Most injury claims in this city start somewhere ordinary. A crosswalk on Van Ness. A rideshare that rolls through a yellow on Market Street. A scaffold in SoMa that wasn’t tied off properly. Then come the bills, the missed paychecks, and a friendly-sounding insurance adjuster who calls sooner than you expected.
That’s usually when hiring a personal injury lawyer in San Francisco stops being optional. The right attorney deals with the insurer, documents your losses properly, and knows what a local jury is likely to award. Below are five firms with strong track records, each a little different in what it does best.
Firms at a Glance
| Law Firm | Key Attorney | Best Known For | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger | Richard Schoenberger, Michael Kelly | Catastrophic injury, wrongful death, malpractice; plaintiffs only since 1959 | 650 California St, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108 | (415) 981-7210 |
| Dolan Law Firm | Christopher B. Dolan | Car crashes, injury trials, employment and civil rights cases | 1438 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102 | (415) 421-2800 |
| Arns Davis Law | Robert S. Arns | Construction and workplace injuries, product liability | 515 Folsom St, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 | (415) 495-7800 |
| Levin Simes LLP | William A. Levin | Product liability, asbestos, rideshare assault cases | 353 Sacramento St, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94111 | (415) 426-3000 |
| Bracamontes & Vlasak, P.C. | Ryan J. Vlasak | Brain injury and catastrophic injury cases | 220 Montgomery St, Suite 870, San Francisco, CA 94104 | (415) 728-4627 |
Two Deadlines San Francisco Victims Often Miss
Before choosing a firm, know how much time you have.
- California gives you two years from the date of injury to file most personal injury lawsuits.
- If a city vehicle was involved, such as a Muni bus, light-rail train or cable car, you generally must file a written government claim within six months. Valid cases are lost over this deadline every year.
- California follows pure comparative fault. Even if you were partly to blame, you can still recover, minus your share of the fault.
1. Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger
Established in 1959, Walkup is one of the oldest plaintiff-side injury firms in the city. It has never switched sides. The firm represents injured people only, never insurance companies or corporate defendants, and that focus shows in the size of the cases it takes on.
- Car, truck, bicycle and pedestrian crashes
- Wrongful death, medical malpractice and birth injuries
- 16 attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list, with service in Spanish
If your case involves a permanent injury or a death in the family, this is a firm to call early.
- Address: 650 California Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108
- Phone: (415) 981-7210
2. Dolan Law Firm
Christopher B. Dolan founded his firm more than 25 years ago, and it has since recovered over $1 billion for clients. The firm was voted Best of the Bay in 2025 and is recognized by U.S. News, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers.
Dolan’s office sits on Market Street, a short walk from City Hall and the Civic Center courts. The practice covers vehicle crashes, serious injuries and wrongful death. It also takes employment and civil rights matters, which helps when an injury happened at work or involved a public agency.
- Address: 1438 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
- Phone: (415) 421-2800
3. Arns Davis Law
Construction never really stops in San Francisco, and neither do construction injuries. Arns Davis Law, led by Robert S. Arns, handles exactly these claims, along with workers’ compensation, wage theft and class actions.
That combination matters. An injured worker often has a workers’ comp claim and a separate lawsuit against a negligent contractor or equipment maker, and a firm that handles both sees the full picture.
- Free consultation, with no fee unless the firm wins
- Replies to new inquiries within one business day
- English and Spanish spoken
- Address: 515 Folsom Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
- Phone: (415) 495-7800
4. Levin Simes LLP
William A. Levin has practiced law for more than four decades. Before co-founding his own firm, he was a partner at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, so he has seen up close how large corporate defense teams operate.
The firm leans toward cases against big companies: defective products, asbestos and mesothelioma, and sexual assault claims, including rideshare cases. It also handles car, truck, motorcycle and dog bite injuries.
- Address: 353 Sacramento Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94111
- Phone: (415) 426-3000
5. Bracamontes & Vlasak, P.C.
BV Law is smaller than the other firms here, but it has a specialty most can’t match. The Brain Injury Association of America lists Ryan J. Vlasak as a preferred attorney. He handles traumatic brain injuries from crashes and assaults, mild TBIs that insurers like to downplay, oxygen-deprivation injuries, and harm from toxic exposure, in both children and adults.
The firm also takes wrongful death, catastrophic injury, tenant and civil rights cases.
- Address: 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 870, San Francisco, CA 94104
- Phone: (415) 728-4627
Understanding the Fee Before You Sign
Nearly every injury lawyer in the city works on contingency. You pay nothing upfront, and the fee comes out of the settlement or verdict.
- Common rates run from about 33% to 40%, often rising if the case goes to trial.
- Ask whether case costs (expert witnesses, records, filing fees) are taken out before or after the percentage. On a $300,000 settlement, that difference can be worth thousands.
- California requires contingency fee agreements to be in writing. Read yours before you sign.
FAQs
Q1. How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in San Francisco?
A: Usually two years from the date of injury. Claims against the city, including Muni, generally require a government claim within six months.
Q2. Do San Francisco injury lawyers charge upfront fees?
A: Most don’t. They work on contingency and are paid only if you recover money.
Q3. Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
A: Yes. California’s comparative fault rule reduces your award by your share of the blame but doesn’t bar recovery.
Q4. Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
A: It’s safer to let your lawyer handle it, because recorded statements are often used to reduce what insurers pay.
Q5. What is my case worth?
A: It depends on medical costs, lost income, long-term effects and how clear the liability is. A lawyer can estimate a range after reviewing your records.
