Most San Francisco residents own a vehicle and nearly half a million automobiles drive our streets daily. Not surprisingly, there are almost 3,000 San Francisco car accidents each year. Last year, twenty-six people in this city were killed in a car accident.
Some of the most dangerous intersections in California are found in San Francisco. The intersections at 5th Street and Market Street, Market Street at Octavia, and Mission Street at Van Ness Avenue are notorious hotspots for serious car accidents.
When you have been injured in a San Francisco car accident, you are likely feeling stressed, worried, and overwhelmed. We understand that the medical bills are piling up and you may not be able to work and provide for your family while recovering from your injuries.
If your accident was caused, even partially, by the negligence of another party, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages. You need an experienced San Francisco car accident attorney with a proven record of success to help you recover the maximum compensation possible.
Why Choose Jacoby & Meyers?
At Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers, our San Francisco personal injury lawyers have been protecting the rights of accident victims for 53 years. Stephen Meyers and Leonard Jacoby opened the first location in 1972. We have recovered more than $2 billion in settlements and awards, so we know how to win big for our clients.
Ratings & Awards
- Voted the #1 personal injury law firm 6 years in row
- Better Business Bureau A+
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Firms
- Voted top personal injury lawyer on Avvo
Cases We’ve Won
Below are list of a few of the car accident cases we’ve won. To see more visit our results page.
- Ride Share Passenger vs. Auto / Quadriplegic = $19 million
- Auto vs. Pedestrian / Spinal Cord Injury = $ 9.24 million
- Auto vs. Truck = $ 8 million
- Auto vs. Truck = $ 5.1 million
Latest Client Reviews For San Francisco
With over 50 years in business, 121 reviews averaging 4.8 stars; we are here to help you through your case.
If a car accident has caused challenges in your life, do not face them alone. Call Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers at (415) 855-4289 or visit our contact page today to schedule a free consultation.
We will listen to your story, answer your questions, explain your rights, and help you take the next steps toward recovering full compensation for your injuries.
Why Do I Need a Car Accident Attorney?
A car accident claim in San Francisco may not be simple or straightforward. It is an unfortunate reality that car insurance companies are for-profit. They will do what they can to get out of paying maximum compensation to a claimant. This can make it difficult for you to achieve the case result that you need to pay for your crash-related bills and move forward.
Hiring a car accident lawyer can help you protect your rights during conversations and settlement negotiations with an insurance provider. Your attorney will have strategies for improving your case outcome. A lawyer will also be able to take your car accident case to trial, if necessary.
When you hire an attorney, an insurance company will have no choice but to treat you fairly. You can expect better settlement offers and a simpler claims process. Your attorney can take care of tasks such as crash investigation, evidence collection and claims filing while you focus on healing from your serious injuries.
How Much Is My San Francisco Car Accident Case Worth?
This is a question that only an attorney can accurately answer for you after evaluating your case. The value of a car accident claim in San Francisco will depend on many factors that are unique to each individual. There is no one-size-fits-all settlement value.
Your case value may depend on factors such as:
- The seriousness of your injuries
- How much medical care you need, now and in the future
- How your injuries have impacted your ability to work
- The amount of pain and suffering you have endured
- The value of your property damage
- Comparative negligence
- Insurance coverage available and policy limits
Some car accident claims settle for $30,000 or less, while others far exceed policy limits and even enter into the millions, as our law firm’s case results have proven. Jacoby & Meyers regularly achieves settlements over 10 times the initial insurance offer with proven legal strategies.
Important Information About Your Car Accident Settlement
The vast majority of car accident cases in San Francisco reach settlements, or out-of-court resolutions between the insurance company and the claimant. Settlements are generally desired by both parties because they are faster, cheaper and remain within the control of those involved. Knowing what to expect from the settlement process can help you go through it with less stress.
The car accident claims settlement process in San Francisco typically involves the following steps:
- The insurance company receives your claim and assigns a claims adjuster.
- The insurer investigates the car accident and analyzes the proof of losses you submitted with the claim.
- The insurer interviews eyewitnesses and those involved, including passenger vehicles.
- You continue receiving medical care until reaching the point of maximum medical improvement.
- The insurance company will either accept the case and offer a settlement or reject benefits.
- If accepted, settlement negotiations will begin until an agreement is reached.
- If rejected, the insurance company will send a denial letter. You may then be able to appeal the decision.
- If the claim cannot achieve a settlement, it may proceed to court in San Francisco.
Depending on the length of the insurance company’s investigation and its willingness to cooperate with your claim, expect a car accident settlement to take anywhere from three months to one year or longer. A complicated case that has to go to trial will likely exceed the one-year mark. Hiring an experienced attorney can help you achieve a more efficient legal process.
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What to Do After a Car Accident in San Francisco
In addition to the tasks that you are legally required to carry out in the aftermath of a car accident in San Francisco, there are steps that you should take for your own interests and safety. They include the following:
- Receive medical care for your injuries right away. San Francisco has several hospitals, including UCSF Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Kaiser Permanente.
- Gather evidence. Take pictures while you are still at the crash scene. Write down the names of any eyewitnesses for statements. Look around for local surveillance or traffic cameras.
