A car crash takes seconds and can reshape years. On the East Bay’s busiest corridors, the I-680 and I-580 interchange in the Tri-Valley, the I-880 Nimitz through Oakland, Fremont, and Newark, and the surface arterials that feed them, serious collisions happen every day. If another driver’s carelessness left you hurt, you have the right to pursue compensation for what the crash actually costs you.
Mirador Law has tried these cases. Led by former San Francisco public defenders Megan Burns and Emily Dahm, the firm brings more than 40 years of combined experience, close to a hundred jury trials, and two of California’s Top 50 plaintiff verdicts for 2024. Insurance companies keep track of which firms go to trial. That record shapes what they offer.
What a car accident claim can cover
A serious collision can leave you with medical bills, lost income, future care needs, and pain that does not show up on an X-ray. A well-built claim accounts for all of it: emergency and follow-up treatment, rehabilitation, lost wages and reduced earning capacity, property damage, and the daily limits the injury puts on your life. Where a crash causes a death, the family may have a wrongful death claim.
How fault and insurance really work
Most crashes come down to driver error: distraction, speeding, impairment, tailgating, or failing to yield. California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, so even if you were partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share rather than barred. Adjusters know this and often push an early, low offer before your injuries are fully known. We document the medical picture first, then negotiate from evidence, and we prepare every case as if it will be tried.
Deadlines
The general deadline to file a car accident lawsuit in California is two years from the date of the crash under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government vehicle or a dangerous road condition is involved, you generally have only six months to file a claim under Government Code section 911.2.
A look at how these cases unfold
The following hypothetical examples illustrate how these cases can unfold. They are not based on any specific client and are provided for educational purposes only. A driver is rear-ended at a stoplight and feels only sore the next day. Weeks later a disc injury becomes clear. Because the case was documented and built from the start, the claim reflects the real cost of treatment and recovery rather than the insurer’s first-week estimate.
Car accident lawyers by location: Pleasanton | Oakland | Fremont & Newark