Car Accidents matters in San Francisco
San Francisco packs a dense, fast-moving traffic system into a small peninsula, and that combination produces collisions that are hard to untangle. A single block can put streetcars, bicycles, delivery trucks, scooters, pedestrians stepping off a curb, and rideshare drivers all in motion at once. When someone is injured, the insurance company often tries to blame the victim or argue the crash was "unavoidable." Building the real picture of what happened takes attention to local geography and the way these streets actually function.
MMG Law Firm is based in Glendale, but a large share of personal-injury work in California is handled remotely and in the county where the crash occurred. We represent injured San Francisco drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists, and we handle matters statewide.
Where San Francisco crashes happen
The city's geography concentrates risk in a few predictable places:
- The 101 and 280 approaches and the merge points feeding the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, where heavy congestion produces rear-end and sideswipe collisions.
- Major arterials like Market Street, Van Ness Avenue, Geary Boulevard, 19th Avenue, and the Embarcadero, where multiple lanes, transit, and turning traffic mix.
- Steep hills and blind intersections where stopping distance and visibility are compromised.
- Muni and streetcar crossings and the high volume of pedestrian and rideshare traffic downtown.
Fault and comparative negligence
California is an at-fault state, so the driver whose negligence caused the crash is responsible for the harm. California also follows pure comparative negligence: if you are found partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovering. Insurers know this and often try to assign you a large share of blame to shrink what they pay. Police reports, traffic-camera footage, vehicle data, and witness statements all help establish what truly happened.
Dealing with the insurance company
The other driver's insurer is not on your side. Common tactics include:
- Calling early for a recorded statement to lock in words they can use against you later.
- Making a quick, low offer before the full extent of your injuries is known.
- Disputing medical treatment as unnecessary or unrelated.
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. If the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply, and how you handle that claim matters.
What you may be able to recover
Compensation in a car-accident claim is meant to address both economic and non-economic harm. That can include medical bills, future medical care, lost wages and lost earning capacity, property damage, and non-economic harm such as pain, suffering, and the disruption to your daily life. Every case is different and depends on the specific facts, so we do not promise outcomes or amounts. Medical liens and health-coverage reimbursement are often part of resolving a case.
Deadlines and where the case is filed
In California you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal-injury lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). If a government vehicle or a dangerous road condition is involved, a written claim usually must be filed with the public entity within roughly six months (Government Code §911.2) before any lawsuit. San Francisco car-accident lawsuits are handled by the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, at the Civic Center Courthouse. Missing a deadline can end a claim regardless of how strong it is.
How MMG Law Firm helps
We handle San Francisco cases from our Glendale base, communicating by phone, email, and secure portal, and appearing in San Francisco County court as the case requires. Consultations are free and available in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on contingency — no fee unless we win.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with car accidents
When you hire MMG Law Firm, attorney Mihran M. Ghazaryan handles your case personally — not a case manager you never meet. He reviews the police report and your medical records himself, takes over every call with the adjuster, and looks for coverage others miss, including your own uninsured/underinsured-motorist policy. He also manages the medical liens that can quietly eat into a recovery, so more of any settlement stays with you.
Types of car accidents we handle
Rear-end and stop-light collisions
Often clearer on liability, but insurers still routinely dispute injury causation in low-speed impacts. We pair the medical record with biomechanical context to defeat that argument.
Intersection and left-turn crashes
Disputed-fault claims where the right-of-way analysis matters. Reconstruction, signal timing, and witness statements drive the result.
Hit-and-run and uninsured-motorist
We work directly with your own UM/UIM coverage when the at-fault driver flees or has no insurance, and we make sure your insurer treats you as the customer, not the adversary.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every car accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Get medical attention even if you feel okay — adrenaline masks injury for hours.
- Document the scene with photos before anyone moves the vehicles, if it is safe.
- Get the other driver's name, license, plate, and insurance info.
- Write down what witnesses saw and how to reach them.
- File a report with the responding agency (or, for minor crashes, with DMV via SR-1 within 10 days).
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance before talking to a lawyer.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.