injured in an accident Accidents in Los Angeles

Courts & Filing in Los Angeles

Personal injury cases filed in the Central District of Los Angeles are assigned to Independent Calendar departments at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles — the largest trial court in the United States, processing more personal injury litigation than any other court in California.

The Los Angeles Superior Court is the largest trial court system in the United States. Personal injury cases classified as "unlimited civil" (damages exceeding $35,000) are assigned for all purposes to Independent Calendar (IC) departments in the relevant district courthouse.

Central District — Stanley Mosk Courthouse. As of January 8, 2024, all new personal injury cases filed in the Central District are assigned to IC departments at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 830-0803. Filing is mandatory through the court’s eFiling portal for represented parties.

Case management. New PI cases at the Stanley Mosk are typically scheduled for an Initial Status Conference within 180 days of filing. Los Angeles County Court Rules Chapter 2 governs case assignment and require strict compliance with Case Management Orders.

District-specific filing. Los Angeles County’s geographic size means filing location depends on where the accident occurred. The LASC filing locator at lacourt.org/page/PR0102 allows parties to enter a ZIP code to confirm the correct filing courthouse.

Mandatory Settlement Conferences. The LASC PI Courts operate a Mandatory Settlement Conference Program staffed by volunteer settlement attorneys from ABOTA, ASCDC, and CAALA. MSCs are typically scheduled 4–8 weeks before trial. The majority of Los Angeles County PI cases settle at or around the MSC.

California Law in Los Angeles Cases

California personal injury cases in Los Angeles are governed by the same state statutes that apply throughout California: two-year SOL under CCP § 335.1, pure comparative fault from Li v. Yellow Cab Co., updated insurance minimums of $30,000/$60,000/$15,000 under Vehicle Code § 16056 (January 1, 2025).

Government entity claims arising from Los Angeles City or County operations require an administrative tort claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2. The City of Los Angeles Claim Administration Unit processes City claims; the County Risk Management handles County claims. MTA claims are filed at metro.net.

LAPD stopped responding to minor traffic collisions in 2020. Minor vehicle accidents in Los Angeles use the LAPD online self-report system. For any accident involving injury, LAPD responds and prepares a Traffic Collision Report obtainable from LAPD Records at 100 W. 1st St., Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Accident Data

Los Angeles County reported 40,717 traffic collisions in 2023, averaging approximately 111 crashes per day countywide, according to TIMS maintained by UC Berkeley through SWITRS. The City of Los Angeles averaged approximately 30 injury-causing crashes daily in the same period. These figures exclude property-damage-only collisions that LAPD no longer responds to directly.

The City’s High Injury Network — approximately 6% of city streets — accounts for 65% of pedestrian and cyclist deaths and severe injuries per LADOT data. Dense corridors including Figueroa Street, Vermont Avenue, Western Avenue, and the I-405 corridor generate disproportionate serious injury and fatality litigation volume.

Hit-and-run fatalities in Los Angeles increased 96% from 2020 to 2023 per SAFE (Streets Are For Everyone). DUI-related fatalities also increased in 2022 and 2023, driven by a rise in drug-impaired driving cases. Source: California OTS Quick Stats 2023; TIMS/SWITRS data via UC Berkeley SafeTREC.

High-Risk Areas in Los Angeles

• I-405 (San Diego Freeway) — The most congested freeway in the United States generates high rear-end, lane-change, and multi-vehicle collision volumes throughout the year.
• I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway) — High-speed through corridor with significant commercial vehicle traffic. Truck accident litigation from I-10 incidents frequently involves FMCSA federal regulatory issues.
• Figueroa Street (South LA corridor) — Identified in the City’s High Injury Network. High pedestrian and cyclist injury concentration.
• Wilshire Boulevard (Westside/Mid-City) — Dense urban arterial with high cyclist, bus passenger, and pedestrian injury rates.
• Alvarado St. & 7th St. intersection — Historically documented as one of the highest vehicle-pedestrian collision intersections in the city.

Insurance Landscape — Los Angeles

Los Angeles vehicle accident insurance claims are governed by California’s standard tort-based (at-fault) framework. The updated minimum liability limits of $30,000/$60,000/$15,000 (January 1, 2025) apply throughout the county. Approximately 16–17% of California drivers are uninsured statewide; the rate in some Los Angeles ZIP codes is higher, making UM/UIM coverage particularly critical.

Rideshare vehicle accidents involving Uber and Lyft are especially prevalent in Los Angeles given the city’s density and airport corridor traffic. SB 371’s reduction of TNC UM/UIM coverage to $60,000 per person (effective 2025) is particularly relevant in Los Angeles where uninsured third-party driver exposure is elevated.

Commercial truck accidents on Los Angeles freeways involve California tort law and federal FMCSA regulations. Los Angeles is one of the highest-volume commercial carrier jurisdictions in the country due to its port activity (Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach — the busiest container port complex in the Western Hemisphere).