Spencer Lucas

Spencer Lucas is a trial lawyer at Panish Shea & Boyle and specializes in litigating complex catastrophic personal injury, products liability and wrongful death cases. He has extensive experience in cases involving traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries and prides himself on helping injured people and their families.

Mr. Lucas has successfully recovered over $250 million for his clients and has obtained numerous eight-figure verdicts and settlements in cases throughout California, including the following:

In Rivas v. J.B. Hunt (2012), Mr. Lucas and Brian Panish obtained a $20 million jury verdict for a woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a big-rig truck which left the scene of the accident.

In Nichols v. Alameda-Contra Costa County Transit (2011), Mr. Lucas represented a woman who suffered serious orthopedic injuries when she was struck by an AC Transit bus while crossing the street. The case settled for $10.5 million.

In Barber v. Mossy Ford (2011), Mr. Lucas and Adam Shea obtained a $14.5 million verdict in a complex tire failure case arising from a accident in which the parents of three young boys were killed. Along with settlements reached with other defendants, the total award was in excess of $22 million.

In Curiel v. SSA Marine (2011), Mr. Lucas and Brian Panish obtained a jury verdict of $14 million for a man who suffered serious spinal cord injuries after an intoxicated crane operator dropped a 25,000 lb. container onto the cab of his truck.

In Nelsen v. Hillyard Inc. (2009), Mr. Lucas and Brian Panish received a $21 million verdict for an Iraq war veteran who suffered a brain injury after being rear-ended by a commercial vehicle at high speed.

In Tilton v. Southern California Gas Company (2008), Mr. Lucas and Brian Panish obtained a $15 million jury verdict for a teenager who sustained a closed head injury after his vehicle was struck by a Southern California Gas Company utility truck.

Mr. Lucas was also lead trial counsel in the matter of Haskell v. Farmers Insurance in which he won an award of $ 8,652,580 for his client. The settlement offer in this case prior to the award was $300,000. He recently tried the case of Cedillo v. The Efim Sobol Trust after receiving the case the week before trial. The firm obtained a $9.3 million jury verdict for the client, who was injured after he fell off a ladder at work, after receiving a pre-trial settlement offer of $250,000.

Mr. Lucas was honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California as a finalist for California Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2011 in recognition of his achievements in the courtroom. He is recognized annually as a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers® publication.

In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Mr. Lucas serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities which funds many local charity groups focusing on education, children, and the homeless.

Mr. Lucas graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration. During his undergraduate work, he completed an International Business program with honors from the University of Sevilla in 1999. He graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2004, where he was the co-founder of the Pepperdine International Human Rights Program.

Mr. Lucas speaks fluent Spanish and works with many of the firm’s Spanish-speaking clients. He has lived in Havana, Cuba, and Mexico, where he spent his summers in college building homes for the homeless in Ciudad Juarez. Mr. Lucas is frequently asked to give legal commentary on national Spanish television and radio programs.

Mr. Lucas became a member of the State Bar of California in November of 2004 and the District of Columbia Bar in 2008. He is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, and Los Angeles County Bar Association. He regularly volunteers his time to various pro-bono legal programs.

Verdicts and Settlements

$22.8 Million – Barber v. Mossy Ford – Panish Shea & Boyle recovers 22.8 million after obtaining a record-breaking 14.5 wrongful death verdict in San Diego.
$21 Million – Nelsen v. Hillyard, Inc., et al.
$15 Million – Tilton v. Southern California Gas & Electric
$14 Million – Curiel v. SSA Marine
$9.3 Million – Sergio Cedillo v. The Efim Sobol Trust
$5.6 Million – Gonzalez v. Dresick Farms
$1.7 Million – Ortega v. Sierra Gold
See all Verdicts and Settlements