single share of those killed.
    • San Francisco adopted Vision Zero in 2014, committing to eliminate traffic deaths by 2024. A June 2025 Civil Grand Jury report titled “Failed Vision: Revamping the Roadmap to Safer Streets” found that the city fell well short of that goal. The report identified collapsed traffic enforcement as a major factor: SFPD traffic citations dropped 95% between 2014 and 2022 (from more than 120,000 citations in 2014 to about 4,000 in 2022). Citations recovered partially to 15,550 in 2024, still down 87% from 2014. The 2024 average per traffic enforcement officer was 160 tickets, compared with 500 in 2014.
    • The high-injury network in San Francisco, identified by SFMTA, accounts for the vast majority of crashes on just 13% of city streets, with concentration in the Tenderloin and South of Market (SoMa) neighborhoods. The Tenderloin has had a citywide-low 20 mph speed limit since April 2021. Under California Assembly Bill 645 (signed in October 2023), the city installed 33 speed enforcement cameras at high-injury intersections. SFMTA reports that speeding has been reduced by 78% where the cameras are installed.
    • Mayor Daniel Lurie took office on January 8, 2025. In December 2025, he announced San Francisco’s new Street Safety Initiative, formally adopting the Safe System approach across SFMTA, SFDPH, SFPD, and the San Francisco Fire Department. In May 2025, the Mayor issued the “Rebuilding the Ranks” executive directive, intended to fully staff the police department and the Sheriff’s Office and address sworn-personnel shortfalls.
    • The San Francisco Police Department is undergoing a leadership transition. Former Chief Bill Scott, the longest-serving SFPD chief in decades, departed in June 2025 to lead the Los Angeles Metro Transit Community Public Safety Department. Paul Yep, Mayor Lurie’s Chief of Public Safety and a former SFPD commander, is serving as interim Chief while the San Francisco Police Commission searches for a permanent chief. Under the City Charter, the seven-member Police Commission (four members nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors, three members appointed directly by the Board of Supervisors) sends the Mayor a list of finalists, from which the Mayor confirms the next chief. SFPD’s main public safety facility is at 1245 3rd Street in Mission Bay.
    • The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office is led by Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, the first Asian-American sheriff in California history. The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for operating the city’s two jail facilities (County Jail #2 at 425 7th Street and the San Bruno County Jail in northern San Mateo County), providing security at the courthouses, serving civil process, and providing other custodial functions. Sheriff Miyamoto won reelection in 2024.
    • The Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco operates from four primary facilities. The Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister Street houses the Civil, Probate, and Traffic divisions and is the main location for civil cases. The Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant Street houses most criminal proceedings. The Juvenile Justice Center is at 375 Woodside Avenue. The Polk Street Annex at 575 Polk Street houses the Community Justice Center.
    • The federal court for San Francisco is the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, located at the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94102. The 21-floor federal building occupies an entire city block in the Civic Center, bounded by Golden Gate Avenue, Turk Street, Polk Street, and Larkin Street. The Northern District has jurisdiction across San Francisco, the East Bay, the South Bay, and the North Coast counties.
    • Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) at 1001 Potrero Avenue is the only Level I Trauma Center in the City and County of San Francisco and the only Level I Trauma Center serving the 1.5 million people of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. ZSFG handles approximately 4,000 trauma activations and 100,000 emergency department visits per year, and provides about 20% of San Francisco’s inpatient care. The hospital was originally designated as the city’s trauma center in 1966, the second trauma center established in the United States after Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and the city’s coordinated 24-hour ambulance and trauma system was among the first complete regional trauma systems in the country. The hospital was renamed Zuckerberg San Francisco General in 2015 after a $75 million donation from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan toward the rebuild of the acute-care facility.
    • ZSFG is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco, Department of Public Health, and operates as a partnership with the UCSF School of Medicine. Roughly 2,000 UCSF physicians and staff work alongside SFDPH employees at the hospital, which hosts 20 UCSF research centers with annual research budgets exceeding $200 million. ZSFG is also the largest acute and rehabilitation psychiatric hospital in San Francisco, the only acute hospital in the city that provides 24-hour psychiatric emergency services, and a world leader in HIV/AIDS care. The hospital serves as the hub of the city’s disaster response in the event of an earthquake or major crisis.

