What to Do After a Car Accident in Glendale
After a car accident in Glendale, get medical care, document the scene, report the crash, and talk to a personal injury attorney before giving the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement. In California, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, and only six months to file a claim if a government vehicle or agency was involved.
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Read the transcript
Alex Mardirossian: The first thing I would tell them to do is, if they’re seriously injured, to seek medical help. Whether we can connect them with a provider immediately or they just go to an urgent care, their well-being is number one.
Teni Amadian: The second thing, right after that, would be to talk to an attorney and seek some guidance and some help. Sometimes people don’t know that they have a case.
Alex Mardirossian: If they become our client at that point, we can connect them with whatever medical provider they may need. If it’s a soft tissue case, possibly a chiropractor. If it’s something more serious, an orthopedist or neurologist, depending on what kind of injuries they sustained.
Teni Amadian: Another important thing is that a lot of these injury cases have a statute of limitations, so you don’t want to pass that statute of limitations deadline and find out that you could have had a case.
Alex Mardirossian: All they have to focus on is their health and their well-being, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Get medical care, even if you feel fine
Some injuries, including concussions and soft tissue injuries, may not show symptoms right away. A prompt medical visit protects your health and creates a record that connects your injuries to the crash.
“The first thing I would tell them to do is, if they’re seriously injured, to seek medical help. Whether we can connect them with a provider immediately or they just go to an urgent care, their well-being is number one.”
Alex Mardirossian
Document the scene and report the crash
If you can do so safely, photograph the vehicles, the road, and any visible injuries. Exchange names, license, and insurance information with the other driver, and get contact information from witnesses. Crashes on Glendale city streets are handled by the Glendale Police Department. Crashes on the 5, 134, 2, and 210 freeways are handled by the California Highway Patrol. California also requires you to report the crash to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeded $1,000.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and anything you say can be used to limit your claim. Your own insurance company is different: your policy likely requires you to cooperate with them. If the other driver’s insurer calls with an early settlement offer, read “Should You Accept the Insurance Company’s First Offer?” before you respond.
Know your deadline
California’s statute of limitations for personal injury is two years from the date of injury (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). Claims for vehicle damage alone have three years (CCP § 338). If a city bus, a government vehicle, or a dangerous public road was involved, you must file a government claim within six months (Government Code § 911.2).
“A lot of these injury cases have a statute of limitations, so you don’t want to pass that deadline and find out that you could have had a case.”
Teni Amadian
Acting quickly protects your rights and gives your case the strongest possible foundation.
How AM Legal helps after a car accident
Teni and Alex work every case together, so two attorneys review every detail of your claim. They can connect you with the right medical care, from chiropractors for soft tissue injuries to orthopedists and neurologists for more serious ones, including Armenian-speaking providers. AM Legal handles car accident cases on a contingency basis: you pay nothing unless they win.