The Pier, Third Street Promenade, and the Pacific Coast Highway

Santa Monica is one of the most visited 8.4 square miles in California. Santa Monica Pier draws millions of tourists annually. Third Street Promenade packs pedestrians shoulder-to-shoulder. The Pacific Coast Highway — some of the most scenic, and some of the most dangerous, road in the state — runs along the coastline. Add heavy bicycle and e-scooter use on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, constant rideshare activity, and a tourist population that doesn’t know the rules of the road, and accidents are inevitable.

When they happen, you’re dealing with out-of-state drivers, national rental car companies, scooter companies, hotel chains, and the City of Santa Monica — each with its own insurance team ready to minimize your claim.

The Law Offices of Mann & Elias has represented Southern California injury victims for more than 30 years. We fight to recover the compensation you actually deserve — not the first number an adjuster throws at you.

Santa Monica Personal Injury Cases We Handle

• Car accidents on the Pacific Coast Highway, Lincoln Boulevard, Wilshire, and at the 10 Freeway terminus
• Pedestrian accidents on Ocean Avenue, Third Street Promenade, and near the Pier
• Bicycle accidents on the Marvin Braude Bike Trail and city bike lanes
• E-scooter accidents — Santa Monica is the birthplace of Bird scooters and remains one of the highest-density scooter cities in the world
• Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) collisions
• Hotel premises liability — slip and falls, pool injuries, negligent security
• Beach and Pier injuries — falls, amusement ride incidents, dangerous conditions
• Slip and fall at Third Street Promenade, restaurants, and retail
• Motorcycle accidents on PCH and Lincoln
• Dog bites
• Wrongful death

Why Santa Monica Clients Choose Mann & Elias

• 30+ years of experience. Over $100 million recovered for clients.
• Scott Mann, Founding Partner: Pepperdine University School of Law — Law Review (top 10%), Vincent Dalsimer Moot Court winner. Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (50+ civil jury trials required). Built his career trying personal injury cases in front of juries.
• Imad Elias, Founding Partner: Selected to Super Lawyers every year since 2015 (top 5% of California attorneys).
• Experienced with tourist and out-of-state clients. We handle your case remotely if you’ve gone home — most of our work with you happens by phone, email, and Zoom.
• Multilingual intake: English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
• Pure contingency representation. No upfront cost. No hourly bills. You pay only if we win.
• 24/7 availability. Tourist-heavy areas generate accidents at every hour.

Claims Against the City of Santa Monica Are Different

Santa Monica is a separate municipality from Los Angeles. If your injury involved a Santa Monica city street, sidewalk, bus, or employee — or the Pier, which is city-owned — special rules apply:

• A formal written government claim must generally be filed within 6 months of the injury
• Procedural errors at this stage can permanently bar an otherwise strong case
• The City is defended by experienced in-house and outside counsel

If you think the City of Santa Monica might be a defendant in your case, don’t wait.

What to Do After a Santa Monica Accident

1. Get medical care immediately. Even minor-seeming impacts can hide serious head, neck, or back injuries.
2. Call police. Santa Monica PD for incidents within city limits; CHP for PCH crashes.
3. Document the scene. Photos of everything — vehicles, injuries, the road or property, weather, visible cameras. Preserve your scooter or rideshare app receipts.
4. Don’t speak with the other side’s insurance adjuster before calling us.
5. Watch your deadlines. Private defendants: 2 years. Government claims (including City of Santa Monica): 6 months for written notice.

Frequently Asked Questions — Santa Monica

I crashed on PCH. Who investigates? Typically the California Highway Patrol. CHP reports are critical in PCH cases because liability often turns on vehicle speed, lane position, and road conditions.

I was hit by an e-scooter on the Promenade. Is there a case? Often yes. Scooter riders have legal duties to pedestrians, and scooter companies can be liable for defective equipment or improper maintenance. These cases require fast investigation.

I slipped at my Santa Monica hotel pool. Is the hotel liable? If the condition was unreasonably dangerous and the hotel knew (or should have known) about it, yes. Hotels carry substantial commercial insurance policies specifically for these incidents.

I’m a tourist who was injured in Santa Monica and I’ve gone home. Can you still help? Yes. We handle California-based cases for clients from anywhere. Most work is done remotely.

How much does hiring you cost? Nothing upfront. We advance all case costs. Our fee is a percentage of the recovery — and only if we win.

Free Santa Monica Consultation

Call (323) 857-9500 — 24/7 line available. No fee unless we win. Se Habla Español.

Los Angeles / Beverly Hills Office 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 750 Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Orange County Office 3333 Michelson Dr, Suite 300 Irvine, CA 92612

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Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts. This page is attorney advertising and does not constitute legal advice.