LAPD · San Fernando Valley
Place 1: Valley Traffic Division
7870 Nollan Place, Panorama City. LAPD traffic investigators for the whole San Fernando Valley, about 2,800 street miles.
On the map 8 placesThe injury field guide
Personal injury attorney Los Angeles
Hurt in a crash? Start a free case review. Our map shows where LA reports, trauma care and injury cases are handled, with the California rules that apply.
Free case review
Step 1 of 5
- Free initial review
- No obligation to hire an attorney
- 4 short questions
After a crash in LA
Start here
LAPD or CHPGet your crash reportCity streets are LAPD reports. Freeways are CHP reports. Each has its own request route and fee.
- Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1Know your deadlines
Two years to sue for an injury, three for your car, and six months for a claim against a public agency.
calbar.ca.gov Check a lawyer with the State BarLook up any attorney's licence and public discipline in the State Bar of California search.
- Place mapFind the place on the map
Four LAPD traffic divisions, three Level I trauma centers and the courthouse for injury cases.
Which agency has your Los Angeles crash report?
Freeways
- California Highway Patrol
- Crashes on I-5, I-10, I-405, US 101 and the other freeways. Order online at the CHP Crash Portal or with form CHP 190.
City streets
- LAPD traffic divisions
- Central, West, Valley and South. The division depends on the part of the city where the crash happened.
LAPD by mail
- Records and Identification Division
- Send the request form with a $19 check or money order to P.O. Box 30158, Los Angeles, CA 90030.
The place map
Eight places that handle LA injuries
Where crash reports are written, where serious injuries are treated and where injury cases are heard. Select a number to jump to its card.
Place 1: Valley Traffic DivisionPlace 2: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical CenterPlace 3: Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterPlace 4: West Traffic DivisionPlace 5: Stanley Mosk CourthousePlace 6: Central Traffic DivisionPlace 7: Los Angeles General Medical CenterPlace 8: South Traffic Division© OpenStreetMap contributors
- LAPD traffic division
- Level I trauma center
- Courthouse
- Freeway
- Valley Traffic Division
- Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- West Traffic Division
- Stanley Mosk Courthouse
- Central Traffic Division
- Los Angeles General Medical Center
- South Traffic Division
Freeway crashes go to the CHP Area office that covers the freeway, not to an LAPD division.
Level I trauma center · Westwood
Place 2: Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza, on the UCLA campus. One of the county’s Level I trauma centers, the highest level of trauma care.
Level I trauma center · Beverly Boulevard
Place 3: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
8700 Beverly Boulevard, at San Vicente Boulevard, between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. A Level I trauma center.
LAPD · West Bureau
Place 4: West Traffic Division
4849 Venice Boulevard. Handles traffic investigations for the Hollywood, Olympic, Pacific, West Los Angeles and Wilshire areas.
Superior Court · Civic Center
Place 5: Stanley Mosk Courthouse
111 North Hill Street. Since January 8, 2024, personal injury cases filed in the court’s Central District go to courtrooms here.
LAPD · Central Bureau
Place 6: Central Traffic Division
251 East 6th Street, downtown. Covers the Central, Northeast, Hollenbeck, Newton and Rampart areas, about 1,140 street miles.
Level I trauma center · Eastside
Place 7: Los Angeles General Medical Center
1200 North State Street. The county hospital, formerly LAC+USC Medical Center, and one of LA’s Level I trauma centers.
LAPD · South Bureau
Place 8: South Traffic Division
4125 South Crenshaw Boulevard. Investigates crashes for the 77th Street, Harbor, Southeast and Southwest areas.
How it works
Four questions, then a callback
Answer four questions
When the crash happened, who caused it, whether you are hurt and whether you signed with a lawyer. Then a name and number.
Take the call
Our partner law firm’s automated assistant calls, introduces itself and confirms a few details about the crash.
Possible attorney review
The assistant can connect you with the intake team, who fill in missing details and talk through the next steps.
Field notes
How to choose a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles
After a Los Angeles crash, compare a lawyer’s experience with your type of injury and the agency that investigated. Start with the State Bar of California attorney search. It shows whether a lawyer is licensed and lists any public discipline.
Then ask direct questions. Who handles your case day to day, and who would try it? Has the lawyer taken crash cases to trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court, and how recently? How are medical liens handled at the end? A personal injury attorney who works in LA every week will know the CHP and LAPD reports, the local insurers and the downtown courtrooms.
Get the fee in writing. California requires a contingency fee agreement to be written and signed by both of you. It must state the percentage, explain how case costs come out of your recovery and say that the fee is not set by law and can be negotiated.
California deadlines and pure comparative fault
You have two years from the crash to file a lawsuit for an injury (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1) and three years for damage to your car (§ 338). If a public agency may share the blame, such as the City of Los Angeles for a signal, LA Metro for a bus or Caltrans for a freeway, you must file a written claim with that agency within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2).
California uses pure comparative fault. A jury gives each driver a share of the blame and cuts your damages by yours, but there is no cut-off: at 70% fault you can still recover 30%. One exception matters in a city with many uninsured drivers. Under Proposition 213, an injured driver who had no insurance, or who was convicted of driving under the influence, cannot recover pain and suffering damages, although medical bills and lost wages can still be claimed (Civ. Code § 3333.4).
Who writes the report, and where a case is heard
If anyone is hurt and no officer took a report, the driver must make a written report to the CHP or LAPD within 24 hours (Veh. Code § 20008). Separately, a crash with an injury or more than $1,000 of damage must be reported to the DMV on form SR-1 within 10 days (§ 16000), even if police were there.
Most injury lawsuits from crashes in central Los Angeles are filed in the Superior Court’s Central District. Since January 2024, new personal injury cases there go to courtrooms at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on North Hill Street. Cases worth $35,000 or less are limited civil cases, with simpler procedures.
When to call an injury lawyer after an LA crash
A crash with no injuries often settles directly between the insurers. Talk to a personal injury attorney when you were hurt and are still in treatment, when the other driver’s insurer disputes fault or asks for a recorded statement, when a bus, truck or rideshare vehicle was involved, or when a public agency may be part of the claim and the six-month clock is running.
Start early. Dashcam video, business security footage and witness names are easiest to collect in the first days. The four-question review at the top of this page is a quick first step.
Los Angeles injury questions
About the free review, fees, fault, crash reports and deadlines.
Is the case review free?
Yes. The initial review is free, and you are under no obligation to hire an attorney.
Do I have to pay a personal injury attorney upfront?
Most personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles work on contingency: they are paid a share of what they recover, and nothing upfront. California requires the agreement in writing, signed by both of you, with the rate, how costs are paid and a statement that the fee is negotiable.
What if I was partly at fault?
California uses pure comparative fault. Your damages go down by your share of the blame, but being partly at fault does not end the claim. On the form, choose “Yes” if another driver caused or contributed to the crash, or “Not sure” if intake needs to sort it out.
Which agency has my Los Angeles crash report?
The agency that handled the crash. City streets in Los Angeles are LAPD, and freeways are the CHP. LAPD reports can be ordered online through LexisNexis once they are released, usually after about 45 days, or by mail for $19. CHP reports come through the CHP Crash Portal or form CHP 190.
How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?
Usually two years from the crash to file a lawsuit for an injury and three years for damage to your car. If a city, county or state agency may be responsible, a written claim is due within six months.
What happens after I request a callback?
Our partner’s automated assistant calls you, confirms a few details about the crash and can connect you with the intake team. An attorney reviews the full details before taking a case.