All guides on this site provide general legal information for educational purposes only. They are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult a licensed California attorney for guidance specific to your case.
Select Your Situation
Each guide covers the California-specific law, statute of limitations, insurance rules, fault framework, and evidence requirements for that accident type.
Car Accident
Fault rules, insurance minimums, SOL deadlines, and the claims process for car accident injuries in California.
Car Accident legal guideTruck Accident
Commercial truck accidents involving federal FMCSA regulations, carrier liability, and ELD evidence that must be preserved within days.
Truck Accident legal guideMotorcycle Accident
Motorcycle accident claims in California: lane splitting under CVC § 21658.1, helmet rules, comparative fault, and countering insurer bias with evidence.
Motorcycle Accident legal guidePedestrian Accident
Pedestrian accident law in California: driver duty to yield in crosswalks, comparative fault recovery, and government entity sidewalk liability.
Pedestrian Accident legal guideSlip and Fall
Slip and fall premises liability in California: proving notice, the open-and-obvious defense, government entity claims, and evidence that wins these cases.
Slip and Fall legal guideRideshare Accident
Uber and Lyft accident law in California: the three TNC coverage periods, $1M Period 3 coverage, and how to identify which insurer responds to your claim.
Rideshare Accident legal guideBicycle Accident
Bicycle accident law in California: Vehicle Code rights, dooring liability under CVC § 22517, road defect claims, and the insurance gaps cyclists face.
Bicycle Accident legal guideDog Bite
California dog bite law: strict liability regardless of prior bite history, owner defenses, homeowners insurance as the primary coverage source, and damages available.
Dog Bite legal guideHit and Run
Hit and run accident law in California: UM coverage as primary recovery, the corroboration requirement, police report obligations, and identifying the fleeing driver.
Hit and Run legal guideWrongful Death
California wrongful death law: who can sue, what damages heirs recover, the survival action distinction, and the two-year statute of limitations from date of death.
Wrongful Death legal guidePremises Liability
Property owner duty of care under Rowland v. Christian: notice requirements, negligent security, government entity claims, and surveillance video preservation.
Premises Liability legal guideDUI Accident
DUI accident civil law in California: punitive damages under Civil Code § 3294, dram shop exceptions, criminal case evidence, and UM coverage when the driver is uninsured.
DUI Accident legal guideProduct Liability
California strict products liability under Greenman v. Yuba Power: manufacturing defects, design defects, failure to warn, and the chain-of-commerce doctrine.
Product Liability legal guideUninsured Motorist
UM and UIM coverage under Insurance Code § 11580.2: how the arbitration process works, written rejection requirements, bad faith obligations, and lien management.
Uninsured Motorist legal guideWorkplace Accident
Workers' comp exclusivity vs. third-party civil claims: Labor Code § 3600, DWC-1 filing, Cal/OSHA violations, construction site liability, and workers' comp lien negotiation.
Workplace Accident legal guideWhy the Type of Accident Changes the Legal Analysis
California personal injury law applies the same core negligence framework to all accident types — but the specific statutes, deadlines, evidence requirements, and insurance rules differ significantly by situation.
A car accident claim runs through the at-fault driver's auto liability insurer under California's minimum insurance requirements. A truck accident adds federal FMCSA regulations that impose separate duties on the motor carrier, the freight broker, and the shipper — any of whom may share liability for the crash. A rideshare accident requires identifying which of three TNC coverage periods was active at the time of the crash. A dog bite bypasses the negligence fault question entirely and applies Civil Code section 3342's strict liability framework. A government entity claim — whether from a municipal vehicle, a defective road, or a public transit accident — requires a government tort claim within six months under Government Code section 945.4, a deadline that runs parallel to and shorter than the general two-year statute of limitations.
Each situation guide covers the specific legal framework for that accident type in California: the governing statutes, the fault and liability rules, the applicable insurance coverage structure, the evidence that matters most, and the deadlines that cannot be missed.
Statute of Limitations & Post-Accident Checklist
The filing deadline for a personal injury claim depends on the accident type and whether a government entity is involved. Look up the general deadline for your situation and document what to do in the hours after any accident.
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