San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer

Do I Have a Case?

The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan represent the victims of serious traffic accidents in San Francisco and across the Bay Area.

Our skilled San Francisco car accident lawyers take action immediately to secure the financial compensation victims need to make a full recovery.

We also help families who have lost a loved one in a tragic accident seek wrongful death support to protect their futures.

Matthew J. Quinlan

Daniel R. Aguilar

Exactly what we do for our car accident clients in a short, animated video:

San Francisco Car Accident Dangers

San Francisco and Bay Area traffic is often one big, tangled mess from morning to night. From the many lanes of Interstate 80 and Highway 101 to the tight lanes of Geary Boulevard, careless drivers are a frequent site. Speeding motorists or drivers looking at cellphones instead of the road cause dangerous impacts on a daily basis.

California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reports that at least 33 people lost their lives in San Francisco traffic accidents across 2023. Those sad deaths were part of 3,241 total car accidents involving injury recorded in the city for the year.

These mistakes cause severe injuries like broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and internal organ damage. The results were sometimes life-threatening for victims. Victims should be able to focus on healing and completing physical therapy, but the cost of medical care is understandably a huge concern for many patients.

When a careless or reckless driver causes an accident, the driver’s car insurance provider must be held accountable for every hardship that victims suffer. That includes paying for every hospital bill a victim receives. A skilled San Francisco car accident lawyer makes sure these damages and others earn full compensation for victims.

What to Do After a San Francisco Car Accident

San Francisco’s busiest intersections are some of the most common accident scenes in the city. Jam-packed intersections like the one at Divisadero Street and Oak Street see around a dozen serious accidents a year. The fast-moving traffic crossing the intersection of Market Street and Octavia Street also commonly results in scary collisions.

Victims in these crashes may be left in shock and in serious pain immediately after an impact. Yet, if you are in a collision on any Bay Area roadway, and you feel strong enough, it’s a great time to secure some valuable evidence right there on the scene.

Once the scene is secure, try to collect these details to give your car accident injury claim the best chance of earning the compensation you’ll need to recover.

For more help after an accident, check out our page on what not to do when preparing for your car accident injury claim.

For more help after an accident, check out our page on what not to do when preparing for your car accident injury claim.

Do I Have a Case?

Schedule a free consultation to find out!

How Much is My San Francisco Car Accident Case Worth?

This is understandably the single most asked question we get when meeting people who have been injured in a car accident. Victims may be facing a financial disaster as medical bills pile up in the mailbox. They often need financial rescue as soon as possible.

The factors of each case are different and it’s hard to put a value on your case before sitting down with you to discuss what happened. It is possible to get an idea of what you’d earn by going over the details that most affect your car accident injury settlement amount.

Generally speaking, here are the types of things that would determine the amount of compensation a car accident victim in the Bay Area would receive:

What car accident injuries are most commonly treated in San Francisco Emergency Rooms?

I Was Injured in a San Francisco Car Accident.
Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer?

We’re sorry to learn that you were injured in a auto accident, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the you need to hire a San Francisco auto accident lawyer. For example, if you suffered only minor injuries (soft tissue) and it is clear that the other person was at fault, you may be able to handle your claim with the other person’s insurance company yourself.

There’s no need to wonder if you’re eligible to file a claim, though. Reach out to The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan for a free consultation to discuss whether you have a case.  If you do, we will happily help you determine the best way to handle your claim.  We never take on cases that we can’t add value to.  In other words, if you can’t likely earn more by hiring us, it doesn’t make sense for you to hire a personal injury lawyer.  That said, if you suffered more serious injuries or an insurance company is unfairly blaming you for what happened, you will need to hire an injury lawyer or else you will likely be costing yourself a lot of money.

Were you in a car accident involving a Waymo vehicle? Learn more here.

Maximizing Your Car Accident Settlement Amount or Court Award

  • Use our leverage of being able to file a lawsuit to put pressure on adjusters.
  • Use our experience in handling 100s of cases like yours to ensure you are paid top dollar.
  • Negotiate and reduce your health insurance claims, which nets you more.

