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

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local Valley Village Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. A San Fernando Valley native, he graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School and has represented injured clients from communities across the Valley, including Valley Village.

If you were in a car accident in Valley Village, California law gives you a specific window of time to take legal action. Miss that window and your case disappears, no matter how strong it is. The deadline is firm, and understanding it is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself.

The Two-Year Rule

California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you were in a crash on Laurel Canyon Blvd on June 15, 2026, your deadline to file a lawsuit is June 15, 2028. If you file on June 16, 2028, your case will almost certainly be dismissed. Courts enforce this deadline strictly.

This two-year clock applies to claims for bodily injury, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other damages related to physical harm. It is the same whether the accident happened on a Valley Village city street patrolled by LAPD or on the 170 freeway where CHP has jurisdiction.

For property damage claims only (damage to your vehicle with no bodily injury), California gives you three years under Code of Civil Procedure Section 338. But if you have any personal injury claim at all, the two-year deadline is the one that matters.

The Six-Month Exception for Government Claims

If your accident was caused in whole or in part 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 file a lawsuit.

When would this apply in Valley Village? Several scenarios:

Dangerous road conditions. If a pothole, missing stop sign, broken traffic signal, or poor road design on a city-maintained road like Magnolia Blvd or Burbank Blvd contributed to your accident, the City of Los Angeles may be partially responsible.

Caltrans-maintained roads. If the accident involved a state highway or the condition of an on-ramp or off-ramp near the 170, Caltrans is the responsible entity.

Government employee drivers. If a city, county, or state employee driving a government vehicle caused the accident, the employing entity may be liable.

The six-month government tort claim is not a lawsuit. It is a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit. If you miss it, your right to sue the government entity is typically gone. This shorter deadline catches many people off guard, especially when they are focused on recovering from injuries and assume they have two full years.

If you suspect a government entity played any role in your Valley Village accident, talk to an attorney immediately. Six months goes fast.

Exceptions That Can Extend or Pause the Deadline

California law provides a few narrow exceptions that can toll (pause) the statute of limitations:

Minors. If the injured person was under 18 at the time of the accident, the two-year clock does not start until they turn 18. A minor injured in a crash near Valley Village Park would have until their 20th birthday to file.

Mental incapacity. If the injured person was mentally incapacitated as a result of the accident, such as a traumatic brain injury that rendered them unable to manage their affairs, the statute may be tolled during the period of incapacity.

Defendant left the state. If the at-fault driver left California after the accident, the time they spent out of state may not count toward the two-year deadline.

Delayed discovery. In rare cases, injuries may not be discovered until well after the accident. If you had no reason to know you were injured until a later date, the statute may begin running from the date of discovery rather than the accident date. This exception is narrow and fact-specific.

These exceptions exist but they are not common, and relying on them is risky. The safest approach is to act within the standard two-year window, and ideally well before it closes.

Why Waiting Is a Bad Strategy

Some people know about the two-year deadline and treat it as a two-year grace period. They plan to wait and see how their injuries develop before deciding whether to pursue a claim. While the instinct is understandable, waiting creates serious practical problems.

Evidence disappears. Surveillance footage from businesses along Laurel Canyon Blvd or near Colfax Square gets overwritten within days or weeks. Traffic camera data may not be preserved. Skid marks fade. Vehicle damage is repaired. The physical evidence that supports your version of events has a short shelf life.

Witnesses forget. The person who saw the other driver run the red light at Magnolia and Coldwater will remember details vividly for a few weeks. After six months, their memory becomes less reliable. After a year, they may not remember the incident at all.

Medical documentation weakens. Gaps in treatment hurt your case. If you stop seeing doctors and then resume treatment a year later, the insurer will argue your current symptoms are unrelated to the accident. Continuous, documented treatment creates the strongest medical record.

Insurance adjusters know the clock is ticking. If you contact the insurer 18 months after the accident, they know you have limited time to file a lawsuit. This weakens your negotiating position. An adjuster facing a claimant who has already waited 18 months has less incentive to settle fairly because the pressure of a potential lawsuit is reduced.

A Valley Village car accident lawyer can preserve evidence, begin documentation, and file a claim while you focus on recovery. Acting early protects more options than waiting.

What the Litigation Timeline Actually Looks Like

If your case moves from an insurance claim to a lawsuit, here is a realistic timeline for cases filed at Van Nuys Courthouse West:

Filing the complaint: Your attorney files the lawsuit. The defendant has 30 days to respond.

Discovery: Both sides exchange documents, take depositions, and gather evidence. This phase takes 6 to 12 months in most car accident cases.

Mediation: Many cases go to mediation, a structured settlement negotiation with a neutral mediator, before trial. This often results in resolution.

Trial: If the case does not settle, it goes to trial. From filing to trial, LA County cases typically take 18 to 24 months.

Most car accident cases settle before trial. But the process requires time, and the more time your attorney has before the statute of limitations forces a rush, the better prepared your case will be.

What to Do Right Now

If you were in a car accident in Valley Village and have not yet taken legal action, the most important step is to consult with an attorney who can assess your timeline and preserve your options. This is true whether the accident happened last week or a year ago. The consultation is free, and it will tell you exactly where you stand.

Do not assume you have plenty of time. Contact our Valley Village personal injury team today for a no-obligation evaluation of your case and your deadlines.