I represent people seriously injured in car crashes in Oakland and across the East Bay—on a contingency-fee basis, with a free consultation. If you were hurt, your priorities are medical care and keeping the insurers from shaping the story before you have counsel; both are things I can help with from the first call.
Oakland’s driving geography produces particular kinds of crashes, and I know them because I grew up here and practice here: the merge-and-weave collisions of the MacArthur Maze, high-speed rear-end crashes on the Nimitz (I-880), the interchange ramps at High Street and 23rd Avenue, sideswipes on I-580 and Highway 24, and intersection collisions on International Boulevard, Telegraph Avenue, and San Pablo Avenue. Where a crash happened shapes who investigated it, what evidence exists, and how a jury will understand it.
What I Do in a Car Accident Case
- Obtain and scrutinize the collision report—OPD for city streets, CHP for the freeways—and correct it when it is wrong.
- Preserve evidence early: intersection and business camera footage, vehicle event-data-recorder downloads, scene photographs, and witness statements.
- Identify every source of recovery: the driver’s policy, an employer’s liability if they were working, the vehicle owner, and your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
- Manage the medical side—records, billing, and liens—so treatment decisions are driven by your health, not the claim.
- Negotiate from a trial-ready file, and file suit in the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda when the offer does not reflect the harm.
Act Before the Evidence Disappears
You generally have two years to file, and that deadline is real. But a second clock runs much faster. Surveillance footage is overwritten in days, damaged vehicles are repaired or scrapped, and if a city vehicle, an AC Transit bus, or a dangerous public road condition contributed, a government claim may be due within six months. The step-by-step of what to do right now is in my guide, What to Do After a Car Accident in Oakland.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the police report for my Oakland car accident?
It depends on who responded. For crashes on Oakland city streets, request the collision report from the Oakland Police Department's records section. For crashes on the freeways — I-880, I-580, I-980, or Highway 24 — the California Highway Patrol prepares the report (a CHP 555), requested from the CHP area office. As a party to the crash you are entitled to a copy, and I obtain it as part of every case I take.
The other driver was uninsured. Do I have any options?
Often, yes. If your own policy includes uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, you can pursue your own insurer for what the at-fault driver cannot pay — and your rates cannot lawfully be raised for making a UM claim you did not cause. These claims have their own procedures and time limits, so they should not be left for later.
What are California's minimum insurance limits — and why do they matter?
Since January 1, 2025, California drivers must carry at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash in bodily injury coverage. Serious injuries exceed those limits quickly, which is why a real investigation looks beyond the driver: employer liability, vehicle owners, road conditions, and your own UM/UIM coverage can all change what a case is actually worth.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
California follows pure comparative negligence: your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault but not eliminated. Even a driver found half at fault can recover half of their damages. Insurers know this rule well and use exaggerated fault arguments to discount claims — pushing back on those percentages is a core part of the work.