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According to a Patch report published November 13, 2026, at 4:32 p.m. Pacific Time, and updated at 4:34 p.m., citing the California Highway Patrol, two chain-reaction crashes formed on the westbound 91 Freeway near Imperial Highway in Yorba Linda during rain. Several people were hurt. Patch reported that it was not immediately known how many people were injured. We do not name anyone, and we do not assign fault.
This article explains what Patch, citing CHP, reported, and how California generally approaches payment after a multi-car freeway crash in the rain. It is not a rewrite of our earlier guides on first rain after a dry spell, a multi-car freeway pileup, or rain and El Niño crashes. It is also a different incident from the November 12 wrong-way crash on the 91 Freeway in Riverside, which we covered separately.
Win Attorneys handles freeway injury claims throughout California from our only office in Tustin. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
What Patch, citing CHP, reported
We fetched the Patch article on November 14, 2026. These facts come from that report’s attribution to CHP, not from an independent CHP log we reviewed:
- The first crash was originally reported at 3:22 p.m. Pacific Time on the westbound 91 Freeway near Imperial Highway in Yorba Linda.
- Patch, citing CHP, said initial reports showed three cars, and that the situation quickly evolved into at least 10 vehicles jamming several lanes.
- A second crash was reported just south of the original site at 3:47 p.m. Patch, citing CHP, said that crash also began as a three-car collision and, by 4:11 p.m., involved a reported 10 vehicles.
- Several people were injured. Patch wrote that it was not immediately known how many.
- Traffic on the 91 Freeway was stalled for almost 11 miles, from Yorba Linda Boulevard and Weir Canyon Road to the Imperial Highway (90) exit.
- The crashes came during rainy weather in Orange County. Patch said eyewitness accounts reported that the pavement was still slick with rainwater.
Patch also described video of halted cars and eyewitness reports of people standing near vehicles on the freeway. Those descriptions are from the news account. We are not adding causes, speeds, or names that Patch, citing CHP, did not give.
Who may pay after a multi-car crash in the rain
In a chain-reaction freeway crash, more than one driver can share responsibility. California comparative fault can split a recovery among those whose negligence caused the injury. A wet road does not automatically excuse a driver, and it does not automatically make the first car in line the only one who pays. Each impact, following distance, speed, and lane change has to be proven from the evidence.
Possible sources, depending on the facts, can include:
- The liability insurance of one or more at-fault drivers.
- Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, if a responsible driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or leaves the scene.
- Medical payments coverage on an auto policy, if the policy provides it.
- A public entity, only if the evidence supports a dangerous-condition or other government claim, which generally requires a written claim within six months under Government Code section 911.2. Rain on a freeway, by itself, does not prove that kind of claim.
Our guides on a multi-car freeway pileup and on first-rain wet-road crashes explain those patterns in more detail. Weather evidence, including forecasts and pavement conditions, is discussed in our article on storm forecasts and injury-claim evidence.
What to do if you were in this crash, or one like it
If it is safe:
- Get medical care and keep every record and bill.
- Write down the time, direction, lane, and where on the 91 you were, and get the CHP report number when it is available.
- Photograph vehicles, damage, weather, and any visible injuries.
- Get names of other drivers and witnesses, and do not guess about who hit whom in a recorded statement before you understand the sequence.
- Tell your insurer you were in a multi-vehicle crash, and be careful about recorded statements.
For local context, see our Yorba Linda personal injury page.
Talk to us
Win Attorneys handles multi-car freeway injury claims throughout California from our only office at 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese.
Call us at (657) 235-8097, reach us through our contact page, or start online with our intake form.
This article is general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. We do not assign fault to anyone involved in the November 13 crashes.
Sources
- Patch, “20-Car Pileup On 91 Freeway Injures Several, Halts Traffic For Miles Amid Rainstorm,” published November 13, 2026, at 4:32 p.m. Pacific Time, updated 4:34 p.m. Pacific Time, citing the California Highway Patrol. Fetched November 14, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What did CHP report about the Yorba Linda 91 Freeway crashes?
According to Patch, citing CHP, two chain-reaction crashes formed westbound on the 91 Freeway near Imperial Highway in Yorba Linda during rain on November 13, 2026. The first was reported at 3:22 p.m. Pacific Time and grew to at least 10 vehicles. A second crash, just south of the first, was reported at 3:47 p.m. and also involved a reported 10 vehicles by 4:11 p.m. Several people were hurt. Patch said it was not immediately known how many.
Does rain mean the crash was nobody’s fault?
No. A wet or slick road is part of the setting, but California still looks at whether each driver used reasonable care for the conditions, including speed and following distance. Fault can be shared among more than one driver.
Who pays if several cars hit each other?
It depends on the evidence of each impact. Liability insurance from one or more drivers, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, are common starting points. A government claim is a separate question and generally has a six-month deadline.
Is this the same crash as the November 12 wrong-way collision on the 91 in Riverside?
No. That was a different incident, on a different date, in Riverside. We wrote about it separately. The November 13 events described here were reported in Yorba Linda during rain.
Do your lawyers speak Spanish or Vietnamese?
Yes. We speak Spanish and Vietnamese, and we help people statewide from our only office at 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.