When a Car Crashes Into Your Home: Injury Rights for Orange County Renters After the Buena Park Crash

Your home is supposed to be the one place where traffic cannot reach you. When a car comes through the wall of an apartment, that assumption is gone in a second, and the people inside are left with injuries, a damaged home, and questions nobody prepared them for. Who pays? Does the driver’s insurance cover a person who was never on the road? What if the driver had been drinking? Does the landlord have any role?

In short: a person hurt inside a home by a vehicle generally has the same right to bring an injury claim against a careless driver as anyone hurt on the street. The driver’s auto liability insurance is usually the first source of payment. Your own auto policy, your renters policy, and health insurance may help fill gaps, and a possible DUI can raise additional issues. In most cases you have two years to file a lawsuit.

If you or a family member was hurt when a vehicle struck your home anywhere in California, Win Attorneys handles motor vehicle accidents and premises liability claims statewide. Seek medical care first, even if you feel fine.

Talk to us at (562) 296-5380 or reach out through our contact page for a free case review. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.

What Happened in Buena Park

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, a car crashed into an apartment building in Buena Park. NBC Los Angeles reported that crews responded around 11 a.m. to the 7300 block of 8th Street, and CBS Los Angeles placed the crash near 8th Street and Rostrata Avenue. (CBS described the time as Wednesday afternoon; NBC’s report gave the 11 a.m. response time.)

According to both outlets, the car ended up entirely inside the building, and a woman was trapped beneath it. CBS Los Angeles reported that Orange County Fire Authority crews extricated her, and NBC Los Angeles reported that she was taken to a hospital in critical condition. CBS reported that a silver sedan was pulled out of a destroyed first floor apartment.

Two points are worth stating clearly, because early coverage can blur them:

Who was unhurt. CBS Los Angeles, citing the fire authority, reported that the vehicle’s two occupants, its driver and a passenger, were not injured. The people reported unhurt were the people in the car, not occupants of the apartment.
Where the woman was. Both reports place her under the car inside the building. Neither report we reviewed said whether she lived in that unit, was visiting, or was a neighbor.

NBC Los Angeles reported that police were investigating whether the driver was under the influence, and CBS Los Angeles reported that the driver and passenger were detained and released pending the investigation. No charges were reported, and no official finding of cause had been released as of October 15. We are not assigning fault to anyone. Buena Park police asked anyone with information to contact the department’s Traffic Bureau at (714) 562-3940, according to CBS Los Angeles.

We hope the injured woman recovers fully. The rest of this guide explains, in general terms, how the law treats injuries caused when a vehicle enters a home.

Being Hurt Inside Your Home by a Vehicle Is Still a Traffic Injury Claim

It can feel strange to call it a car accident when you were sitting in your living room. Legally, though, the core question is the same one asked after any crash: did someone fail to use reasonable care, and did that failure cause the harm?

California Civil Code section 1714 states the general rule that everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care in managing their property or person. A driver who loses control and leaves the roadway may be found negligent, but that is never automatic. Medical emergencies, mechanical failures, another vehicle’s conduct, and road conditions can all be part of the investigation. That is why the police report, any witness accounts, and any video matter so much.

Because you were not in a vehicle, comparative fault arguments that often come up in street crashes, such as a claim that you were speeding or changed lanes unsafely, usually have little room. Insurers may still look closely at the extent of injuries and the medical records.

Whose Insurance Pays First?

In most cases, the first place to look is the driver’s auto liability insurance. Liability coverage generally follows the vehicle and its permitted drivers and pays for injuries and property damage that the insured driver legally causes. If the driver was using someone else’s car with permission, the owner’s policy may also be involved.

Liability policies have limits. A serious injury, such as one that requires a rescue and a hospital admission, can exceed the limits of a minimum policy. When that happens, other sources of coverage become important.

If the Crash Involved Alcohol or Drugs

Police in Buena Park were reported to be investigating a possible DUI. We do not know what that investigation will find, and a person who is detained and released has not been charged or convicted of anything. Still, many readers want to know how impairment affects a civil injury claim.

Punitive damages are possible, but the bar is high

California Civil Code section 3294 allows punitive damages, which are meant to punish and deter rather than to compensate, only when a plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with oppression, fraud, or malice. The statute defines malice to include despicable conduct carried on with a willful and conscious disregard of the rights or safety of others. California courts have allowed punitive damage claims against impaired drivers in some cases, but each case depends on its facts and its proof. Our guide to DUI punitive damages in California explains this in more detail.

Two cautions apply. First, punitive damages are not available just because a driver was arrested. Second, liability insurance in California generally does not pay punitive damages, so any such award would usually have to come from the driver personally.

What about Civil Code section 3333.7?

Readers sometimes hear about a California law that allows triple damages in DUI cases. Civil Code section 3333.7 does provide for treble damages, but it is narrow. It applies to the employer of a driver of a commercial motor vehicle who was under the influence, and only when the employer willfully failed to comply with federal drug and alcohol testing requirements tied to Vehicle Code section 34520. Based on the reports so far, which describe a sedan, that section does not appear to fit a typical private passenger car crash.

Could the Landlord or Property Owner Share Responsibility?

