Torrance Car Accident Lawyer
Most Torrance car accident claims are paid by the at-fault driver’s insurer, but several local details can change where your claim goes and how fast you have to act. Pacific Coast Highway and Western Avenue are state highways, Hawthorne Boulevard is being transferred from the State to the City, and freeway crashes on the 405 are handled by the CHP, not Torrance police. If a public agency may be responsible, the claim is generally due within six months.
Torrance car accident lawyer Jon Olsson is based in nearby Redondo Beach and personally handles every case, for drivers, passengers and others hurt in auto accidents throughout Torrance and the South Bay. The consultation is free, and there is no attorney’s fee unless you recover compensation.
Torrance Car Accident Claims at a Glance
- Deadline to sue: generally two years for injuries (CCP § 335.1) and three years for damage to your car (CCP § 338).
- Claims against a public agency: a written claim is generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2), to the City of Torrance or, for PCH and Western Avenue, the State.
- Police report: a driver in a crash that injures or kills someone must report it to the police or CHP within 24 hours (Vehicle Code § 20008).
- DMV report: each driver must file an SR-1 within 10 days if anyone was injured or killed, or property damage is over $1,000 (California DMV).
- Minimum insurance: only $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for injuries (California Department of Insurance).
- Partial fault: reduces your recovery by your share of fault but doesn’t bar it (CACI No. 405).
- Cost: free consultation, and no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Why Jon’s Corporate Defense Experience Helps Your Torrance Car Accident Claim
Jon spent the early part of his career on the other side of injury cases, so he knows how insurers and their lawyers will size up your claim. Before founding Olsson Law, he spent six years at a large international law firm defending companies in complex litigation, including serious injury and product liability matters. He then joined a Los Angeles personal injury firm, where he represented injured people in motor vehicle collisions, dangerous property conditions, public entity cases and disputed liability matters. That background tells him what evidence moves a defense lawyer, and what they look for to justify paying less.
Jon stays directly involved from your first consultation through the resolution of your case, and works to reduce medical bills and liens so more of any settlement goes to you.
- Education: Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.); New York University (B.A.)
- Bar admissions: California, Texas and Massachusetts
- Community: member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the South Bay Bar Association
Prior Results
- $3.85 million: wrongful death settlement
- $700,000: car accident, back and neck injuries
- $400,000: slip and fall, knee injury
These results include matters personally handled by Jon Olsson at prior law firms and matters in which he participated as part of a legal team. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Read more about Jon Olsson, our approach, and prior results.
How Many People Are Hurt in Torrance Car Crashes?
About 570 to 760 people a year were killed or injured in reported crashes on Torrance streets from 2019 through 2023, near the middle of about 60 California cities its size. Speeding is the most common factor OTS tracks: 64 to 115 injury crashes a year were speed-related. Hit-and-run injury crashes, by contrast, are rare for a city its size.
The California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) compares Torrance with about 60 cities of 100,001 to 250,000 people, with No. 1 the worst (OTS methodology).
| Year | All crashes: killed or injured (rank) | Alcohol-involved: killed or injured (rank) | Speed-related crashes (rank) | Nighttime crashes (rank) | Hit-and-run crashes (rank) | Cities ranked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 647 (32nd) | 50 (43rd) | 70 (44th) | 60 (34th) | 7 (62nd) | 62 |
| 2022 | 620 (41st) | 36 (56th) | 71 (48th) | 68 (31st) | 9 (61st) | 61 |
| 2021 | 616 (36th) | 59 (38th) | 84 (42nd) | 49 (43rd) | 13 (58th) | 60 |
| 2020 | 567 (27th) | 39 (43rd) | 64 (40th) | 31 (48th) | 14 (54th) | 61 |
| 2019 | 756 (29th) | 51 (49th) | 115 (33rd) | 58 (34th) | 15 (56th) | 59 |
The figures count only reported crashes, and crashes reported by the CHP, including crashes on the 405, don’t count toward the city’s totals (OTS). The first two data columns count people killed or injured; the others count crashes. Nighttime means 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Data current as of October 2026; 2023 is the most recent year OTS has ranked. For pedestrian and bicycle data, see our Torrance personal injury lawyer page.
Where Do Car Accidents Happen in Torrance?
Hawthorne Boulevard. Torrance’s main commercial corridor runs past Del Amo Fashion Center and miles of shopping centers, with heavy turning traffic and frequent signals that set up rear-end and left-turn crashes.
Pacific Coast Highway and Western Avenue. Both are state highways maintained by Caltrans, so a crash caused by the road’s design or condition goes to the State, not the city (City of Torrance).
Torrance Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard, Del Amo Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard. Busy cross-town routes with commuter and commercial traffic, where many intersection and lane-change crashes happen.
The 405. Freeway crashes are handled by the California Highway Patrol, so the report comes from the CHP, not the Torrance Police Department.
Who Is Responsible for the Road?
When the road’s design or condition contributed to a crash, the claim goes to whichever agency is responsible, generally within six months. For more detail, see the road responsibility table on our Torrance personal injury page.
| Road | Responsible agency | Where the claim goes |
|---|---|---|
| City streets, city vehicles and Torrance Transit buses | City of Torrance | City Clerk, 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503, on a signed original claim form; faxed or emailed claims aren’t accepted |
| Pacific Coast Highway and Western Avenue | State of California (Caltrans) | Department of General Services Government Claims Program |
| Hawthorne Boulevard north of PCH (State Route 107) | Historically the State; the state has moved to transfer it to the City (California Transportation Commission), so it may depend on when the crash happened | The State or the City; consider presenting a claim to both |
To hold a public agency responsible, you usually need to show the road was dangerous and that the agency caused the problem or had time to fix it and didn’t (Gov. Code § 835).
