Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has appeared on Forbes, CNN Underscored Money, Investopedia, Credit Karma, The Balance, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance, among others.
Christy Bieber, J.D.
Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has appeared on Forbes, CNN Underscored Money, Investopedia, Credit Karma, The Balance, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance, among others.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Reviewed
Adam Ramirez, J.D.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
San Francisco is the thirteenth largest city in the U.S. and is well known for its steep streets, landmark neighborhoods, and of course the Golden Gate Bridge. Unfortunately, while the city is committed to reducing traffic crashes through its Vision Zero program, accidents of all kinds happen there including motor vehicle collisions, slip and falls, dog bites, and more.
If you’re injured in the Golden City, finding the best personal injury lawyers in San Francisco is key to protecting your legal rights and getting the compensation you deserve. Fortunately, we’ve done the hard work of combing through the data and finding attorneys with the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for you.
Check out the list below, as well as our methodology and some tips to help you find a lawyer that’s right for you.
Read more
Show Summary
- Best San Francisco, CA Personal Injury Attorneys
- Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers of 2024
- Compare Our Top San Francisco Personal Injury Attorneys
- San Francisco, California Personal Injury Laws
- How to Find the Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyer
- How San Francisco Statutes Affect Personal Injury Claims
- What Is Covered by Personal Injury Law in San Francisco?
- Do You Pay Taxes on Personal Injury Settlements in San Francisco?
- How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in San Francisco?
- How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in San Francisco?
- Methodology For Finding The Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Best San Francisco, CA Personal Injury Attorneys
Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers of 2024
Compare Our Top San Francisco Personal Injury Attorneys
| Lawyer Name | CA Bar Association Status | Law School Attended | Year Admitted to CA Bar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald C. Arbitblit | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 1986 | View More | |
| Elizabeth J. Cabraser | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 1978 | View More | |
| Christopher B. Dolan | Active | Georgetown University Law Center | 1993 | View More | |
| Kristine K. Meredith | Active | Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School | 1992 | View More | |
| Dale Minami | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 1972 | View More | |
| Scott P. Nealey | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 1997 | View More | |
| Robert J. Nelson | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 1983 | View More | |
| Spencer J. Pahlke | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 2007 | View More | |
| Sara M. Peters | Active | Stanford University Law School | 2008 | View More | |
| Valerie N. Rose | Active | University of California Berkeley School of Law | 2010 | View More |
Other California Personal Injury Lawyers
San Francisco, California Personal Injury Laws
Statute of Limitations in San Francisco, California
The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in California is two years from the date of the injury or one year from when the plaintiff discovers they were injured, whichever value is longer.
This time limit is shorter for personal injury claims against the government. When the government is the defendant, the plaintiff must file a special administrative claim within six months of the injury and will only have six months to file a lawsuit if the government denies the claim.
Determining Fault in San Francisco, California
Ever since the 1975 case Li v. Yellow Cab Co., California has used pure comparative negligence as the standard for determining fault in personal injury cases. Under this standard, the plaintiff may collect compensation, no matter how much they are at fault, as long as the defendant is at least partially at fault. However, any reward is reduced by the percentage that the plaintiff is at fault for their injuries.
Caps on Medical Malpractice Awards in California
California doesn’t cap economic damages in medical malpractice cases, but it does cap non-economic damages. Due to recently signed legislation, the caps in 2024 are $550,000 if the case involves a wrongful death and $390,000 otherwise. These caps will increase by every year until they reach $1 million and $750,000, respectively.
How to Find the Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyer
Finding the best personal injury lawyer in San Francisco can be complicated. Here are some of the steps you can take to help you find an attorney who can help you.
Ask for a Referral
Friends, family and other lawyers with whom you have worked on other issues can be a great resource when you are hoping to find the best personal injury lawyer in San Francisco. Ask around in your network to see if anyone you know has had a positive experience with a particular attorney or firm.
Make Sure Your Attorney Has Experience With the Type of Case You’re Involved in
There are many different ways you could be injured, from motor vehicle accidents to defective products to slip and falls. The laws differ governing each type of injury, and you want to make sure the attorney you work with has experience handling cases similar to yours.
Confirm Whether Your Lawyer Has Trial Experience
Most personal injury claims settle, but there are times when you do need to proceed to court in order to get fair compensation. You’ll want to make sure your lawyer has actually litigated a case so you aren’t pressured to settle for less than you should just to keep your claim out of court.
