Burbank Personal Injury Attorney

A single crash on Olive Avenue can leave your evidence in four different offices: a police report on Third Street, a medical chart at Providence Saint Joseph, signal video held by Traffic Engineering, and a claim form that only the City Clerk accepts. This page is a directory of those offices. It is written for anyone hurt in a Burbank car, pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle collision, and it shows where a Burbank personal injury attorney begins gathering records.

Burbank had 102,988 residents in the Census Bureau’s mid-2025 estimate (Census), but its streets also carry studio commuters, airport traffic and overflow from the 5 and the 134. That is why the same intersection can produce a Burbank PD report one week and a CHP report the next.

On this page

• How Burbank compares with similar cities
• The nine corridors in Burbank’s Safer Streets plan
• Records to request in the first two weeks
• Claims involving BurbankBus, Metrolink or the airport
• Deadlines that begin on the day of the crash
• How Call Jacob handles a Burbank case
• Questions from Burbank residents

How Burbank compares with similar cities

Burbank’s 2023 results come from the Office of Traffic Safety, which compares it with 61 other mid-size cities; the lower the rank, the worse the record (OTS).

Older pedestrians stand out. Sixth-worst of 62 is a poor result for a city that thinks of its downtown as walkable, and it is consistent with what Burbank’s planners reported: people who walk, bike or ride motorcycles make up roughly a quarter of commuters but account for nearly 70% of the most serious crashes (Burbank Leader). Crosswalk cases raise their own questions of proof, and a pedestrian accident lawyer in Burbank will usually begin with the timing of the walk signal (see our pedestrian accident page).

The nine corridors in Burbank’s Safer Streets plan

From 2018 through 2022, Burbank averaged 23 crashes a year in which someone was killed or severely injured. Planners traced 80% of those crashes to just 16% of the street network and set a goal of zero by 2035 (Burbank Leader). The Safer Streets plan names these segments (Urbanize LA):

Planners also found that 80% of injury collisions occurred on streets posted at 30 mph or faster, even though those streets make up only about one-fifth of the network. Glenoaks illustrates the point: in addition to the 2021 crash, a drunk driver later killed a 76-year-old woman walking there.

Watch out: Quick-build projects can change a block within weeks with new paint, bollards and rubber curbs. Photograph the street as it looked on the day of your crash before the layout changes.

Records to request in the first two weeks

• Check the officer’s slip to see which agency, Burbank PD or the CHP, is handling your case
• Order the Burbank PD report online once it posts, which takes at least four days
• Send Traffic Engineering a written request for video, naming the intersection and the time
• Deliver a letter asking businesses facing the scene on Olive, Glenoaks or wherever the crash occurred to preserve their footage
• Collect your discharge papers from Providence Saint Joseph or the trauma center
• Keep your own insurer’s claim number alongside the Burbank PD report number

The other driver’s insurance adjuster may ask for a recorded statement within the first week. You are entitled to decline politely until you have spoken with a lawyer.

Claims involving BurbankBus, Metrolink or the airport

When a public vehicle or a public street is involved, the Government Claims Act applies, and the first deadline arrives much sooner. Against the city itself, that means filing the Claim for Damages form with the City Clerk on Olive Avenue, generally within six months of the injury (Gov. Code §911.2).

Three transportation operators figure in Burbank claims:

1. BurbankBus is operated by the city itself (City of Burbank), so a bus collision or a fall on board begins with the six-month claim to the city.
2. Metrolink serves the Downtown Burbank station (Metrolink) and is run by a separate public agency that handles its own claims.
3. Hollywood Burbank Airport served 6,550,281 passengers in 2024 (airport statistics). Its entrance is on Hollywood Way, which puts rideshare, rental-car and shuttle traffic on one of the city’s targeted corridors. When an Uber or Lyft driver is involved, the company’s commercial policy may apply; see our rideshare accident page.

Deadlines that begin on the day of the crash

Suppose a driver hits you on Victory Boulevard on May 1. Three deadlines begin that day:

• Six months to file the City Clerk’s Claim for Damages if a city signal, a city street or BurbankBus played a part.
• Two years to sue the Victory Boulevard driver for your injuries (CCP §335.1); a lawsuit over damage to your car generally has three.
• Ten days to get the SR-1 to the DMV if you were driving. An injury crash always requires the form, as does one with more than $1,000 in damage (DMV).