Dangerous Roads and Locations in San Francisco

If your wreck happened on one of these corridors, you’re not alone. They show up in SFPD reports, California Highway Patrol records, and SFMTA Vision Zero data year after year:

    • U.S. 101 (the Bayshore Freeway / Central Freeway / Doyle Drive / Presidio Parkway): The major north-south freeway running the length of San Francisco from the southern county line, through SoMa, around the Civic Center on the Central Freeway, and across the Golden Gate Bridge via Doyle Drive and the Presidio Parkway. U.S. 101 carries the heaviest commuter, commercial, and tourist traffic in San Francisco.
    • Interstate 80 (the Bay Bridge approach): The major east-west freeway running from the I-80 / U.S. 101 interchange south of downtown across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to the East Bay. I-80 carries enormous commuter and commercial volumes, with recurring crashes through the SoMa connector and on the bridge approach.
    • Interstate 280 (the John F. Foran Freeway / Junipero Serra Freeway): The freeway running south from the city through the Mission, the Excelsior, and on to the Peninsula and South Bay. I-280 connects to the U.S. 101 interchange near the AT&T / Oracle Park stadium and carries heavy commuter traffic.
    • State Route 1 (the Pacific Coast Highway / 19th Avenue / Park Presidio Boulevard): The historic surface arterial running through the western half of the city, with 19th Avenue serving as one of the major north-south spines from the southern county line through Sunset, Golden Gate Park, the Richmond, and to the Presidio. SR-1 / 19th Avenue is a recognized high-injury corridor with heavy pedestrian volumes.
    • The Golden Gate Bridge: The bridge is owned and operated by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, a separate public entity from the City and County of San Francisco, which carries heavy commuter, tourist, and tour-bus traffic between San Francisco and Marin County. Crashes on the bridge proper, on the toll plaza, on Doyle Drive / Presidio Parkway approach, or in the bridge maintenance and tow operations can implicate that District as a defendant rather than the City.
    • The high-injury network in the Tenderloin and SoMa: Per SFMTA, just 13% of San Francisco streets account for the vast majority of crashes, with the worst concentrations in the Tenderloin (Eddy Street, Turk Street, Taylor Street, Jones Street, Larkin Street, Hyde Street, the Polk Gulch corridor) and South of Market (Folsom Street, Howard Street, 6th Street, 7th Street, the I-80 connector ramps). The Tenderloin has had a 20 mph speed limit citywide since April 2021.
    • Geary Boulevard: One of the city’s main east-west arterials, running from Union Square through Japantown, the Western Addition, the Inner Richmond, and out to the Pacific Ocean. Geary carries heavy bus and rapid-transit volume and has been the focus of long-running SFMTA bus rapid transit and pedestrian-safety projects.
    • Van Ness Avenue: The major north-south arterial running from the Marina district through the Civic Center to Market Street. Van Ness is also part of U.S. 101 through the city center and was the subject of the recently completed Van Ness Improvement Project, including bus rapid transit and pedestrian safety improvements.
    • Market Street: The diagonal main commercial arterial running from the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building through the Financial District, Mid-Market, and the Castro. Market Street has been the subject of major pedestrian-safety, transit-priority, and Better Market Street design projects.
    • Mission Street, Cesar Chavez Street, and the Mission corridor: Mission Street is the major north-south arterial through the Mission and the Excelsior. Cesar Chavez Street is the major east-west arterial connecting the Mission, Bernal Heights, and the Bayview-Hunters Point waterfront via U.S. 101. Both are recognized high-injury corridors.
    • Lombard Street: The major arterial running through the Marina from Van Ness to the Golden Gate Bridge approach via Richardson Avenue, plus the famous Lombard “crooked street” tourist site between Hyde and Leavenworth. Lombard carries heavy commuter and tourist volume.
    • Bayshore Boulevard and Ocean Avenue: The southern surface arterials running through Visitacion Valley, the Excelsior, Ocean View, and Ingleside. Bayshore parallels U.S. 101 and carries commercial truck traffic.
    • The steep hill streets of Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Telegraph Hill, and Pacific Heights: San Francisco’s notoriously steep grades produce a category of crashes you don’t see in flat cities, including runaway vehicle incidents, brake-failure crashes, downhill cyclist injuries, and pedestrian falls on steep sidewalks and stair streets.
    • The downtown core, Union Square, the Financial District, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the Embarcadero: The high-tourist corridors and event-traffic generators see heavy pedestrian, rideshare, and tour-bus volume, with concentrations of crashes during cruise ship arrivals at Pier 27, Giants games at Oracle Park, Warriors games at the Chase Center, and major Moscone Center conventions.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our San Francisco personal injury attorneys take on a wide range of cases. If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, we can help.

Car accidents are the single most common cause of serious injury in San Francisco. Distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and fatigue cause thousands of crashes in San Francisco every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies all four as leading contributors to fatal crashes nationwide. Texting while driving and handheld phone use while driving are illegal under California Vehicle Code §§ 23123 and 23123.5. [internal-link: car-accidents]

Truck accidents involving 18-wheelers, tanker trucks, and other commercial vehicles are a regular part of our practice. The U.S. 101 and I-80 corridors carry heavy commercial freight volume between the Bay Area, the Central Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. These cases are governed in part by federal regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), including hours-of-service rules, drug and alcohol testing, hazmat handling rules, and maintenance standards. There are usually multiple parties who can be held liable, including the driver, the motor carrier, brokers, shippers, and maintenance providers. [internal-link: truck-accidents]

