Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Long Beach, California
The firms in this guide
- The Beliz Law Firm Call The Beliz Law Firm: (562) 452-3772
- McGee Lerer Ogrin Call McGee Lerer Ogrin: (562) 270-0546
- Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates Call Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates: (562) 216-2944
- Harting Simkins & Ryan, LLP Call Harting Simkins & Ryan, LLP: (562) 981-1010
- Saeedian Law Group Call Saeedian Law Group: (562) 800-0529
1. The Beliz Law Firm
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, catastrophic injuries, dog bites, wrongful death from auto accidents
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Michael A. Beliz has been a practicing attorney since 2006. He attended the University of San Diego School of Law where he was a multiple-year recipient of the Delroy Richardson Endowed Law Scholarship. He was a semi-finalist in the ATLA Intramural Mock Trial Competition. Prior to law school, Beliz earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He previously worked for two prominent plaintiff’s personal injury law firms in Southern California. California State Bar Number: 247944. Admitted to the U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
Location: 3777 Long Beach Blvd, Suite 510, Long Beach, CA 90807
Contact: (562) 452-3772 | [email protected] | https://www.belizlaw.com/
Consultation: Free case review, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless compensation is recovered)
2. McGee Lerer Ogrin
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents (Uber/Lyft), hit-and-run cases, wrongful death from auto accidents, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, electric scooter accidents
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, delivery vehicle accidents, texting while driving accidents, elderly driver accidents, illegal street racing accidents, self-driving vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, diminished value claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Daniel McGee and Catherine Lerer are husband-and-wife founding partners with 40+ years of combined experience. The firm includes former insurance adjusters who provide insight into settlement processes. Daniel McGee graduated from law school and has extensive trial experience. California State Bar Number (Daniel McGee): 171321. The firm has secured multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements including $18 million in an auto v. truck case and $10 million in a big rig accident case.
Location: 4401 Atlantic Ave., Suite 241, Long Beach, CA 90807
Contact: (562) 270-0546 | [email protected] | https://www.longbeachinjuryfirm.com/
Consultation: Free initial consultation available 24/7, no fee unless recovery is obtained, bilingual services in Spanish
3. Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death from auto accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, freeway accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, trucking company negligence cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, accident investigation, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Robin D. Perry has owned his practice since 1998 with over 25 years of courtroom experience. He graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BA in Sociology of Law & Society and received his JD from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). He won the American Jurisprudence Award in trial advocacy. Perry worked as a Deputy District Attorney and as a litigation attorney with a multinational firm. California State Bar Number: 181686. Admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Named Long Beach Bar Association Lawyer of the Year for 2024-2025. Notable settlement: $1.275 million wrongful death settlement (2023).
Location: 100 Oceangate, Suite 525, Long Beach, CA 90802
Contact: (562) 216-2944 | [email protected] | https://www.lordp.net/
Consultation: Free consultation available 24/7, contingency fee basis
4. Harting Simkins & Ryan, LLP
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death from auto accidents, rideshare accidents, dog bites, premises liability
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, free insurance policy reviews, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims
Background: Richard A. Harting graduated from Southwestern Law School with a JD in 1990 (SCALE Program). He received a BS in Finance from California State University, Long Beach in 1986. California State Bar Number: 149991. Admitted to the U.S. District Court Central District of California, U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and Supreme Court of the United States. Over 35 years of experience. The firm has obtained notable results including $1,250,000 (motorcycle accident), $1,000,000 (trucking accident), and $920,000 (pedestrian accident).
Location: 3711 Long Beach Boulevard, Suite 600, Long Beach, CA 90807
Contact: (562) 981-1010 | Toll-free: (800) 809-8848 | https://www.hsrlegal.com/
Consultation: Free case consultation, no recovery no fee, Spanish language services available
5. Saeedian Law Group
Practice Focus: Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, hit-and-run cases, wrongful death from auto accidents, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, comparative negligence case analysis
Background: Michael Saeedian leads the firm with experience handling personal injury claims throughout Southern California. The firm focuses on car accident cases in Long Beach and the surrounding Los Angeles County area. The attorneys handle cases involving California’s pure comparative fault system.
Location: Long Beach, CA (serving Long Beach and surrounding areas)
Contact: (562) 800-0529 | https://saeedianlawgroup.com/long-beach-car-accident-lawyers/
Consultation: Free, no-obligation initial consultation, contingency fee arrangement (no fee unless case is won)
Public Road Liability and Claim Deadlines in California for Long Beach Crashes
A Long Beach crash caused in part by a road defect, a missing sign or a public vehicle brings in California’s rules for claims against public entities, which run on a different clock from a claim against another driver. Both sets of rules are below, together with the fault rule.
When a Public Entity Is Liable for a Dangerous Condition
Except as provided by statute, Government Code § 835 makes a public entity liable for injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property if the property was in a dangerous condition when the injury happened, the condition proximately caused the injury and created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury that occurred, and either an employee’s negligent or wrongful act within the scope of employment created it or the entity had actual or constructive notice in time to protect against it.
The Claim Comes Before the Lawsuit
Government Code § 911.2 requires a claim for death or injury against a public entity to be presented within six months after accrual. If the entity gives written notice under § 913, § 945.6 requires suit within six months after the notice is personally delivered or mailed; if no written notice is given, suit must be filed within two years from accrual.
The Injured Person’s Own Fault
Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) adopted pure comparative negligence, so fault reduces recovery in proportion rather than barring it. For example, imagine $50,000 in damages and 20 percent of the fault on the injured driver: the recovery would be $40,000.
Claims Against Private Drivers
Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets two years for an action for injury to, or the death of, an individual caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect.
Long Beach Car Accident Questions
Do I need to file a DMV report after a crash?
Yes, in the cases below. Under Vehicle Code § 16000(a), a driver must report a crash on a street or highway to the DMV within 10 days when it causes more than $1,000 in property damage to any one person, or any injury or death. A report is not required under that subdivision when the vehicle was owned or leased by a government, including a local agency.
If two drivers share the blame, how is pain and suffering split?
Civil Code § 1431.2 makes each defendant liable for noneconomic damages only in proportion to its percentage of fault, with a separate judgment against each defendant for that amount.
Can a driver hold a phone to use it for navigation?
No, not while driving. Vehicle Code § 23123.5 bars driving while holding and operating a handheld phone or wireless device unless it is voice-operated and used hands-free, apart from a single swipe or tap on a mounted device to activate or deactivate a function.