Beyond our core practice areas, GJEL represents clients across a wide range of serious injury cases. We handle pedestrian accidents, bus accidents (including Muni bus accidents in San Francisco), construction accidents, train accidents, boating accidents, electric scooter accidents, and plane crashes.
We also take on cases involving burn injuries, crush injuries, eye injuries, herniated discs, back injuries, amputations, degloving injuries, hip injuries, CRPS and RSD, and seatback failures. We also handle underinsured motorist claims and cases involving dangerous road designs. If you don’t see your case type, contact us for a free evaluation.
What Is Personal Injury Law in California?
Personal injury law is the area of civil law that gives you the right to pursue compensation when someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct causes you harm. It exists because the legal system recognizes a simple truth: injured accident victims shouldn’t have to absorb the costs of an accident they didn’t cause. California’s framework for personal injury litigation is designed to make you whole again, as much as money can.
Most personal injury cases are built on the legal concept of negligence. To prove negligence and establish liability, four elements must be shown. First, the at-fault party owed you a duty of care. Second, they breached that duty through action or inaction. Third, the breach directly caused your injury. Fourth, you suffered actual harm. When all four elements line up, the at-fault party is legally responsible for your damages. That’s where our personal injury attorneys go to work for you.
California follows a pure comparative fault standard. Even if you were partly responsible for your own injury, you can still recover compensation. Your award gets reduced by your percentage of fault, but it isn’t eliminated. Insurance companies love to weaponize this rule, pushing your fault percentage as high as they can. Our attorneys know how to push back.
California’s Statute of Limitations: Don’t Wait
Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. For wrongful death claims, the clock runs two years from the date of death. Medical malpractice follows different rules: one year from discovering the injury or three years from the incident, whichever comes first.
Claims against government entities require a formal claim within six months under the California Tort Claims Act. These deadlines are strict. A case filed one day late can be dismissed permanently. Missing a deadline can end your case. Call us right away.
What You Can Recover in a California Personal Injury Case
The goal of every personal injury claim we file is to recover every dollar you’re entitled to under California law. Here’s what that includes.
Medical Expenses
You can recover compensation for all past and future medical costs related to your injury: emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medications, durable medical equipment, rehabilitation, and long-term care if your injuries require it.
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
If your injury caused you to miss work, you can seek compensation for lost wages during your recovery. If your injuries are severe enough to affect your ability to work in the future, you may also recover compensation for diminished earning capacity.
Pain and Suffering
Non-economic damages compensate for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia, loss of enjoyment of life, and the psychological impact of a traumatic event. These are real losses, and our attorneys know how to build the evidence that makes insurance companies and juries take them seriously.
Property Damage
If your vehicle or other personal property was damaged, you can recover compensation to repair or replace it.
Loss of Consortium
If your injuries have negatively affected your relationship with your spouse, including loss of companionship and intimacy, your spouse may be able to seek damages for loss of consortium.
In cases resulting in long-term or permanent disabilities, you can seek compensation for future medical needs, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and lasting physical changes including scarring and limb loss.
Punitive Damages
California allows punitive damages where the defendant’s conduct was malicious, oppressive, or fraudulent. A drunk driver with prior DUI convictions. A corporation that knew its product was dangerous and sold it anyway. When the facts support them, our attorneys pursue punitive damages.
How GJEL Builds Your Case
Winning a personal injury case isn’t about filing paperwork and waiting. It takes systematic investigation, expert coordination, disciplined documentation, and skilled advocacy. Here’s how our team approaches every case.
Step 1: Free Consultation and Case Assessment
Every case starts with a free, confidential consultation. You’ll speak directly with an attorney who’ll listen to what happened, evaluate the strength of your claim, and give you an honest assessment of your options. There’s no pressure, no cost, and no obligation. You stay in control of every decision. Contact us to get started.
Step 2: Investigation and Evidence Preservation
As soon as you retain us, we start building your case. We obtain police reports, secure witness statements before memories fade, preserve surveillance footage and dashcam video, and bring in accident reconstruction experts when needed. Evidence has a shelf life. The sooner we get involved, the stronger your case becomes.
Step 3: Medical Documentation and Expert Witnesses
Thorough medical records are the backbone of every personal injury case. We work closely with your treating physicians and bring in independent medical professionals to evaluate the long-term impact. In brain injury cases, a comprehensive neuropsych evaluation is often critical. In paralysis and catastrophic injury cases, we work with life-care planners and economic analysts to calculate the full present and future cost of your injuries.
Step 4: Strategic Negotiation with Insurance Companies
Here’s something most people don’t realize: insurance companies aren’t on your side. Their adjusters are trained to minimize payouts. They’ll challenge your injuries, push recorded statements, rush you into a low settlement, and argue your symptoms were pre-existing. We don’t accept the first lowball offer, we don’t let adjusters stall indefinitely, and we don’t recommend settlement until the number reflects everything you’re owed.
Step 5: Litigation and Jury Trials
When insurance companies won’t offer fair compensation, we take cases to court. Our trial attorneys are experienced litigators who’ve handled personal injury cases in courtrooms across California. Insurance companies know which firms will actually try a case. Our reputation changes the dynamic in every negotiation.
What Our Clients Say
With over 300 five-star Google reviews and more than 5,000 verified reviews, our clients’ words speak louder than anything we could say about ourselves. Read more on our client reviews page.
“We can never thank you enough for the professional and personal care you’ve shown us over the years. We can’t imagine how difficult this would have been for our family without you in our corner.”
— M. and S., GJEL clients
“Your firm has made me feel like I could trust again. Very responsive. I received correspondence even when nothing was happening. By waiving attorney fees they were very kind and generous. Thank You from the bottom of my heart.”
— R.L., GJEL client
“It’s the best decision I ever made! You answered every call I made rapidly and with respect. I have a high regard for your team.”
— A.C., GJEL client
“The money set me up for the rest of my life. Just keep up the good work. I have referred other people to your firm also.”
— G.S.R., GJEL client
If you’ve been hurt in an accident anywhere in California, you don’t have to figure this out on your own. Call (855) 508-9565 for a free case review. We’ll listen, give you honest answers, and help you understand your options. You won’t pay a thing unless we win.
Why California Injury Victims Choose GJEL
We’ve built this practice on results, not promises. Over 50 years, a 99% success rate, and more than $980 million recovered. Our attorneys attended Stanford, the University of California, and the University of Chicago. We’re recognized among the Best Lawyers in the field, named to Best Law Firms, and hold the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. View our full track record.
We operate on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and nothing at all unless we win your case. Our fee comes from the recovery, not your pocket.
Unlike many firms, we only take a small number of cases at any time. That selectiveness means every client gets personalized attention from our attorneys, not a paralegal you’ve never met. We set up appointments with the right doctors and specialists, coordinate accident investigations, communicate with insurance companies, and handle every detail so you can focus on healing.
We serve injury victims throughout California, including San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Fresno, Sacramento, Stockton, and communities across Northern and Southern California.
Your Personal Injury Claim Starts With One Call
You’ve already been through the hardest part: the accident, the injuries, the uncertainty about what comes next. Our job is to make the legal part as straightforward and stress-free as possible while fighting as hard as we can for the outcome you deserve.
Call (855) 508-9565 today for your free consultation. GJEL’s California personal injury attorneys serve injured accident victims statewide, and we’re ready to go to work for you. There’s no cost, no obligation, and no risk. You pay nothing unless we win.