Usually, the driver is the focus. In some situations, though, people ask whether the building’s owner or a nearby property owner had a duty to do more, for example where cars have left the road at the same spot before, or where a parking lot points straight at a unit with no curb stop or barrier.

These claims are fact intensive and often difficult. Under section 1714, a property owner must use ordinary care in managing property, but whether that duty includes protecting residents from an out of control vehicle depends on things like foreseeability, prior incidents, the layout of the property, and the cost of protective measures. We are not suggesting that any owner did anything wrong in Buena Park. If you think a property condition may have played a part, our premises liability page explains how those claims work, and our article on cars crashing into storefronts and restaurants discusses barrier questions in a commercial setting.

If a public street design, missing signage, or another public condition is suspected, a claim against a city or county follows special rules. A government claim generally must be presented within six months under Government Code section 911.2. Learn more on our government claims page.

Your Own Coverage as a Renter

Renters are often surprised by how many policies may come into play.

Renters insurance

A renters policy typically covers your personal belongings and may include liability coverage and additional living expenses if your unit becomes unlivable. Many renters policies also include a small medical payments to others coverage, but that coverage usually applies to guests, not to the policyholder. Read your policy and call your agent about displaced living costs right away; terms vary widely.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

If you own a car, your auto policy may include UM and UIM coverage. California Insurance Code section 11580.2 governs uninsured motorist coverage. Whether UM and UIM benefits apply to an injury suffered at home, rather than in a vehicle, depends on your policy language, so do not assume either way. Our UM and UIM claims page has more.

MedPay and health insurance

Medical payments coverage on your own auto policy may pay certain medical bills regardless of fault, depending on the policy terms. Health insurance usually pays your treatment and may later seek repayment from any injury recovery. Our guide to MedPay benefits in California walks through how that works.

What Your Damages Can Include

A person hurt in a crash like this may seek compensation for:

Past and future medical care, including surgery, rehabilitation, and therapy.
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity.
Pain, suffering, and emotional distress, which can be significant after a crash into a place where you felt safe.
Damaged personal property and the cost of temporary housing.

Family members who witnessed a loved one being seriously hurt may also have their own emotional distress claims in some circumstances.

Steps to Take After a Vehicle Hits Your Home

Get medical care. Crush injuries and internal injuries can worsen over hours. Follow up with your own doctor.
Get the report number. Ask the investigating agency for the collision report number and the officer’s name.
Photograph everything once it is safe: the room, the damage, your belongings, and your injuries over time.
Collect the driver’s information. Name, insurer, and policy number are usually in the police report.
Notify your landlord in writing and keep copies of any repair or relocation communications.
Ask neighbors about video. Doorbell and building cameras often overwrite footage within days.
Avoid recorded statements to the driver’s insurer until you understand your rights.

Deadlines

In California, the general deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Claims against a public entity usually require a written government claim within six months. Property damage claims have a different deadline. Waiting can also mean lost video and fading memories, so it pays to act early.

Talk With Win Attorneys

Win Attorneys helps people injured in crashes across Orange County, Los Angeles, and the rest of California from our Tustin office, including our work as a Tustin car accident lawyer team. If a vehicle came into your home, we can help sort out which policies apply and who may be responsible. Our office is fluent in Spanish and Vietnamese; say so when you call.

Talk to us at (562) 296-5380, write through our contact page, or visit 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780. The case review is free.

Car Into Home Injury FAQs

Can I file an injury claim if a car crashed into my apartment while I was inside?

Yes, in general. A person injured inside a home by a vehicle may bring a negligence claim against a driver who failed to use reasonable care under Civil Code section 1714, the same as someone injured on the road. Fault still has to be shown with evidence.

Whose insurance pays when a car hits my home?

Usually the driver’s auto liability insurance pays first for injuries and property damage the driver legally causes. Your renters policy, your own auto policy, and your health insurance may help fill gaps depending on their terms.

Can I get punitive damages if the driver was drunk?

Possibly. Civil Code section 3294 allows punitive damages only with clear and convincing evidence of oppression, fraud, or malice. An arrest alone is not enough, and liability insurance generally does not pay punitive damages.

Does Civil Code section 3333.7 allow triple damages in my case?

Probably not in a private car crash. Section 3333.7 allows treble damages against the employer of an impaired commercial motor vehicle driver when the employer willfully failed to follow federal testing requirements.

Can my landlord be responsible if a car crashes into my unit?

Sometimes, but it is uncommon and depends on the facts. Questions include whether the danger was foreseeable, whether cars had left the road there before, and whether reasonable barriers were missing.

Does my renters insurance or UM coverage help if I was hurt at home?

It may. Renters insurance often covers belongings and extra living costs. Whether UM and UIM coverage under Insurance Code section 11580.2 applies to an injury at home depends on your auto policy language.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a car crashes into my home?

The general deadline for a personal injury lawsuit in California is two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a public entity may be involved, a government claim generally must be presented within six months.

Disclaimer

This page is general information for educational purposes. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Crash details are attributed to NBC Los Angeles and CBS Los Angeles as of October 14, 2026, and may change as the investigation continues. No fault is assigned to anyone. Outcomes depend on the facts of each matter. Seek medical care for injuries. Consult a licensed California attorney about your situation.