Fountain Valley Personal Injury Attorney

How the firm helps in Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley injuries happen where the 405 cuts across a grid of busy boulevards, and around Mile Square Park.

The 405 runs diagonally through Fountain Valley. Brookhurst, Euclid, Magnolia, Bushard, and Ward Streets carry its north–south traffic, and Edinger, Warner, Slater, Talbert, and Ellis Avenues cross them. Mile Square Regional Park, run by the County, and the Santa Ana River Trail along the city’s eastern edge bring cyclists and pedestrians into the mix. The claims that follow are freeway and intersection collisions, cyclists and pedestrians struck near the park and the river trail, falls at stores, restaurants, and offices, and dog bites in residential neighborhoods.

Kyle J. Scott, admitted to the State Bar of California in 1991, founded Kyle Scott Law in 2003. The firm has no Fountain Valley office; it represents Fountain Valley clients from its office in Tustin, reached by the 55 and the 405, and also people hurt in neighboring Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and Garden Grove. Every claim starts with a free, confidential review of what happened, who owned or controlled the road or property (the City of Fountain Valley, the County of Orange, a school district, or a private business), which insurance applies, and which deadlines are already running.

The 405 through the middle of the city

When a crash happens near a ramp or a lane change, fault often turns on who changed lanes and when, so the report, dash-cam video, and vehicle data are preserved early. The California Highway Patrol’s Westminster Area office patrols the 405.

Brookhurst, Euclid, and the boulevards

Left turns across wide boulevards, red-light collisions, and pedestrians struck in crosswalks near shopping centers and schools are investigated by the Fountain Valley Police Department, which releases collision reports online through LexisNexis. When an insurer argues the injured person was partly to blame, California’s comparative-fault rule reduces a recovery by that share instead of barring it (CACI No. 405).

Mile Square Park and other public property

Mile Square Regional Park is a County of Orange park run by OC Parks, and the City of Fountain Valley runs its Recreation Center & Sports Park on park land it leases along Brookhurst Street. City streets and sidewalks belong to the city, and campuses belong to their school districts. A claim against any of them generally must be presented within six months (Government Code § 911.2), and public-property claims have legal limits of their own (Government Code § 835), so the firm settles who controlled the spot first.

Dog bites in Fountain Valley neighborhoods

California holds a dog’s owner responsible for bite injuries suffered in a public place or by someone lawfully on private property, whether or not the dog had ever bitten anyone before (Civil Code § 3342). Fountain Valley contracts with the County for animal care, so the bite report goes to OC Animal Care. That report, photos of the wounds, and the owner’s insurance information are the starting evidence.

Cases the firm reviews

Common Fountain Valley injury matters.

Car, truck, motorcycle, and rideshare collisions on the 405 and on Brookhurst, Euclid, Magnolia, Warner, Talbert, and other Fountain Valley streets

Pedestrian and bicycle injuries at intersections, on the Santa Ana River Trail, and on the paths around Mile Square Park

Falls and unsafe-property injuries at stores, restaurants, medical offices, and apartment communities

Injuries at Mile Square Park, the Sports Park, schools, and other public property

Dog bites and animal attacks in Fountain Valley neighborhoods and parks

Medical negligence claims, and traumatic brain and spinal injuries after any of the above

Courts, hospitals, and reports

Where a Fountain Valley case actually happens.

The facts of a claim live in specific places: the courthouse where it would be filed, the hospitals that hold the treatment records, and the agencies that wrote the report. Knowing them from day one shortens everything that follows.

