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If you were hurt in a car accident on the 55 or bought a new vehicle that keeps landing back in the shop, the legal issues in front of you can feel overwhelming. Our Costa Mesa office was built to serve exactly these situations. We opened this location because Orange County residents deserve direct access to attorneys who understand both personal injury claims and California’s consumer protection laws.
Pond Lehocky’s Costa Mesa office, located at 3200 Bristol Street, focuses on personal injury and Lemon Law matters in California. Our personal injury attorneys here work with people injured by another person’s negligence or a defective product, and with drivers stuck with vehicles that won’t stay fixed. Below, we explain how most personal injury and lemon law cases work under California law and what you can expect when you reach out to our team.
Click here to schedule a confidential consultation or call our office at 888-POND-LAW.
Personal Injury Legal Services in Costa Mesa
Orange County’s freeways and surface streets carry heavy commuter and tourist traffic every day, and collisions on routes like the 405, the 55, and Harbor Boulevard are a regular source of personal injury claims. Our car accident attorneys help clients document fault, deal with insurance adjusters, and pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and other losses. We handle these matters from our Costa Mesa office so clients do not have to travel far to meet with their personal injury attorney.
Product Liability and Defective Products
Catastrophic Injury Claims
Defective vehicle parts, dangerous consumer products, and faulty equipment can cause serious harm even when the person using them did nothing wrong. Our product liability team investigates who in the manufacturing or distribution chain may be responsible for a defect. These types of personal injury cases often overlap with our Lemon Law work when a defect involves a vehicle still under warranty.
Some accidents leave people with injuries that permanently change their lives, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or severe burns. These types of personal injury claims typically require more extensive medical documentation and a longer view of future care costs. Our attorneys work with treating physicians and life-care planners to build a full picture of what a catastrophic injury will cost a client over time.
California’s Lemon Law: Protection for Costa Mesa Drivers
California’s consumer warranty statute, the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, requires manufacturers to repair vehicles that don’t conform to their express warranties. If a manufacturer cannot fix a substantial defect after a reasonable number of attempts, the law generally requires the manufacturer to replace the vehicle or refund the purchase price. This protection applies to new vehicles and, in some circumstances, used vehicles still covered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Manufacturer Repair Attempts and Your Rights
The number of repair attempts that counts as “reasonable” depends on the facts of each personal injury case, including whether the defect creates a safety risk. Keeping detailed records of every repair visit, including dates, mileage, and the shop’s description of the problem, strengthens a claim considerably. Many manufacturers also offer state-certified arbitration programs through the Arbitration Certification Program as an alternative to filing a lawsuit.
Pursuing a Lemon Law Claim with Our Personal Injury Law Firm
Our Costa Mesa Lemon Law attorneys review warranty paperwork and repair histories to determine whether a claim is worth pursuing. We explain the difference between arbitration and litigation so clients can decide which path fits their situation. Because Song-Beverly allows a prevailing buyer to recover attorney’s fees from the manufacturer in many cases, pursuing a claim does not have to come with upfront legal costs to the client.
How California’s Comparative Negligence Law Affects Your Personal Injury Claim
California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning a person can still recover damages even if they share some responsibility for an accident. Unlike states that cut off recovery once a plaintiff is found more than 50 percent at fault, California allows recovery at any percentage of fault below 100 percent. The amount recovered is simply reduced by the injured person’s own percentage of responsibility.
How Fault Percentages Reduce Recovery
If a jury or insurance adjuster determines that an injured driver was 20 percent at fault for a crash, their total damages award is reduced by that same percentage. This applies whether fault involves following too closely, a distracted driver, or a combination of factors from multiple parties. Because insurance companies often try to shift blame onto the injured person to reduce a payout, having detailed evidence from the scene matters.
Why This Matters for Costa Mesa Accident Claims
Insurance adjusters in Orange County frequently raise comparative fault arguments early in a claim, sometimes before an injured person has even seen a doctor. Understanding that partial fault does not bar recovery helps clients avoid accepting a lowball settlement out of fear they have no case. Our attorneys push back on unsupported fault allegations and gather evidence to keep a client’s fault percentage as low as the facts allow.
Courts and Agencies Serving Costa Mesa
Civil cases arising in Costa Mesa, including personal injury and Lemon Law lawsuits, generally proceed through the Superior Court of California, County of Orange. The court operates multiple justice centers across the county, each handling different types of matters. Knowing which location and department applies to a given personal injury case is part of what our attorneys handle for clients from the start.
California Department of Consumer Affairs Resources
For Lemon Law disputes, the state’s Arbitration Certification Program monitors manufacturer-sponsored arbitration programs to make sure they follow California’s laws and regulations. Consumers are not required to use arbitration and can pursue a claim in court instead. Our attorneys help clients weigh the trade-offs between a faster arbitration process and the fuller remedies sometimes available through litigation.
Local Costa Mesa Considerations
Costa Mesa sits at the intersection of the 55 and 405 freeways and is home to South Coast Plaza, a major regional shopping destination that draws heavy traffic year-round. That traffic volume, combined with the density of car dealerships along Harbor Boulevard’s Auto Row, means both accident claims and Lemon Law disputes are common in this part of Orange County. Our office location was chosen specifically to serve this community.
Visiting Our Costa Mesa Office
Our Costa Mesa office is located at 3200 Bristol Street, Suite 780, giving clients easy access from throughout Orange County. The office serves as the base for our California personal injury and Lemon Law practices. Clients can schedule a consultation by phone or through our website before visiting in person.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
For personal injury matters, it helps to bring police reports, photographs, medical records, and any correspondence with insurance companies. For Lemon Law cases, warranty documents and a complete repair history are the most useful starting point. Bringing these materials to the first meeting lets our attorneys give a clearer initial assessment of the personal injury case.
While our office is based in Costa Mesa, our California attorneys serve clients throughout Orange County and beyond. Our goal is to make the legal process as accessible as possible regardless of where a client lives.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Law in Costa Mesa
Here are answers to a few questions Costa Mesa clients commonly ask that go beyond what’s covered above.
Does Pond Lehocky Handle Workers’ Compensation Cases in California?
Not yet. Our California practice currently focuses on personal injury and Lemon Law matters handled from our Costa Mesa office. If you have a workers’ compensation question, our locations page lists the states where we currently handle those claims.
What Does It Cost to Hire a Costa Mesa Personal Injury Lawyer?
Personal injury cases are typically handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning the client does not pay attorney’s fees unless there is a recovery. This arrangement lets injured people pursue a claim without paying money upfront. The exact fee structure should be discussed and confirmed during your initial consultation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim After a Car Accident in California?
California generally sets a two-year deadline from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, though certain circumstances can shorten or extend that window. Missing this deadline can permanently bar a claim regardless of its merits. Because deadlines vary by case type, it’s worth speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident.
Does My Lemon Law Case Have to Go to Court?
No. Many Lemon Law disputes are resolved through manufacturer-sponsored arbitration programs before ever reaching a courtroom. Whether arbitration or litigation makes more sense depends on the manufacturer involved and the specifics of the vehicle’s repair history.
Contact Our Costa Mesa Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been injured in an accident or you’re stuck dealing with a defective vehicle that a dealership can’t seem to fix, our Costa Mesa attorneys are ready to talk through your options. Please contact us to schedule a free initial consultation and find out what steps make sense for your situation.
