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Car accident attorney Irvine: get a clear next step.

Request a free case review after an Orange County crash, or start your claim file with the records an adjuster will ask for.

Free case review

Four quick questions, then your callback request.

When did the crash happen?
Do you think another driver caused or contributed to the crash?

It is OK if you are not sure.

Are you feeling injury symptoms or pain?

Pain can include soreness, stiffness, headaches, or symptoms that appeared later.

Have you previously signed an agreement with a lawyer for it?

Include agreements for this accident, even if the lawyer no longer represents you.

Where can we reach you?

Request a callback from our partner law firm about your accident. An automated assistant asks a few questions and can connect you with the intake team.

Free initial review

By submitting, you agree to our T&Cs.

  • Free initial review
  • Orange County crashes
  • No obligation to hire an attorney

Start here

From four answers to a callback

Nothing is decided until you choose to go ahead.

Start your free case review

  1. Answer four questions

    When the crash happened, whether another driver caused it, whether you are hurt and whether you have signed with a lawyer.

  2. Expect a call

    Our partner’s automated assistant calls, introduces itself and asks a few questions.

  3. Possible attorney review

    The intake team can fill in missing details and explain what could happen next.

How to choose a car accident attorney in Irvine

Irvine is a planned city with wide arterials, heavy freeway traffic and a lot of rear-end crashes at signals. The car accident attorney you choose should know how Irvine Police and the CHP write their reports and how Orange County's civil courts run. Before you sign with anyone, check five things.

  1. The licence. Search the lawyer's name in the State Bar of California attorney search. It shows whether the licence is active and lists public discipline.
  2. The courtroom record. Orange County's civil cases are heard at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Ask how many crash cases the attorney has tried there.
  3. The fee agreement. A California contingency agreement must be written and signed by both of you. Read the percentage, how case costs are paid and the line that says the fee is negotiable.
  4. The medical bills. Ask how liens from doctors and health insurers are handled when the case settles, because they come out of your share.
  5. The pressure. A good attorney lets you take the agreement home. Be wary of anyone who wants a signature at the hospital or quotes a settlement figure on day one.

Who pays for what after an Irvine crash

California is an at-fault state, so the driver who caused the crash pays through their liability insurance. Every policy issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 must cover at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for injuries, plus $15,000 for property damage. A serious injury can use up those limits quickly, which is why your own coverage matters.

Which coverage pays which cost after a crash
CoverageComes fromPays for
Bodily injury liabilityThe at-fault driverYour medical costs, lost wages and pain, up to their limit
Property damage liabilityThe at-fault driverRepairs to your car or its value, up to their limit
Uninsured and underinsured motoristYour policyYour injuries when the other driver has too little cover or none
Medical paymentsYour policy, if you added itMedical bills, no matter who was at fault

The other driver's insurer will usually call within a few days. You can confirm the basics, but you do not need to give a recorded statement right away. Do not sign a release for your injuries until you know how your recovery is going.

California deadlines and shared fault

In California you generally have two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit and three years for damage to your vehicle. A claim against a public agency is due much sooner. If the City of Irvine, the County of Orange or Caltrans may be responsible, for example for a faulty signal or a road defect, the written claim must be filed within six months.

Fault is shared under pure comparative fault. Your award is reduced by your percentage of the blame, and no percentage bars the claim outright.

Example: your losses come to $80,000 and you are found 25% at fault. You would receive $60,000.

Proposition 213 adds one limit: a driver who was uninsured, or who was convicted of driving under the influence, cannot collect pain and suffering damages. Medical bills and lost income are still recoverable.

What the free case review covers

The four questions check whether your crash fits this review path: it happened in the last six months, another driver caused or may have caused it, you have pain or injury symptoms, and you have not signed with a lawyer for it.

Then our partner’s automated assistant calls, confirms a few details and can connect you with the intake team. The review is free, and you are under no obligation to hire an attorney.

Clear Lane claim file

Build your claim file in four folders

Sixteen things an adjuster or an attorney will ask you for. Tick each one as you collect it.