- Keep copies of relevant documents. Contact the San Francisco PD for your police report and obtain copies of your medical records.
- Notify your insurance company. Report the accident to your insurer but do not admit fault or give the insurance company a recorded statement.
- Consult with Jacoby & Meyers. Contact our local attorneys at (415) 855-4289 to discuss your case and what steps to take next. We can help you handle communications with insurance companies.
Once you’ve brought your car to a local mechanic in San Francisco and received medical care for your injuries, focus on your future by reaching out to our attorneys. We will help you take the next steps forward.
Important California Car Accident Laws
If you are injured in a car accident in San Francisco, you must be aware of several important laws. You need to know your deadline for filing a claim, how being partially at fault impacts your rights, how to prove your claim, and more.
Your experienced San Francisco car accident attorney can advise you on these laws and how they apply to your case.
Statute of Limitations and Exceptions
One of the most important San Francisco car accident laws to understand is the statute of limitations for personal injury claims. This rule sets the deadline for filing your claim for damages.
Under California law, you have two years to file a claim for personal injury or wrongful death caused by another person’s negligence or wrongdoing. If you miss your deadline, you will not be able to recover your damages.
However, there are a few exceptions to the two-year rule.
- If the defendant in your case is a government entity, you have a much shorter deadline for filing a claim. Any claim against a government or government employee follows the rules set forth under the California Tort Claims Act. San Francisco even has a designated form for filing against the city and there is a special process for pursuing your recovery.
- If the defendant is a minor or temporarily lacks capacity, or left the state after the accident but before you could file a claim, the statute of limitations may be tolled temporarily.
- Additionally, if the defendant is in prison, or if there is a reasonable delay in the discovery of an injury, you may have extended time to file.
You must consult with an experienced San Francisco car accident attorney to determine the deadline for filing your claim.
You may be wondering when the clock begins to run on your deadline to file a claim after a car accident in San Francisco.
Usually, the statute of limitations period begins to run on the day of the car accident. So you must generally file your claim within two years from the date of your accident.
However, if the car accident resulted in death, the loved ones of the deceased may bring a wrongful death claim. In a wrongful death claim, the statute of limitations begins on the date of death, not on the date of the accident that caused the death.
Can I Recover Compensation If I Was Partly at Fault?
Yes, you can still be eligible for financial compensation if you are partially at fault for a car accident in San Francisco. California has a pure comparative negligence law that permits accident victims to recover partial compensation even if they are allocated a percentage of the blame.
California Civil Code §1714 states that “Everyone is responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself.”
Under this law, if you are given a percentage of fault, your financial recovery will be reduced by an equivalent amount. Since California uses a pure version of this law, there is no percentage of fault that will bar victims from recovering.
California Negligence Laws
Unlike most other states, California follows a pure comparative negligence rule. This rule recognizes that two or more parties could be partially at fault.
For example, if a driver runs a stop sign but the other driver was speeding when they struck the first driver, they may both be found partially responsible. Under this rule, each party found to have some fault in the accident is liable for their percentage of fault to the other party.
Most states follow a modified comparative rule that bars a party from recovering any damages if their fault is above a certain threshold. In many states, the threshold is between 49% and 51%. In these states, if your level of assigned fault is greater than that percentage, you can not seek recovery for your injuries.
This is not true in California. In our state, if you are partially at fault in the accident, you can still recover compensation for your damages from the other at-fault parties. This is true even if you were 99% at fault.
However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. So, if you were found to be 20% at fault in the accident, your compensation will be reduced by 20%. For example, if the compensation award is $100,00, you would receive $80,000 because your percentage of assignment of fault (20%) was deducted from the total award.
You need a skillful San Francisco car accident attorney representing you when fault is being assigned. The dedicated attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers Injury Lawyers have a deep understanding of California car accident laws and the tactics used by insurance companies to try and blame accident victims to avoid or reduce the amount they have to pay.
We work tirelessly to build your strongest possible case and we know how to effectively minimize fault and maximize compensation for our clients.
California is a Fault State For Car Accidents
Sometimes clients ask whether California is a no-fault or fault state for accidents. The answer is that California is a fault state.
Some states are considered “no-fault” states. In these states, drivers purchase their own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) from their insurance provider. New York and Florida are examples of no-fault states.
After an accident in these states, a car accident victim would contact their PIP insurer to recover payment of reasonable medical expenses and some of their lost wages.
On the other hand, states like California hold the responsible parties liable for the damages caused by an accident. In these states, a car accident victim would file a claim against the at-fault party to recover damages. The at-fault party’s insurance company would then be responsible for paying the damages caused by its insured customer.
California Insurance Requirements
California law requires car owners to have a minimum level of insurance coverage for accidents. Currently, the California Insurance Code mandates a minimum coverage of 15/30/5. This means that each vehicle owner must provide insurance coverage of at least:
- $30,000 for the injury or death of one person
- $60,000 for the injury or death of two or more people
- $15,000 for property damage
As you can imagine, these minimum requirements are often inadequate to compensate a personal injury victim for their damages.
If you sustained injuries greater than the amount of the at-fault party’s insurance coverage, you may file suit against that party individually for any amount not covered by insurance.