Who Pays After a Torrance Car Accident?
Usually the at-fault driver’s liability insurer. When that isn’t enough, or the driver can’t be found, other coverage may apply, and more than one policy can apply to the same crash.
| What happened | Usual source of payment |
|---|---|
| Another driver caused the crash | That driver’s auto liability policy |
| The at-fault driver had no insurance or not enough | Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, if you have it |
| Hit-and-run driver who can’t be found | Your own UM coverage, if you meet California’s rules for unidentified drivers, including physical contact and a police report within 24 hours (Ins. Code § 11580.2) |
| The driver was working, such as a delivery or company vehicle | The employer’s commercial policy may also apply |
| An Uber or Lyft was involved | Rideshare coverage: at least $50,000 per person while the driver is logged in and waiting, and $1 million once a ride is accepted (Pub. Util. Code § 5433) |
| A drunk driver caused the crash | The driver’s policy, and punitive damages may be available against the driver (Taylor v. Superior Court) |
| Your medical bills while the case is pending | Your health insurance or your own medical payments (MedPay) coverage, which may seek reimbursement from your recovery |
What Can I Recover After a Torrance Car Accident?
- Medical expenses: past and future treatment.
- Lost income and earning capacity: when an injury limits the work you can do, California juries compare what you probably would have earned without it with what you can still earn (CACI No. 3903D).
- Your car: generally the lesser of the repair cost or the drop in value. If the car is repaired but still worth less, you can generally recover the repair cost plus that remaining loss, up to its pre-crash value (CACI No. 3903J), plus the reasonable cost of renting a similar car while it’s repaired or replaced (CACI No. 3903M).
- Pain and suffering: physical pain, emotional distress, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Wrongful death: the family’s lost financial support and household services, and the loss of their loved one’s love, companionship and care (CACI No. 3921).
Being partly at fault doesn’t stop you from recovering. Since Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975), California has used “pure comparative fault”: the award is reduced by your share of fault.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Torrance?
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and get medical care the same day, even if you feel fine. Concussion symptoms can take hours or days to appear (CDC). The nearest Level I trauma center is Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
- Call the right police agency: the Torrance Police Department for city streets, or the CHP for the 405. If anyone was hurt, the crash must be reported within 24 hours.
- Exchange information with the other driver: name, address, driver’s license number, vehicle identification number and insurance information (Vehicle Code § 16025).
- Photograph everything: both cars, the intersection, signals, skid marks and your injuries. Get witnesses’ names and numbers, and ask nearby businesses to save security video.
- File an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was hurt or damage is over $1,000.
- Talk to a lawyer before giving the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and before signing any release.
How to Get a Torrance Police Report
Wait at least 15 days after the crash. Then buy the report online through LexisNexis, or request it by mail or drop-off from the Torrance Police Department Records Division, 3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503, for $18. Reports for hit-and-run and fatal crashes may be delayed (Torrance Police Department). For a freeway crash, request the report from the CHP. Olsson Law can request the report for you.
How Jon Builds a Torrance Car Accident Case
- Liability: the police report, photos, intersection and business video, witness statements and, in serious cases, vehicle data and a reconstruction expert.
- Coverage: every policy that could pay, including the other driver’s, any employer’s or rideshare company’s, and your own UM/UIM coverage.
- Damages: medical records and bills, proof of lost income, and documentation of your car’s repair cost and lost value.
- Resolution: a fully documented demand and negotiation. If the insurer won’t pay a fair amount, Jon files suit and prepares the case for trial.
Car accident lawsuits are filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court district where the crash happened. The Torrance Courthouse at 825 Maple Avenue hears cases from the part of Torrance west of Western Avenue. Learn more about car accident claims.
Torrance Car Accident FAQs
I crashed on Hawthorne Boulevard because of a bad road condition. Who do I file against?
It may depend on when it happened. Hawthorne north of PCH has been a state highway (Route 107), and the state has moved to transfer it to the City of Torrance. Until the transfer is complete and recorded, it can make sense to present a claim to both the State and the City, generally within six months.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. Can I still recover?
Possibly, through your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. The same coverage can apply when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low to cover your losses.
Do I have to report the crash to the DMV?
Yes, if anyone was injured or killed or property damage is over $1,000. Each driver must file an SR-1 within 10 days, whether or not the police made a report.
Who pays my medical bills while my case is pending?
Usually your health insurance or your own MedPay coverage, if you have it. Those plans may seek reimbursement from your recovery, and Jon works to reduce those liens so more of the settlement goes to you.
How much does a car accident lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. Olsson Law works on contingency: the fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, and if there’s no recovery, you owe no attorney’s fee. California requires that agreement to be in writing (Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147).
How long does a car accident case take?
It depends mostly on your medical recovery, since a claim’s value usually isn’t clear until your doctors know what future care you’ll need. Cases that settle after treatment can resolve in months; cases that go to litigation often take a year or more.
Talk to a Torrance Car Accident Attorney Today
Video gets recorded over, witnesses forget, and claims against the State or city are generally due within six months. Call Jon Olsson at (310) 304-4756 or contact us online for a free consultation. There is no attorney’s fee unless you recover.
Jon also represents people hurt in car accidents in nearby Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Palos Verdes.
This page provides general information about car accident claims in Torrance. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and rules can change and may depend on the facts of your case.