Calabasas has two very different sets of roads, and the difference shapes almost every case that comes from here. There is the 101 corridor and Calabasas Road, where traffic behaves like the rest of the Valley, and then there are the canyons: Las Virgenes Road heading south toward Malibu, Mulholland Highway, Old Topanga Canyon Road. Those are narrow, curved, poorly lit at the edges, and popular with cyclists and motorcyclists every weekend. A driver crossing a double yellow on a blind curve or passing a cyclist too closely does not produce a fender bender there.
Manoukian Law Firm is about twenty minutes north on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, close enough for the attorney on the case to walk a canyon curve and see the sightline the way a driver saw it.
What to do after an injury in Calabasas
- Get medical attention the same day, and say plainly what hurts. Canyon collisions often produce injuries that are not obvious at the scene.
- Note whether the Sheriff’s Malibu/Lost Hills Station or the CHP responded, and record the report number.
- Photograph the curve, the sightline approaching it, the road surface, any gravel or debris, and the position of the vehicles or bicycle.
- If you were riding, save the bicycle or motorcycle without repairs, and preserve helmet, kit and any head unit or GPS data.
- Collect names and numbers from other riders, drivers and anyone who stopped. Weekend traffic in the canyons scatters quickly.
- Ask any nearby business or gated community in writing that week to preserve camera footage.
- File a DMV form SR-1 within ten days if there was an injury or over $1,000 in property damage, as Vehicle Code 16000 requires.
- Talk to an attorney before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company.
Injury cases we handle in Calabasas
Bicycle accident claims are a larger share of the work here than in most communities. Vehicle Code 21200 gives cyclists the rights and duties of drivers, which means a cyclist lawfully occupying a lane on Las Virgenes or Mulholland is where they are entitled to be, and Vehicle Code 21760 requires a driver to pass with at least three feet of clearance or to slow and pass only when safe.
Motorcycle accident cases follow the same roads. Lane splitting is lawful under Vehicle Code 21658.1, and helmet use under Vehicle Code 27803 does not speak to fault. Canyon crashes often involve a driver crossing the centerline or gravel in a turn, and the physical evidence on the pavement fades within days.
On the 101 and Calabasas Road, car accident claims look more conventional, with rear end impacts in slowed traffic and turning collisions at the shopping and office entrances. Serious impacts on any of these roads raise the question of a traumatic brain injury, where symptoms can be delayed and documentation by treating physicians, with neuropsychological evaluation where appropriate, matters more than a scan taken on the first night.
Pedestrian accident claims turn on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Away from the roads, slip and fall claims at shopping centers, offices and gated communities are decided on notice: whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, and whether it was repaired or warned about, under the duty of care described in Rowland v. Christian. Dog bite claims arise on the trails and residential streets, where Civil Code 3342 imposes strict liability on the owner when the injured person was lawfully in a public or private place. Where a canyon collision proves fatal, Code of Civil Procedure 377.60 identifies who may bring a wrongful death claim, with a separate survival action under section 377.30.
Where Calabasas cases are handled
Law enforcement in Calabasas is generally provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department through the Malibu/Lost Hills Station, so a report on Las Virgenes Road or Calabasas Road usually comes from that station rather than an LAPD division. Collisions on the 101 are usually investigated by the California Highway Patrol, and CHP also covers many unincorporated canyon stretches.
Emergency care generally means UCLA West Valley Medical Center (formerly West Hills Hospital and Medical Center) or Providence Tarzana, both a short drive away depending on which side of the community you started from. Keep the discharge paperwork and follow the referrals. In canyon cases where injuries are severe, the treating record is what supports a claim for future care.
If suit is filed, Calabasas cases go to the Los Angeles Superior Court, and civil matters are generally handled at the Van Nuys Courthouse on Sylmar 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
Manoukian Law Firm was founded by Vaheh Manoukian, a graduate of the USC Gould School of Law and UCLA who handled depositions and trials at a larger firm before opening his own. The firm belongs to the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California, its founding attorney was selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for 2027.
Canyon cases reward attention to detail: the exact curve, the time of day, the angle of the sun, whether a turnout was occupied. That work is done by the attorney on the case, not delegated. If travel is difficult after a serious injury, meetings can be held in the hospital or by phone and video. Consultations are free, the firm works on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we win. The firm helps clients in English, Spanish and Armenian. More detail is on the about page, and past matters are described on the case results page. Neighboring areas are covered on the Woodland Hills and West Hills pages.
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. The case resolved for $400,000.
The other side valued our client's injuries at $5,000 to $10,000 and called it a “soft impact.” Our client was the third car struck in a chain-reaction collision. We filed suit and recovered $275,000.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
A driver passed too close and I went down without contact. Is that a claim?
Possibly. A collision is not required. If a driver’s unsafe pass violated the three foot rule in Vehicle Code 21760 or otherwise created the hazard that caused the fall, that conduct can support a claim. Witness accounts and any video from a head unit or following rider become central.
I was not wearing a helmet. Does that end my case?
No. California follows pure comparative negligence after Li v. Yellow Cab, so a share of fault reduces recovery rather than barring it, and helmet use is a separate question from who caused the crash. Adult cyclists are not required to wear one, and motorcycle helmet law under Vehicle Code 27803 does not decide fault.
How long do I have to file?
Generally two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If a public entity is responsible, for example a dangerous road condition, a written claim is generally due within six months under Government Code 911.2.
What is my case worth?
That depends on the medical record, the treatment still ahead, lost income, and how the injury changed daily life. Medical damages are the amounts actually paid or owed under Howell v. Hamilton Meats. A responsible estimate comes after the records are in hand, and the contact page is the place to start that conversation.
If you were injured in Calabasas, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless the firm recovers for you.
