How Long Do I Have to Sue After a Car Accident in Calabasas?

Arya Firoozmand, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Calabasas Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in Woodland Hills — minutes from Calabasas — graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School, and has spent his career representing injured clients across the West Valley.

California gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. That's the standard rule for car accident cases, including crashes on the 101 near Calabasas, on Las Virgenes Road, on Lost Hills Road, and anywhere else in the area. Miss that deadline by one day, and the case is over - regardless of how seriously you were injured or how clear the other driver's fault is.

Two years sounds like a long time. It isn't, if you're not moving. Here's what you actually need to know.

The Two-Year Clock and When It Starts

The statute of limitations clock starts running on the date of the accident. Not when you first felt pain, not when you got your diagnosis, not when the insurance company denied your claim. The date of the crash.

For most Calabasas car accident victims, the two-year window is what applies. But there are exceptions that can shorten - or occasionally extend - that window, and knowing which apply to your situation matters.

The Six-Month Exception That Catches People Off Guard

If a government entity is a potential defendant, the rules change dramatically. Claims against the City of Calabasas, LA County, or Caltrans require a formal government tort claim to be filed within six months of the accident. This applies when:

• Your crash involved a dangerous road condition on a government-maintained road (a pothole on Las Virgenes Road, a malfunctioning traffic signal on Lost Hills Road, inadequate freeway signage on a Caltrans-maintained stretch of the 101)
• A government vehicle caused the crash
• A government employee's actions contributed to the accident while they were on duty

Six months feels like plenty of time until it isn't. If you're focused on recovering from your injuries and dealing with insurance, six months passes quickly. If you miss the government claim deadline, that potential defendant is off the table permanently.

The Situations That Extend the Clock

A few circumstances can toll (pause) the statute of limitations:

The injured person is a minor. If a child was injured in the crash, the two-year clock doesn't start until they turn 18. So a 10-year-old injured in a Calabasas accident has until age 20 to file - the statute effectively doesn't begin until their 18th birthday.

The defendant left California. If the at-fault driver moved out of state before the lawsuit was filed, the time they spent outside California doesn't count toward the two-year period under some circumstances.

Discovery of injury. In most car accident cases, injuries are immediately apparent and this rule doesn't apply. But in rare situations where a serious injury is not discovered until later, the clock may start when the injury was discovered, not when the accident happened. This is uncommon in standard collision cases.

Why Waiting Is a Bad Strategy Even With Two Years

The two-year window is a legal deadline, not an invitation to wait. Evidence disappears on a schedule that has nothing to do with the statute of limitations.

Traffic camera footage near the 101/Lost Hills Road interchange or on Las Virgenes Road is overwritten within a week or two in most systems. Skid marks fade with traffic. Debris gets cleared. Witnesses become impossible to locate six months later. The CHP or LASD report from the crash may document the basics, but the physical evidence that supports - or contradicts - what that report says is time-sensitive in ways the statute of limitations is not.

Insurance companies also build their files early. Adjusters are reviewing your claim while you're still in the hospital. By the time many unrepresented claimants start taking their claim seriously, the other side has months of head start on building a case that supports a low settlement.

If You're Approaching the Deadline

If you're within a few months of the two-year mark and haven't filed a lawsuit, you need an attorney immediately. Filing a lawsuit doesn't mean going to trial - most cases filed in the Chatsworth Courthouse settle before trial. But it preserves your rights. Once the deadline passes, no settlement, no trial, no recovery.

A Calabasas car accident lawyer can tell you exactly where you stand on the deadline for your specific situation, including whether any exceptions apply.

The Practical Takeaway

Don't wait. Not because of the two-year deadline, but because the evidence that supports your claim is disappearing in real time. Early action means more evidence, a stronger case, and better leverage in settlement negotiations.

Our Calabasas personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and can tell you immediately what deadlines apply to your case. Call before time makes decisions for you.