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

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local North Hollywood Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. A Woodland Hills native and El Camino Real graduate, he earned his law degree at UCLA and has spent his career representing injured clients across the San Fernando Valley.

California gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. That's the headline. But the real answer has more layers than that, and some of them could catch you off guard if you're not aware of them.

The Two-Year Rule

Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of the accident. If you were in a car accident on Lankershim Blvd on June 1, 2026, you have until June 1, 2028 to file a lawsuit. Miss that deadline by one day and your case is over, no matter how serious your injuries were or how clearly the other driver was at fault.

This deadline applies to filing a lawsuit, not to settling a claim. You can continue negotiating with the insurance company after two years if a lawsuit has already been filed. But if you haven't filed within two years, you lose all legal leverage because the insurer knows you can't sue.

Most North Hollywood car accident cases settle without a lawsuit ever being filed. But the two-year deadline still matters because the threat of litigation is what gives your claim its teeth during negotiation. An insurance company that knows you can still file at Van Nuys Courthouse West negotiates differently than one that knows your deadline has passed.

The Six-Month Exception That Catches People

If your accident was caused or contributed to by a government entity, the timeline shrinks dramatically. You have just six months from the date of the accident to file a government tort claim before you can sue.

What does that look like in North Hollywood? A few examples:

Dangerous road conditions. If a pothole on Camarillo St, faded lane markings on Magnolia Blvd, or a broken traffic signal at any North Hollywood intersection contributed to your crash, the City of Los Angeles or Caltrans may be responsible. The 170 Freeway is a Caltrans road, and if a road hazard on the 170 caused or worsened your accident, you need to file a government tort claim within six months.

Government vehicles. If you were hit by a city vehicle, an LAPD cruiser, a Metro bus, or any other government-operated vehicle, the six-month government tort claim deadline applies.

This shorter deadline catches many people because they don't realize a government entity is involved until weeks or months later, when an attorney reviews the crash details and identifies the responsible party. By then, the six-month window may already be closing.

Why Waiting Is Risky Even When You Have Time

Two years sounds like a lot of time. It isn't, for several practical reasons.

Evidence disappears. Surveillance footage from businesses along Lankershim Blvd or near the Metro Red Line station gets overwritten within days. Traffic camera data on the 170 is not retained indefinitely. Skid marks on Chandler Blvd fade. Physical evidence at the scene deteriorates. The longer you wait, the less evidence exists to support your claim.

Witnesses forget. The driver who saw the other car run a red light at Magnolia and Tujunga might remember the details clearly a week later. Six months later, they might not remember the accident at all. A year later, good luck finding them.

Medical records become harder to connect. If you wait months to seek treatment, or if there are long gaps between medical appointments, the insurance company will argue your injuries either weren't caused by the accident or weren't serious enough to warrant treatment. Consistent, timely medical documentation builds a strong case. Delays undermine it.

Insurance companies stall deliberately. Some adjusters will drag out negotiations hoping you'll run down the clock and lose your ability to file a lawsuit. They know that once the statute of limitations passes, they have zero incentive to offer you anything reasonable. Having an attorney who is tracking the deadline and prepared to file a lawsuit before it expires protects you from this tactic.

Special Circumstances That Affect the Deadline

A few situations can change the two-year timeline:

Minors. If the injured person was under 18 at the time of the crash, the statute of limitations is tolled (paused) until they turn 18. They then have two years from their 18th birthday to file suit.

Mental incapacity. If the crash caused injuries that left you mentally incapacitated, the clock may be tolled during the period of incapacity.

Delayed discovery. In rare cases, an injury caused by the crash isn't discovered until later. The statute of limitations may begin from the date of discovery rather than the date of the accident. This applies in limited circumstances and typically requires legal argument to establish.

Property damage claims. California has a separate three-year statute of limitations for property damage under Code of Civil Procedure Section 338. Your car repair claim has a different deadline than your personal injury claim.

What You Should Do Now

If you were in a car accident in North Hollywood and you haven't talked to an attorney yet, do it now. Not because you're going to miss a deadline tomorrow, but because every day that passes reduces the quality of evidence available for your case.

A free consultation with a North Hollywood car accident lawyer takes about 20 minutes and gives you a clear picture of your timeline, your options, and whether your case has value. There's no cost and no obligation.

Understanding Comparative Fault in North Hollywood Accidents

California follows a pure comparative fault system under Civil Code Section 1714. This means that even if you were partially at fault for a crash on Lankershim Blvd, Magnolia Blvd, the 170 Freeway, and Chandler Blvd, you can still recover damages. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 20 percent at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000.

Insurance companies use comparative fault aggressively. After a crash in North Hollywood, the other driver's insurer will look for any reason to assign partial blame to you. Were you slightly over the speed limit? Did you fail to signal? Were you looking at your phone? Each of these factors can be used to reduce your recovery.

This is one of the most important reasons to have an attorney. A lawyer documents the evidence that supports your version of events and pushes back against unjustified fault assignments. Witness statements, traffic camera footage, and accident reconstruction can all be used to establish that the other driver bears full or primary responsibility.

If your case reaches Van Nuys Courthouse West, the judge or jury will make the final determination on comparative fault. Having thorough documentation and expert testimony makes it far more likely that the fault assignment reflects what actually happened, not what the insurance company wants it to be.

L&F Brown handles car accident cases throughout North Hollywood on a contingency basis. We track every deadline, preserve evidence early, and file lawsuits at Van Nuys Courthouse West when insurance companies won't negotiate fairly. Visit our North Hollywood personal injury page to get started.