Chatsworth Car Accident Lawyer
Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. is a car accident lawyer Chatsworth drivers and passengers can call after a crash on the 118 Freeway, Topanga Canyon Boulevard or Devonshire Street. Attorney Moe Abdallah handles your injury claim himself and charges no fee unless he wins. Your review is free, any hour.
A car crash in Chatsworth can start on the Ronald Reagan Freeway, the 118, or on the long surface streets that feed it. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Devonshire Street, Lassen Street, De Soto Avenue and Mason Avenue are the arterials, and four of them appear on the city's 2024 High Injury Network. If you are searching for a Chatsworth car accident attorney, you likely have a damaged car, a sore neck or back, and an adjuster asking for a recorded statement. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. takes cases only for people physically hurt in motor-vehicle crashes, or families who lost someone in one. We do not handle property-damage-only claims. Moe works your file himself, the call is free at any hour, Se Habla Español, and you pay nothing unless he wins. Below: where Chatsworth car crashes happen, who writes your report, where to get checked out, how insurance limits and deadlines work, and what to do before you talk to the other driver's insurer.
Left turns, long blocks and speed on Devonshire and Topanga Canyon
Chatsworth surface streets are wide, and wide streets invite speed. The City of Los Angeles lists a stretch of Devonshire Street in Chatsworth, roughly from just east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Mason Avenue, on its 2024 Vision Zero High Injury Network. Segments of Lassen Street, De Soto Avenue and Mason Avenue are on that list too. The network marks streets where the city's own data shows the worst injury crashes, so if your collision happened on one, mention it to your lawyer. News coverage points the same way. ABC7 reported a high-speed, two-vehicle crash at Devonshire and Topanga Canyon in 2018, and Patch reported a fatal crash on Topanga Canyon just south of Devonshire in 2019. Those are single events, not a trend, and we will not turn them into statistics. They do show how a typical Chatsworth car crash happens. One driver turns left across oncoming cars, or runs a signal, or follows too close at a light. The other driver has little time to react. Car cases like these usually come down to one of three facts: a rear-end hit at a red light, a left-turn collision at a big intersection, or a lane change that cut someone off. Each one turns on who had the right of way, and witnesses and camera footage can settle that. Ask people who saw it for their numbers before they leave.
Crashes on the 118 Freeway and what changes when you are hit at speed
The 118 crosses the northern end of Chatsworth, and a freeway crash is a different kind of case. Speeds are higher, the force on your body is bigger, and several cars are often involved. MyNewsLA reported in September 2026 that a two-vehicle crash with a rollover on the westbound 118 at Topanga Canyon Boulevard left one person dead and two others hurt. LAFD responded and the CHP handled traffic control. If you were hurt on the freeway, the CHP may have written your report instead of LAPD. We have not confirmed which agency takes every Chatsworth freeway crash, so ask the responding officer for the agency name and report number before you leave the scene. Freeway cases pull in more than one insurer, and each one will try to shift blame to somebody else. California uses pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.), so even if you were partly at fault, you can still recover, reduced by your percentage of fault. Every driver and insurer involved has to be identified, so no one escapes their share. Photograph the lane, the debris field and every plate you can see. Ask other drivers who stopped whether they have dashcam video.
Your LAPD Devonshire report, the SR-1 and the first week
For most surface-street crashes in Chatsworth, the report comes from LAPD's Devonshire Community Police Station, 10250 Etiwanda Avenue in Northridge, phone 818-832-0633. Traffic matters are handled by Valley Traffic Division. LAPD says you can request a Traffic Collision Report online after waiting at least 45 days from the crash, or by mail with the request form and a $19.00 check or money order payable to the LAPD, sent to LAPD Records and Identification Division, Document Processing Unit, P.O. Box 30158, Los Angeles, CA 90030. Reports involving an arrest, a death or a juvenile must be requested by mail. Do not wait for the report before you act. In the first week, see a doctor, photograph your car and the scene, and keep every receipt. File the DMV SR-1 within 10 days if anyone was hurt or damage to one person's property topped $1,000 (Vehicle Code section 16000); Moe can walk you through it. Report the crash to your own insurer, but give only the plain facts. You do not have to give the other side's adjuster a recorded statement, and you should not agree to one before you speak to Moe. Adjusters sound friendly, then use your words about fault or pain to cut what they pay. Tell them to call your lawyer.
Northridge Hospital, UCLA West Valley and why the first visit matters
Two hospitals serve the Chatsworth area: Northridge Hospital Medical Center at 18300 Roscoe Boulevard and UCLA West Valley Medical Center at 7300 Medical Center Dr. in West Hills. Wikipedia and a 2010 Los Angeles Business Journal report describe Northridge Hospital as a Level II trauma center that added the Valley's first certified pediatric trauma center. UCLA Health says West Valley has a 24/7 emergency department, but we have not verified a trauma designation there. Car crashes in Chatsworth often produce whiplash, back and shoulder injuries, broken wrists from gripping the wheel, head injuries from the headrest or window, and seat belt bruising that hides deeper damage. Adrenaline can mask all of it for a day or two. Go to the emergency room or urgent care the same day if you can. Then follow the treatment plan, because insurers read gaps and missed appointments as proof you healed. Adjusters also say a small dent means a small injury. Photos of a small dent do not show what your spine took, so Moe matches your medical records to the crash. Keep a short daily note on pain, sleep and missed work. If you have no health insurance, say so. Moe won $105,000 for an uninsured client with a broken sternum, covering hospital bills and future treatment. Past results do not predict a similar outcome.
