How to Choose a Car Accident Lawyer in California

After a California crash, people ask how to choose a car accident lawyer, whether hiring is worth it, whether to settle with the insurer, and what kind of lawyer they actually need.

Direct answer. Choose a plaintiff-side personal injury lawyer who handles California car and rideshare crashes, puts the fee in a written contingency agreement, and will tell you if you should not file. Hiring is worth a consult when someone is hurt, fault or insurance is disputed, or a rideshare or company vehicle is involved. A fender-bender with no injury often does not need a lawyer. Starpoint Law takes car accident cases on contingency: the consult is free, and there is no attorney fee unless we recover money. If we don't win, you owe Starpoint Law nothing — no attorney fee and no case costs. We do not bill those cases by the hour, and we do not charge a retainer or a flat fee. The percentage question is answered in how much a California car accident lawyer costs.

Talk with Starpoint Law. Call 310-424-9971 or request a free consultation. Consultations are free. There is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. Learn more about our California car accident practice.

What kind of lawyer

You want a personal injury lawyer who represents the injured person. That is a different practice from a lawyer who fights a traffic ticket, and a different person from the insurance company's lawyer. The company's lawyer is not yours, even if the adjuster is polite.

If the harm is a firing, a lost job, or unpaid wages, that is an employment claim. Starpoint Law handles both car accidents and employment cases for California clients. They are separate claims with separate deadlines. Tell us which one you are calling about.

Within injury cases, the fit still matters. A rear-end crash, a rideshare passenger injury, and a brain injury raise different proof questions. Ask whether the lawyer handles that pattern in California, not whether their ad lists every kind of accident.

How to choose

Skip lists that rank the best car accident lawyers. Those pages are ads. One of them used to point at our practice page. It now points here, because a practice page is not a ranking. We do not rank other firms.

• Plaintiff side, California claims. The lawyer represents injured people under California law.
• A license you can check. Look the lawyer up on the State Bar of California site.
• A written percentage. Read the cost page before you compare firms. Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires the rate and a statement that the fee is negotiable.
• A clear no when the case does not fit. Property damage alone, or an injury with no treatment and a release already signed, may not be a case we should file.
• Someone who explains insurance. Your policy, the other driver's policy, and a rideshare company's policy are not the same thing. You should hear which one they think applies and what they still need to confirm.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer?

Hire, or at least call, when any of these are true:

• You or a passenger is hurt, even if the pain showed up the next day. Head injuries in particular are easy to underestimate. Our brain injury page explains why treatment records matter.
• The other driver, a company, or a rideshare insurer disputes fault. California reduces a recovery by your share of fault. Being partly at fault does not automatically end the claim. It does make the proof harder.
• You have missed work or you are still treating.
• Someone wants a recorded statement or a release immediately.

A lawyer is often not worth hiring when the only loss is a bumper, nobody was hurt, and you are comfortable dealing with the repair. Do not file a lawsuit to make a point about a small scrape.

Settle with the insurer, or call a lawyer first?

You are allowed to talk to an insurer. Two limits matter.

First, a release can end the injury claim, not only the car repair. If you might be hurt, do not sign a full release until someone has read it. An early number often arrives before the medical picture is known.

Second, the deadline does not wait for the adjuster. An injured person generally has two years from the crash to sue, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a city, county, Caltrans, or another public entity may be responsible, the government claim usually has to be presented within six months, under Government Code section 911.2. Calling a lawyer on week two is a deadline decision, not a sign that you have decided to sue.

Settling is still how most injury claims end. A lawyer's job includes valuing the medical care, the missed work, and the human harm, and saying when an offer is one you can accept. Starpoint's fee for that work is the contingency percentage on the cost page. We do not bill car accident cases by the hour, and we do not charge a retainer or a flat fee to start.

What we need on the first call

• The date and city of the crash, and whether a police report was made.
• Whether you have been to a doctor, and whether a head, neck, or back injury is involved.
• The insurers you already know about, including a rideshare app if one was on.
• Whether anyone has asked you to sign a release.

Photos and the other driver's information help. Do not guess at coverage limits. We would rather confirm them than repeat a number from memory.

Who you are hiring

Aidin Ghavimi, managing attorney, represents injured people and previously represented insurance companies and corporations. Ilana Fine represents people in injury and employment cases. The about page and team page list the firm. Case results live on their own page. We are not repeating dollar amounts here, and past results are not a prediction for your crash.

Starpoint Law handles California claims only. We represent people in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, and Orange County, and elsewhere in the state. Phone and video meetings cover the state. In-person meetings are at our Century City office, 1801 Century Park East, 24th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067, or our Sherman Oaks office, 15233 Ventura Blvd., PH16, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

Call 310-424-9971 or request a free consultation.

Related California guides

• How much a car accident lawyer costs in California
• Car accident practice
• Brain injuries
• Uber passenger crashes
• Contingency fees
• Free consultation

Questions people ask

How do I choose a car accident lawyer in California?

Choose a plaintiff-side personal injury lawyer who handles California car and rideshare crashes, explains the fee in a written contingency agreement, and will tell you if the claim is one they should not file. Confirm a California law license. A ranking list is an ad, not a way to choose. Starpoint Law takes California car accident cases on contingency: no attorney fee unless we recover money. If we don't win, you owe Starpoint Law nothing — no attorney fee and no case costs.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer, or should I settle with the insurer?

A property-damage-only crash with no injury often does not need a lawyer. A consult is worth it when someone is hurt, fault is disputed, a rideshare or company vehicle is involved, you have missed work, or the insurer wants a release before treatment is clear. Do not sign a release until you know whether it covers injuries.

What kind of lawyer handles a car accident?

A plaintiff personal injury lawyer. That is different from a traffic-ticket lawyer and from the insurance company's lawyer. An employment lawyer is the right call if the harm is a firing rather than the crash. Starpoint Law handles both California practices, and they are separate claims.

How long do I have to file a California car accident case?

An injured person generally has two years from the crash to file a lawsuit, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. A claim against a city, county, Caltrans, or other public entity usually must be presented within six months, under Government Code section 911.2. Call before the shorter deadline.

Can clients in San Diego, the Bay Area, Sacramento, San Jose, and Orange County hire Starpoint?

Yes, for a California crash. We practice in California. Offices are in Century City and Sherman Oaks. Clients in those metros and the rest of the state meet by phone or video.