Rear-end collision lawyers
Rear-end crashes happen every day across Los Angeles freeways and neighborhood streets. The specific injuries and damages from your rear-end accident are individual to you and merit the full service of an experienced rear-end collision attorney. Maybe you were stopped at a red light when another driver hit you from behind, or you were stuck in rush-hour traffic when someone looking at their phone failed to brake in time. Whatever the circumstances, they are unique to your case.
At Bojat Law Group, we recognize the challenges and setbacks that those injured in car crashes experience during recovery. As a full-service law firm, skilled trial lawyers, qualified investigators and financial support to manage your matter diligently from start to finish.
Our focus is and always will be on securing the maximum compensation you’re legally entitled to. The insurance companies will try to pay you less — we make sure they don’t. If you’ve been rear-ended, hire a lawyer who puts your recovery first. Choose Bojat Law Group.
Your case deserves immediate attention. Call (818) 877-4878 today, we’re always open.
Causes of Rear-End Collisions
In the United States, 29% of all car crashes are rear-end collisions, making them the leading collision type. In Los Angeles County, CHP data shows thousands of rear-end crashes reported every year, many clustered on freeways where congestion is constant.
The biggest culprits?
- Distracted drivers scrolling instead of braking.
- Tailgaters in stop-and-go traffic on the 405.
- Aggressive “brake-checkers” trying to punish someone behind them.
- High-speed impacts on rain-slick Ventura County roads.
Every cause has one thing in common: negligence. And negligence is what we prove when we fight for you.
Common Injuries After Being Rear-Ended
Whiplash is the word most people know — but it’s just the start. We’ve represented clients with:
Neck injuries (whiplash/cervical sprain–strain): the head snaps back then forward, stressing muscles, ligaments, and facet joints. Stiffness, burning pain, headaches at the base of the skull, and limited rotation are common.
Disc and nerve issues: herniated or bulging discs in the neck or low back can cause radiating pain, numbness, or weakness into the arms or legs.
Concussion and post-concussive symptoms: dizziness, brain fog, light sensitivity, or nausea even without a direct head strike.
Mid-back and shoulder injuries: seatbelt restraint and seatback rebound can irritate the trapezius, rhomboids, rotator cuff, and AC joint.
Jaw/TMJ pain and headaches: jaw clench at impact and cervical strain can trigger facial pain and temple headaches.
Autonomic signs: changes in sweating, sleep disturbance, anxiety or heart-rate variability sometimes accompany soft-tissue and neck injuries after a jolt.
What Compensation Can You Recover
In California, a rear-end crash claim can cover what you spent, what you lost, and what you went through and, in egregious cases, it can punish dangerous conduct.
Medical care, past and future. ER visits, imaging, specialist consults, injections, surgery, prescriptions, physical therapy, braces, pain management, and the follow-up care your doctors say you’ll need down the road.
Wages and earning capacity. Pay you missed while you were out, lost overtime or gig income, and the hit to your future earnings if injuries limit what you can do or how long you can work.
Out-of-pocket costs. Co-pays and deductibles, mileage to appointments, medical equipment, home or vehicle modifications, childcare or help around the house while you recover.
Vehicle and property damage. Repair or total loss value, rental or loss-of-use while your car is down, and personal items ruined in the crash (phone, laptop, stroller, tools).
Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment. The day-to-day impact—sleep disruption, flare-ups, missed family time, hobbies you had to stop, and the mental toll of driving anxiety. Scarring and disfigurement are included when present.
Loss of consortium. When injuries materially affect a spouse or registered domestic partner’s relationship with you.
Punitive damages (limited but powerful). Available when conduct crosses the line—DUI, road-rage/brake-checking, or other reckless acts. These are meant to punish and deter, not to reimburse.
Possible Liability Issues
In a rear-end collision, the driver of the rear vehicle is generally presumed to be at fault. California law requires drivers to leave enough space to stop safely and to pay attention; that creates a presumption against the trailing driver. Insurers lean on that presumption to close files fast. Our job is to test it against the facts.
The front driver can be found liable in certain situations, such as if they:
Sudden braking without a valid reason, leaving the rear driver no time to stop
Driving erratically or dangerously (e.g., unsafe merges, malfunctioning brake lights)
Causing the collision indirectly by a third vehicle’s actions
Having defective vehicle parts like broken brake lights that contributed to the crash.
Chain-reaction crashes add another layer. The middle car is often pushed into the vehicle ahead and gets blamed for a “second impact.” We separate the forces involved, map the crush patterns, and show whether the final driver’s speed or inattention caused the whole stack-up. In multi-vehicle claims, apportioning fault correctly can be the difference between a small payout and full recovery.
Third parties can be on the hook too. A delivery driver on the clock brings employer liability into play. Defective brakes or faulty repairs open the door to product or shop negligence. Debris, malfunctioning signals, or dangerous road design can trigger a claim against a public entity—on a tighter deadline.
Evidence wins liability fights. We move quickly to preserve dashcam and traffic-cam video, event data recorder (“black box”) downloads, phone records, rideshare app logs, truck ECM data, and nearby business surveillance. Scene photos, skid analysis (or the lack of skids), head-restraint position, and witness statements help explain why a “light tap” produced real injuries or why an abrupt stop made a collision unavoidable. When needed, we bring in accident reconstruction and human-factors experts to explain attention, perception, and reaction time.
Can Rear-End Collisions Be Prevented?
Not entirely, but you can cut the risk way down. Most of these crashes come from inattention and tight spacing, so the biggest wins are simple habits.
