Riverside Personal Injury Resources

Injury crashes in Riverside

Source: CHP's statewide crash database (data.ca.gov), all reporting agencies. Riverside averaged 1,944 injury or fatal crashes a year in 2022–2024, compared with 2,151 a year in 2016–2018 (-10%).

Year	Crashes with someone hurt or killed	People injured	People killed
2016	2,108	3,027	27
2017	2,228	3,153	27
2018	2,116	2,996	26
2019	Not shown: the State's 2019 file covers only January to April.
2020	1,588	2,233	35
2021	1,820	2,606	37
2022	1,905	2,685	57
2023	1,864	2,584	36
2024	2,062	2,824	22
2025 (may rise)	2,019	2,808	23
2026 (year to date)	1,439	2,004	11

What Riverside's 2020–2024 crash reports show

9,239 injury or fatal crashes over five years, compared with the whole county.

Measure	Riverside	Riverside County
Crashes with someone hurt or killed	9,239	51,948
Fatal crashes	180	1,545
A pedestrian was involved	487 (5%)	5%
A bicyclist was involved	277 (3%)	3%
Hit-and-run	1,358 (15%)	10%
DUI recorded as the main cause	719 (8%)	10%
After dark	3,065 (33%)	33%
On a freeway	2,971 (32%)	25%

Compared with the county as a whole, the category that stands out most in Riverside's reports is hit-and-run: 15% of the city's injury crashes, against 10% countywide.

Most common types of collision:

Rear-end: 35%
Broadside (T-bone): 28%
Hit an object: 12%

Most common primary causes recorded by officers:

Unsafe speed for conditions (Vehicle Code § 22350): 32%
Unsafe turn or lane change (Vehicle Code § 22107): 20%
Red light (Vehicle Code § 21453): 11%

Counts are raw numbers, not rates. The primary cause is the officer's entry on the report, not a finding of fault. Open Riverside in the crash explorer.

Riverside in the state's crash rankings (2023)

Rank 1 is the worst among cities of similar population [source]. Riverside's worst category rank among cities of its size was speed-related crashes: 5 of 15. All 28 cities compared.

Category	Count and rank
Size group (population)	Group A (population 321,538) [source]
Killed or injured, all crashes	1,805 (rank 6/15) [source]
Alcohol-involved	159 (rank 6/15) [source]
Motorcycle	89 (rank 8/15) [source]
Pedestrian	113 (rank 9/15) [source]
Bicycle	62 (rank 11/15) [source]
Speed-related crashes	275 (rank 5/15) [source]
Hit-and-run crashes	185 (rank 7/15) [source]
Composite	rank 6/15 [source]

Local facts: Riverside

Population	323,057 (U.S. Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025) [source]
Highways	Riverside Community Hospital describes its downtown location as off the 91 or 60 freeway. [source]
Emergency hospitals	Riverside Community Hospital (emergency care; Level I Trauma Center), 4445 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92501. [source] Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center Emergency Department, 10800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92505 (entrance on Polk Avenue), open 24 hours. [source]
Recent road projects	RCTC Route 91 Pachappa Underpass (Route 91 north of Central Avenue in Riverside) - status Completed; construction April 2020 to October 2021; $8.8 million. [source] RCTC Traffic Relief Plan (TRP) lists, as examples, adding a lane on SR-91 between I-15 in Corona and Pierce Street in Riverside and on I-215 between SR-60 and Van Buren Blvd. The page does not state the plan's funding/approval status - treat as a proposal, not a scheduled project. [source] Third Street Grade Separation Project: will lower Third Street between Vine Street and Park Avenue under a new railroad bridge, replacing the at-grade BNSF crossing (about 100 trains a day). Timeline: construction award 12/2026, construction start anticipated Q1 2027, end of construction Q1 2030 (subject to change). Total cost $66,500,000; fully funded. [source] South Main Complete Streets Project (Safe Streets for All grant): proposed improvements on Main Street between Third Street and the SR-60 freeway, including Class II bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, speed feedback signs, pedestrian signals and reduced speed limits. It is in its public-input/design phase; no construction dates are stated. [source]
Fire and paramedics	Fire and emergency medical response in the city is provided by the City of Riverside Fire Department: over 39,000 emergency calls a year, 216 full-time firefighters in 14 fire stations staffed 24/7, covering a primary response area of over 81 square miles. [source] Every Riverside Fire Department engine, truck company and rescue squad is staffed with a paramedic firefighter and advanced life support equipment; the department's goal is to respond to medical aid requests within 5 minutes of the initial 911 call. [source] Riverside Fire Department contacts: emergency 9-1-1; non-emergency dispatch (951) 354-2007; Fire Prevention Division (including copies of incident reports) (951) 826-5737. [source] Ambulance transport: a June 14, 2022 Riverside Fire Department report to the City Council states that the EMS system in Riverside County allows one exclusive ambulance company to transport patients generated by the 911 system. [source]
Report a road hazard	Riverside 311 Call Center (non-emergency city services): (951) 826-5311, TDD (951) 826-5439; hours Monday-Friday 7:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am-1:00 pm, closed Sunday. Phone service is available in over 200 languages through interpretation. [source] Riverside's 311 website accepts service requests online without registration; problem types include potholes ("Streets, Potholes"), street light issues, traffic signals and sidewalk or curb repairs. The 311 Riverside app is available in English and Spanish. [source] The City's 311 site says that for a police or fire emergency, or a possible hazardous materials accident, dial 911 instead. [source] Traffic signals at city intersections are maintained by the Public Works Traffic Engineering Division; traffic signal problems are reported to the 311 Call Center. [source]
City traffic safety	Citywide Speed Limit Reduction Program: after 321 new engineering and traffic speed surveys, speed limits are to be lowered by 5 to 10 mph on 135 roadway segments, 36 segments get newly posted limits, and 63 roadways are designated Safety Corridors (a City Council staff report is dated May 5, 2026). [source] The City reports 2,806 collisions from unsafe speeding in Riverside between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2025. Its 63 Safety Corridors are areas with higher concentrations of severe-injury and fatal crashes, planned for updated signage, pavement markings and targeted enforcement. [source] Riverside Public Works publishes a Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP) on its efforts to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries, including safety data and community engagement. [source] The City's Traffic Management Center monitors live video of major intersections and roadways, adjusts signal timing, and monitors railroad crossings for stopped trains. [source] Neighborhood Traffic Management: residents can request traffic calming; the City analyzes a request within 30 days of receipt and implements an initial option (for example radar trailer deployment, red curb or targeted police enforcement). [source] The Riverside Police Department Traffic Bureau has 39 sworn employees, including 16 motor officers and six collision investigators; its Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T.) investigates collisions that are typically fatal or need specialized skills and equipment. [source] The Riverside Police Department's Traffic Education Unit (established 1997) offers child car seat checks by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians; one-on-one appointments at (951) 826-8727. [source]
Public transit	Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) lists these routes as serving Riverside (schedules effective September 13, 2026): 1, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 49, 51, 56, 200 and 204, with connections to Riverside Special Transportation, Metrolink, Omnitrans and Amtrak. RTA Customer Information Center: (951) 565-5002. [source] Three RCTC-owned Metrolink stations are in Riverside: Riverside-Downtown (4066 Vine Street; Riverside, IEOC and 91/PV lines, plus Amtrak Southwest Chief), Riverside-Hunter Park (1101 Marlborough Avenue; 91/PV Line) and Riverside-La Sierra (10901 Indiana Ave; IEOC and 91/PV lines). RCTC says its stations are staffed with 24-hour security guards. [source]
Also note	Rail crossings: Riverside is crossed by the BNSF and Union Pacific rail lines, with about 128 trains a day and 26 mainline crossings where the railroads intersect city streets. Of more than 70 railroad crossings in the city, 15 are grade-separated; six grade separations have been completed since 2005. [source] Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL) is run by the City, with an FAA contract control tower open 0700-2000 local time and about 144,000 annual operations. [source] In City of Riverside parks, riding off a designated pathway is prohibited; on shared paths, cyclists and in-line skaters must yield to pedestrians. [source]