Deadlines for injured children are calculated differently, so parents should ask rather than assume. On fault, California does not bar recovery for someone who was partly careless. If you crossed Victory mid-block, your award might be reduced by your share of responsibility, but the rest is still owed (CACI 405).

Compensation in a Burbank case usually comes from several layers of insurance. The careless driver’s bodily injury liability coverage is where that analysis starts. Because the city recorded 31 hit-and-run injury crashes in 2023, review your own UM/UIM coverage early. Health plans that paid your medical bills will assert liens against any recovery.

How Call Jacob handles a Burbank case

When you hire us, the offices in the table above become our responsibility rather than yours. We order the Burbank PD or CHP report, send preservation letters for Traffic Engineering and storefront video, gather your hospital records and handle the adjuster’s calls. Our fee is contingent on the outcome: nothing is paid up front, and you owe nothing if we do not win. If you are recovering from surgery at Holy Cross or resting at home near Magnolia Park, a representative can come to you, and families who prefer Spanish can begin at calljacob.com/es.

The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani (Call Jacob) represents people hurt anywhere in Burbank, from studio employees on Alameda Avenue to travelers leaving Hollywood Burbank Airport, and we prepare and file the City Clerk’s Claim for Damages when BurbankBus or a city signal is involved. Our Burbank cases include pedestrians struck in Olive Avenue crosswalks, cyclists hit on Vanowen Street, motorcycle crashes on the 134, falls in Magnolia Park shops, dog bites and wrongful death claims after a fatal crash on Glenoaks.

Next step: If you are comparing a car accident lawyer in Burbank with other Los Angeles County personal injury attorney options after a crash on Victory or Olive, call (888) 952-2952 for a free consultation, or describe what happened through our case evaluator.

Questions from Burbank residents

My collision was on the 134 near Buena Vista. Who has the report?

Most likely the CHP, because the 134 is a state route on the Altadena Area’s patrol list. The slip the officer gave you shows the agency and the report number.

Can I get the signal video from Olive Avenue myself?

Yes. Traffic Engineering at 150 N. Third St. accepts requests directly. Ask promptly, and ask nearby businesses as well, since many private recording systems overwrite their footage within days.

I’m 70 and was struck in a downtown crosswalk. How common is that in Burbank?

Common enough that Burbank ranked sixth-worst of 62 cities for injured pedestrians 65 and older in 2023. The ranking will not prove your case, but it gives investigators good reason to examine signal timing and sight lines.

Does it matter that the driver was heading to the airport for work?

Often, yes. A rideshare, rental-fleet or shuttle driver who was working at the time may be covered by a commercial policy with higher limits than a personal auto policy.

Will my case be heard at the courthouse on Olive Avenue?

Not necessarily. The Superior Court assigns personal injury filings under its own location rules, and an auto accident attorney in Burbank would confirm the correct courthouse before filing.

Can I still recover if I was 20% at fault?

Yes. California would reduce your recovery by your 20% share and leave the other 80% owed by those at fault.

Sources

1. Subcounty estimates file, Vintage 2025 — Census Bureau
2. Burbank 2023 rankings — OTS
3. Burbank fatality-free 2035 plan article — Burbank Leader
4. Safer streets action plan — Urbanize LA
5. Burbank accident report requests — Burbank PD
6. Altadena Area office — CHP
7. Saint Joseph emergency care — Providence
8. Holy Cross trauma — Providence
9. Huntington emergency and trauma — Huntington
10. Burbank damage claims — City Clerk
11. Burbank courthouse — LASC
12. BurbankBus — City of Burbank
13. Downtown Burbank station — Metrolink
14. December 2024 passenger statistics — Hollywood Burbank Airport
15. SR 1 form — DMV
16. Gov. Code 911.2 — Legislature
17. CCP 335.1 — Legislature
18. CACI 405 — Justia

Please treat this directory as general information about Burbank offices and deadlines; it is not legal advice.