Santa Clarita is a city of roughly 224,000 people, the third largest in Los Angeles County, spread across Valencia, Saugus, Newhall and Canyon Country, according to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. It is a place people move to for the schools, the trails and the space, and then commute out of every morning over the Newhall Pass.
Which means Santa Clarita residents spend a lot of time on two of the busiest freeways in California, on canyon roads with no shoulders, in retail centers and apartment complexes, and on construction sites building the next phase of the valley. When someone else’s carelessness causes an injury in any of those settings, Djougourian Law Corp is here.
Attorney Arthur Djougourian is a UC Berkeley and Pepperdine Law graduate, a Super Lawyers Rising Star, and a trial attorney who has recovered millions for injured Southern Californians. This is not a volume practice. He handles cases personally.
What Personal Injury Law Actually Requires
A negligence claim has four elements:
- Duty. The defendant owed you a duty of reasonable care. Civil Code Section 1714 establishes the general rule that everyone is responsible for injury caused by their want of ordinary care.
- Breach. They failed to meet that standard.
- Causation. That failure caused your injury, both in fact and proximately.
- Damages. You suffered actual harm.
California allows recovery of economic damages (medical expenses past and future, lost income, diminished earning capacity, property damage, out-of-pocket costs) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium).
Cases We Handle in Santa Clarita
- Car accidents on I-5, SR-14 and the city’s arterials
- Truck accidents involving commercial carriers on the I-5 freight corridor
- Motorcycle accidents on canyon roads and freeways
- Bicycle accidents on paseos, bike lanes and canyon climbs
- Slip and fall and premises liability at retail centers, apartments and parking structures
- Construction accidents, including third-party claims beyond workers’ compensation
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries and neck injuries
- Brain and head injuries
- Dog bites under California’s strict liability statute
- Rideshare accidents involving Uber and Lyft
- Wrongful death
- Pedestrian collisions, product liability and inadequate security claims
Why Representation Changes the Outcome
Adjusters are not on your side. That is not cynicism, it is the job description. Their function is to close claims for as little as possible, and they are good at it.
First offers arrive before you know what is wrong. Many serious injuries are not fully diagnosed for weeks. An early settlement is final, even if you need surgery three months later.
Evidence has a shelf life. Surveillance video is overwritten. Vehicles are salvaged. Jobsites change. Witnesses move.
Valuation is a skill. Future medical care, diminished earning capacity and non-economic harm are the elements insurers compress hardest, and proving them takes medical, vocational and economic experts.
Trial capability changes negotiation. Carriers track which firms try cases. It affects what they offer.
Deadlines That End Claims
Two years from the date of injury for most personal injury claims, under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1.
Six months to file a written claim against a public entity, under Government Code Section 911.2. This applies to crashes caused by dangerous roadway conditions, falls on public property, and injuries involving city, county, transit or Caltrans defendants. Six months goes fast.
One year from discovery, or three years from injury, whichever is first, for medical negligence under Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.5.
Missing a deadline ends a claim permanently, regardless of how strong it was.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have a case?
That is what a free consultation is for. Bring what you have: the report number, photographs, medical records and the insurer’s correspondence.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, advance case costs, and are paid a percentage of what we recover. If we recover nothing, you owe no fee.
What if I was partly at fault?
California applies pure comparative fault. Your recovery is reduced by your share of responsibility, not barred. Do not assume you have no case because you think you contributed.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurer?
Report the incident to your own carrier as your policy requires. Do not give a recorded statement to the other side before you have advice. Recorded statements are taken early precisely because that is when you know the least about your injuries.
How long will this take?
Straightforward claims often resolve in three to six months. Serious injuries or contested liability commonly run one to three years.
Will my case go to trial?
Most settle. We prepare every case as though it will not.
What is my case worth?
It depends on the injury, the treatment required, the effect on your ability to work, liability strength and available coverage. Anyone who quotes you a number before reviewing your records is guessing.
What should I do right now?
Get medical care and follow through with it. Keep every bill, record and receipt. Photograph injuries as they change. Write down what happened while you remember it clearly. Stay off social media about the incident. Then call us.
Contact a Santa Clarita Personal Injury Attorney
Call 818-530-0000 or request your free consultation. We respond within 24 hours and we are available around the clock. You pay nothing unless we win.
Djougourian Law Corp, 300 E Magnolia Blvd, Unit 506, Burbank, CA 91502. Serving Santa Clarita, Valencia, Saugus, Newhall, Canyon Country, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic and the greater Santa Clarita Valley.
