Southern California Personal Injury Lawyer

How the firm helps in Southern California

One office in Tustin, and results from four county courts.

Kyle Scott Law represents people injured in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and it handles every type of personal injury case listed on this page, from car crashes and dog bites to medical malpractice and wrongful death. The firm’s only office is at 17671 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, in Tustin. It has no office in Los Angeles, Riverside, or San Bernardino County, so if you were hurt somewhere else you can start with a free consultation by phone or video, in English or Spanish.

The firm’s published verdicts and settlements include cases from the superior courts of Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Each county has its own courthouses, filing rules, police agencies, and animal control departments. This page explains what changes when your injury happened outside Orange County, and what stays the same.

If you were injured in a different county than where you live

Your home address usually is not what decides where an injury case is filed. A personal injury lawsuit may be filed in the county where the injury happened or in the county where a defendant lives (Code of Civil Procedure § 395), and a corporation may also be sued where the liability arose or where its principal place of business is (§ 395.5). A Tustin resident hurt in a Fontana crash may end up in San Bernardino Superior Court, and a Riverside resident rear-ended on the 5 in Irvine may end up in the Orange County Superior Court.

The records come from where it happened

The crash report comes from the police department or California Highway Patrol office that responded, the bite report from that area’s animal control or health agency, and the treatment records from the hospital that treated you. The firm requests them from the right agency, wherever you live, and works on the case from Tustin.

A government claim goes to the government that may be responsible

If a city, county, school district, or transit agency may be at fault, a written claim generally must be presented to that entity within six months of the injury (Government Code § 911.2), usually by delivering or mailing it to its clerk or secretary (§ 915). No lawsuit for damages can be filed against it until the claim has been acted on or deemed rejected (§ 945.4). A lawsuit against a city, county, or local agency over an injury in its own territory can generally be tried in that county (Code of Civil Procedure § 394).

The rules that are the same in every county

The deadline to sue is generally two years from the injury (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1); claims against a doctor or hospital follow a separate rule (§ 340.5). A person partly at fault can still recover, reduced by that share (CACI No. 405). In a motor vehicle case, an injured person generally cannot recover non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, if they owned the vehicle and it was uninsured, could not show financial responsibility as its driver, or were driving under the influence and convicted of it; there are exceptions (Civil Code § 3333.4). A dog’s owner is liable for bites in a public place or to someone lawfully on private property, even if the dog never bit before (Civil Code § 3342).

Cases the firm reviews

Common Southern California injury matters.

Vehicle crashes: car, truck, motorcycle, rideshare, pedestrian, bicycle, bus, hit-and-run, and drunk-driver crashes

Unsafe property and places: falls, premises liability, dog bites, school liability, sports and recreation injuries, and claims against government entities

Serious injuries: traumatic brain, spinal cord, catastrophic, and burn injuries, and wrongful death

Abuse, neglect, and professional negligence: medical malpractice, elder abuse and neglect, sexual harassment and abuse, child sexual abuse, and insurance bad faith

Courts, hospitals, and reports

Where a Southern California 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 — the Orange County Superior Court hears unlimited civil cases at the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana

Where cases are filed: Los Angeles County — every new civil case in the Los Angeles Superior Court must include a Statement of Location (form LASC CIV 109) giving the reason for the courthouse chosen; for injury cases the reason listed is generally the place where the injury happened

Where cases are filed: Riverside County — Riverside Superior Court hears civil cases at the Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main Street, Riverside, and at other courthouses in the county, and the court has adjusted where civil cases from some communities are filed

Where cases are filed: San Bernardino County — San Bernardino Superior Court accepts limited and unlimited civil filings at the San Bernardino Justice Center, the Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse, and the Victorville Courthouse, each serving listed communities

Reports and agencies: The police department or California Highway Patrol office that responded to the crash

Reports and agencies: The animal services agency of the city or county where the bite happened, for bite reports

Government claims: The clerk, secretary, or claims office of the city, county, school district, or agency that may be responsible

Legal guides

Answers to questions Southern California clients ask.

View all guides

DeadlinesHow Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in California?8 min read InsuranceWhat Happens If an Uninsured Driver Hits You in California?9 min read FaultCan You Recover Compensation If You Were Partly at Fault in California?7 min read Government claimsWhen Is a Government Claim Required After an Injury in Orange County?14 min read

Common questions

Questions from Southern California clients.

Does Kyle Scott Law handle cases outside Orange County?

Yes. The firm represents people injured in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and its published results include cases from the superior courts of all four. Its one office is in Tustin. Where the injury happened affects which court, agencies and local rules apply, so the free consultation starts there.

Does the firm have an office in Los Angeles, Riverside or San Bernardino County?

No. Kyle Scott Law has one office, at 17671 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, in Tustin. It represents people from other counties from that office. The first consultation is free and can be by phone or video, in English or Spanish.

I live in one county but was hurt in another. Where would my case be filed?

Usually in the county where the injury happened or the county where a defendant lives (Code of Civil Procedure section 395). Your own home county usually isn’t what decides it. Many claims resolve with the insurer before any lawsuit is filed, so the court question may never come up.

A city or county where I was hurt may be responsible. What is different?

A written government claim generally must be presented to that city, county, school district or transit agency within six months of the injury (Government Code section 911.2), and a lawsuit can’t be filed until the claim is acted on or deemed rejected. It goes to the entity that may be responsible, not to the county where you live.

Do I have to travel to Tustin?

No. Your first conversation with Kyle Scott can be by phone or video, in English or Spanish, and in-person meetings in Tustin are arranged when a case calls for one. The firm requests police, medical and agency records from wherever the injury happened.

How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?

Generally two years from the injury to file a lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). Claims against a public entity generally need a written government claim within six months. Claims against a doctor or hospital follow a separate rule with its own time limits (section 340.5). The same rules apply in every California county.

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 Southern California clients.

View every practice area

Personal InjuryKyle Scott Law handles every type of personal injury case for people hurt in Orange County, from car and truck crashes and falls to dog bites, medical malpractice, abuse, and wrongful death.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.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.