Palm-lined boulevard with landscaped median in Palm Desert below the Santa Rosa Mountains
Riverside County

Palm Desert Personal Injury Lawyer

Were you hurt in Palm Desert? Call (951) 583-1900 or send a text to (949) 776-8964. We’re available 24/7 and the consultation is free. Our office staff speaks Spanish and Farsi. People Not Just Cases.

📞 Call (951) 583-1900💬 Text (949) 776-8964

Palm Desert had 11,801 residents in 1980 and 51,163 in the 2020 Census, making it one of California’s fastest-growing cities over that stretch. Its first large housing came in 1943 with General Patton’s Desert Training Center. After the war, the land south of Highway 111 became El Paseo, the shopping street modeled after Rodeo Drive.

Tafreshi Law Group serves Palm Desert residents and visitors from our Riverside office. We have no Coachella Valley office, but we answer calls and texts around the clock. Lea esta página en español.

Golf Carts on City Streets

Palm Desert runs a Golf Cart Transportation Program, authorized starting January 1, 1993, that lets permitted electric carts travel to schools, parks, shops and offices. Under the city code and Code Compliance rules:

  • Carts need a city permit and inspection, with seat belts, lights, turn signals, mirrors, a windshield, a horn and a backup buzzer.
  • Drivers need a valid license and proof of financial responsibility. No more than four riders, all belted.
  • Carts may run from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, on streets posted 25 mph or less or on designated golf cart routes.
  • Carts may not travel along state highways, and may cross them only at controlled intersections where allowed.

A crash between a car and a golf cart raises its own questions: was the cart permitted and equipped, was it on an allowed route, and whose insurance applies? We can help sort that out.

Highways and Busy Streets

  • Highway 111 runs through the city next to El Paseo.
  • State Route 74, the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, comes down from the San Jacinto Mountains and ends at Highway 111 here, continuing north as Monterey Avenue.
  • Interstate 10 runs north of the city, with exits at Monterey Avenue, Cook Street and Washington Street.

Reports in Palm Desert

Palm Desert contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff for police services. The Palm Desert Station at 73-705 Gerald Ford Drive also serves Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. The lobby is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, (760) 836-1600. On I-10 and SR-74 outside the city, the CHP Indio Area office usually takes the report. CHP reports cost $10 for 1 to 25 pages.

Hospitals

  • Eisenhower Health, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage: Level IV trauma center, open 24/7.
  • Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs: the valley’s only Level I trauma center.

Filing and Deadlines

Civil cases from Palm Desert ZIPs 92210, 92211, 92255, 92260 and 92261 go to the Palm Springs Courthouse, 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, for both limited and unlimited cases, under the court’s order effective August 1, 2026. The usual deadline for an injury lawsuit is two years, and six months for a claim against a public agency. See the statute of limitations for car accidents in California.

Hurt in Palm Desert?Free consultation · 24/7 · Hablamos español
📞 Call (951) 583-1900💬 Text (949) 776-8964

What We Handle in Palm Desert

  • Golf cart and low-speed vehicle crashes.
  • Pedestrians hit near El Paseo and shopping centers. See our pedestrian accident lawyer page.
  • Crashes on Highway 111, SR-74 and I-10.
  • Falls at stores, resorts and country clubs.

Busy Roads Around Palm Desert

Busy roads in Palm Desert include Highway 111, Monterey Avenue, Fred Waring Drive, Cook Street and I-10. Highway 111 near El Paseo and the malls sees heavy turning traffic; Monterey Avenue and Cook Street back up near I-10; golf carts share posted city streets with cars. If your crash happened on one of these roads, write down the nearest cross street or exit, and keep any dashcam or doorbell video before it is recorded over. Our Highway 111 Coachella Valley guide covers that corridor in more detail.

Who Pays After a Golf Cart or El Paseo Crash

In Palm Desert, the person hurt is often riding a golf cart on a posted city street or walking near El Paseo, not driving a car. Insurance questions follow from that:

  • Car hits a cart: the car driver’s liability policy is usually the first place to look.
  • Cart driver caused it: the city requires permitted cart drivers to carry proof of financial responsibility, so ask for that information at the scene, the same as you would from a car driver.
  • Other driver uninsured or gone: your own auto policy’s uninsured motorist coverage may help. Whether it covers an injury in a golf cart depends on the policy wording, so keep a copy for us to review.
  • Permit, equipment and route: whether the cart was permitted, had working lights and belts, and was on an allowed street can all affect who is at fault.

