Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Irvine, California
The firms in this guide
- Callahan & Blaine Call Callahan & Blaine: (714) 241-4444
- Crockett Law Group (Kevin Crockett) Call Crockett Law Group (Kevin Crockett): (714) 714-7100
- RMD Law Call RMD Law: (949) 326-5000
- Kubota & Craig Call Kubota & Craig: (949) 218-5676
- Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Call Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys: (949) 203-3814
1. Callahan & Blaine
Practice Focus: Personal injury litigation, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, wrongful death claims, insurance disputes, and complex civil litigation.
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death cases arising from motor vehicle collisions.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, demand letter preparation, discovery and depositions, expert witness coordination, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, and punitive damage claims.
Background: Founded in 1984, the firm has over 700 years of combined trial experience among its attorneys. Daniel J. Callahan graduated magna cum laude from Western Illinois University in 1976 and with honors from UC Davis School of Law in 1979, where he served as Editor of the Law Review. The firm has recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including a $934 million jury verdict (largest in Orange County history) and a $50 million personal injury settlement. The firm maintains AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Managing Partner Edward Susolik has been named to Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers annually from 2010-2025.
Location: 3 Hutton Centre Drive, 9th Floor, Santa Ana, CA 92707
Contact: (714) 241-4444 | https://www.callahan-law.com
Consultation: Free initial consultation available. The firm works on a contingency fee basis for personal injury cases.
2. Crockett Law Group (Kevin Crockett)
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, wrongful death claims, and catastrophic injury cases.
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, intersection accidents, highway collisions, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, hit-and-run cases, Uber and Lyft accidents, uninsured and underinsured motorist claims, and spinal cord injury cases.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, demand letter preparation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, and wrongful death claims.
Background: Kevin Crockett holds California State Bar Number 314485. He graduated summa cum laude from UC Irvine with a B.A. in Philosophy and earned his J.D. from UCI Law. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in 2021. The firm focuses exclusively on personal injury representation.
Location: 7700 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 400, Irvine, CA 92618
Contact: (714) 714-7100 | https://www.crockettlawgroup.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation available. The firm operates on a contingency fee basis with no upfront costs.
3. RMD Law
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, insurance bad faith claims, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases.
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, T-bone accidents, head-on collisions, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial truck accidents, hit-and-run cases, and uninsured motorist claims.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, insurance bad faith litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, demand letter preparation, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, and punitive damage claims.
Background: Aria Miran holds California State Bar Number 285032 (admitted 2012). He has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The firm has obtained significant verdicts including a $5.1 million insurance bad faith verdict. Nicole Dolle graduated from Chapman University Fowler School of Law in 2013, has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and has secured verdicts including $2.22 million in 2020 and $1.165 million in 2023. John Rajaee is also a partner at the firm.
Location: 19700 Fairchild Road, Suite 350, Irvine, CA 92612
Contact: (949) 326-5000 | https://www.rmdlaw.com
Consultation: Free initial consultation available. The firm works on a contingency fee arrangement.
4. Kubota & Craig
Practice Focus: Personal injury litigation, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, insurance disputes, and catastrophic injury cases.
Case Types Handled: Multi-vehicle collisions, rear-end accidents, intersection crashes, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death cases.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, demand letter preparation, discovery and depositions, expert witness coordination, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, and pain and suffering claims.
Background: Yoshiaki Kubota holds California State Bar Number 175555. The founding partners Yoshiaki Kubota and Cynthia Craig have over 50 years of combined experience and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients. The firm has been recognized in Best Lawyers 2025, Super Lawyers, and attorneys are members of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). The firm has extensive trial experience and handles cases throughout Orange County.
Location: 16530 Bake Parkway, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92618
Contact: (949) 218-5676 | https://www.kubotacraig.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation available. The firm operates on a contingency fee basis.
5. Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys
Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, product liability related to vehicle defects, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases.
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial truck accidents, defective vehicle component cases, and hit-and-run cases.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation and trial representation, settlement negotiations, demand letter preparation, product liability investigation, accident reconstruction, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, and wrongful death claims.
Background: The firm was founded in 1978 and has over 45 years of experience handling personal injury cases in Orange County. The firm has recovered over $800 million for clients and maintains a 99% success rate. Attorneys have been recognized in Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America. The firm has extensive trial experience and has handled numerous high-profile cases involving vehicle defects and catastrophic injuries.
Location: 1301 Dove Street, Suite 120, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (serving Irvine)
Contact: (949) 203-3814 | https://www.bestattorney.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation available. The firm works on a contingency fee basis with no fees unless recovery is obtained.
Hit-and-Run, Uninsured Drivers and Seat Belts in Irvine Car Crash Claims
When the other driver in an Irvine crash drives off or has no insurance, the injured driver’s own uninsured motorist coverage becomes the source of payment, and California’s Insurance Code sets conditions that apply from the first day.
When the Other Driver Is Unknown
Insurance Code § 11580.2 covers bodily injury caused by an unknown owner or operator only if the injury arose out of physical contact with the insured or the vehicle the insured was in, the crash was reported within 24 hours to the city police department (or, in unincorporated territory, the county sheriff or the local California Highway Patrol headquarters), and a sworn statement was filed with the insurer within 30 days.
Whether the Coverage Is on the Policy
Under the same section, the insurer and a named insured may, by written agreement in the statutory form, delete uninsured motorist coverage completely, delete it for named drivers, or set it lower than the required amount but not below the Vehicle Code § 16056 limits. The declarations page shows what remains.
The Other Driver’s Liability Limits
Vehicle Code § 16056(a)(2) sets, for any policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, at least $30,000 for injury to or death of one person, $60,000 for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage. Earlier policies carried the $15,000, $30,000 and $5,000 limits of paragraph (1).
Seat Belts and Shared Fault
Vehicle Code § 27315(d)(1) bars operating a motor vehicle on a highway unless the driver and all passengers 16 or older are properly restrained by a safety belt, with an exception for a taxicab carrying a fare-paying passenger on a city street. Under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975), California applies pure comparative negligence. For example, imagine $200,000 in damages and 25 percent of the fault on the injured driver: the recovery would be $150,000.
Irvine Car Accident Questions
How long do I have to sue the other driver?
Two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 for injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect.
What if a city or county vehicle hit me?
Government Code § 911.2 requires the claim to be presented to the public entity within six months after the cause of action accrues, and § 910 lists what it must contain, including the claimant’s name and address, the date and place of the occurrence and, for amounts over $10,000, whether the claim would be a limited civil case.
Do I have to report the crash to the DMV?
Yes, within 10 days under Vehicle Code § 16000(a), when the crash causes more than $1,000 in property damage to any one person, or any injury or death.