Burbank has a traffic pattern that belongs to no other city in the Valley. Studio shifts at Warner Bros. and Disney release hundreds of vehicles at once onto Olive Avenue, Hollywood Way and Buena Vista Street. Hollywood Burbank Airport adds rental cars, shuttles and rideshare drivers circling the terminal loop with their attention on a phone. Underneath that runs ordinary city traffic on Magnolia Boulevard and San Fernando Boulevard, and two freeways, the 5 and the 134, that back up in predictable places at predictable hours. Most Burbank collisions are not dramatic. They happen at moderate speed, at an intersection, with a driver looking somewhere else.
Manoukian Law Firm is about twenty-five minutes west, at 9520 Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth. Attorney Vaheh Manoukian personally handles each case, from the first phone call through resolution, preparing every file as if it will be tried. He speaks Armenian, and the firm serves the Armenian community across Burbank and the surrounding cities. Meetings can happen at the office, at your home, in the hospital, or by phone and video.
What to do after an injury in Burbank
- Get examined the same day. A moderate-speed impact regularly produces neck and back symptoms that appear the following morning.
- Confirm which agency responded, Burbank Police or CHP, and write down the report number before you leave.
- Photograph vehicle positions, debris, lane markings, signal heads and the surrounding block.
- Look for cameras. Studios, hotels, the airport and most commercial buildings along Hollywood Way and San Fernando Boulevard record exterior video.
- Ask in writing that week for any footage to be preserved, whether it belongs to a business, a rideshare company or a parking operator.
- Get witness names and phone numbers at the scene, particularly if the other driver was working at the time.
- File a DMV form SR-1 within ten days if there was an injury or more than $1,000 in property damage, as Vehicle Code 16000 requires.
- Speak with an attorney before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company.
Injury cases we handle in Burbank
Car accident claims are the largest part of the work here. A crash on Olive or Hollywood Way at shift change usually turns on right of way at a signal, a left turn across traffic, or a lane change into a car that was already there. Freeway collisions on the 5 and the 134 depend more on closing speed and chain reaction, so damage patterns, dashcam footage and the CHP report carry the analysis. Either way, nearby business video is worth chasing in the first days, because most systems overwrite quickly.
The airport corridor and the studio lots make rideshare claims common. What coverage applies depends on the driver’s status under Public Utilities Code 5433: 50/100/30 with the app on and no ride accepted, and a one million dollar liability policy while en route to a rider or carrying one. Since January 1, 2026, uninsured and underinsured coverage during a trip is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
Production trucks and delivery traffic move through Burbank all day, and a truck accident case opens up the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: hours of service limits, maintenance history, and electronic logging device data a carrier is only required to retain for a limited period. A written preservation demand goes out early so the record still exists when it is needed.
Magnolia Park and the downtown blocks are walkable, and pedestrian accident cases there rest on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Bicycle accident claims start from Vehicle Code 21200 and the three-foot passing rule in Vehicle Code 21760.
Away from the road, slip and fall claims in stores, restaurants and parking structures are decided on notice: whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, and whether it was fixed or warned about, under the duty of care described in Rowland v. Christian. Apartment complex injury claims in the older buildings off Magnolia follow the same analysis, usually with a documented history of complaints about stairs or lighting.
Where Burbank cases are handled
Collisions on Burbank surface streets are generally reported by the Burbank Police Department, the city’s own agency rather than a Los Angeles Police Department division. Crashes on the 5 and the 134 are generally investigated by the California Highway Patrol. The two reports come on separate timelines and are requested separately, which is one reason the agency should be noted at the scene.
Emergency care generally means Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center on Buena Vista, which sits close to both the studios and the airport. Keep every discharge instruction, imaging order and billing statement. The medical record built in the first two weeks tends to matter more than anything reconstructed later.
If a claim cannot be resolved and a lawsuit becomes necessary, Burbank cases are filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, and local civil matters are generally handled at the Burbank Courthouse at 300 East Olive Avenue. Assignments are set by the court and can change, so the filing location is confirmed for each case rather than assumed.
Why work with Manoukian Law Firm
Vaheh Manoukian earned his J.D. at the USC Gould School of Law, where he served in the Mediation Clinic and was published in the USC Business Law Digest, after a B.A. at UCLA. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2021, Bar number 333026, and belongs to the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California and the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. He was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2026, and the firm holds a 5.0 rating on Google.
The practical difference is that your questions are answered by the person who knows the file rather than a rotating staff. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we recover for you. Calls are answered 24 hours a day in English, Spanish and Armenian. More background is on the about page, past matters are described on the case results page, and neighboring cities are covered on the Glendale and North Hollywood pages.
Frequently asked questions
The other driver was working for a studio or a vendor. Does that change anything?
It can. When a driver is acting within the scope of employment, the employer may also be responsible, and a commercial policy is often available in addition to the driver’s own. Identifying the employer early matters, because company vehicle records and dispatch data are not kept indefinitely.
I was hit near the airport by a shuttle or a rental car. Who pays?
That depends on who operated the vehicle and under what insurance. Shuttle operators, rental companies and rideshare drivers each carry different coverage, and sorting out which policy applies is part of the early investigation.
Will my case be heard at the Burbank Courthouse?
Local civil matters are generally handled at the Burbank Courthouse on East Olive Avenue, though the court sets assignments and cases can be heard elsewhere in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The venue is confirmed when the case is filed.
What does a case like this cost me?
Nothing up front. The firm advances the costs of investigating and preparing the case and is paid a contingency fee only out of a recovery. The consultation is free whether or not you hire the firm.
If you were injured in Burbank, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation, or reach the firm through the contact page. The phone is answered 24/7, you will speak directly with the attorney who would handle your case, and there is no fee unless we recover for you.
