1. Heiting & Irwin, APLC

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, train accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, workers’ compensation, product liability, 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, amputations, severe burns.

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, workers’ compensation claims, subrogation disputes.

Background: Heiting & Irwin was founded in 1976, providing over 45 years of experience in personal injury law. The firm has recovered over $500 million for clients. James Heiting is the only past President of the State Bar of California ever elected from the Inland Empire and has also served as past President of Riverside County Bar Association. Richard H. Irwin is a California State Bar Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law (certified since 1995). The firm’s attorneys bring together over 100 years of combined legal experience. The firm maintains a network of medical professionals, engineers, safety experts, and economists for case development.

Location: Riverside, California (serving Riverside County and the Inland Empire)

Contact: (951) 682-6400 | https://www.heitingandirwin.com

Consultation: Free consultation available. Contingency fee arrangement.

2. The Law Offices of Harlan B. Kistler

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, government liability claims.

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, trucking litigation, 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, government tort claims.

Background: The Law Offices of Harlan B. Kistler has over 33 years of experience representing personal injury clients in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The firm has successfully represented more than 3,000 clients. The firm handles cases involving government liability, which require specialized knowledge of administrative claim procedures and shortened filing deadlines.

Location: Riverside, California (serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)

Contact: (951) 643-4542 | https://www.hbklaw.net

Consultation: Free consultation with no obligation. Contingency fee basis (no recovery, no fee).

3. The Dominguez Firm

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, workplace injuries, rideshare accidents.

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, hit-and-run accidents, catastrophic injury cases.

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical care coordination, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims.

Background: The Dominguez Firm was founded over 35 years ago and has helped thousands of injured clients in Riverside and the greater Los Angeles area, recovering over $1 billion in compensation. The firm has received recognition including: Top 1% by National Association of Distinguished Counsel, Super Lawyers Top Rated and Rising Stars lists, 10 Best Attorney by American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and Los Angeles Business Journal Business of the Year Award. The firm also received recognitions from the California Assembly, U.S. Congress, and L.A. Mayor.

Location: Riverside, California (serving Riverside County and greater Los Angeles area)

Contact: (800) 818-1818 | https://dominguezfirm.com/locations/riverside/

Consultation: Free consultation available. Contingency fee basis.

4. Aitken Aitken Cohn

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, product liability, aviation accidents, premises liability.

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, rollover accidents, multi-vehicle accidents, drunk driving accidents, distracted driving accidents, fatigued driving accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, catastrophic injury cases, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries.

Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, complex civil litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, punitive damage claims, wrongful death claims, product liability litigation.

Background: Aitken Aitken Cohn was founded in 1972 and has earned a national reputation for personal injury trial litigation. Founding partner Wylie Aitken has earned the Best Lawyer distinction for 31 consecutive years. Darren Aitken was named Orange County Trial Lawyers Top Gun Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year. Chris Aitken was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California (2024 and 2022), a distinction given to fewer than 50 lawyers statewide. The firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages for clients. Megan Demshki handles cases in the Riverside region. The firm successfully argued the Sumrall v. Modern Alloy case in Riverside, settling for millions of dollars.

Location: Serving Riverside and the Inland Empire (headquarters in Orange County)

Contact: https://www.aitkenlaw.com/riverside/personal-injury-attorney/

Consultation: Free case evaluation available. Contingency fee arrangement.

5. KAL Attorneys

Practice Focus: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, rideshare accidents, dog bites, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries.

Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, fatal car accidents, burn injuries, uninsured motorist claims.

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: KAL Attorneys is a personal injury law firm with offices in Santa Ana and Riverside, California. The firm’s attorneys include Kevin Kunde, Esq., Moises Aguilar, Esq., Michael Velarde, Esq., and Ty Martinez, Esq. The firm handles cases throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire. The legal team provides bilingual services in English and Spanish.

