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What should I do Immediately After an Anaheim Car Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, immediately call the police and 911 to get medical attention. Some injuries won’t appear for hours after the accident when your adrenaline is down. Gather all the evidence, including witness statements and video or CCTV footage, and preserve the car. Contact the insurance companies to report the accident, but do not discuss your case without speaking with your attorney.
California generally allows you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (CCP § 335.1). You can still recover if you were partly at fault; your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Compensation can include medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering. Bisnar Chase has represented California injury clients since 1978 from its Orange County office in Newport Beach, serving the Anaheim area.
Experience and Resources to Handle Your Case
Since launching in 1978, our car accident lawyers have collected over $1B in verdicts, judgments, and settlements for victims of car crash injuries.
We have the experience and resources to take on complex cases and are determined to secure fair compensation for injured victims. If you suffered injuries in a car accident in or near Anaheim, we can help.
If you or any family members have suffered from a serious or catastrophic injury, contact a knowledgeable lawyer at Bisnar Chase who specializes in car accidents in Anaheim immediately. Call our car wreck attorneys in Anaheim, California, at 949-203-3814 for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions on Anaheim Car Accident Claims
Being involved in a car accident can be horrific and stressful. Most motor vehicle accident victims are confused and do not know who to turn to. You can take measures to ensure you are on the right path.
The following are questions that injury victims often ask after an auto collision:
Every car wreck is unique. This means there is no set amount of compensation each car accident victim receives. The compensation you receive for your injury case depends on your injuries and property damage. After your accident, the other driver’s insurance company will contact you.
Do not settle for the first offer the insurance company proposes to you. Insurance companies aim to give you the smallest amount of money. Speak to a personal injury attorney in Anaheim to explore your financial and legal options.
Comparative negligence in California states that a person who caused a car accident can qualify to receive compensation. Comparative negligence aims to make all people involved in an auto collision liable for the damages.
Many people labeled as defendants in a court of law can use comparative negligence to their advantage. A defendant who claims comparative negligence for their case may not have to pay the full amount for losses. The state of California uses a pure comparative negligence law.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident, be sure to seek immediate medical attention before anything else and keep notes of what happened during and after the accident. Our Anaheim car accident attorneys can walk you through all the various steps behind filing an injury claim. We will also fight off the vicious auto insurance companies that only care about their best interest.
If you’re going to file an auto accident claim, it is imperative that you know exactly what you are going against, and you should also have legal representatives fighting on your side.
Yes, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit in California if someone caused the death of a loved one.
There is no fixed payout. California compensation depends on medical costs, lost wages, property damage, fault share under pure comparative negligence, and insurance limits. Insurers often open with a low offer; do not accept it before a lawyer reviews medical and wage records.
How Much Do Anaheim Car Accident Lawyers Charge?
Most personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis. We are not paid unless we win your personal injury claim, and you are also not charged anything until the settlement is won.
This shields you from financial liability while the case is ongoing. We also strive to negotiate your hospital and doctor bills to maximize the amount of money you receive from the settlement or verdict.
Contact our Anaheim car accident attorneys for a free case evaluation at 949-203-3814. You may be entitled to financial compensation.
Should I Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?
You must talk to your own insurer. You do not have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, a recorded interview, or a blanket medical-records release.
Facts that matter:
- The other company’s job is to limit its pay. An early recorded statement is often used later to argue that you were partly at fault or that your injuries are minor.
- California is a pure comparative negligence state. If an adjuster gets you to say “I didn’t see them” or “I feel fine,” that can cut the payout by your percentage of fault.
- Do give the other insurer basic crash facts if needed to identify the claim: date, location, vehicles, and report number. That is different from discussing injuries, prior accidents, or “how you feel now.”
- Do not sign a broad medical authorization or a release until you know the full medical picture. Some injuries, especially neck, back, and concussion symptoms, show up days later.
- If they make a first offer, there is no legal duty to accept it. A property-damage payment can sometimes be cashed without releasing the injury claim, but read the release carefully.
What Compensation Can I Recover?
Economic damages
- Past and future medical care
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or actual cash value, rental, and personal items in the car
- Household help and out-of-pocket costs
Non-economic (general) damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
What If a Tourist or Out-of-State Driver Hit Me Near Disneyland?
The crash happened in California, so California law and California courts generally control the injury claim. Preserve hotel, rental, rideshare, and parking-lot video quickly. Resort-area cameras turn over fast.
