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Downey is one of the larger cities in the Gateway Cities corridor, with a population of roughly 116,000 and a road network shaped by three major freeways: the I-5 Santa Ana Freeway along its eastern boundary, the I-710 Long Beach Freeway along its western edge, and the I-105 Century Freeway cutting through its southern portion. Surface streets including Firestone Boulevard, Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood Boulevard, and Imperial Highway carry heavy daily volumes of commuter and commercial traffic. When accidents happen on these roads – and they happen every day – the consequences are often serious.
If you were injured in a car accident in Downey, the Law Offices of Asher Hoffman is here to help. Founding attorney Asher Hoffman represents injured people throughout Downey and the surrounding Gateway Cities region on a contingency fee basis – no cost to you unless your case resolves successfully.
Schedule your free consultation today.
If you require emergency care after a Downey accident, PIH Health Hospital Downey (11500 Brookshire Ave) is the primary hospital serving Downey. Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center (9333 Imperial Hwy) also provides emergency services. For Level I trauma, LAC+USC Medical Center is accessible via the I-710 and I-5.
Statute of limitations: California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 gives you two years from the crash date to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Government entity claims: If a road defect maintained by the City of Downey, Los Angeles County, or Caltrans contributed to your crash, Government Code section 911.2 requires a tort claim within six months of the accident. Failure to file forecloses the public entity claim.
Comparative fault: California’s pure comparative fault rule allows recovery even with partial fault, reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
Unlike Paramount, Bellflower, and Norwalk – which are covered by the Lakewood Sheriff Station under contract – Downey maintains its own Police Department. DPD officers respond to car accidents within Downey city limits and generate the incident reports used in insurance claims. For accidents on the I-5 or I-710 freeway, the California Highway Patrol typically takes the primary report.
Parking lot accidents are governed by the same negligence principles as street crashes. The property owner may also have liability if a dangerous parking lot condition – poor lighting, unmarked traffic flow, malfunctioning signals – contributed to the crash.
Cases that settle typically resolve in six to eighteen months. More complex cases involving serious injuries or disputed liability may take two to three years if litigation is required.
We handle Downey car accident cases from intake to resolution. From the first call, we pull the police report from Downey PD, identify all applicable insurance policies, and send preservation notices to prevent the destruction of dashcam footage, intersection camera recordings, and electronic accident data. We coordinate with your treating physicians to ensure your injuries are properly documented throughout the treatment process – not just at the emergency room.
When the time comes to make a demand, we present a comprehensive package that accounts for your past medical bills, your future medical needs, your lost income, your pain and suffering, and any permanent impairment. Insurance adjusters who receive a well-supported demand package from a firm known to litigate are more likely to negotiate reasonably than those who perceive a quick settlement is available.
After a Downey car accident, you will likely be contacted by one or more insurance adjusters. The at-fault driver’s insurer will want a recorded statement and may offer a quick, low settlement. Your own insurer may also reach out regarding your collision or medical payments coverage. Understanding what each insurer is trying to accomplish – and how to protect your rights in each conversation – is something we handle for our clients from day one. You focus on recovering. We handle the insurance process.
You can sue the other driver’s insurer directly regardless of whether you were in a rideshare vehicle at the time. Being a rideshare passenger does not affect your right to pursue a negligence claim against the driver who caused the crash.
If you were injured in a Downey car accident while on the job, workers’ comp covers your medical bills and some lost wages. However, you can still pursue a separate personal injury claim against the at-fault driver – these are distinct legal remedies. Workers’ comp may assert a lien against your personal injury recovery, which we address as part of the case resolution.
Car accident settlements in Downey follow the same general trajectory as settlements throughout Los Angeles County. After we gather all medical records and treatment is complete or at maximum medical improvement, we submit a comprehensive demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurer. The insurer typically responds with a counteroffer below our demand. We negotiate from there, and in the majority of cases a settlement is reached within a few weeks to months of the demand submission.
If the insurer’s position is unreasonable – refusing to acknowledge clear liability, offering inadequate amounts for serious injuries, or denying valid claims without basis – we file a lawsuit and take the case into the Los Angeles County Superior Court system. Filing suit does not mean the case will go to trial. Most cases settle during litigation, often after depositions are taken and the insurer has seen our evidence firsthand. Our reputation for following through on litigation threats is what makes those post-filing settlements happen.
For a full overview of personal injury services in Downey, see our Downey Personal Injury Lawyer hub page.
I can’t say enough about how grateful I am for the team that helped me after my motorcycle accident. From day one, they treated me with respect and compassion, while also fighting aggressively on my behalf. The process of dealing with insurance companies and medical bills was overwhelming, but they walked me through every step, […]
My boyfriend and I were getting the runaround from an at-fault driver and their insurance after my very first car accident in Los Angeles back in February, so I decided to find a lawyer to help us out with the process. Working with Asher Hoffman made all the difference. He was communicative, patient, and always […]
Asher is absolutely amazing! After my car accident, I was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, but he made the whole process so much easier. He’s very attentive, caring, and really goes above and beyond for his clients. I always felt supported and confident knowing he was handling my case. He not only got […]
I hope you never need a lawyer due to a car accident, but if you do, Asher Hoffman is the best! I had never been in a car accident this serious before and was rattled, stressed, and scared to say the least, suffering injuries and the total loss of my car. From our first meeting […]
I am so grateful to have had Asher Hoffman as my accident attorney. From the very beginning, he was professional, compassionate, and dedicated to my case. Asher always took the time to explain every step of the process in a way that was easy to understand, and he made sure I felt supported throughout. His […]
