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Last updated: October 2026 · Reviewed by Faud Haghighi, Esq., Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
What Does a Santa Ana Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
A Santa Ana personal injury lawyer proves who was at fault, files any required claim against the City on time, and pursues compensation from every responsible party and insurer for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The Law Offices of Faud Haghighi serves Santa Ana from our nearby Tustin office on Irvine Boulevard, and represents people injured by negligence throughout Orange County and Southern California, in car accidents, slip-and-fall incidents, and other serious-injury cases. Our recoveries include $215,000 for a client injured in a Santa Ana auto accident. Results depend on the facts of each case and will differ if based on different facts. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover for you, and your consultation is always free.
| Key facts for Santa Ana injury cases | Details |
|---|---|
| Nearest office | Tustin: 1352 Irvine Blvd #204, Tustin, CA 92780 · (949) 313-7656 |
| Deadline to file a lawsuit | Generally 2 years from the injury (CCP §335.1) |
| Claim against the City of Santa Ana or another public agency | Written claim generally within 6 months (Gov. Code §911.2); City claims go to the City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza, 8th floor |
| Where a Santa Ana injury lawsuit is filed | Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Dr. W., Santa Ana |
| Emergency care in Santa Ana | Orange County Global Medical Center, 1001 N. Tustin Ave.; South Coast Global Medical Center, 2701 S. Bristol St. |
| Cost to hire us | Free consultation; no attorney fee unless we recover for you |
Which Court Will Hear Your Santa Ana Case?
Orange County Superior Court’s Central Justice Center, at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana’s Civic Center, handles civil cases for every Orange County city. Santa Ana is the county seat, and the Civic Center holds county, city, and federal courts. It hears limited civil cases ($35,000 or less) and unlimited civil cases (more than $35,000). Cases designated as complex go to the Civil Complex Center at 751 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Most cases settle before trial, and your attorney handles the filings. Read more about what to expect at the Orange County Superior Court.
Where Do Accidents Happen in Santa Ana?
Many Santa Ana injuries happen at the Orange Crush interchange, along Bristol Street and other busy arterials, and in the downtown and Civic Center area. The Orange Crush, where the I-5, SR-22, and SR-57 meet near MainPlace Mall, is one of the county’s most congested interchanges, and SR-55 runs through the city to its interchange with the I-5. Common situations include:
- Freeway crashes: merging and lane-change collisions at the Orange Crush near MainPlace Mall, where fault often depends on dashcam footage, witnesses, and the collision report.
- Pedestrian injuries: people struck crossing Bristol Street or near the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center, which is served by Amtrak, Metrolink, and OCTA.
- Public property: trips on damaged sidewalks downtown or in the Civic Center, which trigger a claim against the City of Santa Ana.
- Premises injuries: falls in stores, apartment complexes, and parking lots. See our Santa Ana slip-and-fall lawyer page.
These are examples, not descriptions of specific firm cases.
What If a City of Santa Ana Vehicle or Sidewalk Caused Your Injury?
You must file a written claim with the Santa Ana City Clerk, generally within six months of the injury (Government Code §911.2), before you can sue the city. The City Clerk’s office is at 20 Civic Center Plaza, 8th floor (mailing address P.O. Box 1988). The city requires the original signed claim, delivered in person or by mail, and does not accept electronic filing. If you miss the six-month deadline, a late-claim application may be possible up to one year from the injury (Gov. Code §911.4). If the City rejects your claim in writing, you generally have six months from that notice to file suit (Gov. Code §945.6). Learn more on our Dangerous Conditions of Public Property page.
What Should You Do After an Accident in Santa Ana?
Get medical care, make a record of what happened, and protect the evidence before you speak with any insurance adjuster.
- Get emergency care if you need it. Call 911 for serious injuries. Orange County Global Medical Center on North Tustin Avenue is one of Orange County’s designated trauma centers, and South Coast Global Medical Center on South Bristol Street also receives emergency patients. If you feel sore but not hurt, still see a doctor within a day or two.
- Make a record. CHP responds to crashes on the 5, 22, 55, and 57; Santa Ana police handle city streets. For a fall, ask the business or landlord for an incident report, and for a fall on city property, note the exact location.
- Photograph the vehicles, the crosswalk or hazard, any traffic signals, and your injuries, and collect witness names and phone numbers.
- Hold off on a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer until you have legal advice.
- Keep every bill and receipt, including mileage to medical appointments and pay stubs showing missed work.
Who Is at Fault in a Santa Ana Freeway or Street Crash?
The driver who failed to use reasonable care is at fault, and if you share some of the blame, your compensation is reduced, not eliminated. At the Orange Crush, where the I-5, SR-22, and SR-57 meet, many crashes happen when a driver changes lanes or merges without enough room. California law allows a lane change only when it can be made with reasonable safety and after signaling (Vehicle Code §22107), so the merging driver is often responsible. Dashcam footage, the CHP report, and the damage pattern on each car usually show who moved into whom.
California’s pure comparative negligence rule means a jury can split the fault. If your losses total $120,000 and you are found 30% responsible, for example for following too closely, you still recover $84,000.
How Long Do You Have to File an Injury Claim in Santa Ana?
Generally two years from the injury to file a lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1), and six months for a written claim against the City of Santa Ana or another public agency. For an injured child, the two-year period for claims against private parties generally does not start until age 18 (CCP §352), but the six-month government claim rule still applies. Property damage claims generally have three years (CCP §338).
