The Santa Clarita Valley is built around long commutes. The 5 and the 14 carry most of the region in and out every day, Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road absorb the rest, and McBean Parkway and Valencia Boulevard move traffic between Valencia, Newhall, Saugus and Canyon Country. Speeds are higher here than in the older parts of the San Fernando Valley, which is one reason injuries in Santa Clarita tend to be more serious than the vehicle damage suggests.
Manoukian Law Firm is a personal injury practice with its office in Chatsworth, roughly twenty-five minutes south over the 118 and the 5. The attorney who reviews the records is the one who prepares the case.
What to do after an injury in Santa Clarita
- Call 911 and accept evaluation at the scene. Adrenaline masks symptoms, and a head injury can take days to declare itself.
- Note which agency responded, the deputy’s name and the report number.
- Photograph the scene from several distances, including the road surface, the signage and the position of the vehicles before they are moved.
- Get contact information from witnesses. On freeway crashes they leave quickly and are almost impossible to find later.
- Follow through on the referrals you are given and tell each provider about every symptom, including headaches, memory trouble and sleep problems.
- Submit a DMV form SR-1 within ten days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeded $1,000, as Vehicle Code 16000 requires.
- Call an attorney before giving a recorded statement or signing anything an insurer sends.
Personal injury cases we handle in Santa Clarita
Vehicle collisions. Freeway crashes on the 5 near the truck lanes and on the 14 through Canyon Country make up a large share of the serious injuries here. We handle car accident claims and truck accident cases, which are different work: commercial carriers are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations covering hours of service, vehicle maintenance and electronic logging data, and that evidence disappears unless a preservation letter goes out early. Commercial policies also carry far higher limits than a private auto policy.
Motorcycles and bicycles. Sierra Highway and the canyon roads draw riders year-round. Lane splitting is lawful under Vehicle Code 21658.1, and the helmet requirement in Vehicle Code 27803 is a safety rule, not an automatic answer on fault. We handle motorcycle accident and bicycle accident claims, including cases on the paseo trails that connect the neighborhoods, where cyclists carry the rights and duties of drivers under Vehicle Code 21200.
People on foot. In pedestrian accident cases, drivers must yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks under Vehicle Code 21950. Wide arterials and long blocks make these collisions severe, and the driver’s account of where the person stepped from is usually contested.
Property and premises. The valley’s retail centers, apartment communities and hotels along the freeway generate steady slip and fall claims, apartment complex injuries and hotel injuries. All of them are measured against the duty of care described in Rowland v. Christian and turn on notice: what the owner knew or should have known, and whether the hazard was repaired or warned about.
Dogs, scooters and rideshare. Civil Code 3342 makes a dog owner strictly liable when the bitten person was lawfully present, which shapes every dog bite case. Motorized scooters are governed by Vehicle Code 21221 and the sections that follow. In a rideshare accident, coverage depends on the driver’s period under Public Utilities Code 5433, and since January 1, 2026, uninsured and underinsured coverage during a trip is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
Where Santa Clarita cases are handled
Law enforcement in Santa Clarita is provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department through the Santa Clarita Valley Station, so most collision and incident reports come from the Sheriff rather than a city police department. Crashes on the 5 and the 14 are generally worked by the California Highway Patrol. Knowing which agency responded matters, because the two systems request records differently and one report often exists without the other.
Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is the main emergency department for the valley, and many people are treated there before following up with a specialist closer to home. Keep the discharge instructions and the imaging orders. Those documents establish the starting point of the injury, and gaps in treatment are the first thing an insurer points to.
When litigation is necessary, Santa Clarita cases are generally filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court and heard in the court’s North Valley district at the Chatsworth Courthouse. Because assignments are set by the court and can change, we confirm the correct location for each case before filing rather than assuming it.
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 distance from Santa Clarita to the Chatsworth office is short, and most clients never need to make the drive. Consultations happen by phone or video, documents are handled electronically, and if your injuries make travel hard, the attorney will come to the hospital. Consultations are free, the firm works on contingency, and there is no fee unless we win. The firm helps clients in English, Spanish and Armenian. You can learn more about the attorney or reach the office through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to file?
Two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If the claim is against a public entity, a written claim is generally required within six months under Government Code 911.2, followed by a shorter deadline to file suit once the claim is rejected. Missing either date usually ends the claim.
I was partly responsible. Can I still recover?
Yes. California applies pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab, so a share of fault reduces recovery rather than eliminating it. Fault percentages are frequently disputed, which is why scene evidence gathered early matters so much.
The crash happened on the 5 in a truck’s blind spot. What is different about that case?
Commercial carriers keep records that private drivers do not, including driver logs, inspection reports and telematics data. Those records are subject to retention schedules under the federal safety regulations, so the request has to go out promptly. Higher policy limits also mean the carrier’s own investigators arrive quickly.
What will this cost me?
Nothing up front. The firm takes personal injury cases on a contingency fee, and there is no fee unless we win. The consultation is free whether or not you hire the firm.
If you or a family member was injured in Santa Clarita, call (818) 818-5031. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless the firm recovers for you.
