Pacoima, CA (June 26, 2026) – A person was injured on Thursday morning, June 25, after a sedan collided with a Caltrans vehicle on the northbound Interstate 5 near the 118 Freeway interchange.
Los Angeles Police rushed to the scene of the wreck that was reported shortly before 10:50 a.m. A gray sedan was seen with significant front-end damage, while several other Caltrans vehicles were parked along the shoulder.
The condition of the injured person was not available. Details about what led up to the crash were also not released.
The cause of the crash remains under active investigation.
We hope for a full recovery of the injured individual.
Can You Sue the State After a Crash Involving a Caltrans Vehicle in Pacoima, CA?
Yes, a person can pursue a claim against the state after a crash involving a Caltrans vehicle, though California law requires filing a government claim within six months of the incident before any lawsuit can proceed, a much shorter window than the two-year deadline that applies to claims against private drivers.
Crashes that involve freeway maintenance or Caltrans vehicles often raise questions about whether proper warning signage, cones, or flaggers were in place at the time, since government vehicles working on or near active lanes carry specific safety obligations under state transportation guidelines.
California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, which means an injured driver can recover compensation even if found mostly at fault, with the award reduced by their percentage of fault.
Because claims against a government entity involve different procedures and shorter deadlines than claims against a private driver, a personal injury lawyer typically needs to move quickly to file the required government claim before the six-month window closes.
Crashes that involve a government vehicle come with deadlines that move faster than people expect. At Saleh Law Group, we can help explain what those deadlines mean for each situation.
Reach out to Saleh Law Group at (949) 431-6371 to start the conversation. We have worked with many drivers across the Los Angeles area to help them walk through the process of a claim.