Occasionally, the at-fault party’s insurance refuses to accept responsibility, wants to place an unfair amount of blame on you, or doesn’t respect the extent of your injuries and damages.  When that happens, we file a lawsuit on your behalf and utilize the court system to create pressure on them.  You see, the insurance company knows that if they don’t treat you fairly, a jury of 12 of your peers will ultimately decide what you are entitled to.  This pressure causes them to reassess their position on your case and almost always causes them to offer you a good settlement before trial.

Bay Area Car Accident
Settlement Victories for Our Clients

$100,000 Settlement

$52,500 Settlement

$535,000 Settlement

What Type of Car Insurance
Is Required in California?

All California drivers are required to carry 15/30 liability insurance.  15/30 refers to the amount of coverage a driver must have for people they injure; 15k per person and 30k per accident.  (Note: if 3 people are injured by a driver in a single accident, they must divide 30k).  Many people, including us, feel that these minimum insurance limits are too low, however this is the current state of California law.  (Note: many people aren’t aware of how much coverage they have. An easy way to find out is to look at your “declarations” page of your auto policy or ask your insurance agent for a copy it.  It will simply lay out your coverage limits.)  We recommend having at least 100k/300k in both liability coverage and UIM coverage.  You’d be surprised how little extra it will cost you to have good insurance that protects you and your passengers from an unexpected accident.

Types of Auto Insurance Coverage

  • Liability: this type of insurance covers ONLY injuries and property damage you cause to others up to the limits of the policy.  It does not cover your own injuries and property damage when you are at-fault for the car accident.  (Note: if the other car is at fault for the accident you can recover on their auto insurance policy.)
  • Collision: this type of insurance covers injuries and property damage to both you and others up to the limits of the policy when you are at fault for the car accident.
  • Comprehensive:  this type of insurance is the same as Collision Insurance (above), but also covers you in the event of weather damage, theft, an animal collision, vandalism, etc.
  • Uninsured/Under-insured (UIM):  this type of insurance is an add on to the types above and ensures that you have a certain amount of money available to you in the event you’re in an accident caused by someone else with policy limits that aren’t large enough to cover your damages (personal injuries, damage to your car, etc.).  For example, what happens when your 50k car is totaled and the guy that hit you only has 15k in coverage (CA minimum)?  Without UIM coverage you are effectively out of luck and will have to pay for the difference in the value of replacing your car and 15k.  Same applies to a personal injury claim.  What if you are hit by a driver with 15k in coverage and suffer serious or permanent injuries?  15k won’t fairly compensate you, so you turn to your UIM and it takes the place of the underinsured driver, thus providing you with access to additional insurance money.  We highly recommend that all of our clients have at least 100k/300k in UIM coverage.

Common causes of
San Francisco Car Accidents

Do I need to report my car accident to the California DMV?

— Was there property damage of more than $750?

— Was anyone injured? (major or minor)

If you answered “YES” to either of these questions, then you (or your insurance company) MUST make a report (Form SR 1) to the California DMV within 10 days of the accident.  This applies even if you did not cause the car accident.  Failing to report your accident to the DMV may result in your license being suspended.

Frequently Asked Questions
After a San Francisco Car Accident

Two years. Victims in Bay Area traffic accidents can wait up to two years from the date of the incident to file an injury claim. The sooner you act, the sooner a car accident lawyer begins securing the financial support you need.

Yes. California empowers families to file wrongful death claims. These civil claims seek help with funeral expenses and in paying leftover hospital bills. Relatives also receive support for the income the deceased can no longer provide.

You still deserve the best legal representation. In fact, you won’t need any money now to hire our car accident lawyers. MJQ Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case. Then, our fee comes out of the compensation you are awarded.

Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer as Soon as Possible

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a car crash caused by a negligent driver, don’t trust your recovery to an insurance company. Allow The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan to deal with the most frustrating parts of injury claims and insurance hassles so you can focus on getting better.

Contact our offices for a free case consultation that comes with no obligation to you or your family. Let us work to get the most out of your San Francisco car accident settlement. You should never have to pay for medical bills out of your own pocket due to a reckless driver’s mistake.

Did You Know?