Which car accident lawyer in Los Angeles should you call when an insurance adjuster is already leaving voicemails, and you’re still waiting on X-ray results? The answer depends less on billboard size than on what kind of crash you were in. A freeway rear-end, a rideshare collision, a pedestrian hit-and-run, and a rollover caused by a defective seat each call for different strengths.
The firms below handle car crashes as a core part of their practice, not a sideline. Each one has documented verdicts or settlements, an office inside LA County, and attorneys who will take a case to trial when an insurer won’t pay fairly. Several also publish their own case results. Those figures are self-reported, and the profiles say so where it matters.
LA Crash Numbers and Rules Worth Knowing
These numbers and rules apply to every crash claim in Los Angeles:
- Traffic deaths: The City of Los Angeles recorded 302 traffic deaths in 2024, according to LAPD data analyzed by Crosstown LA. That number exceeded the city’s homicides for the second year running.
- Pedestrians and hit-and-runs: 170 pedestrians were killed in 2024. Another 98 people died in hit-and-run crashes.
- Minimum insurance: Since January 1, 2025, California drivers must carry at least $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 in property damage coverage. These limits rise to 50/100/25 in 2035.
- Filing deadline: Two years from the crash for injury lawsuits. Claims against a city or county vehicle usually need a written claim within six months.
- DMV report: If anyone was hurt or damage tops $1,000, each driver must file an SR-1 form with the DMV within 10 days.
- The uninsured-driver rule: Under Proposition 213, an uninsured driver injured by someone else usually can’t recover pain-and-suffering damages, only economic losses such as medical bills.
Five Car Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles Worth Calling
1. Wilshire Law Firm (Bobby Saadian)
Bobby Saadian earned both his law degree and an MBA at Pepperdine. He was licensed in California in 2007 and started the firm early in his career. The firm has since grown into one of the most visible names in Southern California injury law. It’s even the official personal injury partner of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Its trial results show the visibility comes with substance. In September 2022, Saadian won a $35 million verdict in Los Angeles County after a two-week trial over a crash between a semi-truck and a passenger car on a local freeway. The firm reports more than $2 billion in total recoveries.
Saadian speaks Spanish, which matters in a city where millions of residents do too.
- Good fit if: your crash involved a commercial truck or caused serious injury
- Find them at: 660 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017
2. Carpenter & Zuckerman (John Carpenter and Paul Zuckerman)
One case explains this firm’s approach. A client was rear-ended on the freeway. The night before trial, the other driver’s insurer made its final offer of $20,000. Partner Pejman Ben-Cohen, working with co-counsel, took the case to trial anyway, and the jury awarded $1,041,697.
Insurers often label low-speed crashes “MIST” claims, short for minor impact, soft tissue. They then use that label to justify small offers. Carpenter & Zuckerman has built much of its reputation on pushing those cases to a jury.
The firm has practiced since 1995 and reports more than $3 billion in verdicts and settlements. Besides its Beverly Hills office, it has offices in Koreatown and downtown, which helps clients who don’t want to drive across town for every meeting.
- Good fit if: the insurer is downplaying a “minor” crash that caused real injury
- Find them at: 8827 West Olympic Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 (also at 3600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1108, and 633 West 5th Street, 26th Floor, in Los Angeles)
3. Bisnar Chase (Brian Chase)
Sometimes the other driver isn’t the only one at fault. If a seatback collapses or a roof caves in during a rollover, the automaker may share the blame. Lawyers call this a crashworthiness claim, and it’s this firm’s specialty.
Bisnar Chase has represented injured clients since 1978. Managing partner Brian Chase leads its auto defect work. Its reported results include $32.7 million in a seat-defect case involving Johnson Controls and $38.65 million in a motor vehicle accident case.
These cases depend on engineers examining the vehicle itself, not just the police report. One caution: the firm’s own website gives two different figures for its total recoveries, “over $1 billion” in some places and “over $900 million” in others.