Motorcycle accidents tend to leave riders with severe injuries because they don’t have the protection of an enclosed vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has long reported that motorcyclists are killed at far higher rates than passenger-vehicle occupants per mile traveled. California permits lane splitting under specific circumstances, which adds another layer of fault analysis to motorcycle crash investigations. Insurance companies often try to use that risk against riders, and we push back hard. The Marin Headlands, the Pacific Coast Highway through Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, and the East Bay canyon routes are popular weekend motorcycle destinations that bring riders through San Francisco. [internal-link: motorcycle-accidents]

Pedestrian accidents are at the heart of San Francisco’s Vision Zero work. Pedestrians, particularly seniors, accounted for the largest share of traffic fatalities in 2024 and 2025, even as overall pedestrian fatalities declined by 33% in 2025. Drivers in California have a duty to yield to pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks under California Vehicle Code § 21950, and we hold them responsible when they don’t. We also pursue claims tied to inadequate crosswalks, missing pedestrian signals, and other roadway design issues, including claims against the City and County of San Francisco, Caltrans, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, or other governmental authorities where applicable. [internal-link: pedestrian-accidents]

Bicycle accidents are common in San Francisco because of the city’s growing protected bike-lane network, the Bay Wheels bike-share system, and the popularity of recreational cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin. Cyclists are particularly vulnerable on multilane corridors like Market Street, Folsom and Howard in SoMa, and along the Embarcadero, where motor vehicle speeds are high and where dooring and right-hook crashes are common. We represent injured cyclists, including dooring victims, and pursue full compensation under California law. [internal-link: bicycle-accidents]

Muni bus, Muni Metro, cable car, BART, Caltrain, and ferry accidents, including crashes involving the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) bus system, the Muni Metro light rail (J/K/L/M/N/T lines), the historic cable cars and F-Market streetcar, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Caltrain commuter rail, the SF Bay Ferry and Golden Gate Ferry systems, and tourist tour buses, come with their own complications. Muni is operated by the SFMTA, a department of the City and County of San Francisco. BART and Caltrain are separate regional public entities. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District also operates ferry and bus services across the Golden Gate. Claims against any of them have to go through the California Government Claims Act process with a six-month claim filing deadline. Public transit drivers, rail operators, and ferry operators are also held to a higher common-carrier duty of care under California law. [internal-link: bus-accidents]

Rideshare accidents involving Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies are particularly common in San Francisco because of the heavy reliance on rideshare around San Francisco International Airport, the Financial District, the Marina and Pacific Heights, the Mission and Castro nightlife districts, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Moscone Center during conventions, the Chase Center for Warriors games, and Oracle Park for Giants games. These cases can involve overlapping insurance coverage that depends on whether the driver was logged into the app, en route to a passenger, or actively transporting one. We help injured riders, drivers, and third parties figure out which policy applies and pursue full recovery. [internal-link: rideshare-accidents]

Premises liability cases come up when a dangerous condition on someone else’s property causes an injury. California premises liability law follows the framework set out in Rowland v. Christian (1968) 69 Cal.2d 108, which imposes a unified duty of reasonable care on owners and occupiers of property, weighed against a multi-factor balancing test. That includes slip and falls, hotel and restaurant injuries, swimming pool incidents, falls in BART and Muni Metro stations, falls on stairs and escalators, and assault cases tied to inadequate security at apartment complexes, parking garages, and bars. San Francisco’s seismic history adds a distinct layer to some premises cases, including injuries from inadequate seismic retrofitting after the 1906 and 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes, claims against owners of soft-story buildings that failed to comply with the city’s mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance (in effect since 2013), and roadway-design claims arising from the Doyle Drive / Presidio Parkway replacement project. [internal-link: premises-liability]

Construction and workplace accidents happen across San Francisco’s constant construction activity. The Mission Bay biotech and life-sciences corridor, the Salesforce Transit Center and Transbay redevelopment, the high-rise residential projects in SoMa and along Mission Street, the Central Subway extension, the seismic retrofit work going on across the older housing stock, and routine commercial and residential construction across the city all generate workplace and motorist injuries. Many of these cases involve violations of Cal/OSHA workplace safety standards, scaffolding and ladder failures, falling object incidents, equipment manufacturer claims, and third-party contractor liability. The California Workers’ Compensation Act generally bars suits against an injured worker’s direct employer, but third parties (other contractors, equipment makers, premises owners) often remain liable. [internal-link: construction-accidents]

Dog bites can cause serious physical injuries and lasting emotional trauma. California follows a strict liability rule for dog bites under California Civil Code § 3342, meaning the owner is generally liable for an attack regardless of whether the dog had bitten anyone before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, with hundreds of thousands needing emergency care. [internal-link: dog-bites]

Product liability cases involve injuries caused by defective or dangerous products. California follows a strict-liability framework for defective products under Greenman v. Yuba Power Products (1963) 59 Cal.2d 57. That includes vehicle defects (which can sometimes be tracked through NHTSA’s recall database), defective consumer electronics and lithium-ion battery products, defective e-bikes and scooters, defective industrial equipment, and dangerous consumer goods regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. [internal-link: product-liability]

