$36.0M
Fresno pedestrian accident settlement: a commercial delivery van struck a child crossing the street, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
Personal Injury
San Diego Brain Injury Lawyer
A serious head injury on a San Diego freeway, sidewalk or trolley platform can change how a person works, thinks and lives. Wilshire Law Firm, an award-winning, nationally recognized team, represents brain injury survivors across San Diego County from our office on Camino Del Rio South. Want a free case review, 24/7? There are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
- 7X"BEST LAW FIRM" AWARDS
- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Key Takeaways
- San Diego County’s adult Level I trauma centers are Scripps Mercy, UC San Diego Medical Center and Scripps Memorial La Jolla; Rady Children’s Hospital is the county’s pediatric trauma center.
- Most brain injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1), usually at the Hall of Justice downtown or the North County Regional Center in Vista.
- A claim against the City of San Diego, the County or MTS must be presented within six months (Gov. Code §911.2), and each one has its own claims office.
- Injuries caused by medical negligence run on a different clock: three years from the injury or one year from discovery, whichever comes first (Code Civ. Proc. §340.5).
- Our San Diego office is at 3511 Camino Del Rio S., Suite 400, with meetings by appointment.
Understanding Your San Diego Brain Injury Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
Severe head injuries in San Diego County go to a designated trauma center. The adult Level I centers are Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, UC San Diego Medical Center and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla; Sharp Memorial Hospital and Palomar Medical Center are Level II, and injured children go to Rady Children's Hospital. Many patients then move to inpatient rehabilitation, such as the brain injury program at Sharp Allison deRose Rehabilitation Center on Health Center Drive. Those records, from the trauma bay notes and CT scans to the neuropsychology and therapy reports, become the backbone of the claim, so we request them early. Our California brain injury lawyers page explains how we build these cases.
Many of the cases we see begin on I-5, I-8, I-15, I-805, SR-163 or SR-94, where freeway speeds turn a rear-end or lane-change crash into a head injury. Others happen on city streets: a pedestrian struck in a crosswalk, a cyclist hit by a turning driver, or a rider thrown when an MTS bus or the San Diego Trolley stops short. The City of San Diego adopted Vision Zero in 2015 with the goal of ending traffic deaths and serious injuries, and the city's own safety records can be useful evidence. Truck crashes and falls on poorly maintained property round out the most common causes.
Unlimited civil cases are filed at the Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway, or at the North County Regional Center, 325 S. Melrose Dr. in Vista. The court's venue rules look to where the defendant lives or does business and where the injury happened, and cases from East and South County are filed downtown. The general deadline is two years from the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). A child's deadline is usually paused until age 18 (Code of Civil Procedure §352), but claims against public agencies and medical providers follow their own rules, so it pays to act quickly.
When a public agency shares the blame, a written claim comes first, and it is due within six months of the injury (Gov. Code §911.2). Claims against the City of San Diego go to its Risk Management Department through the online portal or on the RM-9 form; the city stopped accepting claims by email in December 2023. Claims against the County go to the Office of County Counsel's Claims and Investigation Division on Pacific Highway, by mail or in person. Transit claims are presented to MTS or NCTD. Each agency then has 45 days to act on the claim (Gov. Code §912.4). Our public transportation accident guide covers the transit rules.
Our San Diego team meets clients by appointment at 3511 Camino Del Rio S., Suite 400, and a legal professional can start your case review by phone, 24/7. We build brain injury cases with the people they depend on: treating neurologists, neuropsychologists, life-care planners and economists. Statewide, 31 of our 2025 settlements appear on TopVerdict's list of the top 100 personal injury settlements in California, including a $36 million brain injury settlement ranked fourth. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Our San Diego personal injury lawyers handle any other injuries from the same accident, and our office page has directions.
Meet Our San Diego Brain Injury Attorneys
Nationally Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
Learn more about the team
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Colin M. Jones, Esq.Senior Partner and Senior Trial Attorney, Chair of the Personal Injury Litigation Department
Jennifer P. Burkes, Esq.Senior Partner & Strategic Advisor, Personal Injury Litigation Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Ryan Casey, Esq.Senior Partner and Trial Attorney
Tae-Yoon Kim, Esq.Senior Partner
Philip Andonian, Esq.Partner and Trial Attorney
Alivia E. Abreu, Esq.Partner
Shervin G. Ghanoongooi, Esq.Partner
Christopher Goodroe, Esq.Partner
Nathan A. Guest, Esq.Partner and Trial Attorney
Brian M. Jacobson, Esq.Partner
Ariella Perry, Esq.PartnerRecent wins
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$28.7M
Victorville pedestrian accident settlement: a car struck a child waiting to cross the street, causing catastrophic injuries. Defendants included the driver, a business and three public entities.
