It takes 1 to 2 years to reach a settlement if the city of San Francisco is responsible for an incident where you were injured or ended up with property damage. Please note that this in an average time frame and some cases are settled much faster – perhaps within the first few months. But if your lawsuit progresses to a trial (very rare), it can sometimes take over 3 years before you receive compensation.
On average, claims for negligence by the government take at least 12 months from start to finish, no matter what type of accident you’ve had. These include incidents that are caused by a failure to make repairs or maintain city-owned properties. Actions by city employees, like failing to follow safe driving procedures, can result in someone being hit by a police car or fire truck.
Your right to sue the city of San Francisco and the procedures for how to file a claim is outlined in the California Tort Claims Act, or CTCA for short. We will provide you with a synopsis of the claims process and other relevant information in this article, but there are many issues that we cannot address without speaking to you in person. For a free consultation on suing the city of San Francisco, contact us immediately. We can help you with a claim for any type of accident caused by the government, including:
- City sidewalk accidents (particularly trip and falls)
- Slip and falls on city property (government buildings, for example)
- Falling object accidents (signs, tree branches, fixtures on buildings, etc.)
- Collapsing roof or ceiling
- Car accident with city operated or owned vehicles
- Injuries to pedestrians
- Assault and battery
- Sexual assault
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$1.1 Million
$1.5 Million
$600,000
$525,000
$734,851
Compensation Claims against the Government have a 6 Month Deadline
Before you can file a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco, you must attempt to work out a settlement by submitting a compensation claim. You can click here to download the forms, which will allow you to explain what happened to you and the harm you suffered from an incident that was caused by the city’s negligence.
For example, you can seek payment for your injuries from tripping over a crack in the sidewalk that’s supposed to be maintained by the city. Or, you may have sustained injuries and damage to your car from a city employee that was driving carelessly. There are many other examples that we can go over, but hopefully, these scenarios will give you a sense of the circumstances that will qualify you for a monetary claim against the city of San Francisco.
It’s extremely important that you file your claims as soon as possible, since you only have a 6 month deadline to submit your paperwork and supporting documentation. The clock starts ticking from the date of the incident, and no extensions will be granted if you exceed the statute of limitations for a city government claim for damages.
With help from one of our attorneys, you can be sure that your Claim against the City and County of San Francisco gets to the correct office in a timely manner. Contact us today and ask to speak with a government claims accident injury lawyer.
How Long Do I Need to Wait before the City Gets Back to Me?
Your claim forms can be dropped off in person or mailed to the Claims Division, but either way, it’s essential to take note of when your forms were received by the city. According to the California Tort Claims Act, city governments have 45 days from the receiving date to provide claimants with a response in writing. This may be a notice of acceptance, meaning they have agreed to pay out your claim. Alternatively, you will get a denial notice with a reason (or reasons) for why the claim cannot be paid.
From the date on the rejection notice, you have 6 months to sue the city of San Francisco by filing a lawsuit with the court system. If the city fails in their duty to get back to you in 45 days, you have 2 years to sue for monetary damages resulting from negligence or misconduct at the city level.
Average Case Value of a City of San Francisco Accident Case
On the lower end, a compensation claim against the city of San Francisco may be settled for anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, while lawsuit for extreme injuries and negligence by the city may be worth between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000. The vast majority of settlements by our attorneys range from $125,000 to $2,000,000, but compensation amounts are unique to each claimant and the harm they suffered. In order to provide you with an accurate assessment of how much you can receive by suing the city of San Francisco, there are many details we will need to learn about your case. With that in mind, please reach out to us for a free case evaluation.
Schedule a Free Second Opinion
Some people that come to us already have a lawyer, but they want to confirm important aspects of the law or issues in their case with another attorney. This is a very common practice, and here at Normandie Law Firm, second opinions on existing City of San Francisco injury claims are completely free of charge. Whether you need help making a crucial decision or wish to explore the option of finding a new lawyer, we are here for you with decades of legal knowledge and experience within the court system. Please give us a call and schedule a free second opinion if you have an active claim or lawsuit against the city of San Francisco.
Zero Fee Guarantee
While you have the right to sue for injuries and loss of property caused by the City of San Francisco, the lawsuit process can be very complicated for the average victim. That’s why we are here to represent you in a liability claim against the city and ensure that you receive the highest possible settlement.
Legal expenses are paid by the city along with your settlement award, so we never ask you to pay upfront when you hire one of our attorneys. We also provide a Zero Fee Guarantee for all clients, so you pay us absolutely nothing if we don’t win your lawsuit.
To get started on a city of San Francisco accident claim with our legal team, please contact our office.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
How to File a Claim for an Accident against the City of Wildomar, CA
How to File an Injury Accident Claim against the City of Santa Cruz
How to File an Injury Accident Lawsuit against the City of Hemet, CA
