We handle personal injury cases for people hurt in crashes, falls and other incidents. This page covers the City of Sonoma, the town on the Plaza; the rest of the county is on our page about personal injury cases in Sonoma County. Each fact comes from the official source listed at the end.

What happens after an injury in Sonoma, step by step?

  1. Call 911 in an emergency, or Sonoma police non-emergency dispatch at (707) 996-3601.
  2. Get the report from the Sonoma Police Department, or from the CHP's Napa Area office for a crash it handled in the valley.
  3. If the City may be responsible, file its claim form with the City Clerk within six months (Government Code 911.2).
  4. The City has 45 days to investigate and act (Government Code 912.4).
  5. If a lawsuit is needed, it is filed in Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa.

Who are Sonoma's police, and how do I reach them?

In 2004 the City of Sonoma began contracting with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement. The City says the Sonoma Police Department has a staff of 15: a chief, two sergeants, ten patrol deputies, a community services officer and an administrative staff member, supported by volunteers and police explorers.

The department is at 175 First Street West, open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Its business-hours line is (707) 996-3602, and non-emergency dispatch is (707) 996-3601. In an emergency, call 911.

Which CHP office handles a crash near Sonoma?

This is where the Sonoma Valley differs from the rest of the county. The CHP's Santa Rosa Area office serves most of Sonoma County, but the CHP says the Sonoma Valley east of Trinity Road is served by its Napa Area office, at 975 Golden Gate Drive, Napa, (707) 699-6300. The Napa Area office says it patrols State Routes 12, 29, 116, 121 and 128 and hundreds of miles of unincorporated roads in Napa and Sonoma counties.

So a CHP report for a crash in that part of the valley would come from the Napa office, not the Santa Rosa Area office in Rohnert Park. Inside city limits, the Sonoma Police Department may take the report instead. Vehicle Code 20012 sets who may get a copy, and our guide on how to get the crash report in Sonoma County explains the request. The reports and insurance steps that follow are in what happens in the first 30 days after a car accident.

How do I make an injury claim against the City of Sonoma?

Complete the City's claim form and submit it in person, by mail or by fax to the Office of the City Clerk, City of Sonoma, No. 1 The Plaza, Sonoma, CA 95476; the fax number is (707) 938-2559. The City says there is no cost to file a claim, and it asks you to include anything that supports the claim, such as estimates, photographs and diagrams.

The City notes that state law allows a 45-day period for its investigation, and it will tell you whether the claim is approved or denied once the investigation is complete (Government Code 912.4). Before that, the deadline that matters most is yours: a claim for injury must be presented within six months (Government Code 911.2), and after a written rejection a lawsuit generally must follow within six months (Government Code 945.6). City Hall is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Fridays by appointment, (707) 938-3681.

A claim against the County of Sonoma, for example over a county road in the valley, goes to the County instead. Our guide on how to file an injury claim against a city, county or the State explains how to tell which public entity is responsible.

What do state crash numbers show for Sonoma?

The California Office of Traffic Safety compares each city with others of similar size. Sonoma is in Group E, cities of 10,001 to 25,000 people, with an average population of 10,595 in 2023. Its 2023 figures and ranks among the 103 cities in that group:

Category (2023)SonomaRank of 103
People killed or injured in all crashes2551
Pedestrians killed or injured338
Pedestrians 65 and older killed or injured29
Bicyclists killed or injured335
Speed-related crashes with deaths or injuries354
Hit-and-run crashes with deaths or injuries085

In these rankings, 1 is the highest, or worst. Sonoma sits mid-group overall, but it ranked 9th of 103 cities for pedestrians 65 and older killed or injured. The state counts only crashes within city limits and does not count a CHP-reported crash on a road shared with the city. For people hit while walking, see our pedestrian and bicycle accidents page.

What changes the answer in Sonoma?

Which CHP office responded. East of Trinity Road in the Sonoma Valley, the CHP's Napa Area office serves the area, so its report and its contact details apply.

Who owns the road. A city street means a claim to the City Clerk; a county road means a claim to the County; a state route, such as State Route 12, means a claim to the State. Our guide on crashes involving a public vehicle or a dangerous road explains where each claim goes.

Where the people involved live. For an injury, the proper court is in the county where the injury happened or where a defendant lives (Code of Civil Procedure 395). A visitor hurt in Sonoma can therefore bring the case in Sonoma County.

The injured person's age. For a child, the time limit for most claims waits until age 18, but not for a claim against a public entity (Code of Civil Procedure 352).

What could this look like? An example

For example, imagine a cyclist hit by a car on State Route 12 in the Sonoma Valley, outside the city limits and east of Trinity Road.

The CHP's Napa Area office would be the office to ask for the report. A CHP report can be requested in person at any CHP office, by mail or online, and the person injured is entitled to it (Vehicle Code 20012). The claim against the driver generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1). If a defect in the state highway also played a part, a claim to the State would be due within six months. This example is made up to show the Sonoma Valley steps; it predicts nothing about a real case.

What mistakes do people make after an injury in Sonoma?

  • Calling the CHP's Santa Rosa Area office for a crash that the Napa Area office handled.
  • Sending a claim about a county road to the City, or a city street claim to the County.
  • Showing up at City Hall on a Friday without an appointment, when Friday visits are by appointment only.
  • Treating the free claim filing as a reason to wait; the six months still runs.
  • Leaving out photographs and diagrams, which the City asks claimants to include.

What should I do this week?

  1. Find out whether the Sonoma Police Department or the CHP took the report, and get the report number.
  2. Photograph the scene, the road surface and any signs or signals.
  3. Make a simple diagram of what happened while you remember it.
  4. Ask your doctors for records in writing; copies are due within 15 days (Health and Safety Code 123110).
  5. Check the deadlines in how long you have to file a personal injury claim in California.

Frequently asked questions about Sonoma injury cases

Does it cost anything to file a claim with the City of Sonoma?

No. The City says there is no cost to file a claim. It does ask for supporting information, such as estimates, photographs and diagrams.

Is the Sonoma Police Department part of the Sheriff's Office?

The City has contracted with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement since 2004. The department works from 175 First Street West.

Can the City's claim be faxed?

Yes. The City accepts claims in person, by mail or by fax to the City Clerk at (707) 938-2559.

Where is the CHP office for the Sonoma Valley?

The CHP's Napa Area office is at 975 Golden Gate Drive, Napa, (707) 699-6300.

What if the City does not decide within 45 days?

The claim is then treated as rejected (Government Code 912.4), and the time to sue is set by Government Code 945.6.

What should a claim to the City include?

Government Code 910 requires the claimant's name and address, the date, place and circumstances, a description of the injury, the names of any public employees involved, if known, and either the amount or the type of civil case. The City also asks for supporting estimates, photographs and diagrams.

Where would a Sonoma injury case be filed?

For an injury, the superior court of the county where it happened, or where a defendant lives, is a proper court (Code of Civil Procedure 395). For an injury in Sonoma, that includes Sonoma County Superior Court, which handles civil cases at 3055 Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. Our guide on what to expect at Sonoma County Superior Court explains the steps. Our Petaluma page covers the offices in that city.

If you or a loved one has been injured in Sonoma or elsewhere in the Sonoma Valley, contact Young Law Group today at (707) 343-0556 or through our contact page to schedule your free consultation and learn how we can help.

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