UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Encino
Encino hit-and-run cases follow a frustrating pattern: a collision at a busy intersection or commercial driveway, a driver who takes off, and a victim left with injuries and no information. Police take a report and move on. The case stalls unless someone pushes it forward.
Arya pushes it forward. He files UM claims against your insurer immediately, because your own uninsured motorist coverage is your primary recovery tool whether or not the driver surfaces. At the same time, he runs an independent evidence search, pulling camera footage from businesses along Ventura Boulevard and surrounding streets. These cases go to Van Nuys Courthouse West if they reach arbitration or trial, and Arya knows the process inside and out.
Knows Encino: Ventura Blvd, the 101/405, the Van Nuys Courthouse
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduated from El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, and attended UCLA Law School. I know Encino well. I've spent many hours on Ventura Blvd, many breakfasts at Coral Tree Cafe, and many dinners at what is probably the best Italian spot hidden on the second floor of a strip mall near the Land Rover dealership, Gio Cucina. I know the Ventura Boulevard corridor, the Balboa area, and how insurance companies respond to claims in this part of LA.
The Facts Behind Your Injury Claim
Which roads generate the most crashes, where the ambulance takes you, what the law requires, and how long you have to act. This is what we know about Encino cases before we even look at yours.
The convergence of US-101 and I-405 near Encino is one of the most congested and crash-prone freeway interchanges in Los Angeles. High-speed merging, lane changes, and stop-and-go conditions create constant collision risk.
Paramedics route to Northridge Hospital (Level II Trauma). Encino Hospital Medical Center is on Ventura Boulevard but is not a trauma center. Critical cases go to UCLA Ronald Reagan (Level I).
California requires insurers to offer uninsured motorist coverage. When a hit-and-run driver flees and cannot be identified, your own UM coverage typically steps in — paying the same benefits your liability insurer would owe if you had been injured by an identified, uninsured driver.
California consistently ranks among the states with the highest hit-and-run accident rates — Los Angeles in particular has documented this problem for years. Law enforcement and traffic camera networks have improved identification rates, but many drivers are never found. Having counsel ensures you pursue all available compensation options.
What Makes Your Injury Case Different
The 101/405 interchange is one of the most congested and dangerous freeway junctions in the country. Multi-vehicle crashes here almost always involve more than one at-fault party and more than one insurance policy. If you only pursue the driver who hit you, you are probably leaving money on the table. Finding every policy takes legwork, and it needs to start immediately.
Ventura Boulevard through Encino has medical offices, restaurants, and retail packed into a dense commercial strip. Pedestrian accidents, parking lot fender-benders that turn into real injury claims, and premises incidents at commercial properties are all part of the caseload here.
If you were bitten by a dog at Balboa Park, California law is clear: the owner is liable, full stop. Civil Code 3342 is a strict liability statute. The fight is not about whether the owner pays. It is about making sure the insurance company covers the full cost: the ER, the plastic surgeon, the time off work, the scar.
Defendants in Encino are more likely to carry umbrella policies well above their primary limits. We know that going in, and it changes how we build the demand. Cases file at Van Nuys Courthouse.
The Collision Patterns We See Here
The 101/405 interchange generates a disproportionate share of the serious cases we handle from Encino. High-speed merging, sudden stops, and aggressive lane changes produce multi-car pileups where figuring out who hit whom requires the CHP report, dashcam footage, and sometimes an accident reconstructionist.
Ventura Boulevard is the pedestrian and premises corridor. Balboa Boulevard gets the park-adjacent cyclist and dog bite cases. Sepulveda and Hayvenhurst carry the residential and school zone traffic that produces lower-speed but still serious injuries, especially during morning drop-off.
A recent Encino case involved three vehicles on the 405 where each driver's insurance company blamed the other two. Another was a pedestrian struck in a crosswalk on Ventura by a driver making a right on red. A third was a dog attack at Balboa Park where the owner's homeowner policy initially denied the claim. Each required a completely different approach.
Crash Data
Most Dangerous Intersections
Recent Crashes
View all crash reports in Encino →Compensation Available in Your Case
Your own UM policy is designed to make you whole when the other driver disappears. We pursue every dollar it covers: medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Medical Expenses
All medical treatment from the hit-and-run, from the ER visit through rehabilitation. Your UM policy is designed to cover exactly this situation.
Lost Wages
Wages lost while you recover. Your UM coverage pays this whether or not the other driver is ever identified.
Pain & Suffering
The physical pain and emotional distress of being hit and abandoned. Your UM insurer is required to pay non-economic damages, not just medical bills.
Property Damage
Vehicle repair or replacement costs. Hit-and-runs on Ventura Blvd and Balboa Blvd in Encino can cause substantial vehicle damage.
Future Medical Costs
If your injuries will require ongoing care, those projected costs belong in your UM claim. We make sure they're included before any settlement.
Underinsured Coverage
When the hit-and-run driver is identified but barely insured, your UIM policy covers the shortfall between their limits and what you're actually owed.
Call us Today. No fee until you win!
818-224-7940What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident
Even without identifying the at-fault driver, your recovery options are real. These steps preserve both the evidence and your insurance options.
Stay at the scene and call 911
Call the police and stay where you are. A police report is required for your UM insurance claim.
Gather any information about the fleeing vehicle
Any details you noticed: plate, color, make, model, direction. The 405 and 101 interchanges near Encino give fleeing drivers quick escape routes.
Photograph the scene and your injuries
Vehicle damage, road debris, paint transfer, and your injuries. Document everything before the scene gets cleaned up.
Get witness contact information
Encino's commercial areas along Ventura Blvd mean there are almost always other people around who may have seen the fleeing vehicle.
Notify your insurer promptly
UM claims have time-sensitive notification requirements. Report it to your insurer, but hold off on a recorded statement until you have counsel.
Contact Westwood Law
Arya Firoozmand handles Encino hit-and-run cases. We go after traffic cameras and business surveillance footage in the Ventura Blvd corridor immediately to try to ID the driver.