Most car crashes are over in a second, and the problems they cause last much longer. There is a car to repair or replace, an emergency room bill, time away from work, and pain that does not follow the schedule anyone hoped for. Meanwhile, an insurance company is asking for a recorded statement before you have even seen your own doctor twice.
Manoukian Law Firm is a California personal injury practice built on direct attorney access. Attorney Vaheh Manoukian handles the cases he takes personally, from the first phone call through filing suit and trial if the case needs to go that far. You are not handed off to a case manager you have never met. The office is on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, and consultations cost nothing.
What to do after a car accident
- Call 911 and get medical attention, even if you feel able to walk away. Adrenaline hides a great deal, and gaps in treatment are used against injured people later.
- Photograph everything while you are still there: both vehicles, the license plates, the debris field, skid marks, traffic controls and the intersection itself.
- Get names and phone numbers for every witness. People leave, and they are difficult to find weeks later.
- Report the crash to the DMV on form SR-1 within ten days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeds $1,000 (Vehicle Code 16000).
- Tell your own insurer that the crash happened, but do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before you have spoken with a lawyer.
- Keep every bill, discharge instruction, work absence note and repair estimate in one folder.
- Follow the treatment your doctors recommend and go to the appointments.
How these cases work in California
A car accident claim is a negligence claim. You have to show that another driver owed you a duty of reasonable care, that the driver did not meet it, and that the failure caused your injuries and your losses. Proof comes from the collision itself: the police report, the physical damage, the roadway, camera footage, the accounts of people who saw it, and the medical records that connect the crash to the harm.
California uses pure comparative negligence, from the Supreme Court’s decision in Li v. Yellow Cab (1975). If you are found partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share, but it is not erased. Someone found twenty percent responsible still recovers eighty percent of proven damages. This matters because insurers often argue that an injured driver was speeding, following too closely, or somehow contributed to the crash.
Coverage sets the practical limits of most claims. Since January 1, 2025, the minimum liability insurance in California is 30/60/15 under Vehicle Code 16056: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Serious injuries often exceed those numbers, which is why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy matters. Insurers must offer that coverage under Insurance Code 11580.2, and many drivers carry it without realizing what it does.
For medical damages, California follows Howell v. Hamilton Meats (2011). What is recoverable is the amount actually paid or still owed for your care, not the sticker price on a hospital bill. Careful billing records make a real difference in the value of a claim.
How Manoukian Law Firm handles car accident cases
The work starts with evidence that disappears. Surveillance video from a business near the intersection may be recorded over in days. Vehicles get repaired or sold for scrap. The firm sends preservation letters early, requests the traffic collision report, photographs the scene under the same conditions as the crash when that is useful, and locates witnesses while memories are fresh. In serious cases, a reconstruction expert is brought in to work from the physical evidence.
The medical side is built with the same care. Injuries have to be documented by treating physicians, not summarized in a letter. If you do not have health insurance, the firm can often help arrange treatment on a lien so that care is not delayed while a claim is pending. Soft tissue injuries, disc herniations and concussions all need consistent records that show how the injury changed what you can do.
Communication with insurers runs through the office, so you can concentrate on getting better. Every case is prepared as though it will be tried, because a claim that is ready for a courtroom is evaluated differently than one that is not. Valley cases are generally handled in the Los Angeles Superior Court’s North Valley district in Chatsworth or its Northwest district in Van Nuys, and the firm is a short drive from both courthouses.
If your crash involved a commercial vehicle, a motorcycle or a rideshare driver, different rules apply. See truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and Uber and Lyft accidents.
What can be recovered
California law allows recovery for both economic and non-economic harm. Economic damages include emergency and ongoing medical treatment, surgery, therapy, prescriptions, medical equipment, lost wages, lost earning capacity when an injury limits the work you can do, the cost of future care, and vehicle damage or replacement.
Non-economic damages cover physical pain, inconvenience, anxiety, disfigurement, sleep loss and the parts of your life you have had to give up. If a crash causes a head injury, symptoms can appear days later and deserve their own evaluation. See brain injuries. When someone does not survive a collision, family members listed in Code of Civil Procedure 377.60 may bring a wrongful death claim, with a separate survival action under section 377.30.
No lawyer can tell you what a case is worth at the first phone call. What a lawyer can do at that stage is explain which categories apply to you and what proof each one requires.
Deadlines
In California, the general deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If a government entity is involved, a city bus, a public works vehicle or a dangerous roadway, a written claim must be presented within six months under Government Code 911.2, and a shorter lawsuit deadline follows a rejection.
Deadlines are not the only reason to move early. Video is overwritten, vehicles are destroyed, and witnesses move. Calling early costs nothing and preserves options.
Case results
Our client suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck by a commercial delivery driver who was on the job.
Our client developed ongoing neck pain after a multi-vehicle rear-end collision on the highway, requiring pain-management treatment.
First offer: $0. The insurer valued our client's injuries at $5,000 to $10,000, and called it a “soft impact.”
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have a case if I was partly at fault?
Probably yes. California reduces recovery by your percentage of fault rather than barring it. Insurers often assign more blame to an injured driver than the evidence supports, which is one reason to have the collision investigated rather than accepting a first assessment.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage may respond, and there may be other policies available, including a household policy or coverage on the vehicle you were riding in. The firm reviews every declarations page before assuming a claim is limited.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
You are not required to give them a recorded statement. Early statements are often taken before anyone knows the full extent of an injury, and they get quoted back later. It is reasonable to say you will respond through your attorney.
How much does it cost to hire the firm?
Consultations are free and car accident cases are handled on a contingency fee. There is no fee unless the firm recovers for you. Costs and fees are explained in writing before you sign anything.
How long will my case take?
It depends on your treatment and whether the case resolves before suit. A claim is usually not ready to evaluate until doctors can say where you stand medically. Some cases resolve in months, and cases that require litigation take longer.
Talk with an attorney
If you were hurt in a crash anywhere in California, call Manoukian Law Firm at (818) 818-5031. Calls are answered around the clock, consultations are free, and there is no fee unless the firm recovers for you. The office speaks English, Spanish and Armenian, and can meet you by phone, by video, at your home or at the hospital if travel is difficult. You can also learn about Vaheh Manoukian or contact the office to start.
Serving clients across California
The office is on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, and the firm represents injured people throughout California. If you cannot travel, we meet by phone, by video, at your home or in the hospital.