Location: Riverside, California (also serving Orange County)

Contact: (714) 881-7300 | https://www.kalattorneys.com

Consultation: Free case evaluations available. Contingency fee basis.

Car Accident Laws and Regulations in California

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims: Two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1). For claims involving government entities, a special administrative claim must be filed within six months of the accident.

Statute of Limitations for Property Damage Claims: Three years from the date of the accident (California Code of Civil Procedure Section 338).

Fault vs. No-Fault State: California is an at-fault (tort) state. The driver who is responsible for causing the accident bears the burden of paying for subsequent damages. Accident victims have the right to recover compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Comparative Negligence Rules: California follows a pure comparative negligence system. An injured person can recover damages even if they share some blame for the accident. The recovery is reduced in proportion to their percentage of fault. For example, if a driver is 20% responsible, they can still recover 80% of their damages.

Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements (Effective January 1, 2025): Under Senate Bill 1107 (Protect California Drivers Act), the new minimum liability limits are: $30,000 per person for bodily injury or death, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury or death to two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage. These limits will increase again on January 1, 2035 to $50,000/$100,000/$25,000.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: California law requires insurance companies to offer uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage with all auto insurance policies. Policyholders may waive this coverage in writing.

Damage Caps: California does not have caps on economic or non-economic damages in personal injury cases, with the exception of medical malpractice cases where non-economic damages are limited under MICRA.

Dram Shop Liability: California has limited dram shop liability under Business and Professions Code Section 25602. Bars and restaurants generally cannot be held liable for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons. However, liability may apply for serving obviously intoxicated minors.

Vicarious Liability for Vehicle Owners: Vehicle owners in California are not automatically liable for accidents caused by someone driving their vehicle with permission. Liability may apply under specific circumstances such as negligent entrustment.

Rideshare Accident Liability: California has specific insurance requirements for transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft under California Insurance Code.

Reporting Requirements: California law requires accident reports to be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles (SR-1 form) within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if property damage exceeds $1,000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the deadline to file a car accident lawsuit in Riverside County, California?

A: You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in California (California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1). For property damage claims, the deadline is three years. However, if your accident involved a government entity (such as a city bus, county vehicle, or dangerous road condition maintained by a public agency), you must file an administrative claim within six months of the accident. Missing these deadlines typically results in permanent loss of your right to recover compensation.

Q: How does California’s comparative negligence rule affect my car accident claim in Riverside?

A: California follows a pure comparative negligence system, which allows you to recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident. Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are awarded $200,000 but found to be 25% at fault, you would receive $150,000. Unlike some states that bar recovery if you are more than 50% at fault, California allows recovery even if you bear significant responsibility for the accident.

Q: What are the minimum auto insurance requirements for drivers in California as of 2025?

A: Effective January 1, 2025, California’s minimum liability insurance requirements increased under Senate Bill 1107 (Protect California Drivers Act). Drivers must carry at least: $30,000 per person for bodily injury or death, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury or death to multiple persons, and $15,000 for property damage. These represent significant increases from the previous 15/30/5 limits. Existing policies automatically adjusted to meet new minimums upon renewal after January 1, 2025.

Q: Where would I file a car accident lawsuit in Riverside, and what court has jurisdiction?

A: Personal injury lawsuits arising from car accidents in Riverside are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside. The Riverside Historic Courthouse and Hall of Justice are located in downtown Riverside. For cases involving federal diversity jurisdiction (parties from different states with claims exceeding $75,000), you may file in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, which has jurisdiction over Riverside County.

Q: What should I do if I was injured in a hit-and-run accident in Riverside?

A: If you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident in Riverside, you can file an uninsured motorist claim with your own auto insurance policy if you have UM coverage. This coverage applies not only when a driver lacks insurance but also when the driver cannot be identified because they fled the scene. You should report the hit-and-run to law enforcement immediately. If the at-fault driver is later identified, you may still pursue a claim against them directly. California law imposes criminal penalties for leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.