California law also requires insurance companies to offer their customers uninsured motorist bodily injury and underinsured motorist coverage. Having these types of coverage helps protect you when the at-fault driver does not have insurance or does not have enough coverage for the damages caused.
Many vehicle owners purchase supplemental insurance coverage to protect against this situation. Some additional types of coverage include:
- Comprehensive coverage
- Collision coverage
- Increased liability coverage
- Coverage for medical payments
A dedicated San Francisco car accident attorney will leave no stone unturned when investigating all potentially liable parties and sources of compensation for their client’s damages.
California Parental Responsibility in Car Accidents
If you were injured in a San Francisco car accident caused by an underage driver, the teen’s parents or guardian may be liable for your damages. Under California Vehicle Code Section 17707, the person who signed and verified the minor’s application for a license can be held jointly and severally liable for damages caused by the minor’s negligence or wrongful act in a car accident.
Section 17708 of the California Vehicle Code also holds parents potentially liable for all foreseeable damages when they give permission for a minor to drive a vehicle and the minor causes an accident.
There is no cap on a parent’s financial responsibility in car accident claims. A parent or guardian can be jointly liable for any damages resulting from the accident. This includes both economic damages, such as actual expenses incurred, and noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering.
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After my accident, my case manager Kara has been very helpful, understanding and sympathetic to my needs.
-Cynthia Diaz
Required Actions After a San Francisco Car Accident
California law requires drivers to take certain actions after a car crashes. These include:
- Stop at the scene of any car accident.
- Move your vehicle off the street or highway if no one is killed or injured
- Pull over and stop if you injure or kill an animal
- If you hit a parked car, you are obligated to try and find the owner or leave a note on the vehicle with your contact information and also report the accident to the police or California Highway Patrol.
- If anyone is hurt or killed and the police do not come to the scene, the drivers must report the crash in writing to the local police or California Highway Patrol.
- You must complete the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California, known as the SR 1 Form, and submit it to the Department of Motor Vehicles within ten days of an accident if anyone was even slightly hurt or if more than $1,000 of damage was caused by the crash.
How is Fault Determined in California?
Determining who is at fault in a San Francisco car accident depends on the facts of the case. It requires a careful investigation of the accident to determine how a party may have been negligent or reckless. All actions are measured against how a reasonably prudent person would drive.
Reasonably prudent drivers drive cautiously and obey traffic laws. Examples of negligence or wrongdoing, and therefore fault, in a car accident could include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Distracted driving, such as texting, adjusting the radio, or eating
- Tailgating, recklessly changing lanes, and other aggressive driving
- Not keeping a proper lookout
- Disobeying traffic laws or signals
Important evidence must be gathered and preserved as soon as possible to support your claim.
A skillful San Francisco car accident attorney will thoroughly investigate your accident to determine all potential causes and liable parties to build your best case so you can recover every dollar you are entitled to.
Common Types of Car Accidents in San Francisco
Driver negligence can result in many different types of automobile accidents in San Francisco. These crashes can involve standard passenger cars, large trucks, buses, taxis, motorcycles, bicycles and e-scooters. Many collisions in San Francisco have the potential to be catastrophic or deadly, such as high-speed crashes.
Common car accident types include:
- Rear-end collision
- Chain reaction crash
- Intersection accident
- T-bone or side-impact collision
- Head-on collision
- Sideswipe accidents
- Collisions with bicyclists and pedestrians
- Single-vehicle accident
- Vehicle rollover
- Tire blowout
- Hit-and-run accident
San Francisco has several high-risk areas for automobile accidents. Congested areas such as downtown are hotspots for rear-end collisions and pedestrian-vehicle accidents, while intersections such as Market Street and Octavia can be the setting of red-light running accidents. San Francisco’s infamous hills can contribute to single-vehicle accidents, such as mechanical issues, brake failures and weather-related crashes.
Recoverable Damages After a San Francisco Car Accident
In California, you may be able to recover three types of damages after a car accident. They are Economic, Non-Economic, and Punitive Damages.
- Economic damages are easier to value and calculate. They include things such as medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred because of the accident.
- Non-economic damages are not as easily quantified. They include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and similar damages.
- Punitive damages are rarely awarded. However, if a California plaintiff can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice, they may be awarded punitive damages.
Economic and non-economic damages are intended to compensate the accident victim for their losses. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior in the future.
Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a car accident in San Francisco, you deserve to be represented by an experienced, dedicated San Francisco car accident attorney. At Jacoby & Meyers, our attorneys have a proven track record of recovering maximum compensation for our car accident clients.
If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and get you the full compensation you are owed. Let us help you.
Call us at (415) 855-4289 or go to our contact page now, and schedule a free consultation.
Michael Akiva is Managing Partner of Pre-Litigation of Jacoby & Meyers. Having started his career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP, a prestigious, global corporate law firm, Michael quickly realized that representing big corporations was not for him. After leaving the firm, Michael dedicated himself to fighting for the rights of the injured. Education J.D. UCLA School of Law, Editor, UCLA Law Review B.S., Finance, University of Southern California, Magna cum laude