San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer

Injured in a San Francisco Car Accident? Call (415) 881-8820 for a Free Consultation

If you were hurt in a car crash anywhere in San Francisco, from a rear-end collision on 19th Avenue to a T-bone at Van Ness and Geary, Tien Law Firm is ready to fight for the full compensation you may deserve. Founded by award-winning San Francisco car accident lawyer Sonya Tien, our firm brings more than a decade of experience to injured people across every neighborhood of the city.

Insurance companies move fast after a crash. Their adjusters are trained to pay as little as possible, and they often call victims while they are still recovering at Zuckerberg San Francisco General or UCSF. You deserve someone just as focused on protecting you.

Call Tien Law Firm today at (415) 881-8820 for a free, no-obligation case review. We answer your questions, explain your options in plain language, and tell you honestly what your case may be worth.

Why San Francisco Crash Victims Choose Sonya Tien

Sonya Tien built Tien Law Firm from the ground up in 2013 with one goal: giving injured people the same caliber of legal representation that large corporations and insurance companies take for granted. Her background reflects that standard.

Recognized by Super Lawyers. Sonya has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2020 and was featured on the cover of Super Lawyers Magazine for Solo Success.
Elite legal training. She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School, where she was honored as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and her business degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Big-firm litigation experience. Before founding her own practice, Sonya worked as a litigation associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in New York, one of the country’s leading law firms.
More than a decade helping injured people. Sonya has spent over ten years guiding accident victims through recovery and holding negligent drivers and their insurers accountable.
Personal attention. When you hire Tien Law Firm, you work directly with Sonya. You will not be handed off to a case manager you have never met.

We know San Francisco’s streets, its courts, and the insurance companies that operate here. That local knowledge helps us build stronger cases from day one.

Where Car Accidents Happen in San Francisco

San Francisco packs heavy traffic, steep hills, cable cars, Muni buses, cyclists, scooters, rideshare drivers, and driverless vehicles into just 49 square miles. The city’s Vision Zero program has identified a High-Injury Network of streets where a small share of roadways accounts for most severe and fatal crashes. We regularly handle cases arising from collisions on corridors such as:

19th Avenue (State Route 1) through the Sunset and Parkmerced, where high speeds meet heavy pedestrian traffic near SF State and Stonestown.
Van Ness Avenue (US-101) from Lombard Street to Market Street, including the busy crossings at Geary Boulevard, O’Farrell, and Broadway.
Geary Boulevard from the Tenderloin through Japantown and the Richmond District.
Market Street and Mission Street downtown and through SoMa, including the Fifth Street, Sixth Street, and South Van Ness intersections.
The Octavia Boulevard and Fell/Oak Street corridor feeding the Central Freeway in Hayes Valley.
Lombard Street and Doyle Drive approaches to the Golden Gate Bridge through the Marina and the Presidio.
The Embarcadero from Fisherman’s Wharf to Oracle Park and Mission Bay.
Cesar Chavez Street, Bayshore Boulevard, and Third Street in the Mission, Bernal Heights, Bayview, and Hunters Point.
Divisadero Street, Masonic Avenue, and Fulton Street near the Western Addition, NoPa, and Golden Gate Park.
Sloat Boulevard, Great Highway, and Sunset Boulevard on the city’s west side.
Freeways and on-ramps including I-80 and the Bay Bridge approach, I-280, US-101, and the Central Freeway interchange.

Wherever your crash happened, our firm will gather the evidence that matters: SFPD collision reports, traffic camera and business surveillance footage, Muni onboard video, rideshare trip data, and witness statements, before it disappears.

Getting Medical Care After a San Francisco Car Accident

Your health comes first. Getting examined right away protects your recovery and creates the medical record your injury claim depends on. Many serious injuries, including concussions, whiplash, and internal bleeding, do not show symptoms for hours or days.

San Francisco crash victims are commonly treated at:

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, 1001 Potrero Avenue, the only Level I trauma center serving San Francisco.
UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, 505 Parnassus Avenue, and UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center in Mission Bay.
CPMC Van Ness Campus, 1101 Van Ness Avenue, and CPMC Mission Bernal Campus, 3555 Cesar Chavez Street.
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, 2425 Geary Boulevard.
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, 900 Hyde Street on Nob Hill.
St. Mary’s Medical Center, 450 Stanyan Street near the Haight and Golden Gate Park.

Keep every discharge summary, prescription, bill, and follow-up instruction. Tien Law Firm will collect the rest of your records directly from your providers so you can focus on healing.

San Francisco Car Accident Cases We Handle

Tien Law Firm represents drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists injured in every type of motor vehicle collision, including:

Rear-end collisions in stop-and-go traffic on Van Ness, Geary, and the freeway on-ramps.
T-bone and intersection crashes caused by red-light runners and drivers who fail to yield.
Uber and Lyft accidents, where multiple insurance policies may apply depending on whether the driver had a passenger or was waiting for a ride request.
Self-driving and autonomous vehicle crashes, including collisions involving robotaxis now operating on San Francisco streets.
Muni bus, light rail, and cable car accidents involving the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Hit-and-run accidents, where uninsured motorist coverage may still provide compensation.
Uninsured and underinsured driver accidents.
Pedestrian accidents in crosswalks across the Tenderloin, SoMa, Chinatown, and the Mission.
Bicycle and scooter collisions, including dooring incidents on Market Street and Valencia Street.
Truck and delivery van accidents, including commercial vehicles double-parked in bike and traffic lanes.
Distracted, drunk, and speeding driver crashes.
Wrongful death claims for families who have lost a loved one in a San Francisco traffic collision.

