Simi Valley is about fifteen minutes west of this office, over the Santa Susana Pass, and the drive itself explains a good share of the cases that come from there. The 118 climbs and drops through the pass with tight curves, sun glare in both directions and traffic that moves faster than the geometry invites. Once you are down in the city, the pattern changes: long, wide arterials like Los Angeles Avenue, Madera Road, Tapo Canyon Road and First Street, where speeds stay high and collisions cluster at signalized intersections and left turn pockets.
The other thing that sets Simi Valley apart is jurisdiction. This is Ventura County, not Los Angeles County, and it has its own city police department and its own courts. That affects where a report comes from, where a lawsuit gets filed, and which deadline applies when a public entity is involved. Manoukian Law Firm handles those differences as a matter of routine, with an attorney on the file from the first call.
What to do after an injury in Simi Valley
- Get medical attention the same day. On a pass or arterial collision, serious injuries are often masked at the scene.
- Confirm whether the Simi Valley Police Department or the CHP responded, and record the report number.
- Photograph the roadway, sightlines, sun position, signage and vehicle damage before anything is moved or repaired.
- Ask any nearby business in writing that week to preserve video, and note whether the location has cameras.
- Take witness names and phone numbers at the scene rather than relying on the report to capture them.
- If a city or county vehicle, road condition or property was involved, say so immediately. The six-month claim rule is short and unforgiving.
- 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.
Car accidents in Simi Valley
Simi Valley car accident cases divide into two groups. The first is the 118 itself: the Santa Susana Pass between Chatsworth and Simi Valley, where curves, grade, glare and speed produce rear-end chain collisions and lane-change crashes, and the interchanges at Kuehner Drive, Stearns Street, Tapo Canyon Road and First Street, where slowing traffic gets hit from behind. The second is the city’s arterials, Los Angeles Avenue, Madera Road, Tapo Canyon Road, Cochran Street and First Street, where the crashes cluster at signalized intersections and in left-turn pockets, and where a large share of the vehicles are commuters heading to or from the Valley.
Freeway crashes on the 118 in Ventura County are reported by the CHP Moorpark Area office; crashes on Simi Valley streets are reported by the Simi Valley Police Department, and treatment usually begins at Adventist Health Simi Valley. A lawsuit, if one is needed, is filed in Ventura County Superior Court rather than Los Angeles, and the firm files there as a matter of routine. The car accident page explains how the claim is valued and what to expect. In one of the firm’s collision cases, the other side valued the client’s injuries at $5,000 to $10,000 and called the crash a soft impact; the client had been the third car struck in a chain-reaction collision. The firm filed suit and recovered $275,000. The first offer is a starting point, not a verdict on what the case is worth.
Truck, rideshare and commercial vehicle crashes in Simi Valley
The 118 is a freight route between the Valley and Ventura County, and the industrial parks off Tapo Canyon Road and Easy Street put box trucks and work vans on city streets all day. A crash with a commercial vehicle brings in the employer and the vehicle owner, larger policies and records that must be preserved in writing within days; the San Fernando Valley truck accident page explains how the firm handles those cases. Simi Valley also produces a steady number of Uber and Lyft accident claims, where the coverage that applies depends on whether the driver was waiting for a ride, on the way to a pickup or carrying a passenger at the moment of the crash.
Other injury cases we handle in Simi Valley
Car accident claims are the core of the work, and the ones that begin on the 118 through the pass tend to be more serious than a comparable city street crash because of speed and grade. Evidence there ages quickly, so vehicle inspection, scene photographs and any dashcam footage matter within days.
Motorcycle accident cases follow the same corridor. Riders use the pass regularly, and a claim frequently begins by establishing that lane splitting is lawful under Vehicle Code 21658.1 and that helmet use under Vehicle Code 27803 says nothing about who caused the collision. Commercial traffic moving between the Valley and Ventura County makes truck accident claims a regular part of the practice, with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations governing hours of service, maintenance and electronic logging device data that has to be preserved in writing before it is purged.
In the residential grid, pedestrian accident cases turn on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks, a rule that is regularly tested on the long blocks of Los Angeles Avenue where signals are far apart. Bicycle accident claims apply Vehicle Code 21200, giving cyclists the rights and duties of drivers, and the three foot passing rule in Vehicle Code 21760.
Off the road, slip and fall claims in stores, lots and stairwells are decided on notice: whether the property 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 are governed by Civil Code 3342, which imposes strict liability on the owner when the injured person was lawfully in a public or private place, with a report to the local health officer and a quarantine that generally runs ten days.
Where Simi Valley cases are handled
Collisions and incidents on Simi Valley city streets are generally reported by the Simi Valley Police Department, which is a city agency rather than a county sheriff contract. Crashes on the 118 are usually investigated by the California Highway Patrol. Knowing which agency responded determines where the report is requested and how long it takes.
Emergency care generally means Adventist Health Simi Valley. Keep every discharge instruction and referral, and follow through on the recommended treatment. A record with consistent care is the difference between a claim that resolves and one that stalls.
Because Simi Valley is in Ventura County, a lawsuit is generally filed in the Ventura County Superior Court, typically in Ventura and, for some matters, at the East County Courthouse in Simi Valley. Court assignments are set by the court and can change, so the filing location is confirmed for each case rather than assumed. One deadline deserves emphasis: a claim against Ventura County or the City of Simi Valley, such as a dangerous road condition or a city vehicle, generally requires a written government claim within six months under Government Code 911.2, with a lawsuit deadline following the rejection of that claim.
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.
A short drive over the pass means a Simi Valley scene can be visited while the conditions look the way they did, which matters on a road where glare and curve radius are part of the story. If coming to the Chatsworth office is difficult, meetings can happen at 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 is on the about page, and past matters are described on the case results page. The nearby Chatsworth and Porter Ranch pages cover communities on the Los Angeles County side.
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
Does a Ventura County case get handled differently?
The substantive law is the same statewide, but the venue, the responding agency and the local court procedures differ. A Simi Valley case is generally filed in the Ventura County Superior Court, and the report usually comes from the Simi Valley Police Department rather than an LAPD division.
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Generally two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If the claim is against the City of Simi Valley, Ventura County or another public entity, a written claim is generally due within six months under Government Code 911.2.
The collision happened on the 118 in the pass. Who investigates?
Freeway collisions are generally handled by the California Highway Patrol. Those reports take time to become available, and the officer’s opinion on fault is evidence rather than a final determination. Independent documentation of the scene is worth gathering in the meantime.
Can you take my case if I live in Ventura County?
Yes. The firm represents injured people throughout California, and Simi Valley is one of the closest communities to the office. You can start with a free consultation through the contact page or by phone.
If you were injured in Simi Valley, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless the firm recovers for you.