What Types of Injury Cases Do We Handle in Santa Ana?
We handle car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian crashes, slip-and-fall and premises cases, claims against public agencies, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death. In Santa Ana they often arise like this:
| Type of case | Where it often happens in Santa Ana | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Car and truck accidents | Merges and lane changes at the Orange Crush near MainPlace Mall; SR-55 traffic; busy intersections on Bristol Street | Car accident lawyer |
| Pedestrian injuries | Crosswalks on Bristol Street and around downtown, the Civic Center, and the Regional Transportation Center | Orange County personal injury |
| Slip and fall | Stores, markets, and apartment complexes | Santa Ana slip-and-fall lawyer |
| Public property and city vehicles | Damaged sidewalks, road defects, and collisions with government vehicles | Public property claims |
| Unsafe property conditions | Broken stairs, poor lighting, and negligent maintenance in buildings and parking areas | Premises liability lawyer |
| Catastrophic injury and wrongful death | High-speed freeway collisions and pedestrian crashes | Catastrophic injury lawyer |
What Is a Santa Ana Injury Case Worth?
Value depends on the seriousness of the injury, the cost and length of treatment, lost income, how clearly fault can be proven, and the available insurance. Compensation can include medical bills and future care, lost wages and earning capacity, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering. Our $215,000 recovery for a Santa Ana auto accident client is one example. Each result depends on the facts of that case, and results will differ if based on different facts. Read more about what affects the value of a personal injury case.
Why Work With a Personal Injury Lawyer Near Santa Ana?
Our Tustin office on Irvine Boulevard is close to Santa Ana and to the Central Justice Center where Orange County injury cases are filed. Attorney Faud Haghighi has practiced law in California since 2012, has handled hundreds of injury cases, including claims against cities for dangerous public property, and handles each case personally.
Serving Santa Ana and Surrounding Communities
Along with Santa Ana, we represent injured people in Tustin, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Mission Viejo, and throughout Orange County and Southern California.
Hurt in Santa Ana? The six-month city claim deadline moves fast. Call (949) 313-7656 or request a free consultation today.
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(949) 313-7656 Request a ConsultationNo attorney fee unless we recover for you. If there is no recovery, you may still be responsible for case costs.
Faud Haghighi, Esq.
Founder & Lead Trial Attorney
An Orange County trial attorney representing people injured by someone else's negligence — in car and truck crashes, slip-and-falls, premises accidents, and other serious-injury cases. Faud builds each case with the right medical and liability experts, preserves the evidence early, and prepares every file for trial — and you work directly with him, start to finish.
CA State Bar since 2012 · Aliso Viejo & Tustin
Free Consultation Read full bio ›Personal Injury Services
Frequently Asked Questions – Santa Ana Personal Injury Lawyer
In California, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit, under Code of Civil Procedure §335.1. If a government entity is involved, such as a city vehicle or a hazard on public property, you generally must file a written claim within six months under Government Code §911.2.
Orange County Superior Court hears Santa Ana injury lawsuits at the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West. It hears limited civil cases ($35,000 or less) and unlimited civil cases (more than $35,000); only cases the court designates as complex go to the Civil Complex Center. Many cases resolve before trial.
No. The City Clerk requires the original, signed claim form. Deliver it in person to 20 Civic Center Plaza, 8th floor, or mail it to the City Clerk at P.O. Box 1988, Santa Ana. It is generally due within six months of the injury.
Not always. You may be able to file an application for leave to present a late claim, but it must be filed within a reasonable time and no later than one year after the injury (Government Code §911.4). Talk to a lawyer right away.
It depends on the evidence. Merging and lane-change crashes at the I-5, SR-22, and SR-57 interchange often turn on dashcam footage, witness accounts, and the collision report, and fault can be shared among drivers under California law.
It depends on who caused the injury: a driver, a bus or train operator, or the owner of the property. If a public agency is involved, the six-month government claim deadline applies, so act quickly.
Call 911 for serious injuries. Orange County Global Medical Center on North Tustin Avenue is one of Orange County’s designated trauma centers, and South Coast Global Medical Center on South Bristol Street also receives emergency patients. Keep every record and bill.
Yes, including a $215,000 recovery for a client injured in a Santa Ana auto accident. Each result depends on the facts of that case, and results will differ if based on different facts.
Yes. Under California’s comparative fault rule, your compensation is reduced by your share of responsibility, not eliminated. In merging and lane-change crashes, dashcam video, the CHP report, and the damage pattern often decide how fault is divided.
It depends on your medical costs, lost income, how serious and lasting the injury is, how clearly fault can be proven, and the insurance available. Our results include $215,000 for a client injured in a Santa Ana auto accident; that result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ if based on different facts.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee, which is a percentage of the recovery, so there is no attorney fee unless we win. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee, but you may still be responsible for case costs, as explained in your fee agreement.
No. We serve Santa Ana from our Tustin office at 1352 Irvine Blvd, Suite 204, a short drive from downtown Santa Ana, and from our Aliso Viejo office. Consultations are free. Call (949) 313-7656.
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How Does a Santa Ana Personal Injury Case Work? Our 6-Step Process
A Santa Ana personal injury case moves through six stages — from your free consultation to settlement or trial. Here’s how the Law Offices of Faud Haghighi handles each step while keeping the process clear and as stress-free as possible.
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120 Vantis, Ste. 300, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
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1352 Irvine Blvd #204, Tustin, CA 92780
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