$14.5M
Mountain View premises liability settlement: a concertgoer suffered a traumatic brain injury at an event venue. The claim focused on the venue's duty to keep guests safe.
$11.3M
Pomona truck accident settlement: a big rig hit a stopped vehicle on the freeway as a driver checked on it, causing serious head and leg injuries.
$11.0M
California truck accident settlement: a tow truck lost control, crossed three highway lanes and rear-ended a driver, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$7.1M
San Diego County car accident settlement: a crash with a pickup on a state highway left a driver hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$5.0M
Hanford motorcycle accident settlement: a pickup turned left in front of a motorcyclist, causing a traumatic brain injury and serious back, neck and hip injuries.
$5.0M
Lake Elsinore car accident settlement: a vehicle occupant suffered a traumatic brain injury, serious neck injuries and arm injuries when a rear-end collision overturned the vehicle.
$4.0M
California car accident settlement: a driver whose light had turned green suffered serious head, neck and back injuries when a commercial pickup ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle.
$2.5M
Sacramento County workplace accident settlement: a loader backed into a parked truck at a recycling yard and knocked a worker off its trailer, causing head and back injuries.
$2.3M
California truck accident settlement: a rear-end crash between two semis left a truck occupant with a traumatic head injury and a neck strain.
$2.3M
Los Banos bus accident settlement: a bus's lifted ramp fell and struck a bystander on the head, causing a traumatic brain injury, migraines, and neck and back pain.
$2.0M
Long Beach car accident settlement: a three-car rear-end collision left an occupant of one vehicle with a traumatic brain injury and several other serious injuries.
$2.0M
Orange County truck accident settlement: a big rig driver crashed while avoiding people from an earlier wreck, suffering a brain injury. Defendants included an individual and a restaurant franchise.
$2.0M
California car accident settlement: a parked commercial vehicle tried to turn around in front of a driver, who struck its side. The driver had serious neck and back injuries.
$1.5M
Porterville pedestrian accident settlement: a vehicle struck a pedestrian, causing catastrophic injuries, including a brain injury and serious leg injuries. Several defendants faced claims.
$990K
Bakersfield truck accident settlement: a big rig rear-ended and side-struck a driver's vehicle at a red light, causing a brain injury and serious neck and other injuries.
$875K
Oakdale slip and fall settlement: a visitor tripped over a misplaced wooden pallet near a grocery store checkout and fell, causing a head injury and other injuries.
$500K
Glendale car accident settlement: a driver rear-ended a motorist stopped at the freeway divider with hazard lights on, causing a traumatic brain injury.
$102K
Riverside motorcycle accident settlement: a truck turning into a shopping center cut off a motorcyclist, who crashed and suffered a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries.
$101K
Sacramento dog bite settlement: a large dog that escaped its owner's backyard bit a person, causing a traumatic brain injury and other serious head injuries.
*Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have a San Diego Brain Injury Claim?
You may have a claim if someone else's carelessness caused a head injury in San Diego County: a driver on I-805, a property owner who ignored a broken stair, a company whose product failed, or a public agency that let a known hazard stand. What matters is whose conduct fell short and how the injury has changed your life. You don't need a diagnosis in hand to call. A legal professional can review what happened for free, 24/7, and there are no fees unless you get paid. If a city, county or MTS vehicle or property was involved, the six-month claim deadline applies.
Start Your Free San Diego Brain Injury Case Review
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Record-breaking results
Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
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#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
San Diego Brain Injury FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
Nothing up front. Wilshire Law Firm works on contingency, so there are no fees unless you get paid. Case reviews are free and available 24/7.
Yes, if a city employee or a dangerous condition of city property caused the injury. The claim goes to the city's Risk Management Department, online or on the RM-9 form, within six months of the injury (Gov. Code §911.2). Email submissions are no longer accepted.
Usually at the Hall of Justice, 330 W. Broadway, or at the North County Regional Center in Vista. The court's venue rules turn on where the injury happened and where the defendant lives or does business.
Call (619) 257-2818 or request a free case review online, 24/7. Meetings at 3511 Camino Del Rio S., Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92108, are by appointment.