Oakland’s freeways, port traffic and busy transit lines put drivers, riders and pedestrians at real risk. If you were injured because someone else acted carelessly, a personal injury lawyer can help you understand your rights and recover what you lost. The Law Office of Brent D. Rawlings represents injured people from Downtown and Lake Merritt to Fruitvale and East Oakland. Your first consultation is free.
Strong claims start with fast evidence work. We request crash reports, look for video from nearby businesses and transit cameras, document your injuries and contact witnesses while memories are fresh. Then we handle communication with the insurance companies so you can focus on treatment.
In the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2022 comparison, Oakland ranked 1st among the state’s 15 largest cities for fatal and injury hit-and-run collisions, with 451 crashes. When the driver is never found, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay for your injuries.
These claims have strict rules. California Insurance Code §11580.2 generally requires reporting a hit-and-run to the police within 24 hours and notifying your insurer within 30 days. Read our guide on suing an uninsured driver or see our hit-and-run accident page.
For collisions between passenger vehicles, see our Oakland car accident lawyer page.
Oakland recorded 262 pedestrian victims and 132 bicyclist victims in 2022, ranking 3rd and 4th among California’s largest cities. Busy corridors around Downtown, Uptown, Chinatown and Fruitvale combine heavy foot traffic with fast arterial roads. See pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents.
With 125 motorcyclist victims in 2022, Oakland ranked 4th of 15 large cities. Lane changes on I-880 and I-580 and left turns across city traffic cause many of these crashes. See motorcycle accidents.
The Port of Oakland handles about 99% of the containerized goods moving through Northern California. Container trucks crowd I-880, I-980 and the MacArthur Maze, and crashes with heavy vehicles cause severe injuries. See truck accidents.
Under California Civil Code §3342, a dog owner is generally liable when their dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, regardless of the dog’s history. See dog bite injuries.
A third-party claim may be possible alongside workers’ compensation when someone other than the employer caused a job injury. We also handle work accidents, child injury and wrongful death claims.
For elder care cases, see our Oakland nursing home abuse lawyer page. For defective vehicles, see Oakland lemon law.
Highland Hospital is Oakland’s Level I adult trauma center, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is a Level I pediatric trauma center. Your medical records, imaging and follow-up visits document the full impact of your injury, so keep copies of everything.
BART serves Oakland from eight stations, with major transfer hubs at MacArthur and 19th Street, and AC Transit is the nation’s third-largest bus-only system. Passengers can be hurt by sudden stops, platform falls, door malfunctions or collisions.
Transit operators are common carriers and owe passengers a high duty of care. Because BART and AC Transit are public agencies, a written government claim is usually required within six months (Government Code §911.2).
Most cases settle with the insurance company. If a lawsuit is necessary, it is generally filed in the superior court for the county where the injury happened. California’s general deadline for a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of injury. See how long a personal injury case takes to settle.
Freeway crashes are investigated by the California Highway Patrol, and city crashes by the Oakland Police Department. We request reports from the correct agency.
We help clients in Downtown, Uptown, Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, Chinatown, Old Oakland, Fruitvale, West Oakland, North Oakland and East Oakland. Across the Bay, see our San Francisco personal injury lawyer, San Jose personal injury attorney and Marin County personal injury lawyer pages.
Wherever the accident happened in Oakland, the first steps are similar: get medical care, report the incident, keep photos, records and receipts, and be careful about giving a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer before you understand your options.
Ready to talk? Contact us for a free consultation.
Every Oakland injury case depends on its facts: how the accident happened, what evidence exists, the injuries involved and the insurance coverage in place. Our approach is to learn those details first, explain the process in plain language and keep you informed at each stage.
California generally allows two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, and claims against a public agency have much shorter deadlines, so it helps to get advice early.
Answers to common questions from people injured in Oakland.
You may be able to claim under your own uninsured motorist coverage. Report the crash to police within 24 hours and notify your insurer within 30 days to protect that claim.
Yes. Both are public agencies, so a written government claim is usually required within six months before a lawsuit can be filed.
The owner is generally liable under California Civil Code §3342 if the bite happened in a public place or where you were lawfully present.
The driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader or a maintenance provider may share liability. Driver logs and inspection records often show who was at fault.
Highland Hospital is the city’s Level I adult trauma center. Children are treated at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Generally two years from the date of injury, with a six-month claim deadline for public agencies.
You can still recover. California’s comparative fault rule reduces your award by your share of fault.