- Start with attention. Phone down, eyes up, scan well ahead, and glance at your mirrors as you ease to a stop. Watch the car in front of the one you’re following; early brake lights there give you extra time here. When traffic stacks up, ease off the throttle and brake smoothly so drivers behind you see a long, obvious slowdown coming.
- Give yourself room. A generous following gap buys reaction time. In rain or heavy traffic, make it larger. When you’re stopped at a light, leave space to steer out if the car behind doesn’t slow. Keep your front wheels straight at intersections so a push from behind doesn’t shove you into oncoming lanes.
- Communicate. Signal sooner than you think you need to. Tap the brakes lightly before you slow hard so your lights wake up the driver behind you. Never “brake-check”—it escalates danger and can shift fault.
- Make sure your brake lights are working, you have healthy tires and brakes, clear glass, good wipers.
- Set your head restraint level with the top of your ears and keep the seat more upright than you might expect; that positioning can reduce neck injury if you’re hit.
- Handle tailgaters calmly. Don’t teach them a lesson—change lanes if you can, or lengthen the space in front of you so you can brake more gently. If someone is aggressive, create distance rather than engaging.
- Heavy vehicles and riders deserve extra margin. Don’t cut in tight ahead of buses or trucks; they need far more distance to stop. Around motorcycles and cyclists, leave space and avoid sudden merges—small vehicles disappear in blind spots fast.
Even with perfect habits, you can’t control the driver behind you. If you’re hit, get checked medically, document the scene, and call us—we’ll preserve the evidence and protect your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to resolve a rear-end collision case?
There isn’t a one-size timeline. Your case moves at the speed of your medical recovery and the quality of the evidence. A simple claim with clear liability and short-term treatment can wrap up in a few months. Cases with ongoing treatment, disputed fault, or surgery routinely take longer.
What typically drives the clock:
Medical treatment & MMI (maximum medical improvement): insurers won’t value your case fairly until doctors know your long-term outlook.
Liability clarity: video, EDR (“black box”) data, witnesses, and police reports speed things up; disputes slow things down.
Policy limits: low limits may settle fast; high-exposure cases invite more pushback.
Litigation steps: if we file suit, expect discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial if needed.
Realistic ranges we see often:
Straightforward injury claims (no lawsuit): ~4–8 months after you finish treatment.
Filed lawsuits: ~12–18 months from filing to resolution (trial can add a few months).
Do most cases settle, or should I expect to go to trial?
Most resolve by settlement. Insurers prefer certainty, and clients usually prefer getting paid without the risks and delay of a courtroom. Trials happen when fault is contested (think brake-checking or sudden stops), when an adjuster insists your injuries are “minor,” or when the offer doesn’t match the medical proof. Our approach is simple: prepare every claim like it will be tried. That preparation is exactly what pushes most cases to fair settlements.
Can I still file a claim if I was partly to blame for the accident?
Yes. California uses pure comparative negligence. You can recover compensation even if you share fault—your award is simply reduced by your percentage.
How it works:
If a jury values your damages at $100,000 and decides you’re 20% at fault, you can still recover $80,000.
You can pursue a claim even at high fault splits; the math adjusts, but your right to recover remains.
Talk to a Rear-End Accident Attorney at Bojat Law Group Today
Sasha Bojat built Bojat Law Group on a simple promise to clients in Los Angeles—show up, tell the truth, and fight for the result that actually makes you whole. That means real communication, real advocacy, and no shortcuts.
For over a decade, our team has helped people pick up the pieces after serious car crashes, including rear-end impacts that insurers love to call minor. We know better. We line up the medical proof, preserve the evidence, and press your claim until the offer matches the harm. When it does not, we are ready for court. Our resources allow us to litigate against national insurers and large corporate defendants and to stay the course when negotiations stall.
If you’re recovering at home or in the hospital, we can meet you there. Same-day and evening consultations are available. Call (818) 877-4878 for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7.
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“Sasha was absolutely amazing!! Very attentive, very communicative, and would always handle each interaction with white gloves. He worked with the very best to make sure I was taken care of and recovered accordingly. At the end of the day, he exceeded my expectations by a large margin. Thank you, Sasha!!”
Andrew Schmidt
“Bojat Law Group is a group that actually cares about its clients. They helped me with a case I would have lost if I had gone to anyone else. They provided a life changing experience and I will never go to a different law group in regards to personal injury.
They transparent this law group is one of a kind and I couldn’t be more grateful to have found them.”
Dylan Short
“Sasha was wonderful handling my case. Explained everything in detail where we could understand the process. My case was handled smoothly and efficiently. His eased all our worries when it came to getting compensation for my case. Very accommodating! Would recommend him to anyone.”
Bethany Braun
Client Stories
We can tell you what it’s like to be represented by Bojat Law Group after a car accident, but the best proof of our hard work are our clients’ positive testimonials.
Lauren was injured when an inexperienced truck driver suddenly veered off the road and hit her car on the highway. “In my situation”, she says, “after I had a traffic accident and told the officers on the scene ‘I don’t know what happened,’ the BoyLaw Group had accomplished what I thought was impossible. Eventually, we won the case”. She adds: “This is the legal team you need. I have nothing but gratitude for them”.
Amanda was injured when a vehicle rear-ended her from behind while she was stopped on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. “The very fact of being able to speak directly to a lawyer, without an intermediary, brought me great relief in knowing that he would represent me. He was with me through all the mediations”, she says. “It gave me peace to know that I always had someone on my side”.
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2829 Townsgate Road, Ste. 100, Westlake Village, 91361, CA
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21550 Oxnard St, 3rd Fl., Woodland Hills, 91367, CA