Police and crash reports in Riverside

Address	Front counter: 10540 Magnolia Ave. Ste B, Riverside, CA 92505. [source]
Phone	Records Bureau: (951) 826-5700, option 2. [source]

How to request a report from the Riverside Police Department →

Freeway and state highway crashes: CHP.

Injury claims against the City of Riverside

Generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2).

Deadline	Claims for death, injury to a person or to personal property must be filed within six months of the occurrence (Gov. Code 911.2 and Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 1.05). [source]

All filing details for the City of Riverside →

Hurt in Riverside?

Tell us what happened in Riverside. Our Riverside office handles injury cases across the county, and consultations are free, in English or Spanish.

Call (951) 848-5376 Send a message → · Office details

City of Riverside Local Roadway Safety Plan (2022)

The 2022 Riverside Local Roadway Safety Plan was funded by a Caltrans grant. [source]
Collision data covers July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022: 16,081 collisions recorded in Riverside. [source]
89 fatal collisions and 327 severe injury collisions in the study period. [source]
Top recorded causes: improper turning (28.3%), unsafe speed (19.2%) and other improper driving (11.2%). [source]
509 pedestrian-involved collisions, including 21 fatal collisions and 62 severe injuries. [source]
354 bicycle collisions, including 4 fatal and 25 severe injuries. [source]

Courts

Courthouses whose published case lists include Riverside: Riverside Historic Courthouse (unlimited civil) [source]; Corona Courthouse (limited civil and small claims, some ZIP codes) [source]; Moreno Valley Courthouse (limited civil and small claims, some ZIP codes) [source]. Addresses, fees and filing rules →

Nearest trauma centers

By straight-line distance from the center of Riverside's reported crashes: Riverside Community Hospital (Level I (adult), Riverside) and Riverside University Health System - Medical Center (Level I (adult); also listed as a pediatric trauma center, Moreno Valley). In an emergency, call 911.

Dog bites and animal control

Report a dog bite or a dangerous animal in Riverside to: What to do after a dog bite →

Who handles it	Contracted Animal Control Officers respond to calls within Riverside city limits, including bite incidents and investigations. [source]
Phone	Call 311 to report. [source]
Reporting a bite	Calls handled include aggressive animals posing a threat to people or pets, and bite incidents and investigations. [source]
County agreement	Riverside County Department of Animal Services provides animal field and shelter services to Riverside under an agreement the Board of Supervisors approved through June 30, 2028. [source]

School injury claims

School injury claims go to the district, not the city. Confirm which district serves the school. All 23 districts.

Riverside Unified School District

Filing office	Claims against the district must be filed through the Risk Management office. [source]
How to file	A student, parent or visitor injured on campus who wants more than reimbursement of uncovered medical expenses must file a claim against a public entity, using the Claim for Damages Form available from Risk Management. [source]
Address	Risk Management office: 3380 Fourteenth Street, Riverside, CA 92501. [source]
District main phone	(951) 788-7135 (district office) [source]
Also note	If a parent only wants reimbursement of medical expenses their own insurance does not cover (such as an ambulance or a deductible) after a student injury, they may use the ASCIP student injury insurance form; a site or department administrator must first complete and sign the top portion. [source]

Guides that mention Riverside

Every fact on this page links to the official source it came from. We checked each one in September 2026. Agencies change fees and procedures, so confirm with the agency before you go. How we research.

Injured in Riverside: local resources