Hurt in an Accident? Talk to McNally Law Offices Before You Talk to the Insurance Company.

Most California personal injury claims — car accidents, slip-and-falls, dog bites, and similar cases — must be filed within two years of the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Wrongful death claims generally follow the same two-year rule, measured from the date of death. There are important exceptions: claims against a government agency (a city, county, school district, or transit authority like Metro) usually require a formal claim within six months, and the clock can run differently for claims involving a minor. Because missing a deadline can permanently bar your claim, it’s worth confirming your specific deadline early rather than assuming the standard two years applies.

There’s no fixed formula, and anyone who promises you a specific number before reviewing your medical records and the facts of your case is getting ahead of the evidence. Case value generally depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, your total medical expenses (past and projected future treatment), lost income, the strength of the liability evidence, available insurance coverage, and how the injury has affected your daily life. A free consultation lets us look at your specific situation and give you a realistic, honest assessment rather than a guess.

For a very minor incident with no injury, you may be able to handle it yourself. Once there’s a real injury, though, you’re negotiating against an adjuster whose job is to resolve your claim for as little as possible, and research on insurance claims consistently shows represented claimants recover more, net of fees, than unrepresented ones in cases involving real injuries. Because we work on contingency, there’s no upfront cost to have us review your situation and tell you honestly whether representation would help.

You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the OTHER driver’s insurance company, and we recommend you don’t until you’ve spoken with an attorney. Adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that can be used later to minimize your claim — for example, asking "how are you feeling today?" to get you to casually say "fine." You can politely decline and refer them to your attorney. (Your OWN insurer may require cooperation under your policy — that’s a different relationship and worth asking us about specifically.)