Tarzana is organized around a few streets that carry far more traffic than their width suggests. Ventura Boulevard runs through the commercial core, lined with medical offices, restaurants and small lots whose driveways empty into moving traffic. Reseda Boulevard and Tampa Avenue bring commuters down to the 101 on-ramps, and Burbank Boulevard takes the overflow when the freeway backs up. A major hospital campus draws vehicles and pedestrians all day, and the collisions here tend to be the low-speed, high-injury kind: a left turn across a boulevard, a car pulling out of a driveway, someone stepping off a curb between signals.
Manoukian Law Firm is about fifteen minutes northwest, at 9520 Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Chatsworth, which makes Tarzana one of the closest communities the firm serves. Attorney Vaheh Manoukian handles each case himself, from the first call through resolution, preparing every file as if it will be tried. Small firm access, big firm knowledge. Meetings can happen at the office, at your home, in the hospital, or by phone and video.
What to do after an injury in Tarzana
- Get examined the same day. A collision at boulevard speed regularly produces symptoms that do not appear until the next morning.
- Confirm the responding agency, LAPD West Valley Division or CHP, and write down the report number before leaving.
- Photograph vehicle positions, debris, lane markings, signal heads and the driveway or lot entrance involved.
- If you fell, photograph the hazard with an object for scale, and report it to the manager in writing.
- Identify cameras. Medical buildings, markets and restaurants along Ventura Boulevard almost all record exterior video.
- Ask in writing that week for footage to be preserved. Verbal requests rarely stop an automatic overwrite.
- File a DMV form SR-1 within ten days if there was an injury or more than $1,000 in property damage, as Vehicle Code 16000 requires.
- Speak with an attorney before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company.
Injury cases we handle in Tarzana
Car accident claims are the largest share of the work. On Ventura Boulevard the recurring pattern is a vehicle turning left across traffic or entering from a small lot with limited sight distance, and the case turns on right of way, speed and what a driver could actually see. Collisions on the 101 depend more on lane position and closing speed, where damage patterns, dashcam footage and the CHP report carry the weight. Cameras along the boulevard often capture the collision, but many overwrite within a week.
Reseda Boulevard and Tampa Avenue carry delivery traffic toward the freeway, and a truck accident case opens up the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: hours of service limits, maintenance history, and electronic logging device data a carrier is only required to keep for a limited period. A written preservation demand goes out early so that data still exists when the case needs it.
Pedestrian accident cases rest on Vehicle Code 21950, which requires drivers to yield in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Long blocks with widely spaced signals on Ventura and Reseda are where that rule is tested. Bicycle accident claims start from Vehicle Code 21200 and the three-foot passing rule in Vehicle Code 21760, and motorcycle accident claims begin with the fact that lane splitting is lawful under Vehicle Code 21658.1.
Rideshare traffic is constant along the boulevard and around the hospital. Coverage depends on the driver’s status under Public Utilities Code 5433: 50/100/30 with the app on and no ride accepted, and a one million dollar liability policy while en route to a rider or carrying one. Since January 1, 2026, uninsured and underinsured coverage during a trip is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
Away from the road, slip and fall claims in markets, medical buildings and parking structures 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 injury claims in the buildings along Burbank Boulevard follow the same analysis, usually with a documented history of complaints about stairs or lighting.
Where Tarzana cases are handled
Collisions on Tarzana surface streets are generally reported by the LAPD West Valley Division. Crashes on the 101 are generally investigated by the California Highway Patrol. The two reports become available on different timelines and are requested separately, so noting the responding agency at the scene saves time later.
Emergency care generally means Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center on Clark Street, formerly Providence Tarzana, which serves much of the west Valley. 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 record matters as much as the treatment record.
If a claim cannot be resolved and a lawsuit becomes necessary, Tarzana cases are filed in 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 is a member of 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.
Because Tarzana is close to the Chatsworth office, in-person meetings are easy to arrange, and home and hospital visits are routine. 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, past matters are described on the case results page, and nearby communities are covered on the Encino and Woodland Hills pages.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to bring a claim?
Two years from the date of injury for most personal injury claims, under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. If a government entity is involved, a written claim is generally due within six months under Government Code 911.2. Waiting also costs evidence, since video and witness memory disappear long before the deadline.
The other driver says I pulled out too fast. Does that end my claim?
No. California applies pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab, so a recovery is reduced by your share of responsibility rather than barred. Insurers often assign more fault than the evidence supports, which is a reason to have the collision investigated.
Where would my lawsuit be filed?
Tarzana cases go to the Los Angeles Superior Court, and Valley civil matters are generally handled at the Van Nuys Courthouse. The court sets assignments, so the venue is confirmed for each case rather than assumed at the outset.
I do not have health insurance. Can I still get treated?
Often yes. Many providers treat injured people on a lien, meaning they are paid out of a recovery rather than up front. Part of the firm’s early work is making sure treatment is arranged and documented, because gaps in care are used to argue an injury was not serious.
If you were injured in Tarzana, call (818) 818-5031 for a free consultation, or reach the firm through the contact page. 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.