Insurance limits, uninsured drivers and the clock on your claim
California's minimum auto liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $15,000 for property damage, on policies issued or renewed since January 1, 2025 (Vehicle Code section 16056). That is thin when a crash puts you in surgery. If the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can step in. Moe recovered a $100,000 policy-limit uninsured motorist claim for a woman rear-ended by a driver who fled, after other firms turned her down, and $75,000 total after the at-fault insurer offered $900. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. Know your deadlines. You generally have two years from the crash to sue a private driver (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1) and three years for property damage (section 338). If a city vehicle was involved, or a dangerous road condition on public property contributed, you must present a written claim within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Claims against the City of Los Angeles go to the City Clerk, online at claims.lacity.org. After a written rejection you have six months to sue (section 945.6). Under a Superior Court pilot, unlimited motor-vehicle injury cases in the Northwest District are filed at the Van Nuys courthouses, and Moe confirms the venue before filing.
How Moe handles a Chatsworth car accident case
When you call, you reach Moe. He listens to what happened, tells you honestly whether he can help, and explains your options before you decide anything. The review is free, open 24/7, and available in English or Spanish. His fee is a share of what he recovers, so you pay no fee unless he wins. He keeps you updated by call and text, so you are not left guessing about your own case. Early on he works to protect evidence: crash photos, witness names, traffic or business camera footage, your vehicle's event data and the other driver's insurance details. He then builds the claim from your medical records and lost income, and he pushes back when an adjuster blames you for more than you owe. Insurers must accept or deny a claim within 40 days of receiving proof of it and may not make unreasonably low offers, under California insurance regulations, and Moe holds them to that. He took a $30,000 policy-limit result on a red-light T-bone where the other driver staged fake witnesses and Moe found the real ones. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. Moe is a Southwestern Law School graduate, California State Bar No. 348886, with 5.0 stars on Google. His office is at 527 W 7th St, Ste 924, Los Angeles, but you can start by phone at (323) 716-1992.
Talk to a Chatsworth car accident lawyer
Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our car accidents representation →
Frequently Asked Questions
Most surface-street crashes fall under LAPD's Devonshire station, and you can request the Traffic Collision Report online after 45 days or by mail with a $19.00 check to LAPD Records. A freeway crash on the 118 may have a CHP report instead. Ask the officer for the agency and report number.
You are not required to give one to the other side's insurer, and it is usually safer not to. Adjusters use casual answers about pain or fault to lower payouts. Let Moe handle the contact. Give your own insurer the plain facts, and talk to a lawyer first. You can simply tell the adjuster to call your lawyer, and the call ends there.
Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.), so your award is reduced by your share of fault, not erased. Insurers often overstate that share, and Moe checks the evidence before you accept any percentage. On a busy Chatsworth street, a left turn on Devonshire Street or a lane change on the 118, fault is often shared, and photos, witnesses and camera footage decide the split.
You generally have two years to sue a private driver (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a city or other public entity may be responsible, you must present a written claim within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Do not wait to find out which rule applies to you. A claim against the City of Los Angeles goes to the City Clerk at claims.lacity.org.
No. Bumper damage does not measure what your neck, back or head absorbed, and symptoms often show up days later. See a doctor, keep your records and do not accept a quick offer. Moe ties your medical evidence to the force of the crash. Northridge Hospital and UCLA West Valley both treat crash patients if you need care the same day.
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may pay. A driver may carry only the $30,000 per person minimum, which can fall short after surgery. Moe reviews your policy and the at-fault policy together. Past results do not predict a similar outcome. If the other driver fled, report it to police within 24 hours to protect an uninsured motorist claim.
Moe's review is free, and he works on contingency, so you pay no fee unless he wins. Ask him to explain the fee agreement in plain words before you sign. You can call or text at any hour, in English or Spanish. There is no hourly bill and no retainer to open your file.
Other cases we handle in Chatsworth
See everything we handle in Chatsworth →
Car Accident lawyers in other cities we serve
Sources & local resources
- Devonshire Community Police Station · LAPD
- Obtain A Traffic Collision Report · LAPD
- High Injury Network (2024) · City of Los Angeles GeoHub / LADOT
- Pathway Pilot press release (PI motor vehicle cases, Van Nuys) · Superior Court of Los Angeles County
- Rollover crash on 118 Freeway in Chatsworth leaves one dead · MyNewsLA
- Cal. Veh. Code 16056 · California Legislative Information
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 335.1 · California Legislative Information
- Cal. Gov. Code 911.2 · California Legislative Information
- New filing procedures for PI cases (PI Hub transition, Jan. 8, 2024)
Talk to Moe Abdallah directly
When you call Moe Abdallah Law, you work directly with your attorney and get straight answers, not a call center. Moe takes on the insurance companies and fights for the maximum, and he keeps you updated at every step. The consultation is free and you pay nothing unless he wins.
Real recoveries for real Angelenos
Real recoveries from an attorney who takes your case personally and fights for the maximum.
Rear-ended by a driver who fled, and other firms turned her down. Moe opened an uninsured-motorist claim, proved she could not have been at fault, and secured the full policy limit.
Broke his sternum and had no insurance of his own, and his prior attorney ignored him. Moe took his calls day and night and recovered a settlement that covered his hospital bills and future treatment.
Cut off on the freeway and left with back and neck pain over four months of treatment. Moe secured the full policy limit for his pain and suffering, and his totaled car was reimbursed.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
5.0 stars across every review
I would definitely recommend this firm to anyone looking for reliable legal guidance.
Moe Abdallah is the best attorney around , very professional, attentive, respectful, highly knowledgeable, caring for his clients like family and most importantly gets the job done! Forever thankful I found Moe to help me in my case Got me
I am incredibly grateful to Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. for their outstanding representation following my recent accident. Dealing with injuries, medical bills, and insurance companies was overwhelming, but Moe completely took the burden off my
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