Wrongful death claims allow surviving family members to seek compensation when a loved one is killed because of another party’s negligence or misconduct. These claims are governed by California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 et seq., with a separate survivor cause of action under CCP § 377.30 et seq. covering damages the decedent could have recovered if they had survived. [internal-link: wrongful-death]

If your situation isn’t on this list, call us anyway. Personal injury law covers a lot of ground, and we’d rather hear about your case and tell you straight whether we can help.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

Accidents can cause anything from temporary pain to permanent disability. We represent clients who have suffered:

    • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
    • Broken bones and fractures
    • Back, neck, and whiplash injuries
    • Herniated discs and soft tissue damage
    • Internal organ damage
    • Burns and scarring
    • Amputation and loss of limbs
    • Knee, shoulder, and joint injuries
    • Cuts, lacerations, and disfigurement
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological injuries

Some injuries are obvious right away. Others, like concussions, internal bleeding, and soft tissue damage, can take days or even weeks to fully show up. That’s why getting medical attention as soon as possible after an accident matters. It protects your health, and it documents your injuries early. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center at 1001 Potrero Avenue is the only Level I Trauma Center in San Francisco and in northern San Mateo County. As a partnership between the San Francisco Department of Public Health and UCSF School of Medicine, ZSFG handles approximately 4,000 trauma activations per year and provides about 20% of the city’s inpatient care. The hospital was the second trauma center designated in the United States, after Cook County Hospital in Chicago. The other major hospitals serving San Francisco patients include UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus and Mission Bay (the parent academic medical center for UCSF), Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) at Van Ness, Saint Francis Memorial, and Chinese Hospital. EMS protocols decide which hospital you go to based on your injuries and location.

Compensation Available in a California Personal Injury Case

California law lets injured victims recover both economic and non-economic damages. Depending on the case, punitive damages may also be available.

Economic Damages

These are the financial losses you can document with bills, pay stubs, and receipts:

    • Medical expenses: Past and future treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medication, rehab, and home care
    • Lost wages: Income you couldn’t earn while recovering
    • Loss of earning capacity: Reduced ability to earn in the future because of permanent impairments
    • Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other damaged belongings
    • Out-of-pocket expenses: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, and other accident-related costs

Non-Economic Damages

These are losses that don’t come with a receipt but are just as real:

    • Pain and suffering: Physical pain caused by your injuries and their treatment
    • Emotional distress: Anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma stemming from the incident
    • Disfigurement: Permanent scarring or physical changes to your appearance
    • Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to take part in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy
    • Loss of consortium: The impact your injuries have had on your relationship with your spouse
    • Inconvenience and physical impairment: Limitations on your physical abilities and daily activities

Punitive damages are available in California for cases involving oppression, fraud, or malice, proven by clear and convincing evidence under California Civil Code § 3294. Punitive damages are not available in most medical malpractice cases except in narrow circumstances. In cases where punitive damages are available, courts look closely at whether the conduct went well beyond ordinary negligence.

Medical malpractice damages caps. California’s Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) caps non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. Following AB 35 (signed in 2022, effective January 1, 2023), the cap on non-economic damages was raised from the original $250,000 to $350,000 for non-death cases and $500,000 for wrongful death cases, with annual increases of $40,000 per year (non-death) and $50,000 per year (wrongful death) until reaching $750,000 (non-death) and $1,000,000 (wrongful death) by 2033. Economic damages are not capped.

How California Negligence Law Works

Understanding the basics of California negligence law helps you understand your case. Here are the key ideas.

Proving Negligence

To win a personal injury case, you have to prove four things:

Duty of care. The defendant had a legal obligation to act reasonably to avoid causing harm. Drivers have to operate their vehicles safely. Property owners have to keep their property in safe condition. Manufacturers have to produce safe products.

Breach of duty. The defendant didn’t live up to that duty. Running a red light, texting while driving (which is prohibited statewide under California Vehicle Code §§ 23123 and 23123.5), or ignoring a known hazard are all examples of a breach.

Causation. The breach actually caused your injuries. There has to be a clear connection between what the defendant did wrong and the harm you suffered.

Damages. You suffered real losses as a result. That can mean medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other categories of harm.

California Pure Comparative Fault

California is a pure comparative fault state, established by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. That means you can recover compensation even if you are partially at fault for the accident, no matter how much. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but there is no threshold that bars recovery. If you are 30% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you’d recover $70,000. If you are 75% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you’d still recover $25,000.

Insurance companies still work hard to push fault onto victims, because every percentage point reduces what they have to pay. Our attorneys fight to keep your share of fault as low as the evidence supports.

The Personal Injury Claims Process

Every case is a little different, but most personal injury claims follow a similar path.