Where cases are filed: Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center — 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana (civil cases)

Where cases are filed: Civil Complex Center — 751 West Santa Ana Boulevard, Santa Ana (cases designated complex)

Where cases are filed: West Justice Center — 8141 13th Street, Westminster, where Fountain Valley’s criminal and traffic cases are filed (a charge against the other driver, for example)

Where people are treated: MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, Brookhurst Street

Where people are treated: UCI Health — Fountain Valley (formerly Fountain Valley Regional Hospital), Euclid Street

Where people are treated: UCI Health — Orange (UCI Medical Center), the county’s Level I adult trauma center

Reports and agencies: Fountain Valley Police Department for collisions on city streets

Reports and agencies: California Highway Patrol, Westminster Area, for the 405

Reports and agencies: OC Animal Care for bite reports (the city contracts with the County for animal care)

Government claims: Fountain Valley City Clerk, for claims against the city

Government claims: Orange County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, for claims against the County, including injuries in the County-run parts of Mile Square Park

Legal guides

Answers to questions Fountain Valley clients ask.

View all guides

Car accidentsWhat to Do After a Car Accident in Orange County8 min read FaultCan You Recover Compensation If You Were Partly at Fault in California?7 min read Dog bitesWhat to Do After a Dog Bite in Orange County8 min read Government claimsWhen Is a Government Claim Required After an Injury in Orange County?14 min read

Common questions

Questions from Fountain Valley clients.

Where would a Fountain Valley injury case be filed?

In the Orange County Superior Court, which hears civil cases from across the county at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana; cases designated complex go to the Civil Complex Center. Fountain Valley’s criminal and traffic cases are filed at the West Justice Center in Westminster — including a charge against a driver who caused a crash — but the injury claim is a separate civil case, and many resolve with the insurer before any lawsuit is filed.

I was hurt at Mile Square Park. Who is responsible?

It depends on where in the park it happened and what caused it. OC Parks runs Mile Square Regional Park for the County of Orange; the City of Fountain Valley runs the Recreation Center & Sports Park on land it leases along Brookhurst Street; and bike and paddle-boat rentals are run by a concessionaire. A claim against the County or the city generally must be presented within six months, so the exact spot and who controlled it are pinned down first.

A dog bit me in Fountain Valley. Is the owner responsible?

Often, yes. Under California Civil Code section 3342, a dog’s owner is liable for bite injuries suffered in a public place or while lawfully on private property, even if the dog never bit anyone before. Get medical care, report the bite to OC Animal Care, which provides Fountain Valley’s animal services under a County contract, photograph the wounds, and get the owner’s name, address, and any homeowner’s or renter’s insurance information.

How do I get the police report for a Fountain Valley crash?

It depends on where the crash happened. The Fountain Valley Police Department handles collisions on city streets and releases reports online through LexisNexis, and its Records Bureau handles collisions involving a death or an arrest. Crashes on the 405 are handled by the California Highway Patrol’s Westminster Area office. Either way, keep the report number you were given at the scene.

How long do I have to bring a claim?

Generally two years from the injury to file a lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If the City of Fountain Valley, the County of Orange, or a school district may be responsible — a city street, Mile Square Park, a campus — a written government claim is generally due within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Claims against a doctor or hospital follow a separate rule with its own time limits (Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5).

Do I need to come to the Tustin office?

No. Kyle Scott Law does not have an office in Fountain Valley; it represents Fountain Valley clients from 17671 Irvine Blvd. in Tustin. The first consultation is free and can be by phone or video, in English or Spanish, and in-person meetings are arranged whenever a case calls for it.

This page provides general information, not legal advice. A consultation is needed to evaluate the facts, deadlines, parties, and law that may apply to a specific matter.

Sources

Official sources.

The figures and rules of law on this page come from these official sources.

Practice areas

Cases Kyle Scott Law handles for Fountain Valley clients.

View every practice area

Car AccidentsKyle Scott Law represents people hurt in car, truck, motorcycle, rideshare, and pedestrian crashes across Orange County, from an office in Tustin.Slip & FallKyle Scott Law represents people hurt in slip, trip, and fall accidents across Orange County, from wet store floors and broken stairs to lifted sidewalks and parking lots.Medical MalpracticeKyle Scott Law represents patients and families across Orange County who were harmed by medical malpractice, from a missed cancer diagnosis or an anesthesia error to surgical, medication, hospital, and birth injuries.Dog BitesKyle Scott Law represents adults and children hurt in dog bites and dog attacks across Orange County, claims that are often paid by the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.