The Attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle, LLP
At Panish Shea & Boyle, LLP, our skilled Los Angeles personal injury attorneys are dedicated to the relentless pursuit of justice for our clients. We have been recognized for excellence by other attorneys, legal organizations and publications accross the nation. Our partners have handled high profile cases and secured record setting verdicts for our clients.
Brian Panish currently holds the national record for the largest jury verdict in a personal injury case. Anderson v. General Motors led to a $4.9 billion verdict in favor of the plaintiff; more than 100 other settlements and verdicts led to over $10 million; and more than 500 verdicts and settlements to over $1 million. Brian Panish focuses on personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort cases, and product liability claims in California and has received dozens of awards and acknowledgments for his legal acumen and record-setting verdicts and settlements.
Adam Shea focuses on truck and bus accident claims involving multi-vehicle crashes and pedestrian accidents. In the Barber v. Mossy Ford case, Adam Shea helped secure a $22.8 million award for his client and has won several more multimillion-dollar cases. Adam believes in aggressive representation for those harmed by negligence and intentional torts, and he travels throughout the country to speak at legal education events and seminars.
Kevin Boyle specializes in cases involving high-profile plaintiffs for things like wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, and fraud. Kevin is a member of the leadership team that secured a landmark $800 million settlement for the victims of the 2017 Las Vegas Mass Shooting. He also represented two U.S. soldiers who suffered severe injuries while on deployment in Iraq due to a defective helicopter. The manufacturer faced the largest settlement of its kind thanks to Kevin’s representation.
Rahul Ravipudi is a five-time, consecutive year finalist for CAOC’s Consumer Attorney of the Year Award and previously received the 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles thanks to his representation in a traumatic brain injury lawsuit. Mr. Ravipudi helped his client secure a $160 million jury verdict in April 2017 after his client sustained a severe beating at the hands of several security personnel.
You can learn more about our team of accident attorneys here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Cases
Panish Shea & Boyle, LLP specialize in personal injury law throughout California and Nevada. We help victims of defective products, fraud, medical malpractice, car accidents, plane crashes, and more pursue their legal right to financial compensation. It doesn’t matter who caused the injury or property damage – a large corporation, the government, or an individual – your Los Angeles personal injury attorney team will hold them accountable for their negligence and help win you fair compensation.
Click on any featured question below for more information:
What is a personal injury case?
A personal injury case is based on personal injury law, which is a legal framework that provides a means for injury victims to recover compensation for their injuries and seek justice. Also referred to as Tort Law, personal injury law covers cases involving accidents, intentional acts such as sexual assault, defective products and defamation. Every Los Angeles personal injury claim has two core issues – liability and damages. Was someone liable for the injury or damages and what were the nature of the damages? Accident cases involve the concept of negligence. Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonable person would do in the circumstances relating to the accident. In order to establish negligence, four elements must be shown:
1. Duty
Duty is a legal obligation requiring that individuals or companies exercise a standard of reasonable care while performing actions that could harm others. This can encompass many things, such as a doctor providing care, or another motorist driving their car. The defendant does not have to know the plaintiff to owe them a duty.
2. Breach
Breach is a violation of that duty. The defendant breached that duty by failing to act as a “reasonably prudent person” should. In other words, the defendant should have known that their actions would likely cause injury to others.
3. Causation
Causation is the link between the breach of duty and the injury or harm suffered. For negligence to established, the injury must be a result of the breach.
4. Damages
Damages refer to actual injuries caused by the breach of duty.
How much does a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles charge?
At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we never charge any fees unless we secure compensation on our client’s behalf – there are absolutely no out of pocket fees when we take a case. Once we are successful, we charge a percentage of the recovery.
How do I know if I have a claim?
While it’s not the only requirement, the injury needs to have been someone else’s fault, and caused by their negligence. Physically visible injuries are not necessary for a personal injury claim; attacks of defamation, emotional distress, or the expectation of harm would all be grounds for filing a personal injury lawsuit against that person. Another thing to consider is whether the injury created compensatory damages, such as medical bills or lost wages. If all of these things are true, then you have a personal injury case. It is recommended that you speak with one of our skilled Los Angeles injury lawyers immediately.
