UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Woodland Hills
When a drunk driver causes a collision in Woodland Hills, the legal case is fundamentally different from a standard accident. California Civil Code 3294 allows punitive damages when the defendant acted with conscious disregard for the safety of others. Courts have repeatedly held that driving under the influence meets that standard. That means you may be entitled to compensation well beyond your medical bills and lost wages.
Arya handles DUI accident cases across Woodland Hills by building two records simultaneously: the personal injury claim for your compensatory damages, and the punitive damages case built on the driver's BAC, criminal history, and conduct at the scene. He files at Van Nuys Courthouse West, where he has presented DUI injury cases to juries before.
Born and Raised in Woodland Hills
I didn't just relocate here to open a law office. I grew up here. El Camino Real High School, UCLA Law School. I still live in Woodland Hills today, spending weekends biking and hiking in the Las Virgenes Canyons near Valley Circle and Victory, playing in a basketball league at Crunch Fitness off Shoup and Sherman Way. On a good night you'll find me at Local Peasant on Ventura. When I say I know this neighborhood, it's not a marketing line. It's literally where I grew up, and where I still live.
What Shapes an Injury Case Here
Every case starts with the same questions: which roads were involved, which hospital treated you, which court will hear it, and what deadlines apply. Here is what we already know about Woodland Hills cases before you even call.
The Ventura Freeway is one of the most crash-prone stretches in the San Fernando Valley. Rush-hour volume, aggressive merging at the Topanga Canyon interchange, and rear-end collisions are consistent patterns in CHP SWITRS data.
Paramedics route to Northridge Hospital (Level II Trauma) or Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills. West Hills Hospital is nearby but not a trauma center. Critical cases go to UCLA Ronald Reagan (Level I).
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.
What Makes Your Injury Case Different
Westfield Topanga and The Village are two of the highest-traffic retail complexes in the West Valley. If you were hurt at either one, you are not dealing with a mom-and-pop landlord. These are corporate properties with professional claims teams who contest everything. Getting the property's prior incident history before it gets buried is part of how we build these cases.
Warner Center is full of offices and commercial buildings, which is actually good news if you were hurt there. These businesses carry real insurance, not the state minimum. That means there is more money available to cover your injuries than you would see in a typical residential case.
Crashes on Topanga Canyon Blvd are a different animal. When road design or poor maintenance contributes to a collision, Caltrans or LA County can be named as defendants. But government claims come with strict notice deadlines. Miss them and your case is dead, even if the road was clearly at fault.
Everything from this area files at Chatsworth Courthouse. We have tried cases there. We know the judges and we know what West Valley juries expect.
Where the Crashes Happen
The 101 through Woodland Hills is relentless during rush hour. The Topanga Canyon interchange forces drivers to merge at freeway speed into backed-up traffic, and the result is a steady stream of rear-end collisions. These are not low-speed bumps. We regularly see herniated discs, concussions, and soft tissue injuries that do not show up on imaging for weeks.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard has blind curves, steep grades, and narrow shoulders. Ventura Boulevard has the pedestrian density and distracted driving. De Soto and Valley Circle get the school zone and residential crashes. Each street has a different pattern and a different set of defendants.
We have represented people hit by rideshare drivers pulling illegal U-turns near Westfield Topanga, cyclists struck on Topanga Canyon, families in school zone collisions near El Camino Real, and pedestrians crossing at uncontrolled intersections on Ventura. The common thread is that these cases all required someone who could start working the same day.
Crash Data
Most Dangerous Intersections
Recent Crashes
View all crash reports in Woodland Hills →Compensation Available in Your Case
DUI victims are entitled to more than standard compensation. Punitive damages exist to punish the driver's recklessness. We pursue both, and we build the evidence to support both.
Medical Expenses
DUI crashes are high-force collisions. Emergency trauma care at West Hills Hospital, surgeries, and long-term rehabilitation are all recoverable from the drunk driver and their insurer.
Lost Wages
Income lost while you recover from injuries caused by someone else's decision to drive drunk. We document every dollar of lost earnings.
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain and emotional trauma from the crash. DUI victims often experience intense anger and PTSD on top of their physical injuries.
Property Damage
Vehicle and personal property destroyed in the collision. DUI crashes on the 101 and Topanga Canyon Blvd are often high-speed impacts with severe vehicle damage.
Punitive Damages
California courts have upheld punitive damages in DUI cases because driving drunk shows conscious disregard for other people's lives. This can significantly increase your total recovery.
Wrongful Death Damages
When a drunk driver kills someone in Woodland Hills, surviving family members can recover both compensatory and punitive damages for their loss.
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 is impaired. This triggers field sobriety tests and BAC testing at the scene.
Cooperate with police but don't speculate
Tell the officers what happened. Ask whether the other driver was tested for alcohol or drugs. Don't guess about your own injuries.
Seek immediate medical care
DUI crashes produce serious trauma. Get to West Hills Hospital or the nearest ER for a complete evaluation.
Obtain the police report
The DUI arrest record, BAC results, and officer observations are powerful evidence. We obtain these records and use them in your civil claim.
Document the at-fault driver's impairment evidence
Open containers in the vehicle, the smell of alcohol, slurred speech, inability to stand. Write down or photograph everything you noticed.
Contact Westwood Law
Arya Firoozmand handles Woodland Hills DUI accident cases. We use the criminal DUI prosecution record, BAC results, and any prior DUI history to build the strongest possible civil case, including punitive damages.