Folder 1From the scene

  • Every driver in an injury crash must stop and help. On a freeway, wait behind the barrier if you can.

  • City streets are Irvine Police. Freeways and state routes are the CHP. Write down the report number. Which agency?

  • Damage, plates, lane lines, signals and the nearest street sign.

  • Photograph the other driver’s insurance card. Get a phone number from each witness.

Folder 2Medical records

  • Soreness that starts late still counts. An early visit links it to the crash. Trauma care in OC

  • One envelope or one phone album, in date order.

  • Two lines a day is enough to show how the injury changed your week.

  • Gaps in treatment are the first thing an adjuster points to.

Folder 3Reports and forms

  • Needed after any injury, or more than $1,000 of damage to one person’s property.

  • Irvine Police: the online request form or the Business Desk at City Hall. CHP: the Crash Portal. How to order

  • Give the date, place and vehicles. Leave the question of fault for later.

  • Confirm the basics. The details can wait until you have the report. Who pays

Folder 4Costs and coverage

  • Keep the towing, storage and rental receipts with it.

  • Lost wages are part of the claim, and a letter is easier to prove than a pay stub gap.

  • Look for uninsured motorist, medical payments, rental and collision cover, and the limits.

  • The State Bar of California search shows licence status and public discipline. Open the search (opens in a new tab)

0 of 16 done

Irvine and Orange County: who handles what

The report, the trauma care and the courthouse that matter after a crash in Irvine.

Crash reports

Was it a city street or a freeway?

That decides who has your report. Irvine Police investigate crashes on city streets such as Jamboree Road and Culver Drive. The California Highway Patrol handles I-5, I-405 and the state routes, even where they cross the city.

Crash reports from Irvine Police and the CHP
Irvine Police report page (opens in a new tab)California Highway Patrol report page (opens in a new tab)
CoversCity streets inside IrvineI-5, I-405 and the state routes through Irvine
How to askThe online request form, or the Business Desk at City Hall, One Civic Center PlazaThe CHP Crash Portal online, or form CHP 190 by mail or in person
Lawyers and insurersBy mail, with the report number and a stamped return envelopeThe same routes, with a claim or policy number
TimingAsk the Business Desk whether it is ready before you goUsually about 8 business days. $10 for up to 25 pages.

Trauma care

UCI Medical Center

101 The City Drive South, Orange

Orange County's only Level I adult trauma center, in the city of Orange.

  • South county: Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo is a Level II trauma center
  • Milder injuries: your doctor or an urgent care clinic
  • When: within a day or two, even if you feel fine at first

Courts

Central Justice Center

700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana

The Orange County Superior Court hears small claims and limited and unlimited civil cases from every city in the county here.

  • Small claims: up to $12,500 for a person
  • Limited civil: $35,000 or less
  • Unlimited civil: more than $35,000

Common questions

Fees, reports, fault and deadlines after a crash in Irvine.

Is the case review free?

Yes. The initial review is free, and you are under no obligation to hire an attorney.

Does finishing the review mean my case is accepted?

No. The four questions check the first criteria only. An attorney must review the full details before accepting a case.

How much does a car accident attorney in Irvine cost?

Most charge a contingency fee: a percentage of what they recover, with nothing paid upfront. In California the agreement must be in writing and signed by both of you. It has to state the rate, explain how costs affect what you receive, and say that the fee is not set by law and can be negotiated.

Who takes the report for a crash in Irvine?

It depends on the road. Irvine Police handle city streets, and you can request the report online or at the Business Desk at City Hall. The CHP handles I-5, I-405 and the state routes, and its reports come through the CHP Crash Portal or form CHP 190.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

In the review, choose "Yes" if you think another driver caused or contributed to the crash, or "Not sure" if you don't know. California uses pure comparative fault, so a share of the blame reduces your award but does not end your claim.

How long do I have to file a claim after a crash in California?

Generally two years to file a lawsuit for an injury and three years for vehicle damage. A claim against a city, the county, Caltrans or another public agency must be filed within six months.

Hurt in a crash in Irvine or elsewhere in Orange County? Four questions start your free review.

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Hurt in an Irvine crash?Free case review