Under California’s pure comparative fault rule, you can usually still recover if you share some of the blame, minus your share. A claim may include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering; we can’t promise any amount or result. Call (951) 583-1900 or text (949) 776-8964, 24/7.

Nearby communities we also serve: Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, La Quinta. See all of our locations and our practice areas.

Who We Are

Attorney Suzannah Tafreshi leads our firm. Together, our team has over 14 years of combined experience, and we’re available 24/7.

Palm Desert at a Glance: Reports and Local Facts

  • 👥 2020 Census: 51,163 residents (up from 11,801 in 1980).
  • 👮 City streets: Palm Desert contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff (Palm Desert Station) for police services. Ask the deputy for the report number.
  • 🛣 I-10, Highway 111 and SR-74: Outside city streets, usually CHP Indio Area, 79650 Varner Road, Indio, (760) 772-5300 (lists I-10, SR-74 and SR-111). CHP 190, $10 for up to 25 pages.
  • 🏥 Hospitals: Eisenhower Health, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage (Level IV trauma, 24/7). Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs — valley’s only Level I trauma center.
  • 📋 DMV: If anyone was hurt or damage tops $1,000, California requires an SR-1 form to the DMV within 10 days, even if police wrote a report.

📖 First steps, insurance and shared fault are covered once in our after-an-accident guide.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Palm Desert; CHP (630) Indio Area; Eisenhower Health; California DMV, SR-1.

Palm Desert FAQs

My golf cart was hit by a car. Who pays?

It depends on fault and on the insurance for both vehicles. Keep your cart permit, photos and the other driver’s information.

Who writes the report in Palm Desert?

On city streets, the Sheriff’s Palm Desert Station. On I-10 and state highway stretches outside city streets, usually the CHP.

Where is my case filed?

At the Palm Springs Courthouse on Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Do you have a Palm Desert office?

No. We serve the valley from our Riverside office by phone, text and video.

Do I pay for the first meeting?

No. It’s free.

I was hurt on El Paseo in a golf cart. Who writes the report?

On city streets, the Sheriff’s Palm Desert Station usually takes the report. Keep your city golf-cart permit, photos and the other driver’s information.

Which CHP office covers I-10 or Highway 111 by Palm Desert?

Usually CHP Indio Area, 79650 Varner Road, Indio, (760) 772-5300. The collision report names the office that responded.

Does a golf cart driver in Palm Desert need insurance?

Palm Desert’s golf cart rules require drivers to have a valid license and proof of financial responsibility. Ask for that information at the scene, just as you would with a car.

Get in Touch

Call (951) 583-1900 · Text (949) 776-8964 · Available 24/7 · Hablamos español

  • Riverside office: 4121 Brockton Ave, Ste 101, Riverside, CA 92501
  • Lake Forest office: 22600 Lambert St, Ste 1501, Lake Forest, CA 92630
  • Fountain Valley office: 18837 Brookhurst St, Ste 207, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

See all Tafreshi Law Group locations or our Riverside page.

Attorney Advertising. This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Also nearby: Indian Wells · Bermuda Dunes · Thousand Palms.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, “Palm Desert, California” (population, history, El Paseo, highways, Sheriff station)
  2. City of Palm Desert, Traffic and Transportation (Golf Cart Transportation Program)
  3. City of Palm Desert Municipal Code, Chapter 10.76 Golf Carts
  4. City of Palm Desert, Code Compliance (golf cart permits and operation rules)
  5. Riverside County Sheriff, Palm Desert Station
  6. City of Rancho Mirage, Police FAQs (Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station, report copies)
  7. California Highway Patrol, (630) Indio Area
  8. California Highway Patrol, Collision Report CHP 190 (fees)
  9. Eisenhower Health, Emergency Department (Level IV trauma center, 39000 Bob Hope Drive)
  10. Desert Care Network, Desert Regional Medical Center (only Level I trauma center in the Coachella Valley)
  11. Riverside Superior Court, Order: Where to File Civil Documents (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
  12. California Code of Civil Procedure sections 85 and 335.1
  13. California Government Code section 911.2
  14. California Insurance Code section 11580.2 (uninsured motorist coverage)