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Personal Injury Case Results
Real Cases. Real Advocacy. Results Based on the Facts of Each Case.
When you have suffered a serious injury, choosing a personal injury lawyer is an important decision. Experience matters. Preparation matters. Most importantly, you want a legal team prepared to investigate the facts, document your losses, challenge insurance companies, and pursue the compensation available under California law.
At The Sterling Firm, we represent injured individuals and families in personal injury claims throughout California. Our personal injury case results reflect the unique facts, injuries, insurance coverage, liability issues, and circumstances involved in individual matters.
Contact The Sterling Firm for a free personal injury case evaluation.
Call or Text: (310) 498-2750
Toll Free: (844) 4-GETLEGAL
No Fee Unless We Win
Below are selected personal injury settlements and case results obtained for clients.
Important Notice: Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of any future case. Every personal injury matter is different, and the value and outcome of a claim depend on its specific facts and circumstances.
Truck Accident
Paralysis and Amputation Injury
$11,700,000.00
The Sterling Firm assisted a law firm on the east coast that obtained a $11.700,000.00 jury verdict. Additional settlements with tire retread corporation, concrete company and tire manufacturer were also obtained. The client was a 30 year old mother who was a passenger with her daughter in a minivan. The driver encountered a truck tire tread from a concrete truck in the middle of the highway. The driver swerved to avoid the tire and collided into the guard rail. The minivan vehicle overturned. The occupants in the car were severely injured. Many defendant companies were at fault for this tire tread coming off of the concrete truck in the middle of the highway. The concrete company never alerted 911 about the tread. The injuries could have been prevented.
Bicycle Accident
Brain Injury
$3,000,000.00
The Sterling Firm assisted a law firm on the east coast that obtained a $3,000,000.00 settlement. A 25 year-old male employee of a large grocery chain was riding his bike to work when he was struck by a gas tank truck. He sustained multiple orthopedic injuries and a brain injury. He was permanently disabled and unable to work. The defendant truck driver had issues with his eyes, did not properly complete his employer’s driving records, and the truck had mechanical problems with its brakes.
Boating Accident
Cosmetic Larcerations and Scarring
$1,150,000.00
The Sterling Firm assisted a law firm on the east coast obtain a $1,150,000.00 settlement of a Boating Accident. The minor client was injured when he fell off of an inner tube and was run over by another boat. He sustained lacerations to his face, shoulder, and leg which will require subsequent plastic surgery.
Negligent Business Operations
Pelvic and Spinal Fractures; Loss of Consortium
$900,000.00
The Sterling Firm secured a $900,000.00 settlement for the client and her husband in a personal injury action in Riverside County after commercial delivery personnel negligently stacked heavy bales of hay vertically rather than using safe, industry-standard interlocking patterns. The unstable stack collapsed, crushing the client and causing severe, permanent pelvic and spinal fractures. Despite defense arguments attempting to shift liability to the plaintiff, our legal team leveraged comprehensive medical evidence and established that the delivery provider’s unsafe stacking protocols were the sole proximate cause of the incident. The case concluded with a $900,000.00 payout from the defense’s insurance carrier.
Premises Liability and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Civil Rights Violations
Spinal Injury
$650,000.00
The Sterling Firm secured a $650,000.00 recovery in Federal Court for a 70-year-old disabled plaintiff who suffered severe, life-altering injuries while at the stadium of a Major League Baseball team. Stadium security staff refused to allow the client entry with his specialized mobility aid (a seat-cane combination device), forcing its removal from the premises. Left without his primary means of stability, the client fell heavily on a concrete concourse while returning from a stadium restroom. The fall proximately caused severe spinal trauma requiring a multi-level lumbar laminectomy and instrumented fusion surgery. The comprehensive settlement effectively resolved all claims brought under general negligence, premises liability, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the California Unruh Civil Rights Act, ensuring complete financial coverage for the client’s medical expenses and significant lost income.
