To fill out Form PLD-PI-001, enter the parties and court information at the top, choose whether the case is limited or unlimited civil, check the box for each cause of action that fits your situation and attach the matching form page for each, then check the damage categories you’re claiming in the prayer for relief without writing in a dollar figure. The form is the Judicial Council’s check-the-box template for starting a personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death case in California superior court, and it’s designed so both attorneys and self-represented plaintiffs can use it without drafting a complaint from scratch.
Confirm You’re Still Within the Deadline
Before you spend time on the form, check the clock. California gives you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.1California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 335.1 Miss it and the court will almost certainly dismiss the case no matter how strong the claim is.
If a government agency or a public employee is among the people you’re suing, a much shorter deadline applies first. You must present an administrative tort claim to the responsible entity within six months of the incident before you can file suit at all.2California Legislative Information. California Government Code 911.2 The entity has 45 days to respond, and if it rejects the claim you have six months from the rejection notice to file your court complaint.
Download the Current Form
Get PLD-PI-001 from the California Courts self-help site.3California Courts. Complaint—Personal Injury, Property Damage, Wrongful Death The PDF is fillable, so you can type into it before printing. One thing to understand up front: the main page is not a complete complaint on its own. Every filing must include at least one cause-of-action attachment, which you select at the bottom of the form.
Fill In the Parties and Court Information
At the top of the form, enter your full legal name as the plaintiff and the full legal name of every defendant. If you are suing on behalf of someone else, as a guardian, conservator, or estate representative, check the appropriate capacity box. The court name and address go in the upper left corner.
You also have to mark whether the case is limited civil (damages of $35,000 or less) or unlimited civil (damages over $35,000). Each classification follows different procedural rules and carries a different filing fee.4California Courts. Civil Cases in California
Doe Defendants
If you suspect other people or companies share responsibility but don’t yet know their names, check the box for fictitious “Doe” defendants. You must state in the complaint that you are ignorant of their true identities; when you learn who they are, you amend the complaint to substitute the real names.5California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 474 Including Doe allegations preserves your ability to add parties as facts develop, because the statute of limitations can otherwise bar claims against defendants named too late.
Check the Causes of Action and Attach the Right Pages
Item 10 on PLD-PI-001 lists the legal theories you can pursue. Each one is a separate attachment page that spells out the factual basis for that claim. The options are:
- Motor Vehicle, for collisions involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, or other vehicles
- General Negligence, the broadest category, for any situation where someone’s carelessness caused your injury
- Intentional Tort, for deliberate harmful acts like assault, battery, or fraud
- Products Liability, for injuries caused by defective or dangerous products
- Premises Liability, for injuries on someone else’s property due to unsafe conditions
- Other, a write-in field for causes of action not listed above
Check every box that applies and attach the corresponding form page for each one.6Judicial Council of California. PLD-PI-001 Complaint—Personal Injury, Property Damage, Wrongful Death A car crash caused partly by a dangerous road condition, for example, might get both a Motor Vehicle page and a Premises Liability page. Each attachment needs factual statements explaining what the defendant did or failed to do and how that conduct caused your injuries. The checkboxes on the main form can’t carry that narrative by themselves.
Complete the Prayer for Damages
The final section asks what you want the court to award. You check boxes for the categories of damages you’re claiming: medical expenses, lost earnings, property damage, loss of earning capacity, and general damages such as pain and suffering.
Here’s where people trip up. California law prohibits you from stating a specific dollar amount in a personal injury or wrongful death complaint.7California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure CCP 425.10 You identify the categories of loss and leave the actual figures to be proven at trial or settlement. In a limited civil case, however, you must indicate that the total falls within the limited jurisdiction threshold.
Punitive Damages
If you want punitive damages, checking a box isn’t enough. You must plead specific facts showing the defendant acted with malice, oppression, or fraud under Civil Code section 3294. Calling the conduct “malicious” without describing the actual behavior won’t survive a challenge. For claims against healthcare providers, the rule is stricter: you cannot include a punitive damages claim in your initial complaint at all without first getting a court order based on evidence that you have a substantial probability of prevailing.
Documents That Must Go With the Complaint
PLD-PI-001 doesn’t get filed alone. You’ll need:
- Civil Case Cover Sheet (CM-010), a one-page form required at the start of every civil case except family law matters, telling the court the case type, jurisdictional classification, and whether related cases exist8California Courts. Civil Case Cover Sheet (CM-010)
- Summons (SUM-100), which you fill out at the top with party and court information; the clerk signs and stamps it so it becomes an official court order directing each defendant to respond within 30 days9California Courts. Summons (SUM-100)
- At least one cause-of-action attachment page, as described above
- Extra copies: one for you and one for each defendant, plus the original for the court (e-filers handle this digitally)
File It With the Right Court
File with the clerk of the superior court in the county where the injury happened or where the defendant lives or does business. Most counties require attorneys to e-file through an approved electronic filing service provider, while self-represented litigants can usually still file on paper at the clerk’s window. Check your local court’s website for the list of approved e-filing vendors. If you file on paper, the clerk reviews the documents at the window, confirms the signatures, and stamps the complaint with a filed date and case number.
Filing Fees
Under the current statewide fee schedule:
- Unlimited civil case (over $35,000): $435
- Limited civil case ($10,001 to $35,000): $370
- Limited civil case ($10,000 or less): $225
Fees in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco counties may be slightly higher because of local courthouse construction surcharges.10Judicial Council of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule
If you can’t afford the fee, file Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) with the complaint. You qualify if you receive certain public benefits, your household income falls below specific thresholds, or paying court fees would prevent you from covering basic living expenses.11California Courts. Request to Waive Court Fees The form asks for detailed income and expense information, so gather your financial records before you start.
What Comes Next: Serving the Defendant
Filing starts the case on the court’s end. It doesn’t start it for the defendant. You have 60 days from filing to serve every named defendant and file proof of service with the court.12Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 3.110 – Time for Service of Complaint, Cross-Complaint, and Response Miss that deadline and you risk sanctions or dismissal.
The most straightforward method is personal service, where someone physically hands the defendant the stamped Summons and a copy of the filed complaint. The server must be at least 18 and cannot be a party to the case, so you cannot serve the papers yourself.13California Courts. Serving Court Papers After service, the server completes Form POS-010 (Proof of Service of Summons), which you file with the court.14California Courts. Proof of Service of Summons Substitute service and service by publication are available when a defendant can’t be located, but each carries additional requirements the court will want to see documented.
Once the defendant is served, they have 30 days to respond.15California Courts. Summons and Complaint That’s the point at which the litigation itself begins; the form you just filled out is what makes any of it possible.