How a San Francisco Personal Injury Case Moves Through Court

Most people who call our office have never been inside a courtroom and hope they never will be. Most cases settle without one. But every claim is built as if it will be tried, and knowing the path helps you make better decisions along the way. Here is how a San Francisco injury case moves, from the first hours to a resolution, with the local details that apply here.

The first days: medical care and evidence

San Francisco’s only Level 1 trauma center is Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center at 1001 Potrero Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets in the Mission District, open 24 hours a day. It serves the city and northern San Mateo County, so the most serious crash victims in San Francisco are usually taken there. UCSF Health’s adult emergency department is at 505 Parnassus Avenue; the UCSF Mission Bay campus at 1825 4th Street has the pediatric emergency department.

Get treated and follow the discharge instructions. Gaps in treatment are the first thing an insurer points to. In the same week, the police report is requested (see our guide to getting an SFPD or CHP report), preservation letters go out for video and vehicle data, and witnesses are contacted while they still remember.

The deadlines that govern everything

• Two years to file a lawsuit for injury or death caused by another person’s negligence (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1).
• Six months to present a written claim when a public entity is responsible, such as the City and County of San Francisco for a Muni crash or a dangerous street (Government Code section 911.2). See claims against the City.
• Shorter contractual deadlines can apply to your own insurance, including uninsured motorist coverage. Read the policy or have a lawyer read it.

These are outer limits, not targets. Evidence disappears long before a deadline does.

The claim stage

Once treatment stabilizes, the claim is presented to the responsible insurer with the medical records, bills, wage documentation and evidence of fault. Negotiation follows. Many cases resolve here. The ones that do not are the ones where the insurer disputes fault, disputes the injuries or simply refuses to pay a fair number. That is when a lawsuit is filed.

Filing in San Francisco Superior Court

Injury cases arising in the city are filed in the Civil Division of the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, at the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. The Civil Clerk’s Office is in Room 103 and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4 pm, closed from noon to 1 pm, with a drop box available during lunch. The court’s information line is (415) 551-4000.

Limited or unlimited

California divides civil cases by the amount in controversy. A case is limited civil when the amount does not exceed $35,000, exclusive of attorney fees, interest and costs (Code of Civil Procedure section 85, as amended effective January 1, 2024). Anything above that is unlimited civil. Serious injury cases are almost always unlimited, which means fuller discovery, more time and higher stakes. Small claims, for individuals, is capped at $12,500 in San Francisco and is rarely the right venue for an injury with ongoing medical care.

Representing yourself

The court runs the ACCESS Center (Assisting Court Customers with Education and Self-help Services) at 400 McAllister Street, Room 509, (415) 551-0605. It provides legal information but, by its own statement, cannot give legal advice. Injury cases against insured defendants are not a good place to go it alone; the other side will have counsel from day one.

What happens after filing

1. Service and answer. The defendant is served and files a response, usually within 30 days.
2. Discovery. Written questions, document requests, depositions of the parties and witnesses, and medical examinations. In an unlimited case this is where most of the work happens and most of the time passes.
3. Case management and mediation. The court schedules the case and most parties attend mediation. Many cases settle at or shortly after mediation once both sides have seen the evidence.
4. Expert work. Accident reconstruction, medical experts, life-care planners and economists, depending on the injuries.
5. Trial. If the case has not settled, a jury decides fault and damages. A trial date also tends to produce the best settlement offers, which is why a firm that actually tries cases gets different numbers than one that does not.

How long does it take?

Honest answer: it depends on the injuries and on the insurer. Claims with completed treatment and clear fault can resolve in months. Cases that require a lawsuit in an unlimited civil matter commonly take a year or more from filing, and complex cases longer. We do not rush a case to a number that leaves future medical care unpaid, and we will tell you at each stage what is driving the timeline. For a statewide stage-by-stage overview, see our California personal injury lawsuit timeline, including what can happen after filing.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, Civic Center Courthouse, Civil Division and ACCESS Center pages; California Code of Civil Procedure sections 85 and 335.1 and Government Code section 911.2 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov); SF.gov and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital pages; UCSF Health location pages. Accessed September 2, 2026.