Serving Riverside County
Personal injury cases in Riverside County
Personal injury law lets you seek compensation when someone else's carelessness hurts you. In Riverside County that covers vehicle crashes, unsafe property and deaths caused by negligence. Most lawsuits must be filed within two years (CCP § 335.1); claims against public agencies have a six-month deadline (Gov. Code § 911.2).
- Car accidentsCollisions on Riverside County freeways and streets.
- Truck accidentsFreight and delivery-truck crashes on Inland Empire corridors.
- Motorcycle accidentsRider injuries and the rules that shape fault.
- Pedestrian accidentsPeople on foot struck by vehicles.
- Premises liabilityFalls and injuries on unsafe stores, apartments and public property.
- Wrongful deathClaims by families after a fatal crash or unsafe property.
What a personal injury claim has to prove
California's basic rule is that everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care (Civil Code § 1714). In practice, a claim has to show four things: the other person owed a duty of care, they fell short of it, that failure caused the injury, and the injury led to real losses. Each case page explains how those elements usually play out for that kind of accident.
If you were partly at fault
California uses pure comparative fault. The California Supreme Court adopted that rule in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, and jurors are instructed on it in CACI No. 405. Being partly responsible does not bar a claim; your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault.
What compensation can include
For injuries caused by someone else's wrongful conduct, California measures damages as the amount that will compensate for the harm caused (Civil Code § 3333). Depending on the evidence, that can include medical care, future treatment, lost income, reduced earning ability, pain and suffering, and property damage in a vehicle case.
Deadlines in Riverside County
- Two years is the general deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit (CCP § 335.1).
- Six months is the usual deadline to present a claim to a city, the County, or another public entity before you can sue (Gov. Code § 911.2). Our claims guide lists where to file for each public entity we have verified.
- After a public entity rejects a claim in writing, the time to sue is short (Gov. Code § 945.6).
Exceptions can change these dates, so it's safer to confirm your deadline early.
Related pages
Hurt in Riverside County?
Talk with our Riverside team about what happened. Consultations are free, in English or Spanish.