California & Nevada Car Accident Lawyers

If you were injured in a car accident in California or Nevada, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering. Mendez & Sanchez APC has recovered over $1 billion for more than 5,000 injured clients. Consultations are free, we are available 24/7 in English and Spanish, and you pay nothing unless we win.

Do You Need to Hire a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

Not always. If the accident was truly minor, nobody was hurt, and the insurance company pays your repair bill promptly, you may not need an attorney. But you should strongly consider hiring one if any of the following apply: you or a passenger were injured, your injuries required medical treatment or time off work, the other driver disputes fault, the insurance company is delaying or lowballing you, or a commercial vehicle, rideshare, or government vehicle was involved.

Studies consistently show that injured people who hire an attorney recover significantly more than those who negotiate alone, even after attorney fees. Insurance adjusters know which claimants have legal representation and which do not, and they make offers accordingly.

Questions to ask any car accident lawyer before hiring them:

• Do you charge anything upfront, and what is your contingency fee?
• Have you handled cases like mine, and what were the results?
• Will you prepare my case for trial, or do you settle everything?
• Who will actually work on my case, and how often will I get updates?
• Do you have in-house resources for investigation and medical documentation?

What Should You Do Immediately After a Car Accident?

1. Get to safety and call 911. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, request paramedics.
2. Call the police and get a report. In California, you must report any accident involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,000. A police report is your official record if the other driver changes their story.
3. Document the scene. Photograph all vehicles from multiple angles, the road, skid marks, traffic signs, visible injuries, and the other driver's license and insurance card. Get witness names and phone numbers.
4. Seek medical attention within 24 to 48 hours. Whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries often show no symptoms at first. Gaps in treatment are used by insurers to argue you were not really hurt.
5. Contact an attorney before speaking to any insurance company. Early legal help preserves evidence and prevents costly mistakes.

What Should You NOT Do After an Accident?

• Do not admit fault or apologize. Even saying "I'm sorry" can be treated as an admission by the other driver's insurer.
• Do not guess about facts. If you do not know how fast you were going or exactly what happened, say so. Guesses become recorded statements.
• Do not delay medical treatment. Late treatment is the single most common reason claims get devalued.
• Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company, including your own, before speaking with an attorney.
• Do not accept a quick settlement. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim, even if you need surgery weeks later.

What Are the Most Common Car Accident Injuries?

Even low-speed collisions can cause serious injuries. The cases we handle most often involve:

• Whiplash, neck injuries, and radiculopathy
• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
• Spinal cord injuries and herniated discs
• Broken bones and torn ligaments
• Internal organ injuries
• Facial, eye, and dental injuries
• Lacerations, burns, and scarring
• Wrongful death of a family member

What Compensation Are You Entitled To?

A car accident claim in California or Nevada can include four main categories of damages:

• Medical expenses: emergency care, ambulance, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, medication, medical equipment, mental health counseling, and the cost of future treatment.
• Lost income: wages you lost while recovering, plus reduced future earning capacity if your injuries keep you from returning to the same work.
• Property damage: vehicle repair or replacement and other damaged property.
• Pain and suffering: non-economic damages for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and loss of enjoyment of life. In serious injury cases this is often the largest part of the recovery.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim?

In California, the statute of limitations for a car accident injury claim is 2 years from the date of the accident (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). Nevada also allows 2 years (NRS 11.190). Two critical exceptions: if a government vehicle or dangerous public road condition was involved, you must file a government claim within just 6 months in California. And property-damage-only claims in California have a 3-year deadline. Waiting costs you leverage either way: evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and insurers know your deadline is approaching.

Can You Recover Compensation if You Were Partially at Fault?

Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence, which means you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault. Your recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages are $100,000 and you are found 25% at fault, you still recover $75,000. Even a driver who is 99% at fault can recover 1% in California.

Nevada is different: it follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (NRS 41.141). You can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other side, so a driver who is 50% at fault recovers half of their damages, but a driver who is 51% at fault recovers nothing. This makes the fault investigation critical in Nevada cases, and it is exactly where an experienced attorney earns their fee.

I'm Undocumented. Can I Still File a Claim?

Yes, absolutely. Your immigration status does not affect your right to compensation after a car accident. In California, Evidence Code section 351.2 specifically prohibits using a person's immigration status against them in a personal injury case, and defendants generally cannot even ask about it. Mendez & Sanchez APC is a bilingual firm. Our attorneys and staff speak Spanish at all four offices, and we have represented thousands of immigrant clients. Everything you tell us is confidential.

What Is the Legal Process for a Car Accident Case?

1. Investigation and demand: we gather the police report, medical records, video footage, and witness statements, then send the insurer a demand backed by evidence. Most cases settle at this stage.
2. Filing the lawsuit: if the insurer will not pay fairly, we file a complaint before the statute of limitations expires.
3. Discovery: both sides exchange evidence, take depositions, and consult experts such as accident reconstructionists and medical specialists.
4. Mediation and negotiation: most lawsuits resolve here, once the insurer sees the case is trial-ready.
5. Trial: if the insurance company still refuses a fair number, we present your case to a jury. Preparing every case for trial from day one is what creates settlement leverage.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 40,901 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2023, and California consistently records among the highest crash totals of any state. The cases our firm handles most often involve:

• Rear-end collisions
• Distracted or texting drivers
• DUI and drug-impaired drivers
• Speeding and reckless driving
• Hit-and-run drivers
• Highway and freeway pileups
• Uber, Lyft, and rideshare accidents
• Commercial trucks and delivery vehicles

Why Injured Clients Choose Mendez & Sanchez APC

We have recovered over $1 billion for more than 5,000 clients across California and Nevada, and we take aggressive steps to build leverage against the insurance company. Our team:

• Collects police reports, video footage, and scene evidence
• Interviews witnesses and brings in accident reconstruction experts
• Works directly with medical providers so you can treat on a lien, with nothing out of pocket
• Prepares every case for trial, even when we expect to settle
• Handles everything in English or Spanish, with offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Costa Mesa, and Las Vegas

Helpful Guides From Our Car Accident Attorneys

• You just got in a car accident. Here's what to do.
• Who pays my hospital bills after an accident?
• The accident wasn't my fault. Why am I being blamed?
• Estimate what your case may be worth

Looking for a car accident lawyer in your city? We serve Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Long Beach, Anaheim, and communities across California and Nevada.