Investigation and evidence gathering. We dig into how the accident happened. That includes police reports (San Francisco Police Department crash reports can be requested through the SFPD Records and Identification Services unit, by mail, or through the department’s online records request system), medical records, witness statements, photographs, and any other evidence that supports your claim. Crashes on the freeways are typically worked by the California Highway Patrol rather than SFPD, since CHP has primary jurisdiction on California freeways. The Golden Gate Bridge is patrolled by the California Highway Patrol with support from the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. Caltrans incident-management camera footage and traffic management center data have short retention windows. Wrecks downtown, near Oracle Park, the Chase Center, the Moscone Center, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, or major venues may have private security camera coverage with their own short retention windows.

Medical treatment documentation. We work to make sure your injuries are fully documented by medical professionals. Solid documentation is what proves the value of your damages later.

Demand and negotiation. Once we know the full extent of your damages, we send a demand to the insurance company and negotiate for fair compensation.

Filing a lawsuit. If the insurer won’t make a fair offer, we file suit. Most personal injury cases involving San Francisco residents are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, with civil cases handled at the Civic Center Courthouse on McAllister Street. Federal cases involving San Francisco residents are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California at the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Golden Gate Avenue.

Discovery. Both sides exchange information, take depositions, and gather more evidence under the California Code of Civil Procedure (in state court) or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (in federal court).

Mediation, arbitration, or settlement. A lot of cases settle during litigation, often through mediation. Many San Francisco County Superior Court personal injury cases go through court-connected mediation programs before any trial.

Trial. If the case doesn’t settle, we present it to a jury and ask for the verdict your case deserves.

Through all of this, we keep you in the loop. You’ll always know what’s happening and what your options are.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

After an accident, you’ll probably hear from an insurance adjuster who sounds friendly and concerned. Don’t read too much into the tone. The adjuster’s job is to keep their company from paying any more than it has to. The California Department of Insurance publishes consumer guides and complaint procedures if you ever feel an insurer is treating you unfairly.

Common insurance company tactics include:

    • Asking for a recorded statement they can later use against you
    • Requesting broad medical authorizations so they can dig for pre-existing conditions
    • Pushing a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries
    • Disputing how serious your injuries are or claiming they aren’t related to the accident
    • Dragging things out, hoping you’ll accept less out of financial pressure
    • Trying to push more fault onto you to reduce your recovery under California’s pure comparative fault rule

Before you talk to any insurance company, talk to an attorney first. Once we’re involved, we handle communications with insurers for you. Trucking companies, rideshare carriers, transit agencies, autonomous vehicle operators, hotel chains, and other large defendants all have dedicated claims handlers and rapid-response teams that show up at the scene of major incidents to start collecting statements and lining up favorable witnesses. The same advice applies.

Statute of Limitations: How Long You Have to File

California sets strict deadlines for filing personal injury claims. Under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. The same two-year period generally applies to wrongful death claims under CCP § 335.1. Miss that deadline and you usually lose your right to recover, period.

Some situations have shorter or different deadlines, and several of them come up regularly in San Francisco.

Claims against public entities, including the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA (which operates Muni and the cable cars), the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Unified School District, the City College of San Francisco, the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco, and most other local public bodies, are governed by the California Government Claims Act, Government Code § 810 et seq. The most important rule is Government Code § 911.2, which requires you to file a written claim with the public entity within six months of the injury, not two years. After the public entity rejects your claim (or has 45 days to act), you generally have six months from the rejection (or two years from the injury, whichever is later) to file suit. Miss the six-month claim filing deadline and your case is gone.

Claims against the State of California (including Caltrans, the California State Universities, the California Highway Patrol, and other state agencies) follow a similar Government Claims Act process through the California Department of General Services Government Claims Program.

Claims involving federal property (such as the Presidio, which is now a national park managed by the Presidio Trust and the National Park Service, or Treasure Island, which is partially under federal control) can implicate the Federal Tort Claims Act, which has its own administrative claim process and a separate two-year claim filing deadline. These cases require careful jurisdictional analysis.

Medical malpractice claims have a special statute of limitations under CCP § 340.5: three years from the date of injury or one year from when you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the injury, whichever is earlier. Plus, before filing suit, you have to give the defendant 90 days’ notice of intent to sue under CCP § 364. San Francisco’s heavy concentration of major medical providers (UCSF Medical Center, ZSFG, Kaiser Permanente, CPMC, Saint Francis Memorial, Chinese Hospital) means med-mal cases come up regularly.

Claims involving minors may have extended deadlines under California tolling rules, but the Government Claims Act six-month deadline still applies in most public-entity cases involving minors.

Don’t sit on your case waiting to see if your injuries get better. Even if you’re not ready to file a lawsuit, talking to a lawyer early makes sure you understand which deadline applies to your case.

Steps to Take After an Accident in San Francisco

If you’ve been hurt in any kind of accident, the steps you take afterward can protect both your health and your legal rights.