Trip and Fall Premises Liability
Hip Replacement Injury
$390,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a total recovery of $390,000.00 on behalf of our client, who sustained a severe right hip fracture requiring total hip replacement surgery after tripping over improperly placed forklift equipment in a designated handicap parking spot. The incident occurred at a commercial premises complex in Studio City, California. The delivery personnel obstructed a blue cross-hatched access aisle. Through strategic advocacy and mediation, our firm navigated complex multiple-carrier general liability policies and bad faith coverage issues. Furthermore, we successfully engineered significant cost mitigation for our client, achieving substantial reductions in medical liens with Anthem Blue Cross and orthopedic providers, and reducing an active Medicare lien by approximately 50%, resulting in a significant monetary net recovery to the client.
Daycare Negligence Involving A Special Needs Minor In Los Angeles County
Sexual Harm Injury
$225,000.00 Structured Settlement
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $225,000 settlement on behalf of a 12-year-old minor with special needs, in a severe daycare negligence lawsuit against a daycare facility and an individual defendant teacher. The legal action arose from an incident where the child was left unsupervised at a facility, resulting in a harmful sexual act with another minor. Demonstrating a commitment to the family’s ongoing welfare, our legal team meticulously coordinated with specialized estate planning and settlement consulting specialists to protect the minor’s long-term interests. To preserve vital public benefits, the net recovery was structured securely into a court-documented settlement annuity.
Tenant’s Staircase Slip And Fall In Los Angeles
Tailbone Fracture
$175,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $175,000.00 personal injury settlement for a Los Angeles tenant who suffered a non-displaced tailbone fracture after slipping and falling on an un-edged, uncarpeted back staircase undergoing active apartment renovations. Our legal team established that the property management company and the flooring renovation contractor negligently failed to maintain safe premises, allowing slippery construction dust to accumulate in the hallway without installing mandatory slip-resistant safety treads on the newly exposed wood steps. This comprehensive premise liability recovery covers the client’s past medical expenses, loss of income as a professional musician and cello teacher, severe emotional distress, and the projected costs of future orthopedic treatment and surgical care.
Slip And Fall Premises Liability
Wrist Fracture With Hardware Implant
$150,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a full and final $150,000.00 settlement on behalf of the client following a severe premises liability incident at an apartment complex. While lawfully operating a door-to-door transport delivery service on the property, the client tripped over a dangerous, un-warned elevated pavement displacement on a pedestrian walkway, resulting in a complex wrist fracture that required hardware implant surgery and caused permanent physical impairment. The Sterling Firm established extensive general negligence and premises liability parameters against the property owners and property management group. This robust pre-litigation advocacy resulted in expanding the insurance carrier’s valuation to a final $150,000.00 recovery, simultaneously coordinating critical lien interest reductions with major health coverage providers to maximize the client’s net financial recovery.
West Hollywood Slip And Fall Premises Liability Lawsuit
Corrective Wrist Surgery
$125,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $125,000.00 settlement in a complex premises liability and personal injury lawsuit arising from a severe trip-and-fall accident near the Sunset-La Cienega Development. The plaintiffs, an esteemed academic professor and her husband residing in Israel, filed suit against the City of West Hollywood and Suffolk Construction Company after a hazardous, poorly barricaded walkway condition at the intersection of La Cienega Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard caused serious, permanent orthopedic injuries requiring corrective wrist surgery. Despite the defense’s extensive efforts to litigate international discovery, dispute future medical treatment requirements, and challenge the plaintiffs’ sophisticated loss of consortium and economic opportunity claims, our legal team aggressively vindicated our clients’ rights. This notable settlement covers extensive medical bills, necessary life care expenses, and significant personal damages, reinforcing The Sterling Firm’s commitment to holding negligent municipalities and construction corporate entities accountable for public property safety failures.
