How to File a Claim Against LADWP: Address, Form, Deadline and the City Clerk Question (Updated November 2026)

By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.

Who this page covers

LADWP is a department of the City of Los Angeles that runs the city’s water and power systems. This page is for anyone hurt, or whose property was damaged, by LADWP: a power surge or outage that burned out appliances, a water main break that flooded a home or car, an LADWP truck that caused a crash, or a trench, plate or utility cover left in the street. Because LADWP is a public entity, you must present a written government claim before you can sue (Gov. Code 945.4). The two-year injury rule that applies to private parties does not control here.

If you are not sure LADWP owns what hurt you (a sidewalk, a street, a streetlight, a sewer), read which agency do I file with. Claims against other City departments go through the City of Los Angeles claim process.

LADWP claim deadline: 6 months or 1 year

The deadline depends on what was harmed. A single water main break can create both kinds of claims: your flooded car and furniture are personal property (six months), while damage to the house itself is real property (one year). When both apply, file everything within six months.

The clock starts when the claim “accrues,” which Gov. Code 901 ties to the date the ordinary statute of limitations would start. For most injuries that is the day it happened, though not always. The California Supreme Court has explained that the claim deadline is separate from the statute of limitations and runs from accrual (Shirk v. Vista Unified School Dist. (2007) 42 Cal.4th 201). Count calendar months from the day after the injury to the same date six months later. If the last day lands on a weekend or holiday, do not count on getting extra days. Some California statutes move such deadlines to the next business day, but we found no court decision applying that to government claims. File weeks early.

More on counting: City of Los Angeles claim deadline.

Where to file a claim against LADWP

LADWP and the City Attorney give different instructions, and no official source we found reconciles them.

City law adds one more piece. Los Angeles Administrative Code 5.169 sends claims against the City and its departments to the City Clerk, and it also allows the board secretaries of proprietary departments to be deputized to accept claims against their own department. LADWP is a proprietary department, but we found no source saying whether its Claims Section has been deputized.

Why this matters: the California Supreme Court held that a claim delivered to the wrong office, such as a risk management department, does not count unless it actually reaches the clerk, secretary, auditor or governing body the law names (DiCampli-Mintz v. County of Santa Clara (2012) 55 Cal.4th 983; Gov. Code 915).

Our practical advice: file with the LADWP Claims Section, and also file the same claim with the City Clerk before the deadline, online at claims.lacity.org or in person or by mail to Room 395, City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. The Clerk does not accept emailed or faxed claims (City Clerk). Keep the LADWP confirmation, the City claim number, and certified mail receipts. A mailed claim counts as presented on the day it is deposited in the mail (Gov. Code 915.2). Step by step: how to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles.

The LADWP claim form

LADWP posts a fillable “LADWP CLAIM FORM” PDF (posted September 2026) on its claims page, plus an online e-sign version. We found no Spanish version of the LADWP form. If you also file with the City Clerk, use the City’s “Claim for Damages to Person or Property,” Form Cont. 100-A, through claims.lacity.org or the PDF; it is also offered in Spanish. More on the City form: City of Los Angeles claim form.

Whatever form you use, the law requires your name and address, where notices should go, when, where and how it happened, the injury or damage, the employees involved if known, and the amount; over $10,000, leave out the figure and say whether it would be a limited civil case (Gov. Code 910). The claim must be signed by you or by someone on your behalf (Gov. Code 910.2). Starting January 1, 2027, the signer must also declare that, upon information and belief, the contents of the claim are true and correct (AB 2529). Add it even if the form lacks it. A knowingly false claim made with intent to defraud is a crime (Penal Code 72).

Documents to gather

• Photos and video of the damage, the broken main, the street, the truck, or the trench or cover, with the date.
• For surges and outages: the dates and times, a list of the damaged items with model numbers, repair estimates or replacement receipts, and any outage notice or report number from LADWP.
• For flooding: water mitigation and repair invoices, your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance claim and any payments, and a list of damaged contents.
• For crashes: the police report number, the LADWP truck number or plate, repair estimates, and medical records and bills.
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses and neighbors who saw it.

Send copies, never originals. Full list: claim documents checklist.

