Mission Hills is a small community carrying a large amount of through traffic. The 405, the 118 and the 5 meet or pass near it, and drivers coming off those ramps land on Sepulveda Boulevard, Rinaldi Street, Devonshire Street and Brand Boulevard, where hospital traffic, school traffic and freeway overflow use the same signals. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center sits in the middle of it, so ambulances, shuttle vans and visitors move through these intersections at all hours. Collisions here tend to involve a driver rushing a yellow after leaving a freeway, a left turn across Sepulveda, or a pedestrian crossing between long blocks.
Manoukian Law Firm is about fifteen minutes west, on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth. Manoukian Law Firm takes each case from the first call through resolution and prepares every file as though it will be tried. An attorney is on the case from the first call, and the file stays with the firm from start to finish.
What to do after an injury in Mission Hills
- Get examined the same day. A same-day record is harder to argue with later.
- Confirm which agency responded, LAPD or CHP, and write down the report number before you leave.
- Photograph vehicle positions, debris, lane markings, signal phases and the buildings around the intersection.
- Ask in writing that week for any video to be preserved, whether it belongs to a business, a medical building or a parking structure.
- Collect witness names and phone numbers at the scene rather than assuming the report has them.
- If a public agency, a public vehicle or a dangerous road condition was involved, note it immediately. The six-month claim rule moves quickly.
- File a DMV form SR-1 within ten days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeded $1,000, as Vehicle Code 16000 requires.
- Speak with an attorney before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company.
Injury cases we handle in Mission Hills
Car accident claims here often start within a few blocks of a freeway ramp, where speeds carried off the 405 or the 118 meet a surface street signal. Those cases turn on details that fade quickly: signal timing, the position of the vehicles before impact, and sight lines at the intersection. California follows pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab, so a driver who carries part of the responsibility can still recover, reduced by that share.
Pedestrian accident cases rest on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks, including intersections with no paint on the ground. Sepulveda and Rinaldi are wide, and the distance between signals pushes people to cross where they can. Bicycle accident claims follow Vehicle Code 21200, which gives riders the rights and duties of drivers, and Vehicle Code 21760, the three-foot passing rule.
Motorcycle accident claims begin from the fact that lane splitting is lawful under Vehicle Code 21658.1, a point that comes up whenever traffic backs up on the 405 approaching the 118. Rideshare accident claims are common around the hospital, and the coverage depends on what the driver was doing: under Public Utilities Code 5433, 50/100/30 applies with the app on and no ride, and a one million dollar policy applies once a driver is en route to or carrying a passenger.
Brain injury claims often involve someone who felt shaken but declined transport, then noticed memory, sleep or concentration problems days later. They depend on documentation by treating physicians and, when appropriate, neuropsychological evaluation.
Away from the road, slip and fall claims in the medical buildings, shopping centers and parking structures along Sepulveda 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. The same analysis governs apartment complex injuries off Devonshire and Brand.
Where Mission Hills cases are handled
Collisions on Mission Hills surface streets are generally reported by the LAPD Mission Division. Crashes on the 405, the 118 and the 5 are usually investigated by the California Highway Patrol. The two agencies release reports on different timelines, and each is requested separately.
Emergency care generally means Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, which is in Mission Hills. Keep every discharge instruction, imaging order and billing statement. Under Howell v. Hamilton Meats, recoverable medical damages are the amounts actually paid or owed, so the billing paperwork is part of the proof.
If a claim cannot be resolved and a lawsuit becomes necessary, Mission Hills cases go to the Los Angeles Superior Court, which serves the whole county. Unlimited personal injury lawsuits are filed in the court’s Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse downtown under Local Rule 2.3, and the court may later transfer a case to a district courthouse such as Chatsworth or Van Nuys East. The San Fernando Courthouse handles traffic, criminal, family and small claims matters, not injury suits.
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.
The practical difference is that your calls are returned by the person who knows the file. Meetings can happen at the Chatsworth office, in the hospital, or by phone and video when travel is hard, and hospital visits are routine here given how many clients are treated at Holy Cross. 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 background is on the about page, and past matters are described on the case results page. Neighboring communities are covered on the Granada Hills and Sylmar 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
I am still admitted at the hospital. Can someone come to me?
Yes. Hospital visits are a normal part of how the firm works, and an initial conversation can also happen by phone or video if that is easier for your family. Nothing needs to be signed before you understand what is being signed.
How soon should I talk to an attorney?
Sooner is better, mainly because of evidence. Video from businesses and parking structures is often overwritten within days, witnesses become hard to reach, and vehicles get repaired or sold. The legal deadline is generally two years under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, but the practical window for gathering proof is much shorter.
The crash happened on the 405 near the 118. Who wrote the report?
Freeway collisions are generally investigated by the California Highway Patrol rather than the LAPD, and the report takes time to become available. What the report says about fault is one piece of evidence, not the final answer, and it can be tested against physical damage, video and witness accounts.
What does a case like this cost me?
Nothing up front. The consultation is free whether or not you hire the firm, and you can reach it through the contact page.
If you were injured in Mission Hills, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless the firm recovers for you.