    1. Get medical attention right away. Call 911 if anyone is seriously hurt. Major trauma cases in San Francisco are routed to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center at 1001 Potrero Avenue, the only Level I Trauma Center in the city and in northern San Mateo County. EMS protocols decide which hospital you go to based on your injuries and location. Other major hospitals serving San Francisco patients include UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus and Mission Bay, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, California Pacific Medical Center, Saint Francis Memorial, and Chinese Hospital.
    2. Report the accident. If the crash happened inside San Francisco city and county limits, call 911 to get an officer to the scene. The San Francisco Police Department main public safety facility is at 1245 3rd Street in Mission Bay. Crashes on the freeways are typically worked by the California Highway Patrol, including the CHP San Francisco area office. Crashes on the Golden Gate Bridge are typically worked by the CHP Marin office in coordination with the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Paul Miyamoto is responsible for the city’s jails and for security at the courthouses, but does not provide patrol services.
    3. Document everything. Take photos of the accident scene, your injuries, property damage, road conditions, and traffic signs. Note the time of day, the weather, and the direction you were traveling. San Francisco fog, especially in the western neighborhoods (Sunset, Richmond) and along the Pacific coast, can become a key factor in liability.
    4. Get witness information. Collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses from anyone who saw what happened. Crashes downtown, in Union Square, around Oracle Park, the Chase Center, the Moscone Center, Fisherman’s Wharf, or at the Civic Center often have witnesses from out of state, so get their contact information before they leave.
    5. Request your crash report. California Traffic Crash Reports (CHP 555 form) are typically available within 10 to 14 business days of the crash. SFPD crash reports can be obtained through the SFPD Records and Identification Services unit. CHP reports are available through the CHP records process.
    6. Keep records. Save all medical bills, prescription receipts, mileage logs to and from appointments, and pay stubs that show the work you missed.
    7. For trucking and commercial cases, act fast. These defendants typically have rapid-response teams that arrive at the scene within hours. Evidence like driver logs, ECM (engine control module) data, surveillance footage, and maintenance records can be lost or overwritten in days. A spoliation letter from your lawyer puts the company on notice to preserve that evidence.
    8. For autonomous vehicle cases, preserve the vehicle data immediately. San Francisco was the first major U.S. city with active commercial robotaxi service, and Waymo continues to operate a commercial autonomous vehicle service across much of the city. Crashes involving Waymo, other autonomous vehicles, or Tesla on Autopilot or Full Self-Driving generate sensor logs, video, and decision-tree records that the vehicle operator controls. Get a spoliation letter out fast and consider engaging an accident reconstructionist who has experience with autonomous vehicle data.
    9. For governmental cases, calendar the deadlines immediately. Claims against the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA, BART, Caltrain, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, Caltrans, or any other public entity have six-month claim filing deadlines under the California Government Claims Act, far shorter than the standard two-year statute of limitations. Missing the six-month deadline can defeat an otherwise strong case before it ever starts.
    10. For incidents on federal property, get specialized advice immediately. Incidents on the Presidio (now a national park managed by the Presidio Trust and the National Park Service), Treasure Island (partially federal), or other federal property can implicate the Federal Tort Claims Act, which has its own administrative claim process. Don’t assume the State of California Government Claims Act applies.
    11. Don’t give a recorded statement. If the other driver’s insurance company asks for one, politely say no until you’ve spoken with an attorney.
    12. Don’t sign anything. Insurance companies sometimes hand over releases or settlements that look routine but quietly waive your rights. Have a lawyer look at it first.
    13. Call a personal injury attorney. The sooner you have legal representation, the better protected your case is, especially if a public entity, autonomous vehicle, federal property, or large corporate defendant may be involved.

How Our San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers Help

Trying to handle a personal injury claim while you’re still recovering from a serious injury is exhausting. Our team takes the legal work off your plate so you can focus on getting better.

We investigate the accident, gather the evidence we need to prove liability and damages, and handle every conversation with the insurance companies. When a case calls for it, we bring in medical experts, accident reconstructionists, biomechanical engineers, vocational economists, and life-care planners to help build it.

We also calculate the full value of your losses, including future expenses and the kinds of non-economic damages that are easy to undercount. Then we negotiate hard for fair compensation. We also prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, because the cases that look ready for trial almost always settle for more.

If the insurance company won’t pay what your case is worth, we go to court.

Frequently Asked Questions About San Francisco Personal Injury Cases

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in San Francisco?

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, which means we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement or verdict. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. The consultation is free.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in California?

Generally two years from the date of injury under California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. But several exceptions matter in San Francisco. Claims against the City and County of San Francisco, the SFMTA, BART, Caltrain, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, Caltrans, and most other public bodies have six-month claim filing deadlines under the California Government Claims Act. Claims involving incidents on the Presidio, Treasure Island, or other federal property may have a separate two-year administrative claim process under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Don’t assume your deadline based on the general rule. Have an attorney confirm it.

My crash involved a Waymo or other autonomous vehicle in San Francisco. What’s different about that case?