What happens after you file

Once LADWP receives the claim, the law gives it 45 days to act (Gov. Code 912.4). It can accept the claim, reject it, accept part of it, or offer a compromise. If it does nothing, the claim is treated as rejected on day 45. The 45 days can be extended only by written agreement.

If something required is missing, the entity has 20 days to send a written notice of insufficiency listing the defects, and then must wait 15 days before acting (Gov. Code 910.8). An incomplete claim is not simply thrown out. If no notice is sent, defects in the claim are generally waived, unless the claim gives no address at all.

LADWP says it aims to decide claims in 30 to 45 days, that complex cases can take longer, and that it will notify you by letter or phone (LADWP). Ask for any decision in writing. If you also filed with the City Clerk, the Clerk assigns a claim number and sends the claim to the City Attorney for investigation (City Attorney). More: after you file.

A rejection must come in writing with a warning that you have six months from the date the notice was mailed or handed to you to file a lawsuit (Gov. Code 913; Gov. Code 945.6). If no proper written notice is ever sent, the time to sue is generally two years from accrual. You cannot sue before the claim is rejected or deemed rejected (Gov. Code 945.4).

If LADWP denies your claim

A rejection letter starts a short clock. You generally have six months from the date the notice was mailed or personally delivered to file suit in superior court (Gov. Code 945.6). The extra days the law gives for some mailed papers do not apply to this deadline (Gov. Code 915.2). The same deadline applies if you sue the employee, and a suit against the employee is generally barred if a suit against the entity is barred (Gov. Code 950.6; Gov. Code 950.2).

A denial is common and is often the start of the real negotiation. What matters is filing suit on time, with the evidence you will need. See what to do when a claim is denied.

Missed the deadline? Late claims against LADWP

If you missed the six-month deadline, the claim is not automatically dead. The steps are strict:

1. Apply for leave to present a late claim. Send LADWP (and, to be safe, the City Clerk) a written application with your proposed claim attached and the reason for the delay, within a reasonable time and never more than one year after the claim accrued (Gov. Code 911.4). This applies to six-month claims only.
2. Wait up to 45 days. The entity must grant or deny the application within 45 days, and silence counts as a denial (Gov. Code 911.6). It must grant the application in listed situations, including mistake or excusable neglect that did not prejudice the entity, an injured person who was a minor, physical or mental incapacity, and death during the claim period.
3. If denied, petition the court within six months. You can ask the superior court for relief within six months after the denial or deemed denial (Gov. Code 946.6; notice wording in Gov. Code 911.8). If the court grants relief, the lawsuit must be filed within 30 days.

If a late claim is filed without an application, the entity can return it within 45 days with a notice. If it sends no such notice, it waives the lateness defense (Gov. Code 911.3). More detail: late claims against the City of Los Angeles.

Typical LADWP claims

• Power surges and outages. Burned-out appliances, electronics, HVAC units and spoiled food after a surge or a sudden outage. These are usually personal property claims with a six-month deadline. Serious electrical injuries are covered on our electrical burns page.
• Water main breaks and flooding. Water in homes, garages, basements and cars. Property and contents often fall under different deadlines, as shown above.
• LADWP trucks and crews. A public entity is liable for injury caused by an employee’s negligent driving on the job (Vehicle Code 17001). See city vehicle accidents and a city or county vehicle hit me.
• Trenches, plates and utility covers in the street. A loose plate, a sunken patch or an open vault can be a dangerous condition of public property. The injured person must show the condition was dangerous and that an employee created it or the entity had notice in time to fix it (Gov. Code 835; 835.2). See dangerous condition of public property and pothole or dangerous road crash.

How to check the status of an LADWP claim

Call the LADWP Claims Section at (213) 367-4600 with your name, the date of loss and any confirmation number. For the City Clerk copy, email attclaimsubmit@lacity.org with your claim number in the subject line or call the City Attorney’s claims line at (213) 978-7040 (City Attorney; City Clerk). Write down the date of day 45 after each filing. More: claim status.

Related pages

• How to file a claim against the City of Los Angeles
• City claim deadline
• How to file a City claim, step by step
• Which agency do I file with?
• Late claims
• Claim denied
• City vehicle accidents
• Claims against LAPD
• LAUSD injury claims
• Claims against LA County
• Electrical burn injuries
• Los Angeles accident lawyer

Common questions

Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.