Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer

Paramedic · Attorney

Hurt in a car accident? Get a lawyer who understands your injuries.

The insurance company wants to close your claim quickly and cheaply. Ari Friedman knows the medicine and the law. Free, confidential consultation.

Call 323-596-1234 Free case review

Since 2009Representing injury victims in Southern California

25+ yearsEmergency medical experience as an EMT and paramedic

EMS expertRetained as an expert witness on EMS standards of care

A car accident can change your life in seconds: injuries, missed work, medical bills, and an insurance company that wants to close your claim quickly and cheaply. Ari Friedman has represented injury victims since 2009. As a licensed paramedic with more than 25 years of emergency medical experience, he understands the medical side of your claim as well as the legal side.

The crash takes seconds. The claim can take months.

From the first ER visit to the final settlement, the medical record drives the value of your case. Ari knows how to read it, and how to build it.

Common causes of car accidents

Rear-end collisionsStop-and-go freeway traffic and drivers following too closely.

IntersectionsRed-light runners and drivers who fail to yield on a left turn.

Unsafe lane changesDrivers merging without checking the blind spot.

Distracted driversTexting, phone calls and navigation screens.

SpeedingLess time to react and more force on impact.

Impaired driversAlcohol, drugs and drowsy driving.

What to do after a car accident in California

Get medical care right away. Some injuries, like concussions, whiplash and internal injuries, don’t show symptoms for hours or days. A delay in treatment is one of the first things insurers use to argue you weren’t really hurt.
Call the police and get a report number. The report records the scene, the witnesses, and often the officer’s opinion of who caused the crash.
Document everything. Take photos of the vehicles, the road, your injuries, and the other driver’s license and insurance card.
Report the crash to the DMV. California requires an SR-1 report within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if property damage exceeds $1,000.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. You don’t have to give a recorded statement, and anything you say can be used to reduce your claim. Talk to a lawyer first.

It can feel like a lot to handle while you’re hurt.

When Ari represents you, he helps untangle all of it, from the police report and DMV paperwork to medical bills and calls from insurance adjusters, and he assists you throughout your claim.

Damaged car with a crushed hood after an accident

What Ari looks for in your records

Mechanism of injury. Speed, direction of impact, and how you were thrown.
Level of consciousness. Early signs of a head injury.
Your first complaints. What hurt at the scene, in your own words.
Vital signs and treatment. What responders saw and did.
What’s missing. Gaps an insurer will try to use against you.

Why medical experience matters in a car accident claim

Most injury claims are won or lost on the medical evidence. Ari reads ambulance reports, ER records and treatment notes the way the people who wrote them do. He knows what each entry means, what is missing, and how to show an insurer the full course of your injuries, including the ones that developed after the first day.

His knowledge of emergency medicine is recognized beyond his own cases: Ari has been retained as an expert witness on EMS standards of care.

Government Code § 911.2

Hit by a city bus or government vehicle?

Claims against a city, county or state agency have their own rules, including a written claim that generally must be filed within six months. Talk to a lawyer quickly.

Hit-and-run

What if the driver fled?

The uninsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy may cover you. There may be very short deadlines for this kind of claim, possibly as short as 24 hours to report the hit-and-run to the police and 30 days to notify your insurer, so act right away.

UM / UIM coverage

Uninsured and underinsured drivers

California’s required minimum coverage is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage. That often isn’t enough for a serious injury. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may help make up the difference, and Ari can review your policy.

What compensation may be available

Depending on the facts, an injury victim in California may be able to recover:

Medical bills, past and future
Lost wages and lost earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Property damage to your vehicle

California deadlines you should know

There are many deadlines that can affect an injury claim. A few common ones are listed below, but this list is not complete.

Two years to file a lawsuit for personal injuries in most cases (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1).
Six months to file a written claim if a government vehicle or agency is involved, such as a city bus or county truck (Government Code § 911.2).
Possibly as short as 24 hours and 30 days in a hit-and-run. If you make an uninsured motorist claim under your own auto policy because the driver can’t be identified, there may be requirements to report the hit-and-run to the police within 24 hours and to notify your insurer within 30 days (see Insurance Code § 11580.2). Whether and how these apply depends on your policy and the facts, so check with an attorney right away.

Which deadlines apply, and when they start, depends on the facts of your case. Some are much shorter than two years. Review the deadlines with an attorney early so the statute of limitations doesn’t run on your claim. Missing one can end your case.

Talk to Ari about your accident

Free and confidential consultation. Serving Los Angeles County and all of Southern California.

Call 323-596-1234 Free case review form

Attorney advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.