Government Liability

Civil Personal Injury Claims Against Public Entities

State and local governments have a responsibility to keep you safe on public property. When they fail to protect you, we hold them accountable.

Victims injured by negligent or wrongful acts have a right to recover their damages from responsible parties. But when at-fault parties are government agencies, workers, or contractors, special laws less favorable to Plaintiffs will apply. Addressing these issues while taking on the government demands the attention of top-tier attorneys.

At Athea Trial Lawyers, our attorneys have extensive experience litigating complex personal injury and wrongful death actions against local, county, state, and federal government. We represent victims nationwide and work with counsel on prominent claims where the stakes are high.

Discuss your case with an attorney from our team. Call (800) 664-0161 or contact us online.

Government Liability: Overcoming Litigation Hurdles

Civil claims against the government pose many challenges to victims seeking justice – chief among them being special procedures and protections designed to limit the liability of the government and its agents.

These laws, which include the Federal Tort Claims Act and state-equivalent legislation, make it exceedingly difficult to hold government defendants liable for damages. They also include special procedures that can obfuscate the claim process and place additional requirements on Plaintiffs. Some of these include requirements for:

• Filing a Notice of Claim against the correct government entity prior to any lawsuit.
• Including correct information in Notice, which often include name and contact info, the date, place and facts of the underlying incident, a description of damages, and the name of public entity or employee at fault, among other information.
• Meeting strict deadlines for submission of Notice. In California, a notice of claim filed under the California Tort Claims Act must be filed within 6 months of the date of injury or death or the date a Plaintiff “discovers” their injury. Deadlines may vary by state.

Government entities have responsibilities to keep guests safe on public property, but the special liability protections and unique rules and procedures inherent to claims against the government can greatly complicate Plaintiffs’ ability to secure accountability and justice.

Government Liability Cases We Handle

Athea Trial Lawyers represents victims in all types of civil personal injury and wrongful death actions against government entities. This includes cases involving:

• Government motor vehicle accidents
• Unsafe road conditions, road defects, and negligent design
• Failure to perform maintain public property
• Public transit accidents, including subway, ferry, and bus accidents
• Medical malpractice at government-owned health care facilities
• Injury or sexual abuse claims against schools and school districts
• Excessive force, police shootings, and civil rights violations
• Intentional assault involving public employees

Millions Recovered in Government & Municipal Claims

Athea Trial Lawyers has cultivated a legacy of success in high-stakes litigation. This includes many high-profile cases against the government. Some of our work:

• $37.5 million global settlement against City of Beverly Hills for plaintiffs injured in two truck accidents on Loma Vista Drive.
• $20 million settlement for a bicyclist in a dangerous condition of roadway case.
• $17 million recovery against Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority over the death of a blind man who fell into a gap that did not have barriers to protect the visually impaired (Cuhbertson v. LACMTA).
• $6 million verdict against Albuquerque PD over fatal police shooting of a schizophrenic man in the backyard of his own home. Officers went to the victim’s house to investigate a traffic incident that occurred four months prior (Torres v. Albuquerque Police Department).
• $4 million settlement for catastrophic injuries resulting from an emergency fire truck accident.
• $3.7 million verdict against Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department and at-fault driver (a corrections officer) for its role in failing to enforce traffic laws against corrections officers on a road used to get to and from a nearby jail (Wachocki v. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department).
• Confidential settlement against federal government for surviving spouse and daughter of contractor killed in a weapons training exercise on Holloman Air Force Base (Read more).

Our attorneys have taken on public entities at every level and continues to litigate major cases. This includes a pending case against the National Park Service over un-locked fencing that killed a patron and a lawsuit over the death of three women in a bluff collapse on Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas,

Call for a FREE Consultation: (800) 664-0161

If you or someone you love has been injured by a public entity, employee, or government contractor, it is in your best interest to consult with a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible. Municipal and government liability claims are subject to strict deadlines and rules that can make even minor errors preclude your claim. Moreover, the government has a vested interest in skirting liability and large payouts and the resources to wage an aggressive defense.

Athea Trial Lawyers has the resources to help navigate these hurdles and build winning cases with expert, out-of-the-box investigation and storytelling. Call (800) 664-0161 or contact us to discuss you case.