Reseda is built on a grid of long, wide boulevards designed to move traffic quickly, and they still do. Sherman Way, Victory Boulevard and Vanowen Street run east and west, Reseda Boulevard and Tampa Avenue carry traffic between the 101 and the north Valley, and the signals sit far enough apart that speeds climb between them. That combination produces the collisions seen here most often: left turns across four lanes, cars entering from driveways and side streets, and people struck crossing outside a signal because the nearest one is a long walk away.
Manoukian Law Firm is about fifteen minutes west, on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth. Attorney Vaheh Manoukian personally handles every case, from the first phone call through resolution, preparing each file as though it will be tried. The person you speak with at the first call is the person who prepares the case, and no file is passed to someone you have never met.
What to do after an injury in Reseda
- Get examined the same day. Symptoms often surface the following morning, and a gap in treatment is used later to question the injury.
- Confirm which agency responded, LAPD or CHP, and write down the report number before you leave.
- Photograph vehicle positions, debris, skid marks, lane markings, signal phases and the surrounding storefronts.
- Ask in writing that week for any video to be preserved, whether it belongs to a market, a bus operator or an apartment building.
- Collect witness names and phone numbers at the scene. On a commuter route, no one is findable a week later.
- If a transit vehicle or a public agency 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 Reseda
Car accident claims make up most of the work here. A boulevard collision usually turns on details that disappear quickly: the position of the vehicles before impact, signal timing, sight lines blocked by parked cars, and whether anyone was turning across traffic. California follows pure comparative negligence after Li v. Yellow Cab, so a driver who carries part of the responsibility can still recover, reduced by that share.
The Metro G Line busway crosses the community, putting buses and pedestrians into the same intersections all day. Bus accident claims usually involve a public agency, and that changes the calendar entirely: a written government claim is generally due within six months under Government Code 911.2 instead of the usual two years. Transit vehicles also carry onboard cameras, so a written preservation request matters in the first days.
Pedestrian accident cases here rest on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks. On a street like Sherman Way, where the crossings are far apart and the lanes are wide, that rule is tested constantly. 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 that comes up whenever a rider is clipped on a boulevard with no separated lane.
Delivery traffic uses these same streets, and a truck accident case opens up the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: hours of service limits, maintenance records, and electronic logging data a carrier is only required to keep for a limited time. A written preservation demand goes out early so that data still exists when it is needed.
Away from traffic, slip and fall claims in the strip centers and parking lots along Reseda Boulevard 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. Apartment complex injuries off Victory and Vanowen follow the same analysis, usually with a record of earlier complaints about the same stairway or broken light.
Where Reseda cases are handled
Collisions on Reseda surface streets are generally reported by the LAPD West Valley Division. Crashes on the 101, just south of the community, 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 West Hills Hospital and Medical Center to the west or Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center to the south. Keep every discharge instruction, imaging order and billing statement. The medical record built in the first two weeks usually carries more weight than anything assembled months later.
If a claim cannot be resolved and a lawsuit becomes necessary, Reseda cases go to the Los Angeles Superior Court, and Valley civil matters are generally handled at the Van Nuys Courthouse. 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, following 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 calls are returned by the person who knows the file. Meetings can happen at the Chatsworth office, at your home, in the hospital, or by phone and video when travel is difficult. 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, and past matters appear on the case results page. Neighboring areas are covered on the Tarzana and Northridge pages.
Frequently asked questions
I was hit crossing Sherman Way outside a crosswalk. Do I still have a claim?
Often, yes. Vehicle Code 21950 requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks, and an unmarked crosswalk exists at many intersections without paint. Even where a pedestrian shares some responsibility, pure comparative negligence reduces a recovery by that share rather than barring it.
How long do I have to bring a case?
Two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1 for most claims. If a government entity is involved, a written claim is generally due within six months under Government Code 911.2, and waiting can end a case before it starts.
The other driver had only minimum coverage. What then?
California’s minimum liability limits are 30/60/15 under Vehicle Code 16056, often less than a serious injury costs. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which insurers must offer under Insurance Code 11580.2, is usually the next place to look, and that claim has its own notice requirements.
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, and you can reach it through the contact page.
If you were injured in Reseda, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation. 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.