A lot. San Francisco was the first major U.S. city with active commercial robotaxi service, and Waymo continues to operate a commercial autonomous vehicle service across much of the city. Autonomous vehicle crashes generate detailed sensor logs, video, and decision-tree records that the vehicle operator controls. These cases can involve product liability claims against the vehicle manufacturer, software liability claims against the developer of the autonomy stack, negligence claims against any human safety driver, and traditional negligence claims against any other involved driver. The California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission both regulate autonomous vehicle operations in California. We move fast on these cases to preserve the vehicle data and identify all potentially responsible parties.

My wreck happened on U.S. 101, I-80, or I-280. Why does that matter?

The freeway system is owned and maintained by Caltrans (the California Department of Transportation), and the California Highway Patrol has primary law enforcement jurisdiction on freeways, not the San Francisco Police Department. That affects which agency’s crash report is the official document, where to obtain it, and which roadway-design and maintenance records may be relevant if Caltrans contributed to the cause of the wreck. Freeway cases also often involve heavier truck volumes, higher speeds, and more complex multi-vehicle reconstruction work than surface-street cases. Caltrans incident-management camera footage and traffic management center data have short retention windows. We move quickly to preserve those records.

My wreck happened on the Golden Gate Bridge. Who do I sue?

Possibly multiple parties. The Golden Gate Bridge is owned and operated by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, a separate public entity from the City and County of San Francisco, with its own board, its own budget, and its own insurance program. Crashes on the bridge proper, on the toll plaza, on the southbound approach via Doyle Drive / Presidio Parkway, on the northbound approach in Marin County, or involving the District’s own bus or ferry services may bring claims against that District. Claims against the District are governed by the California Government Claims Act six-month claim filing deadline. Caltrans (which owns the connecting freeway approaches) and the at-fault driver may also be liable. We work through the jurisdictional puzzle early.

I tripped on a cracked sidewalk in San Francisco. Can I sue the city?

Maybe. Sidewalk-injury cases against the City and County of San Francisco come up regularly because of the age of the city’s older neighborhoods, the steep grades that magnify trip-and-fall injuries, and decades of deferred sidewalk maintenance. These cases are governed by the California Government Claims Act, which requires you to file a written claim with the city within six months of the fall. The case turns on whether the defect was “dangerous” within the meaning of Government Code § 835, whether the city had actual or constructive notice, and whether the city had reasonable time to fix it. Document the defect with photographs and measurements, and call us. The six-month claim filing deadline is unforgiving.

I was hit by a Muni bus, Muni Metro light rail, cable car, BART train, or Caltrain. What’s different about that case?

A lot. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, which operates Muni buses, Muni Metro light rail, the cable cars, and the F-Market historic streetcar) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. The Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain) are separate regional public entities. The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District also operates ferry and bus services. Claims against any of them have to go through the California Government Claims Act, which means you have to file a written claim within six months of the injury under Government Code § 911.2 before you can sue. Public transit drivers, rail operators, cable car operators, and ferry operators are also held to a higher common-carrier duty of care under California law. Cable car cases in particular have a long history of producing significant verdicts because of the unique vehicle design, the open boarding, and the steep-grade operation. We move fast on transit cases to make sure every claim filing and procedural deadline is met.

My building was damaged in an earthquake or had a soft-story collapse. Can I sue the property owner?

Possibly. San Francisco has a long history of seismic events, including the 1906 earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and a corresponding history of building-code updates and mandatory retrofit ordinances. The City has had a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance in effect since 2013, requiring owners of certain wood-frame multi-unit buildings with weak ground-floor structures to retrofit their buildings on a schedule. Owners who failed to comply with the retrofit ordinance, or whose retrofit work was inadequate, may be liable under California premises-liability law for injuries caused by structural failure during seismic events or otherwise. We work through the seismic premises-liability framework alongside the standard premises analysis.

Does California have a dram shop law?

Mostly no. Under California Business and Professions Code § 25602, sellers and furnishers of alcohol are generally not liable for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons. The major exception is liability for serving an obviously intoxicated minor under Business and Professions Code § 25602.1, which still allows a civil claim against a licensee. Social hosts also cannot generally be held liable for injuries caused by intoxicated guests under Civil Code § 1714(c), again with a narrow minor exception. So while drunk-driving crashes leaving the Mission, North Beach, the Castro, the Marina, and the SoMa nightlife districts are common, the path to recovery generally runs through the drunk driver and that driver’s insurance, not the bar that served them, except in cases involving minors.

My crash happened in San Francisco but the at-fault driver lives in Marin, San Mateo, Alameda, or somewhere else in the Bay Area. Where do I file?

Generally either the county where the wreck happened or the county where the at-fault driver lives is a proper venue under California’s general venue statute (CCP § 395). Most San Francisco wrecks involve San Francisco County venue, but if the at-fault driver lives in Marin, San Mateo, Alameda, or Contra Costa Counties, those venues may also be available. We talk through venue strategy early in the case.

I was hit by an 18-wheeler on U.S. 101 or I-80. What’s different about a truck case?

