Question:
My wife and I live in Texas. While on vacation in Santa Monica, California, we got T-boned by a hit-and-run driver. My wife lost consciousness and broke her hip. We have mounting medical bills. We want to hire a lawyer. Do we hire one in our home state or do we need a California lawyer?
Answer:
If the car accident happened in California, you need a California attorney. Your lawyer needs to be licensed to practice law in the state in which the car accident happened. If a lawsuit has to be filed, your lawyer must be admitted to the California Bar.
Do you need to hire an attorney who is located in the same city where the accident occurred? No, that’s not necessary. What is necessary is that your lawyer be located in the same state that the accident happened.
The tricky part for a lawyer who is representing an injury victim who lives in another state may be assisting with getting medical treatment for the injury victim. Attorneys have relationships with medical providers who treat on a lien basis (meaning the doctor is willing to wait to be paid until the case resolves). We are usually able to locate lien doctors near our client, even if our client lives in another state.
If you or a family member lives outside California, but were injured in an auto accident in California, call our law firm for a free consultation. We have five offices in Southern California: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Valencia and Pasadena. Our personal injury lawyers are available 24/7.