When Should I Call a Lawyer After an Accident?
Call a lawyer as soon as you’ve gotten medical care — ideally within days of the accident and before you give any recorded statement to an insurance company. There is no fee to talk, and early involvement preserves evidence. Deadlines run from the accident date: two years for most California injury claims, six months if a government entity is involved.
Hurt in an accident? Talk to us — 24/7.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
Is it too soon to call a lawyer?
No — the first days after a crash are when a lawyer helps most. Skid marks, debris fields, and vehicle damage get cleaned up; nearby business and doorbell camera footage is often overwritten within days or weeks; witnesses become hard to reach.
Early on, a lawyer can send preservation letters, photograph the scene and vehicles, and take over insurer communications before anything is said that hurts the claim.
Should I talk to the insurance company first?
Notify your own insurer promptly — your policy requires cooperation with your own company. But you are not required to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and it’s usually a mistake to do so before getting advice.
Adjusters are trained to ask questions that minimize claims (“I’m fine” on day two becomes an exhibit when your MRI shows a herniation on day twenty). California’s fair claims regulations set deadlines insurers must meet — acknowledgment within 15 days and a decision within 40 days of proof of claim (10 CCR § 2695.7) — but nothing obligates you to be interviewed on their timeline.
How long do I have to get a lawyer after a car accident?
Legally, you can hire a lawyer at any point before your case resolves — even mid-lawsuit. Practically, the deadlines that matter are the claim deadlines: two years to file most California injury lawsuits (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1) and six months to file a government claim when a public entity is involved (Gov. Code § 911.2).
The later a lawyer comes in, the less can be rebuilt: gaps in treatment, lost footage, and statements already given all shrink a claim. Full deadline guide: How long after a car accident can you sue in California?
What should I do before I call?
Get medical care first — health comes before paperwork, and undocumented injuries are the single most common hole in a claim. Then gather what you already have: photos, the other driver’s information, your insurance card, the police report number if any, and the names of treating facilities.
Don’t wait to collect everything before calling; a good intake team pulls the traffic collision report and records for you.
What if weeks have already passed?
Call anyway. Two years is the general lawsuit deadline, so most cases are still viable — evidence just needs rebuilding, which is exactly the job. The main exceptions that make a late call urgent: a government defendant (six-month claim), any letter from a court or insurer with a deadline on it, or an offered settlement release — never sign a release without advice, because it permanently ends the claim.
The call is the easy part — we handle the rest.
Se habla español — Llama Me. No out-of-pocket fees — we work on contingency.