A lot. Commercial trucks are governed by federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that don’t apply to passenger vehicles, including hours-of-service rules, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and equipment inspection requirements. There are also typically multiple potentially responsible parties, including the driver, the trucking company, the freight broker, the shipper, and any maintenance contractor. Liability and insurance coverage in a truck case are usually much larger than in a typical car wreck, and the trucking company will have a defense team on the scene fast. We move just as fast to preserve evidence like ECM downloads, driver logs, dispatch records, and dashcam footage.

I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver in San Francisco. Whose insurance covers me?

It depends on what the driver was doing at the time of the wreck. If the rideshare app was off, the driver’s personal auto policy applies (and rideshare drivers often have policies that exclude coverage when driving for hire, which can leave a gap). If the app was on but the driver hadn’t accepted a ride, Uber and Lyft typically provide limited contingent coverage. If the driver had accepted a ride or had a passenger in the car, the rideshare company’s $1 million liability policy usually applies. San Francisco’s heavy reliance on rideshare around San Francisco International Airport, the Financial District, the Marina, the Mission and Castro, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Moscone Center during conventions, the Chase Center for Warriors games, and Oracle Park for Giants games means these layered-coverage questions come up constantly. (Uber, Lyft, and many other rideshare and delivery companies are headquartered in San Francisco.) We work through the layers and identify all available coverage.

Is California a no-fault state for car accidents?

No. California is an at-fault (or “tort”) state. The driver who caused the wreck, and that driver’s insurance company, is responsible for the damages. That’s different from no-fault states, where each driver typically files with their own insurer regardless of who caused the wreck. In California, fault investigation and the police or CHP crash report often shape the outcome of your case.

What is the minimum auto insurance required in California?

California raised its minimum auto insurance requirements on January 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 1107 (the Protect California Drivers Act). The new minimums are 30/60/15, meaning $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. The previous limits, set in 1967, were 15/30/5. The new minimums also apply to uninsured motorist coverage. The 30/60/15 limits will increase again in 2035 to 50/100/25. Even at the new higher minimums, the limits often aren’t enough to cover serious injuries from a freeway wreck, which is why purchasing higher UM/UIM coverage matters so much.

How long will my case take?

It depends. Some cases settle within months. Others take a year or more, especially if litigation is needed. Cases with disputed liability, severe injuries, governmental defendants, autonomous vehicle technology, multi-jurisdictional issues, or commercial parties generally take longer. San Francisco County Superior Court has a heavy civil docket. We work to resolve your case as quickly as we reasonably can without rushing it past a fair result.

What if I was partially at fault for my accident?

You can still recover compensation. California is a pure comparative fault state under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975), which means you can recover even if you are mostly at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but there is no threshold that bars recovery. If you are 30% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you’d recover $70,000. If you are 75% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you’d still recover $25,000.

Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?

Not without talking to an attorney first. Initial offers are almost always far below what your case is worth. Once you sign a release, you can’t reopen the claim, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you thought. Have a lawyer review any offer before you sign anything.

How much is my case worth?

Every case is different. Value depends on the severity of your injuries, your past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, the strength of the evidence, and the available insurance coverage. We can give you a more accurate range after we review the specifics of your case in a free consultation.

Are personal injury settlements taxable in California?

According to IRS Publication 4345, the part of a personal injury settlement that compensates you for physical injuries or physical sickness is generally not taxable. Portions allocated to lost wages, interest, or punitive damages can be taxable. California state income tax follows the federal rule for most categories of injury settlement proceeds, but you should always confirm tax treatment with a CPA.

What if the other driver doesn’t have insurance?

You may still have options. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply. As of January 1, 2025, California’s minimum UM coverage matches the new 30/60 liability minimums. Other parties, like an employer if the at-fault driver was on the job, may also share liability. We look at every angle for compensation.

Where do I get my San Francisco accident report?

You can request your San Francisco Police Department crash report through the SFPD Records and Identification Services unit, or through the SFPD’s online records request system. CHP crash reports for incidents on the freeway system or the Golden Gate Bridge are available through the CHP records process. If we represent you, we’ll handle getting the report as part of our investigation.

Helpful San Francisco and California Resources

If you’ve been hurt in an accident in San Francisco, these public resources may be useful:

    • San Francisco Police Department. Emergencies 911. Main public safety facility: 1245 3rd Street, Mission Bay. Interim Chief Paul Yep is serving while the Police Commission searches for a permanent chief.
    • San Francisco Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Paul Miyamoto (the first Asian-American sheriff in California history). Operates the city’s two jails and provides courthouse security.
    • San Francisco Vision Zero. Traffic safety data, dangerous-corridor identification, and crash statistics, in coordination with SFMTA, SFDPH, and SFPD.

Contact Our San Francisco Personal Injury Attorneys Today

If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to take on the insurance companies on your own. The San Francisco personal injury lawyers at DJC Law have the experience and the resources to go to bat for you.

Reach out for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story, walk you through your options, and help you figure out what to do next. There’s no obligation, and you don’t pay us anything unless we win. Hablamos español.

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