Tort Claims - Filing Claims Against Public Entities Under the California Tort Claims Act

If you think you were hurt and want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you may need to file a tort claim first.

Disclaimer: This publication is legal information only and is not legal advice about your individual situation. It is current as of the date posted. We try to update our materials regularly. However, laws are regularly changing. If you want to make sure the law has not changed, contact DRC or another legal office.

If you think you were hurt and want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you may need to file a tort claim first.

A tort claim is something that you file if the person who hurt you was a government employee. You usually have to file a tort claim within six months of the day you were harmed. If you do not file a tort claim on time, you may not be able to file a lawsuit.

If you might want to file a personal injury lawsuit, you should contact an attorney right away. Disability Rights California does not practice this area of law. We cannot advise you about filing tort claims. We cannot help you file your tort claim.

Even if it has already been more than six months, you should still contact a personal injury attorney. The attorney can help you find the right tort claim form, talk to you about when your timeline started, and help you figure out your deadline. The attorney can tell you if you can file a late claim. A personal injury attorney can advise you about the next steps to take after you file a tort claim.

Disability Rights California can give you a list of personal injury lawyers, or you can call the California State Bar Lawyer Referral service to request a referral at:

1-866-442-2529

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Need-Legal-Help/Lawyer-Referral-Service