Uninsured Motorist Settlement For Calabasas Hit And Run Car Accident
Spinal Injury
$100,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $100,000 maximum policy limit settlement for a client who sustained severe personal injuries in a hit-and-run car accident in Calabasas, California. The client was stopped at a red light when their vehicle was violently rear-ended by a large cargo truck that immediately fled the scene. The severe impact resulted in extensive spinal trauma, including a 5mm post-traumatic lumbar spine disc protrusion (L5-S1), an annular tear, and radiculopathy necessitating comprehensive medical treatment and future surgical intervention. Through strategic legal advocacy and the filing of a formal demand for uninsured motorist arbitration, our personal injury law firm successfully compelled USAA Casualty Insurance Company to tender the full policy limits to resolve the client’s medical specials and significant future damages. To learn more about the services provided by The Sterling Firm for victims of car accidents, please see What Does A Car Accident Lawyer Do?
Pedestrian Accident In Los Angeles Crosswalk
Serious Fractures Requiring Multiple Surgeries
$100,000.00
The Sterling Firm secured a $100,000 policy-limit personal injury settlement on behalf of a pedestrian who sustained serious fractures and required multiple surgeries after being struck by a vehicle in a Los Angeles crosswalk. The incident at the intersection of Washington Boulevard near the Interstate 10 freeway on-ramp. Attorney Justin Sterling successfully held the driver’s insurance provider accountable, demanding and obtaining the maximum per-person policy limits within months of the accident. The recovery provided critical compensation for the client’s significant medical expenses and pain and suffering before subsequent litigation was pursued against public entities regarding street maintenance and safety design. For more information on how The Sterling Firm can help obtain injury compensations for injuries incurred in Los Angeles, please see Los Angeles Accident Lawyer.
Pedestrian Personal Injury Policy Limit Settlement In Los Angeles
Multiple Fractures Including Shoulder And Hand Injuries
$100,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a full third-party bodily injury policy-limit recovery following a severe pedestrian motor vehicle collision in Los Angeles. The case involved a sophisticated client, a licensed professional doctor, who sustained multiple major injuries—including a scalp laceration, a closed nondisplaced fracture of the left hand’s fifth metacarpal bone, and a nondisplaced fracture of the right shoulder’s coracoid process—after being struck by a negligent driver at an intersection. Through immediate, high-caliber legal advocacy, including a comprehensive 40-page policy limits demand and spoliation notice detailing the extent of the trauma care received at UCLA Ronald Reagan Emergency Department, our office independently compelled the third-party auto insurer, Mercury Insurance Company, to tender its full $100,000.00 policy maximum within days of retention. This efficient personal injury settlement maximized net recovery.
Premises Liability Slip And Fall Injuries In Santa Clara County Mobile Home Park
Wrist Fracture And Shoulder Fracture
$87,500.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a comprehensive $87,500 settlement on behalf of a 69-year-old California resident who suffered severe injuries—including a triquetral wrist fracture and a clavicle shoulder fracture—after tripping and falling on a dangerous, defective hole in a private mobile home park walkways in Santa Clara County. Represented by managing trial attorney Justin Sterling, Esq., the premises liability lawsuit (Case No. 22CV402797) filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara against Casa De Amigos Investments Ltd, et al., held the property owners accountable for their failure to safely maintain the street walkways and provide proper caution or warning signs. This favorable financial recovery efficiently covered the client’s comprehensive medical expenses, diagnostic imaging, and subsequent litigation costs, providing full resolution and justice for our client without the need for an extended trial. For more information on determining the value of a premises liability claim, please see Premises Liability Case Worth.
Motorcycle Accident Bodily Injury Claim In Woodland Hills
Wrist Fracture And Shoulder And Back Injuries
$50,000.00 Policy Limits
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $50,000.00 settlement representing the full bodily injury policy limits on behalf of a motorcyclist who sustained serious injuries in a freeway collision on the US-101 in Woodland Hills, California. The incident occurred when an AMCO Insurance Company insured driver made an unsafe lane change, colliding with the client’s Harley-Davidson and forcing him into oncoming traffic. The impact resulted in an overnight emergency room stay at Kaiser Permanente and extensive subsequent physical therapy for severe bilateral shoulder and lower back injuries. Attorney Justin Sterling, Esq. negotiated significant medical lien reductions, including minimizing outstanding balances with physical therapy and orthopedic treatment facilities, thereby maximizing the client’s net personal recovery.
