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 a Lawyer After a Car Accident?
Not always. If the accident was 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 making low offers, or a commercial vehicle, rideshare, or government vehicle was involved.
People who hire an attorney after a car accident consistently recover 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.
What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident
- Get to safety and call 911. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, request paramedics.
- 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 later.
- 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.
- 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 seriously hurt.
- Contact an attorney before speaking to any insurance company. Early legal help preserves evidence and prevents costly mistakes.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
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, 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?
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). If a government vehicle or dangerous public road condition was involved, you must file a government claim within just 6 months in California. Waiting costs you leverage: 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. Nevada uses modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other side.
Why Injured Clients Choose Mendez & Sanchez APC
- Over $1 billion recovered for more than 5,000 clients across California and Nevada
- Bilingual team: attorneys and staff speak Spanish at all four offices
- Works directly with medical providers so you can treat on a lien with nothing out of pocket
- Every case is prepared for trial, which creates real settlement leverage
- Offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Costa Mesa, and Las Vegas
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
Our attorneys represent injured clients across a wide range of crash scenarios throughout California and Nevada:
- Rear-end collisions — the most common crash type on California freeways. The rear driver is almost always at fault, but insurers still fight these claims hard.
- T-bone and intersection crashes — door-side impacts often cause the most severe injuries to drivers and passengers.
- DUI and drunk driver accidents — victims may be entitled to punitive damages in addition to standard compensation.
- Multi-vehicle pileups — common on the I-5, I-10, and I-405. Establishing fault across multiple parties requires experienced legal handling.
- Head-on collisions — frequently catastrophic. These cases typically involve significant damages and complex liability.
- Hit-and-run accidents — your own uninsured motorist coverage can still provide compensation even when the at-fault driver flees.
- Rollover accidents — may involve vehicle defects in addition to driver error, opening claims against manufacturers.
- Rideshare accidents (Uber and Lyft) — separate commercial insurance policies apply. Our attorneys know exactly how to navigate them.
What Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
No honest attorney can guarantee a number before reviewing your specific case. But the factors that most influence the value of a car accident claim in California or Nevada are:
- Severity and permanence of your injuries — soft tissue injuries settle for less than fractures, surgeries, or permanent disability.
- Total medical costs — bills already incurred and the estimated cost of future treatment.
- Lost income — wages missed during recovery and any reduction in future earning capacity.
- Strength of liability — the clearer the other driver's fault, the more leverage you have in negotiations.
- Available insurance coverage — even a strong case is capped by the at-fault driver's policy limits unless other sources of recovery exist.
- Pain and suffering — in serious injury cases, non-economic damages often exceed the economic losses combined.
Consultations are free. We will review your case at no cost and give you an honest assessment of what it may be worth.
Car Accident Lawyers Across California and Nevada
Our attorneys handle car accident cases statewide, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Pasadena, Fresno, Sacramento, Irvine, Glendale, and Las Vegas. We have offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Costa Mesa, and Las Vegas, and we represent clients throughout both states.