- Good fit if: your injuries seem worse than the crash itself should have caused
- Find them at: 6701 Center Drive West, 14th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90045
4. West Coast Trial Lawyers (Neama Rahmani)
Neama Rahmani graduated from Harvard Law School at 22 and went on to prosecute drug and human trafficking cases as a federal prosecutor. He then served as enforcement director for the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission. In 2014, he co-founded West Coast Trial Lawyers with Allen Patatanyan.
The firm’s reported car crash results include:
- $6 million for a car accident client
- $4.015 million for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle
- $2.925 million in a rideshare collision
Rideshare cases are tricky. Uber and Lyft insurance coverage depends on whether the driver was offline, waiting for a ride request, or carrying a passenger. Lawyers who handle these claims regularly know which policy applies at each stage.
- Good fit if: you were hurt in or by an Uber or Lyft
- Find them at: 1147 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015
5. Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers
Not every client wants a large firm. Steven Sweat has practiced since 1995 and has run his own firm since 1999. Clients there tend to deal with the named attorney, not a rotating group of case managers.
He’s also one of the few LA injury lawyers who publishes his own analysis of crash data, including a ranking of the city’s most dangerous intersections built from LAPD records. The firm has offices across the region, from Palmdale to Torrance, and advertises Spanish-speaking service.
- Good fit if: you were a pedestrian or hit-and-run victim and want a smaller practice
- Find them at: 11500 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite 488, Los Angeles, CA 90064
The Intersections Where LA Crashes Cluster
LAPD collision records from February 2021 to February 2025, compiled by Crosstown LA, show where crashes concentrate. The worst intersection in the city was Figueroa Street and Slauson Avenue in South LA, with 66 crashes in that period.
What stands out is how two corridors dominate the list:
- Roscoe Boulevard in Panorama City appears twice in the top five, at Sepulveda Boulevard (65 crashes) and Van Nuys Boulevard (59).
- Slauson Avenue in South LA also appears twice, at Figueroa Street and Western Avenue (56).
- Figueroa Street links the first and third spots, with Manchester Avenue recording 61 crashes.
For a claim, this history can matter. If a crash happened at a known trouble spot with poor signal timing or design, the city may share responsibility. That’s also when the six-month government claim deadline applies.
Why the Other Driver’s Policy Limit Matters More Than You Think
A $30,000 bodily injury limit sounds reasonable until you see a single night’s bill from a trauma center. When the at-fault driver carries only the minimum, a lawyer’s skill matters less than finding more coverage.
That’s why experienced car accident attorneys check three places early:
- Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which many drivers don’t realize they bought
- Commercial policies, if the other driver was working, delivering, or driving for a rideshare company
- Umbrella policies held by the at-fault driver or the vehicle owner
Ask any lawyer you’re considering how they search for insurance coverage. Their answer will reveal more than their advertising.
This content is general information, not legal advice. Every crash turns on its own facts, so speak with a licensed California attorney about yours.
Car Accident Questions LA Drivers Ask
Q1. Do I need a lawyer for a minor car accident in Los Angeles?
A: Not always. If there’s no injury and only property damage, you may be able to handle it yourself. If you were hurt, a consultation is usually free and worth it.
Q2. How much is my car accident case worth in California?
A: It depends on medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the available insurance. Policy limits often cap recovery, so coverage matters as much as the injury.
Q3. How long does a car accident settlement take in Los Angeles?
A: Simple claims can settle in a few months. Cases that require a lawsuit often take one to two years, and longer if they go to trial.
Q4. What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?
A: Your own uninsured motorist coverage usually pays. California insurers must offer it, so check your policy declarations page before assuming there’s no coverage.
Q5. Can I sue Uber or Lyft after a crash in LA?
A: Often, yes. Rideshare companies carry large commercial policies, but coverage depends on whether the driver was logged in, waiting for a ride, or carrying a passenger.
Q6. Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance adjuster?
A: You can share basic facts, but avoid recorded statements until you get legal advice. Adjusters may use your own words to argue your injuries are minor.
