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Petaluma Personal Injury Attorney

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Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754

Petaluma is Sonoma County's second-largest city and one of the North Bay's fastest-growing communities. Highway 101 runs through the city, connecting it to Santa Rosa to the north and Marin County to the south. In 2023 (the most recent year for which data is currently available), the Office of Traffic Safety recorded 183 people killed or injured in Petaluma traffic crashes. Fourteen of those victims were pedestrians. Twenty-two were cyclists. Petaluma ranked 16th of 103 comparable cities in bicycle crash frequency — one of its highest-ranked crash categories. Attorney Michael Rehm represents accident victims throughout Petaluma and Sonoma County on a contingency fee basis.

Legal Standard

Personal injury claims in Petaluma are governed by the same California negligence law that applies throughout the state. Civil Code § 1714 imposes on every person a duty to use ordinary care in managing their property or conduct to avoid injury to others. The California Supreme Court set out the factors courts weigh in determining whether a duty existed and was breached in Rowland v. Christian (1968) 69 Cal.2d 108, including the foreseeability of harm and the closeness of the connection between the defendant's conduct and the plaintiff's injury.

Claims involving property owned or controlled by the City of Petaluma, Sonoma County, or any other public entity require a written government tort claim to be filed within six months of the date of injury under the Government Claims Act. Missing that deadline can potentially bar a lawsuit. For claims against private parties, Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 provides a two-year statute of limitations. Whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling requires individual analysis.

The Sonoma County Superior Court

Personal injury lawsuits arising from Petaluma accidents are filed in the Sonoma County Civil and Family Law Courthouse, 3055 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Cases are assigned to one judge for all purposes at filing. The court disposes of approximately 71 percent of unlimited civil cases within twelve months of filing.

Related Pages

Attorney Michael Rehm handles personal injury cases throughout Petaluma and Sonoma County on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (800) 978-0754 for a free consultation.

The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.

Southern California Areas Served:

Phone: (619) 787-3456 Areas Served: San Diego, Vista, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, El Centro, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Glendale, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Downey, West Covina, Norwalk, Burbank, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa, Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Ventura, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Temecula, Bakersfield, Clovis, and everywhere in between.

Bay Area Areas Served

Phone: (831) 431-0986 Areas Served: Santa Cruz, Aptos, Capitola, Watsonville, Salinas, Monterey, Seaside, Carmel, San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, Livermore, Concord, Richmond, Walnut Creek, Antioch, San Rafael, Novato, San Jose, Morgan Hill, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Napa, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Fairfield, Vallejo, Vacaville, Dixon, Solano County, San Benito, Daly City, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos, San Bruno, Pleasanton, Union City, San Leandro, Milpitas, Pittsburg, Danville, Rohnert Park and the entire Bay Area.

Northern California Office & Areas Served

2121 Broadway Unit 188860 Sacramento, CA 95818 Phone: (916) 233-7346 Areas Served: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Antelope, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, the friendly confines of Land Park, Folsom, Yolo, Woodland, West Sacramento, Davis, Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Auburn, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Yuba City, Marysville, Wheatland, Colusa, San Joaquin County, Lodi, Manteca, Stockton, Tracy, Lathrop, Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale, Stanislaus County, Humboldt County, Arcata, Mckinleyville, Fortuna, Eureka, Butte County, Oroville, Paradise, Chico, Mendocino, Ukiah, Colusa, Shasta County, Redding, Calaveras, Yreka, Amador, Jackson, Lassen, Susanville, Plumas County, Quincy, Nevada County, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Truckee, Lakeport, Sonora, Madera, Crescent City, Trinity, and all of Northern California.

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