Find Out About the Fee Structure
Personal injury attorneys generally work on a contingency fee basis, which means they collect a percentage of the compensation you recover. Find out how any potential lawyer’s fees work. What percentage of your compensation will your lawyer collect (this can often vary depending on how quickly your case is resolved), and how are legal fees paid during your case? These are important questions you need to get answers to.
Understand How Your Attorney Communicates With You
Will your attorney speak with you directly about important developments in your case? Will you receive regular updates? Are you comfortable with the way your lawyer explains things to you? Your case could take weeks, months or even years to resolve and you want to make sure you receive good communication during the process.
Ask About Past Successful Cases
Finally, find out if your attorney has a track record of successful claims. While the facts of your own unique case dictate the outcome of your claim, it is helpful to make sure your lawyer has been able to recover compensation for plaintiffs in similar situations in the past.
How San Francisco Statutes Affect Personal Injury Claims
California statutes regulate every aspect of personal injury claims. The consistency of these statutes makes it easier for San Francisco personal injury lawyers to pursue a case while making it difficult for the average litigant to pursue a claim without legal representation. The main aspects of a claim that are regulated are:
- How long a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit
- What court a lawsuit must be filed in
- Who can be sued
- What needs to be proven to win a case
- How much money can be awarded
- What types of evidence can be used in court
Any violation of these regulations can slow down a case or even lead to a judge dismissing the case.
What Is Covered by Personal Injury Law in San Francisco?
Personal injury is a broad category of law. It represents any situation where one party negligently or intentionally injures another party. Some examples of personal injury claims are:
- Car accidents
- Workplace injuries
- Slip and fall accidents
- Assault
- Medical malpractice
- Defective products
- Libel or slander
When someone brings a personal injury claim, they are stating that the defendant had a duty to protect them from injury and violated that duty either intentionally or due to negligence.
Do You Pay Taxes on Personal Injury Settlements in San Francisco?
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), damages received from a personal injury claim, including settlements, are not subject to federal taxation. The same rules apply to California income taxes.
However, there is an exception to this rule. Punitive damages are treated as income and are subject to federal and state taxes. Additionally, any part of a settlement that covers lost wages is also taxable.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in San Francisco?
Typically, due to the California statute of limitations for personal injuries, you have only two years from the date of the injury to file a claim. However, some types of personal injuries have alternate time limits.
The time limit to file a personal injury claim in a slander or libel case is one year. In a medical malpractice claim, you may have as long as three years to file a lawsuit but will typically only have a year.
How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in San Francisco?
Typically, the less severe the injuries involved, the less time it will take to settle a personal injury claim, but there is no consistent time. Complicated cases or ones that go to trial are likely to take longer.
Methodology For Finding The Best San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyers
To come up with the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Francisco in 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many options. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.
Within the model, we take into account factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:
- Legal experience
- Special licenses and certifications
- Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
- Legal thought leadership
- Education and employment background
- Scholarly lectures and writings
- Awards and honors
Forbes Advisor collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.
Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Bear in mind that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds, but does not evaluate their personalities or their knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.
One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially difficult legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much is your personal injury case worth in San Francisco, California?
The amount of compensation you can receive for a personal injury claim is based on the nature and extent of your injuries. You should be compensated for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress damages. A San Francisco personal injury lawyer can help you estimate the value of your claim and fight for full compensation for losses.
How long will it take to get compensated for a personal injury in San Francisco?
The timeline for receiving compensation after a personal injury can vary based on many factors including whether the defendant accepts fault and whether your case settles out of court or you must go to trial.
Typically, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months or even several years for you to receive compensation. An out-of-court settlement will resolve your case more quickly, but don’t accept a settlement until you are happy with the compensation as you cannot change your mind and go back and ask for more money later. A San Francisco personal injury lawyer can help you negotiate a fair settlement and assess settlement offers presented to you.
Do most personal injury cases in San Francisco settle?
Most personal injury cases settle. It can be better for plaintiffs and defendants to avoid the time, expense and uncertainty of court proceedings. However, when you accept a settlement offer, you give up your right to make further claims for compensation. Do not accept a settlement until you have spoken with a San Francisco personal injury attorney and made sure you are being fairly compensated for your losses.
How much does an average San Francisco personal injury lawyer cost?
The average personal injury lawyer in San Francisco takes cases on contingency. This affects their cost in two significant ways.
When a lawyer takes a case on contingency, the client only pays their fee if the lawyer obtains some form of compensation for the client, whether that is a result of a settlement, arbitration, or a jury award.
Thus, if the lawyer is unable to obtain any money, the client will pay nothing. This is relatively uncommon because personal injury lawyers rarely accept cases that they aren’t confident they can win.