What to Do After a Car Accident in San Francisco

The steps you take in the first hours and days after a crash can make or break your claim.

Call 911 and get to safety. Report the crash so the San Francisco Police Department or California Highway Patrol (on freeways and the Bay Bridge) can respond and document the scene.
Get medical attention. Go to the emergency room or see a doctor the same day, even if you feel fine.
Document everything. Photograph the vehicles, street signs, traffic signals, skid marks, and your injuries. Note the nearest cross streets.
Exchange information. Get the other driver’s name, license, plate number, and insurance. For rideshare crashes, screenshot the trip in the app.
Find witnesses. Ask for names and phone numbers. Note nearby businesses that may have security cameras.
Report the collision to the DMV. California requires an SR-1 report within 10 days if anyone was injured or property damage exceeds $1,000.
Do not give a recorded statement. Politely decline to discuss fault or your injuries with the other driver’s insurance company.
Call Tien Law Firm at (415) 881-8820. The sooner we start, the sooner we can preserve video footage and evidence that San Francisco businesses routinely overwrite.

California Car Accident Laws That Affect Your Claim

Filing deadlines are strict. In most California car accident cases, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). Property damage claims generally have a three-year deadline.

Claims against the City are much shorter. If a Muni bus, a city vehicle, or a dangerous road condition contributed to your crash, you must generally file a government claim with the City and County of San Francisco within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Missing this deadline can bar your case entirely.

You can recover even if you were partly at fault. California follows pure comparative negligence. If you were 20% responsible, you can still recover 80% of your damages. Insurance adjusters often exaggerate a victim’s share of fault to cut payouts, and we push back with evidence.

Minimum insurance often is not enough. Since January 1, 2025, California drivers must carry at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage. Serious injuries treated at a trauma center can exceed those limits quickly, so we look for every available source of recovery, including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, rideshare company policies, and employer liability when the at-fault driver was working.

Compensation for San Francisco Car Accident Victims

Living and recovering in San Francisco is expensive, and your claim should reflect the true cost of your injuries. Depending on your case, you may be entitled to recover:

Medical expenses, including ambulance transport, emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, physical therapy, and future treatment.
Lost wages and lost earning capacity if your injuries keep you from working now or in the future.
Pain and suffering for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and sleep loss.
Loss of enjoyment of life when injuries keep you from the activities, work, and people you love.
Property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement and a rental car.
Wrongful death damages for funeral costs, lost financial support, and the loss of a loved one’s love and companionship.
Punitive damages in some cases involving drunk drivers or other especially reckless conduct.

We document every loss, work with your doctors to project future care, and negotiate firmly with insurers. If they refuse to make a fair offer, we are prepared to take your case to trial in San Francisco Superior Court.

San Francisco Car Accident FAQ

How much does it cost to hire a San Francisco car accident lawyer?

Your first consultation with Tien Law Firm is free. Call (415) 881-8820 and we will explain exactly how our fees work before you decide anything.

How long will my San Francisco car accident case take?

Many cases settle within several months to a year, once your medical treatment is complete and your damages are clear. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed fault, or the City of San Francisco can take longer, especially if a lawsuit is filed.

Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?

Usually not. First offers often arrive before the full extent of your injuries is known. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you cannot ask for more money later.

What if I was hit by a Muni bus or a city vehicle?

Claims against the City and County of San Francisco follow special rules, including a six-month deadline to file a government claim. Contact a lawyer right away so that deadline is not missed.

What if I was hurt in an Uber, Lyft, or driverless car?

Rideshare and autonomous vehicle companies carry large commercial insurance policies, but they defend claims aggressively. We know how to identify which policy applies and how to obtain trip data and vehicle sensor footage.

Do I need a lawyer if my injuries seem minor?

Soft tissue injuries and concussions often worsen over time. A free consultation lets you understand your rights before you sign anything or speak with an adjuster.

Serving Car Accident Victims in Every San Francisco Neighborhood

Tien Law Firm represents injured people throughout San Francisco, including the Financial District, SoMa, the Tenderloin, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, North Beach, Chinatown, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, the Western Addition, Japantown, Hayes Valley, the Haight-Ashbury, Cole Valley, the Castro, Noe Valley, the Mission District, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay, Bernal Heights, the Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, Bayview-Hunters Point, Glen Park, the Outer Mission, Ingleside, West Portal, Parkmerced, the Inner and Outer Sunset, and the Inner and Outer Richmond.

Talk to a San Francisco Car Accident Lawyer Today

You did not choose to be hurt, but you can choose who fights for you next. Sonya Tien and Tien Law Firm will handle the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the deadlines so you can focus on getting better.

Call (415) 881-8820 now for your free consultation with an award-winning San Francisco car accident lawyer. The call is free, the advice is honest, and the sooner you reach out, the stronger your case can be.