Personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles County: where claims and cases go

Los Angeles County is made up of many cities and unincorporated communities, with several layers of government that may be responsible for a road, a sidewalk or a vehicle. Knowing which office, which police agency and which courthouse applies is one of the first practical questions after an injury here. For how injury claims work in general, see our personal injury page. Crashes have their own page on auto accidents.

What happens after an injury in Los Angeles County, step by step?

1. Get care and make sure a report is taken. On city streets, the city's police department generally takes the report. On freeways and in unincorporated communities, the California Highway Patrol does, through its Area offices; the CHP's Southern Division headquarters in Glendale is an administrative office that does not take report requests.
2. Report a crash to the DMV if required. The DMV says an SR-1 report must reach it within 10 days if anyone was injured, however minor, or killed, or property damage is over $1,000.
3. Work out who may be responsible. A private driver, owner or business is handled through insurance and, if needed, a lawsuit. A county, city or state agency requires a written government claim first.
4. Present any government claim within six months. Claims for death or injury to a person or personal property must be presented within six months of the incident, and other damage claims within one year (Government Code section 911.2). The table below shows where each claim goes.
5. Watch the deadline to sue. If the agency gives written notice rejecting the claim, a lawsuit generally must be filed within six months after that notice (Government Code section 945.6). Against a private party, the general limit for an injury lawsuit is two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1).
6. File in the right courthouse. The Los Angeles Superior Court's filing form sends injury cases to the location where the injury occurred, and class actions to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Where do I file a claim against a public agency in Los Angeles County?

After a City of Los Angeles claim is filed with the City Clerk, the City Clerk's page explains that the claim moves to the City Attorney's Claims Division, and status questions go to that office by email with the claim number in the subject line. Caltrans's District 7 claim office covers both Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Our page on claims against Glendale, Los Angeles County or the state explains late-claim requests and what happens after a rejection.

Who takes the crash report?

Inside a city, crashes on local streets are generally reported to that city's police department. The Office of Traffic Safety notes that when the CHP takes a report on a road where it shares jurisdiction with a city, the crash does not count in that city's figures. Our page on hit and run and uninsured drivers in Los Angeles County covers the reporting deadline that applies to uninsured motorist claims.

Which of our guides fit my injury?

These guides explain the rules behind the most common next questions:

After a crash

• The first days are covered in what to do after a car crash in Glendale.
• Coverage limits are explained in how much insurance California drivers must carry.
• A wrecked car is covered in how a total loss value is decided.

Other injuries

• Animal attacks are covered in who is responsible for a dog bite in California.
• A death in the family is covered in wrongful death and survival claims.
• Preparing for a meeting is covered in what to bring to a personal injury consultation.

What do the official crash figures show for this area?

The California Office of Traffic Safety publishes yearly crash rankings that compare each city with others of similar size; a rank of 1 is the highest, or worst. Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank are all in Group B, cities of 100,001 to 250,000 people, which had 62 cities in 2023. Counties are ranked statewide, and county figures include all roadways within county limits.

For the county as a whole in 2023, the Office of Traffic Safety also counted 3,263 motorcycle victims, 1,945 bicyclist victims, 12,319 speed-related collisions with victims and 7,398 hit and run collisions with victims. Because the rankings weigh crash counts against population and miles driven, the county's rank of 58 of 58 for total victims does not mean few people were hurt. The Office of Traffic Safety cautions that its rankings are only indicators of potential problems, and they do not decide any individual case.

What changes the answer?

Whether a public agency is involved

A claim against a public entity must be presented first, within six months for injury (Government Code section 911.2). If that deadline is missed, an application to present a late claim may be made within a reasonable time not to exceed one year, with the reason for the delay (Government Code section 911.4). Each agency has its own claim office, as the table above shows.

Where the injury happened

The filing location form, LASC CIV 109, lists for auto, uninsured motorist, premises and other injury cases only the location where the bodily injury, death or damage occurred, plus Stanley Mosk for class actions. Unlike employment cases, injury cases do not list the general Central District option. The court's directory lists the Glendale Courthouse at 600 East Broadway, the Burbank Courthouse at 300 East Olive, and the Pasadena Courthouse at 300 East Walnut Street; our page on what to expect at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse explains how a civil case moves once filed.

Which agency took the report

A crash on a freeway or in an unincorporated community is usually a CHP report, requested from the Area office, not the Glendale headquarters. A crash on city streets is usually a city police report. Our page on the personal injury lawyer in Glendale explains how to get a Glendale police collision report.

Whether the other driver had insurance

Uninsured motorist cases have their own filing code on CIV 109 (4601) and follow the same place-of-injury rule. The coverage rules are explained on our hit and run page linked above.

A worked example

For example, imagine a hypothetical cyclist who is hit by a county-owned pickup truck on a surface street in unincorporated La Crescenta in May 2026 and breaks her wrist. The CHP's Altadena Area office, which patrols that community, takes the report.

Several local rules follow. She asks the Altadena Area office, not the Glendale headquarters, for the report. An SR-1 goes to the DMV within 10 days because she was injured. Because the truck belongs to the county, a written claim to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors is due within six months of the crash, and if the county rejects it in writing, a lawsuit generally must follow within six months of that notice, filed according to where the crash happened. Who was at fault, and what the claim is worth, depends on facts not yet known, and none of these steps predicts the result.

Common mistakes after an injury in Los Angeles County

• Asking the wrong CHP office for a report. The Southern Division headquarters does not take report requests; the Area office that handled the crash does.
• Sending a City of Los Angeles claim by email. The City Clerk does not accept emailed or faxed claims; use the portal, mail or the counter.
• Assuming the county handles every road. State highways go to Caltrans, city streets to the city, and county roads to the county.
• Waiting for the two-year deadline. A claim against a public agency is due within six months.
• Filing downtown by default. Injury cases go where the injury occurred unless they are class actions.

What to do this week

1. Write down the exact location of the injury, with cross streets, and the date and time.
2. Find out which police agency responded and ask that office for the report number.
3. If a vehicle was involved, confirm that the SR-1 has gone to the DMV within 10 days.
4. List every public agency that might own the road, sidewalk or vehicle, and mark the six-month date on a calendar.
5. Keep medical records, photos, repair estimates and insurer letters in one place.
6. Talk to a lawyer before giving a recorded statement or signing a release.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I send a claim against Los Angeles County?

To the Executive Officer, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Attention: Claims, at 500 W. Temple Street, Room 383, Los Angeles. The Board's claims page says claims for injury must be filed within six months.

Can I file a City of Los Angeles claim online?

Yes. The City Clerk's online portal gives an immediate claim number, and supporting documents can be added later. Claims can also be mailed or delivered to Room 395 at City Hall.

Who handles a claim about a state highway in Los Angeles County?

Caltrans District 7 handles claims of $12,500 or less for injury on state highways in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Larger claims go to the state's Government Claims Program.

Can I get a CHP report at the Glendale headquarters?

No. The CHP says its Southern Division headquarters in Glendale is an administrative office and that report requests must be made at an Area office.

Will my case be heard downtown?

Usually not, unless the injury happened in the Central District or the case is a class action. CIV 109 ties injury cases to the place of injury.

How long do I have to sue a private driver?

Generally two years from the injury under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Claims against public agencies have the much shorter six-month claim deadline first.

How can Glendale Law help?

We represent injured people throughout Los Angeles County and work out early which agencies, deadlines and courthouse rules apply. Call (818) 244-9000 or request a consultation. Our practice areas overview lists the other kinds of cases the firm handles.