Daly City sits at the fog line where San Francisco meets the Peninsula, with Interstate 280, Highway 1, and Skyline Boulevard carrying commuters through some of the Bay Area’s lowest-visibility driving conditions. Collisions around Serramonte Center, along John Daly Boulevard, and near the BART station are part of daily life here. This guide lists five attorneys who represent injured people in Daly City, beginning with Bay Area Injury Law Firm, which is based locally. After the list, it answers questions San Mateo County residents ask about fog-related crashes, borrowed cars, and gaps in medical treatment.
Which attorneys handle personal injury cases in Daly City?
These five represent people injured in Daly City and neighboring parts of the Peninsula:
- Bay Area Injury Law Firm
- Conor Daniel Granahan
- Justin C. White
- Paul Leland Alaga
- John Rajaee
What should Daly City residents know about each attorney?
1. Bay Area Injury Law Firm
Bay Area Injury Law Firm is a Daly City personal injury practice with an office on Gellert Boulevard, near Serramonte. It was founded and is led by principal attorney Joseph Chan, Esq., a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. For local clients, that means they can meet with their attorney in person without crossing a bridge or driving into downtown San Francisco.
The firm handles car, truck, and motorcycle collisions, along with pedestrian and bicycle injuries. It also takes cases involving rideshare and delivery drivers, dog bites, burn injuries, and catastrophic injuries. A catastrophic injury is one serious enough to permanently limit a person’s ability to work or live independently.
Clients get help finding appropriate medical care early, which supports recovery and creates the records a claim depends on. Cases are taken on contingency, so no attorney fee is charged unless money is recovered. Staff speak Cantonese and Burmese.
2. Conor Daniel Granahan
Conor Daniel Granahan is a personal injury lawyer based in San Francisco.
3. Justin C. White
Justin C. White is an accident attorney in San Francisco.
4. Paul Leland Alaga
Paul Leland Alaga is a San Francisco injury lawyer.
5. John Rajaee
John Rajaee is a personal injury attorney in San Francisco County.
Who is at fault in a fog-related crash in Daly City?
Fog doesn’t excuse unsafe driving. It usually strengthens the claim against the driver who failed to adjust. California’s Basic Speed Law, Vehicle Code section 22350, bars driving faster than is reasonable for weather, visibility, and traffic, even when that speed is below the posted limit. A driver doing 55 on I-280 in dense fog can be negligent without ever breaking the speed limit.
Rear-end collisions, which are common in low visibility, often turn on Vehicle Code section 21703. That section prohibits following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent. California has no automatic rule that the rear driver is always at fault, but in practice that driver usually has to explain why they couldn’t stop. Note the conditions at the scene and whether your headlights and brake lights were working. That detail can matter later.
What if the driver who hit you was driving someone else’s car?
The vehicle’s owner may share responsibility, but only up to a set amount. Under Vehicle Code sections 17150 and 17151, an owner who gives someone permission to drive can be held liable for that driver’s negligence. That liability is capped at $15,000 for one person’s injury or death, $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. In practice, the owner’s auto insurance policy usually extends coverage to permitted drivers, often with higher limits than the statutory cap. The driver’s own policy may add another layer. Identifying every policy that applies early can make a significant difference in a serious injury case.
Does waiting to see a doctor hurt your injury claim?
It often does, because insurers treat delays and gaps in care as evidence the injury was minor or unrelated to the crash. Whiplash, concussions, and back injuries frequently cause symptoms that build over 24 to 72 hours. A person who feels fine at the scene may be in real pain two days later. Getting checked promptly creates a medical record connecting the injury to the collision.
Once treatment starts, stay consistent. Missed physical therapy sessions or a month-long break between appointments give adjusters an easy argument for reducing the claim’s value. If cost is the barrier, tell your attorney. Some providers will treat injury patients on a lien, which means they are paid from the eventual settlement instead of upfront.
How do you choose an injury attorney?
Choose a lawyer who explains your deadlines clearly, tells you who will handle your case, and gives an honest view of its value instead of promises. California Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires contingency agreements to be in writing, so ask how costs and medical liens will be handled at the end. Bring photos, the police report number, and any insurer correspondence to your first meeting.
If you were hurt in Daly City or anywhere on the Peninsula, contact the Bay Area Injury Law Firm to schedule a consultation with Joseph Chan, Esq. at the firm’s local office.