Who can file an injury claim?
When the willful or negligent act of another person or entities cause someone to suffer an injury, that person may file a claim under personal injury law. Each state has different laws detailing what qualifies as a personal injury. For example, workers’ compensation covers any injury that occurs at work. To better determine whether your situation qualifies under California law, contact the Los Angeles accident lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP to schedule a free consultation.
California personal injury laws
California is a comparative negligence state. Comparative negligence laws provide a means to divide fault and assign fault between all the parties involved. Under these laws, a plaintiff can be awarded damages even if their own negligence contributed to the accident. In a lawsuit, a plaintiff’s damages would be reduced based on their share of fault – for example, if you are found to be 25% at fault in a $100,000 settlement, you would receive $75,000. An example of this would be a drunk driving defendant proving negligence on the part of the plaintiff because they had a tail light out. California also follows the pure comparative fault rule, which means that even if the defendant is found to be 99 percent at fault, they can still collect on damages.
Is there a time limit on filing a claim?
California law requires a victim to file a claim or lawsuit within a predetermined amount of time from the date of injury. This is known as a “statute of limitation” and it differs according to the type of injury. Here’s a breakdown of the maximum time frames you can file in Los Angeles, CA.
- Injury to Person – 2 years
- Libel/Slander – 1 year
- Trespassing – 3 years
- Fraud – 3 years
- Damage to Personal Property – 3 years
- Professional Malpractice:
- Legal – 1 year from discovery; maximum of 4 years from the act
- Medical – 1 year from discovery; 3 years if injury is known
- Veterinary – 1 year from injury/death of animal
How much is my case worth?
The value of a personal injury case varies based on the amount of damages the injuries you have incurred. Damages can be awarded for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, medical bills – both present and future, among others. In certain circumstances, courts may award punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded when the wrongful behavior of the defendant was particularly reprehensible. Additionally, the Los Angeles personal injury law firm you choose can have a huge impact on the amount you recover. Panish Shea & Boyle LLP is considered to be one of the top plaintiff’s law firms in the country and we regularly receive referrals from other personal injury lawyers because of our track record of getting very large settlements and verdicts.
How long will my case take?
Every personal injury case is different, some can settle very quickly while others may take years to complete. This often depends on defendant you are dealing with. If you are dealing with an insurance company, they will often try to pay you as little as possible to resolve your claim and offer pennies on the dollar for what your case is actually worth. Other defendants, especially in defective product, dangerous drug and medical device cases, may need to go to trial to be settled. It is vitally important to work with a Los Angeles personal injury law firm that will not settle your case for less than it’s worth just to get a quick result. If a company is not dealing fairly with you, taking them to trial may be the only way to secure just compensation for the harm you have suffered. At Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, our trial lawyers have significant experience taking cases to trial against large companies and winning. We have secured over $1 billion for our clients in the last 10 years and set records along the way.
How long will it take for me to receive the compensation?
In general, it can take anywhere from several weeks to several months for you to receive your settlement check. This variance in time results from several factors, including how long it takes for the attorneys to negotiate the final settlement paperwork, if you have medical liens that need to be negotiated and how long it takes the defendant and/or its insurance company to process the payment.
Do I need a personal injury lawyer?
If you are considering filing an injury claim, a personal injury attorney can make a significant difference in the outcome. Statistically, plaintiffs who hire an accident lawyer receive higher settlements than people who represent themselves. Our trial lawyers have the knowledge and experience to handle negotiations with insurance companies and if necessary, take your claim to trial. We are well known for our experience in the courtroom, our success rate, and high verdicts.
For more answers to frequently asked questions, check out our FAQ Page.
Practice Areas
The Los Angeles personal injury lawyers at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP handle many types of cases
If you don’t see the category for your type of case, please call us at (310) 477-1700 to speak with our trial lawyers and discuss your legal matter. Also serving Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Las Vegas.
Product Liability/ Product Recalls