In San Francisco, the typical fee is between 25% and 33% of the settlement or verdict.
The reason for these percentages is the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act. Recent changes to this law prevent personal injury lawyers from charging more than 25% of a settlement if that settlement was obtained before a civil complaint was filed or an arbitration demand was made.
This law also limits the contingency fee to 33% if the claim was resolved after a civil complaint was filed or an arbitration demand was made. San Francisco personal injury attorneys have the right to petition the courts for a higher contingency fee if the case goes to trial but personal injury cases rarely go to trial.
Finally, these regulations were only adopted in 2022. In lawsuits that were filed before these regulations were passed, they are regulated by the old rules. Under those rules, contingency fees could be as high as 40% and scaled based on how much money was recovered.
What happens if I miss the deadline for filing my San Francisco personal injury lawsuit?
If you miss the deadline for filing your personal injury lawsuit, your legal claim is no longer valid. The counsel for the defense will request that the case be dismissed and, except in rare circumstances, the court will fulfill that request.
Determining the deadline for a personal injury lawsuit is often rather complicated. Attorneys typically can determine the deadline, but even they may disagree. If the defense claims the deadline has passed and your attorney believes it has not, you can petition a court to decide who is correct.
Finally, while the deadline doesn’t apply to insurance claims, it can affect the value of any compensation you receive. If the deadline has passed, an insurance company has no incentive to negotiate with your lawyer. You can’t file a lawsuit against the insurance company, and it knows this.
Are there extensions for the San Francisco personal injury statute of limitations?
Yes. There are a few situations that cause the statute of limitations to be tolled. When the statute of limitations is tolled, that means that it is temporarily suspended. While it is suspended, the time left to file a lawsuit does not change. However, the plaintiff also may not file a lawsuit while the statute of limitations is tolled.
There are three common reasons that the statute of limitations is tolled in California. The first is that the defendant is currently in prison. The statute of limitations is tolled until they are released from prison, even if they are released on parole or probation. Notably, the statute is not tolled if the defendant is in a county jail rather than a prison.
Second, the statute of limitations is tolled if the defendant leaves the state of California after causing the injury but before the lawsuit is filed. In this situation, the statute of limitations remains tolled until the defendant returns to the state. If the defendant were to leave and return multiple times, only the time they were out of the state wouldn’t count toward the deadline.
Finally, the statute of limitations is tolled if the defendant is mentally incompetent or clinically insane. It remains tolled until the defendant recovers, assuming that ever happens. Furthermore, based on California law, someone under 18 years old counts as being mentally incompetent.
What is the average personal injury settlement in San Francisco?
While studies vary in their results, the consensus appears to be that the average personal injury settlement is right around $30,000 to $40,000. But does this mean you should expect to get approximately that much money if you file a personal injury claim?
No, because that number doesn’t take into account the specific circumstances of your injury. Different types of personal injury claims have different averages, as do different types of injuries. For example, the average car accident award is roughly half the value of the average award. Conversely, the average award for medical malpractice claims is over half a million dollars.
These differences reflect the most important factor in the value of a personal injury claim: the severity of any injuries and the impact they have on the plaintiff. An injury that puts a plaintiff in the hospital for months is almost certain to result in a higher award than an injury that requires only one or two visits to a doctor.
Furthermore, non-economic damages (damages awarded for pain and suffering) are often determined as a multiplier of economic damages. In short, this means that the more costs and expenses you suffer from a personal injury, the more non-economic damages you are likely to receive.
Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my personal injury case in San Francisco?
There are three ways to request a copy of the police incident report in San Francisco. You can request it online, in person or through the mail.
To request a police report in person, you need to go to the SFPD Police Headquarters between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Police incident reports cannot be requested at district stations. The report is free when obtained this way.
To request an incident report online, you need to go to the San Francisco Police Incident Reports online portal. As part of your request, you will need to upload a copy of one of the following valid IDs:
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- Driver’s license
- State-issued ID card
- San Francisco City ID card
- Passport
Attorneys can also use the portal to request a police incident report for a client. A lawyer must also upload a copy of their business card with their state bar number visible and must upload written documentation that verifies they are representing the client in question. Anyone requesting a traffic collision report should wait at least five days from the date of the accident to make that request.
Finally, if you elect to request an incident report through the U.S. mail service, you must fill out a request form and mail it to the Crime Information Services Unit / Records Management department of the SFPD. These forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Tagalog.
There is no way to request a police report using email.
