How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Los Angeles County?

California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 gives most personal injury plaintiffs two years from the date of injury. But if a government entity is involved — an LA Metro bus or train, a city of Los Angeles street defect, LA County Flood Control property, or an LAUSD campus — you must first file a government tort claim under Government Code §910 within six months of the incident. For Metro, file with the Office of the Inspector General/Claims (One Gateway Plaza, LA CA 90012; 213-922-6000). For LA County property or employees, file with the County Claims Section (500 W. Temple St., Room 358, LA CA 90012; 213-974-1414). For City of LA property (most streets and sidewalks within city limits), the claim goes to the LA City Clerk's Claims Section (200 N. Spring St., Room 360, LA CA 90012; 213-978-1132). If the entity denies the claim or doesn't respond within 45 days, you then have six months from denial — or two years from the incident, whichever is later under CCP §912 — to sue. Minors get tolling under CCP §352(a): the two-year clock doesn't start until their 18th birthday. Medical malpractice runs on a separate, shorter clock under CCP §340.5 — three years from injury or one year from discovery.

I was injured working in a downtown LA garment factory. The owner says I'm not their employee. What are my options?

California's garment industry has specific worker protection statutes precisely because of this kind of liability-dodging. Labor Code §2673.1 (the garment worker wage liability law, strengthened by the Garment Worker Protection Act, SB 62) imposes joint and several liability up the contracting chain — a manufacturer or brand that contracts work to a factory can be held responsible alongside the factory owner, even where the worker was told they were an "independent contractor." For a workplace injury specifically, if Cal/OSHA finds the factory violated safety standards (inadequate machine guarding, blocked fire exits, unsafe electrical wiring — all common citations in LA's Fashion District), that violation can establish negligence per se under Evidence Code §669 in a civil suit against the factory and any liable brands or contractors above it in the chain. Cal/OSHA's LA District Office (320 W. 4th St., Suite 850, Los Angeles CA 90013; 213-576-7451) investigates workplace injury complaints. Bet Tzedek (323-939-0506) and the Garment Worker Center (1250 S. Los Angeles St., Suite 213, Los Angeles CA 90015; 213-748-5079; garmentworkercenter.org) both assist with the dual workers' comp and civil liability questions that come up when a factory misclassifies its workforce.

My injury happened on a construction site in downtown Los Angeles. Who can I sue besides my direct employer?

In most cases, your direct employer's liability is limited to workers' compensation under Labor Code §3600's exclusive remedy rule — you generally cannot sue your own employer for a workplace injury in civil court. But construction sites in LA County typically involve a general contractor, multiple subcontractors, a property owner, equipment lessors, and material suppliers — any of whom can be sued in civil court if their negligence (not your direct employer's) caused or contributed to your injury. Common LA County scenarios: a crane or scaffolding company's equipment failure, a different subcontractor's unsafe work creating a hazard for your crew, or a property owner's failure to disclose a known hazard (Civ. Code §1714 premises liability). Cal/OSHA investigations (LA District Office, 320 W. 4th St., Suite 850, Los Angeles CA 90013; 213-576-7451) into the incident often identify which party's safety violation caused the fall, struck-by, or caught-in-between injury, and that finding becomes powerful evidence of negligence per se under Evidence Code §669 against the responsible non-employer party. An attorney experienced in LA County construction litigation can map the contractual relationships (often buried in subcontracts and indemnity clauses) to identify every viable defendant.

I was hurt on an LA Metro bus or train. How is that different from a regular accident claim?

LA Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) is a public agency, so Government Code §910 applies: you must file a written government tort claim within six months of the incident, or your right to sue is permanently barred regardless of how clear Metro's fault is. File with Metro's Claims/Office of the Inspector General (One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90012; 213-922-6000); claim forms are available at metro.net. Metro has 45 days to accept, reject, or settle. If denied, you then have six months from the denial (or two years from the incident, whichever is later per CCP §912) to file a civil lawsuit. Metro is a well-resourced defendant with in-house counsel and extensive incident data across its bus and rail (A, B, C, D, E, K Lines) network. Key evidence: onboard camera footage (Metro vehicles are equipped with multiple cameras, typically retained for a limited window — request preservation immediately in writing), driver/operator logs, and maintenance records if a mechanical failure (door malfunction, sudden braking system failure) contributed. Damages can include medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering, same as any other personal injury claim.

What resources help low-income Los Angeles County residents pursue a personal injury claim?

