Hit on a San Francisco Street? Talk to a Lawyer Who Knows the City.
From Van Ness to the Embarcadero, SF traffic is unique and so are the cases that come out of it. The Herman Firm handles San Francisco car accidents directly. No fee unless we win.San Francisco produces some of the most contested car accident claims in California. The streets are narrow, the traffic is dense, the rideshare presence is overwhelming, and the at-fault driver often shares the road with cyclists, pedestrians, MUNI buses, and tourists who have no idea where they are going. When something goes wrong, the resulting case usually involves multiple insurance companies, complicated liability questions, and an investigation that has to move fast before evidence disappears.
The Herman Firm represents car accident victims throughout San Francisco. Attorney Michael D. Herman handles every case personally, from the first phone call through final resolution. The firm’s approach combines deep familiarity with SF traffic patterns, careful evidence preservation, and a willingness to push back hard against insurance companies that try to lowball settlements.
Why San Francisco Car Accident Cases Look Different
SF crashes do not behave like Walnut Creek or Concord crashes. A few specific realities shape every case that comes out of the city.
SF has the highest concentration of Uber and Lyft vehicles in the Bay Area. Three-period insurance coverage disputes show up in a significant portion of car accident claims.
Steep hills, blind intersections, narrow Victorian-era streets, and aggressive parking patterns make low-speed rear-end and side-swipe crashes more common and more contested.
SF leads the Bay Area in pedestrian and cyclist injuries. Drivers who hit a pedestrian or cyclist face very different legal exposure than drivers who hit another vehicle.
A meaningful share of SF crashes involve out-of-state drivers, rental cars, or visitors unfamiliar with one-way streets, MUNI lanes, and California traffic laws.
US-101, I-80, and I-280 produce the most severe SF car accidents. CHP handles these cases, and the investigation timelines are different from city street crashes.
Cases filed in SF Superior Court at 400 McAllister run on the court’s own pace, with its own judicial preferences and its own defense bar.
Common San Francisco Car Accident Cases We Handle
- Rear-end collisions in stop-and-go traffic on Van Ness and Lombard
- Intersection T-bone crashes at Market and 5th, Geary and Masonic
- Sideswipes during lane changes on US-101 and I-80
- Left-turn crashes across oncoming lanes
- Hit and run accidents in SOMA, the Mission, and the Tenderloin
- MUNI bus collisions and streetcar accidents
- Multi-vehicle crashes on the Bay Bridge approach
- Distracted driving and texting cases
- DUI crashes (potential punitive damages)
- Crashes involving rideshare drivers
- Commercial vehicle and delivery truck collisions
- Crashes on steep hills (Filbert, Lombard, Divisadero)
Where SF Car Accidents Actually Happen
Local knowledge matters. The corridors, intersections, and freeways below produce the bulk of the firm’s San Francisco caseload.
From the Golden Gate Bridge approach through the Central Freeway and down to the airport, US-101 produces serious multi-vehicle crashes year-round. CHP handles these.
High-speed crashes on the Bay Bridge approach and the eastern span generate some of the most severe SF cases. Caltrans defects can come into play.
The Van Ness BRT corridor combines bus lanes, dedicated turn signals, and constant pedestrian traffic. Confusion produces accidents.
Market is closed to most private vehicles between Steuart and 10th, which creates frequent confusion and crashes at the boundary intersections.
A heavily traveled north-south corridor with consistently high pedestrian and vehicle accident rates, particularly near SF State.
Tourist traffic, cyclists, pedestrians, and rideshare pickups make Embarcadero collisions common and often multi-party.
Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister handles personal injury filings. The court has its own scheduling practices and motion calendar.
Serious crash injuries are typically routed to Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG) or California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC).
What to Do After a San Francisco Car Accident
The first 24 hours shape what the case looks like months later. Move quickly, document everything, and avoid the common mistakes that reduce settlement value.
SFPD handles surface street accidents. CHP responds to US-101, I-80, and I-280. A police report is the foundation of every California car accident claim.
ZSFG, CPMC, and UCSF Medical Center all see SF accident victims. Same-day treatment creates the medical record your case will depend on.
Photos of vehicle positions, damage, signage, intersections, and surrounding buildings (many SF businesses have cameras with limited retention windows).
The other driver’s adjuster will call within 24 to 48 hours. Read our guide on handling California insurance adjusters before saying anything.
Surveillance footage from SF businesses often overwrites within seven to thirty days. An attorney can send preservation letters immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
California gives most personal injury victims two years from the date of the accident under CCP 335.1. Claims against MUNI, the City of San Francisco, or other government entities require a formal claim within six months. Our full breakdown of California personal injury deadlines covers every variation.
Freeway crashes in SF are typically investigated by California Highway Patrol rather than SFPD. These cases often involve higher speeds, more vehicles, and more complex insurance disputes than surface street accidents. Evidence preservation and accident reconstruction become especially important.
Claims involving MUNI are claims against a government entity and trigger the six-month government tort claim deadline. The City of San Francisco vigorously defends these cases. Early legal review is critical and the timeline is far shorter than people expect.
Rideshare cases follow a different insurance framework with three coverage periods that depend on what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash. See our San Francisco Uber accident page for the full breakdown.
SF sees a meaningful number of hit and run crashes, particularly in SOMA, the Mission, and the Tenderloin. Your own uninsured motorist coverage often pays the claim. Our hit and run guide walks through every step.
Yes. Michael Herman meets with San Francisco clients at the firm’s Walnut Creek office, at home, or at the hospital where you are receiving treatment. The choice depends on what is easiest for you.
Hurt in a San Francisco Car Accident?
Talk to The Herman Firm before the insurance adjuster calls. Same-day callbacks. No fee unless we win your case.