Minimum limits may be their state’s minimums if that is all they bought. Some visiting drivers carry only 25/50/25 or less insurance. Collecting above policy limits means pursuing the driver personally. Rental cars near Disneyland add a second policy: the renter’s personal policy first, then the rental company’s protection if it was purchased, and occasionally a credit card benefit. Get the rental agreement.
What If an Uninsured Driver Hit Me?
California does not make UM/UIM mandatory, but every bodily-injury auto policy issued here must offer uninsured-motorist coverage at least up to the state financial-responsibility minimum and usually up to your liability limits. You can drop it only in a specific written waiver (Insurance Code § 11580.2).
How Long Does a California Car Accident Claim Take?
| Clock | Rule |
|---|---|
| Lawsuit for injury or death | 2 years from the crash (CCP § 335.1) |
| Lawsuit for vehicle/property damage | 3 years (CCP § 338) |
| Claim against a public entity | Written claim in 6 months (Gov. Code § 911.2) |
| After a public entity’s written rejection | Generally 6 months to sue, not 2 years (Gov. Code § 945.6) |
| UM/UIM | Policy notice + arbitration deadlines, often shorter |
Do I Need a Lawyer Only for Property Damage?
Often no, if:
- The fault is obvious
- The car is repairable, or the total-loss value is not in serious dispute
- No one was hurt, and symptoms have not appeared
- You have collision coverage and can use it
Your own collision coverage is usually the fastest path: you pay the deductible, the shop is paid, and your insurer subrogates against the other carrier. California’s current minimum property-damage liability is only $15,000. A newer car, an EV, or a parked luxury vehicle can exceed that amount in a single loss.
What If a City Bus, Police Car, or Dangerous Road Design Were Involved?
The time to file a claim against a government entity or the city is shorter than the 2-year statute of limitations, giving you only 6 months to file. – Gov. Code § 911.2
| Situation | Likely entity |
|---|---|
| City bus / OCTA | Orange County Transportation Authority |
| Anaheim police car, city truck, city street defect | City of Anaheim |
| I-5, SR-57, SR-91 design, guardrail, signal on a state highway | Caltrans (State of California) |
| School bus | The school district that owns it |
Common Causes of Car Accidents
According to CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), over 220,000 people were injured in California, and over 3,000 died in a car accident in a single year. What contributed to many of these cases and factors that persist in Anaheim car accidents include:
- Drunk Driving
- Driving while Under the Influence of Drugs
- Texting While Driving
- Speeding Above the Posted Limit
- Severe Weather Conditions (Rain)
- Malfunctioning Car Equipment
- Road Hazards
- Driving Severely Under the Posted Limit
- Failure to Check “Blind Spots”
- Road Rage
One or a combination of the above factors can cause a serious car accident. Your duty as a driver on the road is to be observant of all of these factors. If you see any of these factors on the road, you should call 911 and report them to the authorities. Calling 911 while driving is permitted under California law.
Contact an Anaheim car accident lawyer for a free case evaluation at 949-203-3814 and to speak with an intake specialist to see if you are entitled to financial compensation.
Anaheim PD’s 2024 annual report says fatal traffic collisions fell 45% from 2023, while DUI arrests rose 63% to 124. That is a city-police figure, not a complete SWITRS city extract, and it may exclude some freeway crashes handled by CHP.The
A separate FARS-style compilation for Anaheim in 2024 lists 19 fatal crashes and 19 deaths, with 12 of those fatal crashes involving pedestrians. Please consider that as a working fatality count, rather than the official 2024 injury total. Full 2024 city injury numbers are still being updated in TIMS.