LA County has more free and low-cost legal resources than almost anywhere in the state, reflecting both its size and its high concentration of low-income and immigrant residents. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA; main office 1102 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90019; 213-640-3883; lafla.org) operates regional offices across the county and handles injury cases that intersect with housing, employment, or public benefits. Bet Tzedek Legal Services (145 S. Fairfax Ave., Suite 200, Los Angeles CA 90036; 323-939-0506; bettzedek.org) focuses on elder abuse, disability, and consumer protection alongside general civil matters. Public Counsel (610 S. Ardmore Ave., Los Angeles CA 90005; 213-385-2977; publiccounsel.org) is the nation's largest pro bono law firm and takes select personal injury and civil rights cases. The LACBA Lawyer Referral and Information Service (213-627-2727; lacba.org) connects residents with screened attorneys for a reduced initial consultation fee. Nearly all LA County personal injury attorneys work on contingency — typically a third of any recovery pre-litigation, rising if the case goes to trial — meaning no upfront cost to pursue a claim. For uninsured residents facing mounting medical bills, LA County's My Health LA program and Medi-Cal enrollment through the Department of Public Social Services (866-613-3777) can cover interim treatment, subject to a lien against any eventual settlement.

Personal Injury in Los Angeles County, California

Personal Injury in Los Angeles County, California: a clearer read on injury proof, court movement, and the first local pressure points

A place-specific personal injury guide for Los Angeles County, California that explains the documents people miss first, court movement, and the practical route readers usually face first.

Reviewed January 2026 3 min read Official-source grounded Ver en Espanol En Español

Key Takeaways

Government tort claims against LA Metro, the City of LA, or LA County must be filed within 6 months — before the standard 2-year deadline (Gov. Code §910)
Pure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab, 1975): partial fault never bars recovery, critical in multi-defendant construction and Port of LA cases
Garment industry workers have joint-liability protection up the contracting chain under Labor Code §2673.1 and the Garment Worker Protection Act
Cal/OSHA findings at construction sites or factories can establish negligence per se (Evid. Code §669) against non-employer defendants
LAC+USC Medical Center and Harbor-UCLA are the county's Level I trauma centers; both serve as primary care for uninsured injury victims
LAFLA (213-640-3883), Bet Tzedek (323-939-0506), and LACBA Lawyer Referral (213-627-2727) offer free/low-cost paths to legal help

Personal injury cases in Los Angeles County file through the Stanley Mosk Courthouse (111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles CA 90012; 213-830-0803), the civil hub of the largest unified trial court system in the United States — over 36 courthouses and 600 judicial officers handling a caseload no other county approaches. That scale produces distinct injury patterns tied to the county's industrial geography: longshore and warehouse injuries at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, garment factory accidents in the Fashion District where a single injury can implicate a chain of contractors and manufacturers, and high-rise construction falls in downtown LA's ongoing building boom. California's pure comparative fault rule from Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804 governs every case: a plaintiff found 70% at fault still recovers 30% of damages, a rule that matters in multi-party LA County cases where general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, and equipment lessors frequently share blame.

Government entity involvement is common given the sheer number of public agencies operating in the county — LA Metro buses and rail lines, LADOT-maintained streets, LA County Flood Control District infrastructure, and LAUSD school property. Any of these triggers a government tort claim under Government Code §910, due within six months of the incident — well before the standard two-year statute of limitations under CCP §335.1 even starts to matter. Metro's Office of the Inspector General and claims unit (One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles CA 90012; 213-922-6000) processes bus and rail-related claims; LA County's Claims Section (Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Room 358, Los Angeles CA 90012; 213-974-1414) handles county property and county-employee incidents. Missing the six-month window bars the lawsuit entirely, no matter how strong the liability case.

Trauma care and damages documentation in LA County run through some of the busiest hospitals in the country. LAC+USC Medical Center (2051 Marengo St., Los Angeles CA 90033; 323-409-1000) is the county's flagship Level I trauma center and a public teaching hospital, meaning its records combine immediate clinical detail with the institutional weight of a government facility. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (1000 W. Carson St., Torrance CA 90502; 310-222-2345) serves the South Bay and Port-adjacent communities as a second Level I trauma center. For garment workers and day laborers injured without employer-provided workers' comp coverage, these public hospitals often become the only accessible point of care, and their billing and treatment records become central evidence in the eventual civil claim.

Los Angeles County is home to the largest Latino population of any county in the United States — roughly 49% of residents — concentrated in East LA, Boyle Heights, South LA, the San Fernando Valley, and the Gateway Cities. Language access shapes how injury claims get navigated. Bet Tzedek Legal Services (145 S. Fairfax Ave., Suite 200, Los Angeles CA 90036; 323-939-0506; bettzedek.org) provides free legal help including elder abuse and disability-related injury matters. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA; 1102 S. Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90019; 213-640-3883; lafla.org) operates multiple regional offices across the county and handles personal injury intersections with housing and employment. CARECEN (2845 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90006; 213-385-7800) serves the Central American immigrant community, frequently relevant where injury and immigration status questions overlap.

Wrongful death claims follow Probate Code §377.60, limiting standing to spouses, domestic partners, children, and qualifying dependents — the Stanley Mosk Courthouse's probate division handles the estate appointments a survival action under CCP §377.30 requires. The Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA; 1055 W. 7th St., Suite 2700, Los Angeles CA 90017; 213-627-2727; lacba.org) operates a Lawyer Referral and Information Service offering a low-cost initial consultation with a screened personal injury attorney — a practical starting point given how many firms operate in the LA market and how widely their experience with complex, multi-defendant cases varies.

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