UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Westwood
If you were hit by a drunk driver in Westwood, California, you may be entitled to more than ordinary compensation — California courts have held that DUI can constitute the 'conscious disregard' required for punitive damages under Civil Code §3294. Westwood Law builds the full record of the driver's conduct, pursues every insurance layer, and fights for every dollar the law provides.Three Years of Law School in This Neighborhood
I spent three years at UCLA Law, which sits at the north end of Westwood, and I am back here every week now that our office is on Glendon. This is the rare neighborhood where I am not learning the area from a map. I know what the Village is like when school is in session and what it is like in August, and I know the difference matters when you are trying to work out what a street looked like on the day someone got hurt.
Why Your Case Is Different
This is the local knowledge that shapes how we approach your case from day one: the courts where it will be heard, the roads where it happened, the properties with prior incident history. Most firms would need to look this up.
The overwhelming majority of recorded collisions here happen at San Diego Freeway interchanges rather than on Village streets. Wilshire, Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevard all cross the 405 inside this neighborhood, and those crossings account for most of the injury crashes on record.
California courts have repeatedly held that driving under the influence can constitute "malice" or "conscious disregard for the rights and safety of others" — the standard for punitive damages under Civil Code §3294. This can significantly increase your total recovery beyond compensatory damages alone.
California's dram shop law (Business and Professions Code §25602) limits social host liability but allows claims against commercial establishments that serve visibly intoxicated customers who later cause accidents. If a bar or restaurant over-served the driver, they may share liability.
Crash Data
Most Dangerous Intersections
Recent Crashes
View all crash reports in Westwood →Most Firms Will Take Your Case.
Few Will Actually Fight For It.
From the moment a claim is filed, the other side is building a case against yours. Adjusters document inconsistencies, make early offers designed to be accepted, and count on injured people to take less than they deserve. Most personal injury firms respond by loading up their docket: you get assigned to a paralegal, your calls go unanswered, and your case settles fast because the firm needs to move on.
We built Westwood Law differently.
- You talk to a founding partner. Not intake staff, not a junior associate. A UCLA-trained attorney who handles your case personally from first call to resolution.
- We limit our caseload on purpose. More cases means less attention. We take fewer so every client gets the time and resources their case actually requires.
- We don't settle until the number is right. Insurance companies know which firms fold early. We're not one of them, and they know it.
Evidence fades. Deadlines are real. The sooner you have an attorney building your case, the better your position. This is our personal commitment to every client we take on.
What We Know About Westwood That Affects Your Case
- UCLA and its medical centers:A campus population in the tens of thousands plus two major hospitals means heavy pedestrian, cyclist and rideshare volume concentrated in a small area. Claims here frequently involve institutional defendants and commercial policies rather than individual drivers.
- The Wilshire high-rise corridor:One of the densest concentrations of residential towers in Los Angeles, with the parking structures, driveways and valet operations that come with them. Premises and backing-collision claims in this corridor usually involve professional property management and their insurers.
- Westwood Village:A 1920s planned commercial district built for the campus, with short blocks, heavy foot traffic and constant loading activity. Right-of-way and visibility are the recurring disputes in pedestrian claims here.
Where the Crashes Happen
Local road patterns determine what evidence we seek, which defendants we name, and how we frame fault. These are the corridors in Westwood where crashes concentrate.
- highI-405 & Wilshire Boulevard
The single highest collision count in Westwood on current CHP records. A full interchange carrying freeway ramp movements across a major commuter boulevard, with a meaningful share of the crashes producing injuries.
- highI-405 & Sunset Boulevard
Northbound and southbound ramps meeting a curving arterial with limited sightlines. Consistently among the highest crash counts in the neighborhood.
- highI-405 & Santa Monica Boulevard
A high proportion of the collisions recorded at this interchange involve reported injuries, higher than the neighborhood average.
- moderateSepulveda Boulevard & Wilshire Boulevard
The busiest surface-street intersection in the area, carrying traffic that parallels the 405 and feeds the Wilshire corridor.
Cases We Handle
Every case type below requires different evidence, different defendants, and a different legal strategy. Select yours for a page built specifically around your situation in Westwood.
DUI Car Accident Injuries
Impaired drivers who run red lights, veer across lanes, or fail to stop — the full range of crash types plus punitive damages potential.
DUI Pedestrian & Cyclist Strikes
Some of the most serious DUI cases — impaired drivers who mount curbs or ignore crosswalks cause catastrophic pedestrian and cyclist injuries.
DUI Wrong-Way Crashes
Head-on collisions caused by impaired drivers entering highways or surface streets in the wrong direction.
Dram Shop Claims Against Bars
Pursuing the bar or restaurant that over-served the driver — expanding available insurance coverage beyond the driver's policy.
DUI Fatalities — Wrongful Death Claims
When a drunk driver kills someone, surviving family members can pursue both compensatory and punitive damages.
Compensation Available in Your Case
Here's the full picture of what a properly built Drunk Driver Accident Lawyer case can recover. How much of this you actually see depends on how thoroughly the claim is documented and pursued.
Medical Expenses
Emergency care, surgery, and ongoing rehabilitation for injuries from DUI crash trauma.
Lost Wages
Income lost while recovering from your injuries.
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain and emotional distress — including fear and PTSD from the crash.
Property Damage
Vehicle and personal property destroyed in the collision.
Punitive Damages
DUI constitutes conscious disregard for public safety — courts have upheld punitive damage awards against drunk drivers in California.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a DUI accident is fatal, surviving family members can recover compensatory and punitive damages.
Call us Today. No fee until you win!
818-224-7940What to Do After a Drunk Driver Accident
DUI accident cases have unique evidentiary opportunities — criminal prosecution records, BAC results, and prior history — that can significantly increase your recovery.
Call 911 and report suspected drunk driving
Tell the dispatcher you believe the other driver was impaired. This initiates DUI testing and documentation.
Cooperate with police but don't speculate
Provide your account of what happened. Ask the officer whether the other driver was tested for alcohol or drugs.
Seek immediate medical care
DUI accidents cause serious trauma. Full emergency evaluation documents your injuries.
Obtain the police report
The DUI arrest record and BAC results are powerful evidence. We obtain these records early in the case.
Document the at-fault driver's impairment evidence
Open containers, smell of alcohol, slurred speech — document anything you observed at the scene.
Contact Westwood Law
DUI cases have additional evidentiary value — criminal records, BAC results, and prior DUI history — that we leverage to maximize your recovery.
Recent Results, Personal Injury
Past outcomes don't guarantee future results, but they show what's possible when evidence is preserved and all defendants are pursued.
Auto versus government entity settlement.
Slip and fall at major retailer.
Slip and fall at major retailer.
Complex auto vs auto case.
Not only was Arya easy to communicate with, incredibly intelligent with how he planned to achieve the goals, but he was also very warm and caring. I really enjoyed working with Arya. Warm, ethical, and intelligent is a great combo!
I cannot recommend Westwood Law highly enough. From the start of my case they were professional, talked me through the process and genuinely cared about my situation and concerns. My case went far longer than any of us expected, and I was ready to just accept the first settlement, but Arya and Curt fought to get me what I was entitled to. All in all, they went above and beyond at every step and I felt supported throughout my experience with them.
My husband was involved in a car accident back in February, and now that everything has been resolved, I just wanted to say how grateful we are for this amazing team. Everyone was incredibly kind, organized, and easy to communicate with. They always kept us updated, answered every question we had, and made sure we understood what was happening every step of the way. Having someone we could trust took so much stress off our shoulders during an already difficult time.
75+
Years Legal Experience
6,000+
Clients Served
One
Case at a Time