California Office of Traffic Safety city ranking: Anaheim, 2023
| Measure | Count | Rank in Group A |
|---|---|---|
| Victims killed or injured, all fatal + injury crashes | 2,135 | 5 of 15 |
| Alcohol-involved victims | 225 | 4 of 15 |
| Pedestrian victims | 96 | 13 of 15 |
| Bicyclist victims | 84 | 9 of 15 |
| Motorcycle victims | 79 | 10 of 15 |
| Speed-related fatal/injury collisions | 306 | 4 of 15 |
| Nighttime (9 p.m.–2:59 a.m.) fatal/injury collisions | 263 | 4 of 15 |
| Hit-and-run fatal/injury collisions | 171 | 9 of 15 |
| DUI arrests | 659 | 14 of 15 |
UC Berkeley TIMS / SWITRS snapshot of 2023 (crashes as of June 8, 2026)
| Measure | Anaheim | Santa Ana (peer) | Orange County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal + injury crashes | 2,099 | 1,780 | 12,679 |
| Deaths (SWITRS) | 26 | 26 | 223 |
| Serious injuries | 75 | 87 | 830 |
| People killed or injured | 3,163 | 2,493 | 17,809 |
| Pedestrian victims (killed or injured) | 95 | 149 | 826 |
| Deaths per 100,000 residents | — | — | 7.1 |
California Statewide
| Measure | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic deaths (FARS) | 4,061 | NHTSA / OTS |
| Traffic deaths (SWITRS) | 4,142 | CHP via TIMS |
| People injured, non-fatal | 226,965 | SWITRS / TIMS |
| Suspected serious injuries | 16,760 | SWITRS |
| Fatal + injury crashes | 163,848 | SWITRS / TIMS |
| Fatality rate | 1.28 per 100 million VMT | OTS / Caltrans |
Injuries Caused By Anaheim Motor Vehicle Crashes
You can sustain many injuries in the aftermath of a car accident. Some minor injuries you can sustain include minor cuts, bruises, and soreness. In more extreme cases, the various injuries you can sustain include:
- Lacerations and Cuts
- Broken Bones
- Head Trauma/Brain Injury
- Severe Back and Spinal Injuries
- Penetrative Wounds
- Whiplash Syndrome
- Collapsed Lungs/Damaged Organs
- Loss of Limbs, Amputation
Most Predominant Injuries Due to Crashes
Among the injuries, the most common types of injuries are head and spinal cord trauma. Head injuries can include open head wounds, contusions, and concussions.
The spinal cord is a central part of our nervous system and controls the body’s activity and sensory feelings. The aftermath can be grave when an individual suffers from a spinal cord injury.
With a spinal cord injury, one can possibly become paralyzed. Currently, over 450,000 people are suffering from a spinal cord injury, and of that amount, 36 percent are due to car accidents.
Tips on How to Prevent a Car Collisions in Anaheim
- Avoid distractions: You can not look at your phone while driving. In one year, over 341,000 car crashes involved driving and texting. One text message can lead to an accident.
- Refrain from speeding: In California, the maximum speed on a highway is 65 mph. It is prohibited to drive too fast or too slowly, following the speed limit. If caught, law enforcement will step in.
- Always wear your seatbelt: By using your seatbelt, you are not only keeping yourself safe while driving, but it can also save your life if you are involved in an accident.
Legal Protection for Pedestrians
Streets and intersections frequented by pedestrians deserve special attention. With dozens of pedestrian accidents growing exponentially, there is a need for more focus on pedestrian safety in Anaheim. The United States Census Bureau stated that Anaheim, CA is home to 349,007 people.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit local vacation destinations in Anaheim every year, and with the many pedestrians surrounding Disneyland, pedestrian accidents increase.
While residents have fought for more stop signs and traffic signals to slow down traffic, Anaheim’s policies are based on specific guidelines. These account for traffic and pedestrian volumes, accident history, and unusual conditions.
The city points to studies that show that simply improving an intersection’s visibility by prohibiting parking near it is often more effective in reducing potential conflict points. They insist that too many stop signs reduce their effectiveness and that drivers speeding up between stop signs typically ignore them.
Contact an Anaheim car accident law firm for a free case evaluation at 949-203-3814 and to speak with an intake specialist to see if you are entitled to financial compensation.
2026 Top-Rated Car Accident Attorneys in Anaheim
Protecting your rights and fighting for your case is a serious matter to our Anaheim car accident lawyers. The law firm of Bisnar Chase has the experience, skills, and determination to take on all sorts of auto accident cases and win road accident compensation for you.
Call us now at 949-203-3814 to speak to one of our attorneys and learn more about the legal services we offer.
Serving California Since 1978
Bisnar Chase is a top-rated personal injury law firm with a national reputation. The firm has been in business since 1978 and has represented thousands of clients. Based in Newport Beach and with offices across California, Bisnar Chase has recovered over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts, emphasizing superior client representation above all.
Brian Chase
Articles, blogs, and content have been reviewed by legal in-house staff. Brian Chase is the managing partner of Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP. He is the lead trial lawyer and oversees cases handling dangerous and defective products that injure consumers. Brian is a top-rated injury attorney with numerous legal honors and awards for his work relating to auto defects and dangerous products. His firm has recovered over $1B for its clients. Brian is a frequent speaker for CAOC, Dordick Trial College, and OCTLA, covering personal injury trial techniques.
