California Pre-Settlement Funding
Get money now against your pending California personal injury case.
When an California lawsuit drags and expenses mount, pre-settlement funding carries you across the gap with cash against your expected recovery. Repayment comes only from a successful settlement or verdict.
Reviewed by Johnny Cavalli, Founder, ECO Pre-Settlement Funding · Last reviewed
✓ Repay $0 If You Lose
✓ $500 to $250,000+
✓ No Credit Check
✓ 24-48 Hr Funding
Apply For Pre-settlement Funding
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Injury Claims in California: What Plaintiffs Should Know
The California injury picture
California’s crash record shows 4,061 traffic fatalities, 1,106 pedestrian fatalities and 145 bicyclist fatalities in 2023. Los Angeles, San Diego and their suburbs generate a large share. Numbers like these are why bridge funding exists for people who cannot wait.
Sources: official California crash data and NHTSA. See the citations at the foot of this page.
Where California cases are filed
Most California injury lawsuits come out of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose. California routes injury litigation through the Superior Court. Venue affects timing more than outcome, and timing is what leaves plaintiffs short on cash.
California fault and negligence rules in practice
On the ground in California, California is an at-fault (tort) state, so you pursue the driver who caused the crash and their insurer directly. Clear liability evidence, police reports, witnesses, and photos, moves a California case forward and moves an advance with it.
California uses pure comparative negligence, meaning you can recover even if you were mostly at fault, with your award trimmed by your share. Because value survives partial fault, more California claims stay fundable than in states with a hard cutoff. And because California’s filing deadline for most injury claims is 2 years, an approaching deadline is a common reason to line up counsel and funding early.
Deadlines that shape a California claim
The main California deadline is 2 years; malpractice claims follow 3 years from injury or 1 year from discovery, whichever is earlier (MICRA), and wrongful death is 2 years from death. A missed California deadline typically ends the case for good, so confirm it early. We advance funds only on a claim that is on file or still within the limit.
Your advance in California
Because funding tracks the projected value of your California case, generally 10 to 20 percent of the net, the rules and numbers above are not academic, they set your advance. With California’s minimum bodily-injury limits at $30,000 per person, smaller policies can cap what is collectible, which we weigh when sizing the advance. And because California regulates legal funding, your contract carries the statutory protections described below. See how personal injury advances work for the mechanics. Applying costs nothing, and if your California claim recovers nothing, you owe nothing.
Qualifying for Funding in California
Three baseline requirements decide a California application: an open personal injury case, an attorney handling it on contingency, and a filing that still falls inside California’s deadline of 2 years. Miss any one and the application stalls before it starts. See who qualifies for lawsuit loans.
Open California Case
Your case must be filed and active in California (Superior Court); we fund across all 58 counties.
California Attorney on Contingency
A California attorney on a contingency agreement is required; we handle the advance paperwork with their office.
Underwritable Case Facts
Approval rides on the California case, not on you: documented liability, real damages, and a defendant who can pay. Credit and income do not factor in.
California Case Types We Fund
If it is an individual injury claim under California law, it is likely fundable. The main types are below.
Auto Accidents
Car, truck, motorcycle and rideshare collisions across Los Angeles and the rest of California.
Medical Malpractice
Claims against California doctors and hospitals, from surgical errors to delayed diagnosis.
Premises & Slip and Fall
Falls and negligent security on unsafe California property. See premises liability.
Workplace & Construction
California worksite injuries with a third-party claim, alongside workers compensation.
Wrongful Death
Survivor claims after a fatal California injury.
Catastrophic Injury
Brain, spinal and severe-burn cases.
Get your California funding decision in 24 hours
Get StartedOr call us toll-free at (800) 961-8924.
California Pre-Settlement Funding Laws and Regulations
California’s injury rules shape every funding decision, from the filing deadline to the negligence rule that sets case value. Verify dates and fault percentages with your attorney before relying on anything below.
Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury
- General negligence: 2 years [1]
- Medical malpractice: 3 years from injury or 1 year from discovery, whichever is earlier (MICRA)
- Wrongful death: 2 years from death
Confirm the exact California deadline for your claim type with your attorney; claims against government bodies can run on far shorter notice periods.
Minimum Mandatory Auto Policy Limits
- Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident [2]
- Property Damage Liability: $15,000
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): not required
California is an at-fault (tort) state, not no-fault. Uninsured-motorist coverage is offered and can usually be added.
Negligence Rule
- Pure comparative
- This rule decides how shared fault changes what you recover in California.
In California, this is why liability evidence drives the advance amount.
The California Funding Process Step by Step
The California process is short: apply, underwriting review, funds. See how it works for detail.
1
Apply
Send case details through the form above or call (800) 961-8924. It takes about five minutes.
2
Case Review
An underwriter reviews liability and damages with your California attorney. Most decisions arrive within one business day.
3
Funds Released
On approval, money goes out by ACH or wire, typically within 24 to 48 hours.
Common Questions From California Plaintiffs
What protections does California’s legal funding law give me?
California regulates consumer legal funding. California Consumer Legal Funding Act, Bus. & Prof. Code 6250-6256 (contracts from 1 Jan 2026): 5-business-day cancellation, charges stop accruing at 36 months, first-page disclosures, attorney acknowledgment Our California contracts are written to meet those requirements, so the terms you sign already reflect the state’s plaintiff protections.
How much can I get on a California car accident case?
Advances typically run 10 to 20 percent of expected recovery, from $500 to $250,000+. With California’s minimum bodily-injury limits at $30,000 per person, a small policy can cap value, so we anchor the advance to your attorney’s projected settlement rather than a flat number.
Do I have to live in California to qualify?
Residency is not the test; venue is. A case filed in California, say in Los Angeles, can be funded even if you now live elsewhere, as long as your California attorney is handling it.
How fast is funding on a California case?
Expect roughly a day for a decision on a California case once we have the file, then 24 to 48 hours to fund. Losing the case means you owe nothing.
Resources
- General injury statute of limitations (2 years) – official California statute (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov).
- California auto insurance minimums – California insurance authority (dmv.ca.gov).
- Bicyclist fatalities, pedestrian fatalities, traffic fatalities (2023): NHTSA FARS (State Traffic Data 2023) – source.