Santa Monica has more people walking, biking and riding scooters than most Los Angeles County cities, and its own safety data shows it. If you were hurt in a crash or a fall in Santa Monica, this page covers the city-specific steps. Our office at 10700 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles is a short drive away, and our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys represent injured people across the Westside.
Looking for a Santa Monica personal injury lawyer? B&D Law Group, APLC handles Santa Monica car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and premises injury cases, and the first consultation is free.
What Santa Monica’s own data shows
A September 2026 Vision Zero report to the Santa Monica City Council counted 214 crashes that killed or severely injured someone from 2021 through 2025: 21 fatal and 193 severe. The yearly count rose from 29 in 2021 to 62 in 2024 and 52 in 2025. In 2025, 22 of those crashes involved pedestrians and 5 involved bicyclists. Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard had the most fatal and severe injury crashes (26 each), followed by Pico Boulevard (22) (City of Santa Monica).
Statewide comparisons point the same way. In the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 rankings, Santa Monica ranked 3rd of 103 similar-sized cities for pedestrian victims (62), 8th for bicyclist victims (48) and 6th for motorcyclist victims (33), where 1st is worst (OTS, Santa Monica 2023).
Getting your Santa Monica police report
The city handles police report requests through its online Public Records Request Center: register, choose Police as the department, and include the date, time, location and, if you have it, the incident number. The city has 10 days to respond, and the Police Records Unit contacts you about any fee. Questions go to (310) 458-8431.
When the city or Caltrans may be responsible
If a dangerous street, sidewalk or signal contributed to your injury, a claim against the City of Santa Monica is mailed or delivered to the City Clerk at 1685 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. The city does not accept claims by fax. Pacific Coast Highway is different: the city’s Local Roadway Safety Plan notes that PCH is under Caltrans’ jurisdiction, so a claim about a road defect there goes to the State of California, not the city.
Courts serving Santa Monica
The Santa Monica Courthouse (West District) is at 1725 Main St. Los Angeles Superior Court rules decide which courthouse hears a personal injury case, and those rules have changed in recent years. If your case goes to court, we handle the filing.
What a Santa Monica injury claim can cover
California law sorts personal injury damages into a few categories:
- Economic damages: objectively verifiable money losses, such as medical expenses, lost earnings and the cost of repairing or replacing property (Civil Code section 1431.2).
- Non-economic damages: subjective losses such as pain, suffering, emotional distress and loss of companionship (same section).
- Punitive damages: available only in limited cases, when it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with oppression, fraud or malice (Civil Code section 3294).
What a particular claim is worth depends on the injuries, the evidence and the insurance available, so we review each case individually and never promise a result.
How a Santa Monica personal injury case usually moves
- Free consultation. You tell us what happened and we explain your options. There is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
- Investigation. We gather the collision or incident report described above, photos, witness information and your medical records.
- Claim and negotiation. We present the claim to the insurance company and negotiate for a fair settlement.
- Government claim if needed. If the City of Santa Monica or another public agency may share responsibility, we prepare the written claim before the six-month deadline.
- Lawsuit if needed. If the case does not settle, we file a lawsuit in the proper California Superior Court and keep pushing toward trial.
Deadlines and fault rules that apply to every California injury claim
- Two years to file a lawsuit. Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1.
- Six months for claims against a public agency. If a city, county or state agency may be responsible, for example because of a dangerous road condition or a government vehicle, a written claim generally must be presented within six months after the claim accrues under Government Code section 911.2. Missing that deadline can end the claim.
- Partly at fault does not mean no recovery. California uses pure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804). If you share some of the blame, your compensation is reduced by your share rather than barred.
Cases we handle for people hurt in Santa Monica
Our personal injury attorneys represent people injured in Santa Monica in cases including:
You can also read about our past case results and what clients say about working with us.
Santa Monica personal injury FAQ
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in Santa Monica?
B&D Law Group, APLC handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee, which means no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. The consultation is free.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Santa Monica?
Most California personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a city, county or state agency may be responsible, a written claim generally must be presented within six months (Government Code section 911.2).
What if I was partly at fault for the Santa Monica accident?
California follows pure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.). If you share some of the blame, your compensation is reduced by your share rather than barred.
Can I make a claim against the City of Santa Monica?
Yes, but California requires a written claim to the public agency before a lawsuit can be filed (Government Code section 945.4), and the claim generally must be presented within six months. The “When the city or Caltrans may be responsible” section above explains where Santa Monica claims go.
Where do I get my Santa Monica accident report?
The “Getting your Santa Monica police report” section above explains how to request a copy through the city. Freeway crashes are generally handled by the California Highway Patrol.
Nearby cities we serve
We also represent injured people in communities near Santa Monica:
- Brentwood personal injury attorneys
- Culver City personal injury attorneys
- Inglewood personal injury attorneys
- Sherman Oaks personal injury attorneys
- Encino personal injury attorneys
- Hollywood personal injury attorneys
- Our Los Angeles office
- All areas we serve
Talk to a B&D Law Group attorney
B&D Law Group, APLC represents people hurt in Santa Monica and across the Westside from our Los Angeles office at 10700 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025. The consultation is free, and we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee, which means no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Call (888) 977-2238 or send us your case details.
Attorney advertising. This page is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this page or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Agency procedures, fees and data on this page were checked against official sources in October 2026 and can change. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.