Los Angeles Car Accident
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Anxiety
$50,000.00 Policy Limits
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a full $50,000 policy-limit settlement from GEICO General Insurance Company on behalf of the client following a reckless driving car accident at Franklin Ave and Cahuenga in Los Angeles, California. The severe multi-vehicle collision caused our client to suffer significant psychological trauma, resulting in a formal medical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an exacerbation of pre-existing general anxiety. Attorney Justin Sterling diligently coordinated with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Medi-Cal Personal Injury Program to secure a formal “No Lien” certification, ensuring that the entirety of the net recovery was protected from medical reimbursement claims. By successfully waiving all litigation costs and demonstrating severe emotional distress backed by objective medical evidence, our legal team maximized the net balance recovery disbursed directly to the client. For more information on how The Sterling Firm can help prosecute injury claims for car accidents in Los Angeles, please see Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyer.
Premises Liability And Aggressive Dog Attack In Rancho Mirage
Spine Fracture Requiring Pain Management
$50,000.00
The Sterling Firm successfully secured a $50,000.00 settlement in a complex premises liability and negligence claim against the Victoria Falls Homeowners Association and Powerstone Property Management, Inc.. Our client, a 67-year-old resident, was walking her dogs on community property when she was blindsided and knocked to the pavement by an unrestrained, aggressive dog. The violent impact resulted in a severe L1 vertebrae burst compression fracture requiring extensive pain management and specialized treatment. While liability was initially heavily contested, attorney Justin Sterling, Esq. leveraged critical proof demonstrating that the HOA had received prior written legal notice regarding the animal’s dangerous propensities but failed to take reasonable measures to maintain a safe environment. This recovery was achieved entirely pre-litigation, successfully avoiding prolonged court costs for our client while holding the property managers accountable for unsafe community conditions.
Riverside Car Accident Lawsuit For Injured Mother And Minor Child
Chiropractic And Physical Therapy Treatment And Loss Of Consortium
$49,500.00
The Sterling Firm successfully negotiated a $49,500 personal injury recovery on behalf of a mother and her minor child following a severe automobile collision in Riverside, California. The plaintiff was driving through an intersection on a green light when the defendant driver negligently ran a red light, causing a violent side-impact collision on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The crash resulted in significant property damage, rendering the vehicle a total loss, and left the victims requiring comprehensive medical treatment, including chiropractic care and physical therapy. Attorney Justin Sterling fiercely litigated the matter through the Riverside County Superior Court and Judicate West mediation, ultimately overcoming a disputed loss of consortium claim to secure a comprehensive financial recovery that fully resolved outstanding medical obligations and compensated the victims for their injuries. For more information on how The Sterling Firm can help obtain maximum compensation for injuries caused by car accidents, please see Maximum Compensation For Car Accident Claim.
A personal injury case result may take several forms. Some claims resolve through a negotiated settlement before a lawsuit is filed. Others resolve after litigation begins. In certain cases, the dispute may proceed through trial.
However, a dollar amount by itself does not tell the entire story.
The outcome of a personal injury claim can depend on the severity of the injuries, available insurance coverage, evidence of negligence, medical expenses, lost income, future care needs, disputed liability, comparative fault, and many other case-specific factors.
Therefore, someone researching personal injury settlements should not assume that another person’s recovery determines what their own case is worth.
The purpose of publishing selected case results is to provide information about the types of personal injury matters a law firm has handled. It is not a prediction of what may happen in another case.
Car Accident Case Results
Motor vehicle collisions account for many personal injury claims in California.
The Sterling Firm represents clients in matters involving:
- Car accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Intersection crashes
- Highway accidents
- Multi-vehicle collisions
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims
- Serious injury collisions
Motorcycle Accident Case Results
Motorcycle accidents can cause significant injuries because riders have far less physical protection than occupants of passenger vehicles.
Claims may involve disputed liability, unsafe lane changes, intersection collisions, speeding, roadway conditions, or disagreements concerning the nature and extent of the rider’s injuries.
Pedestrian Accident Case Results
Pedestrians can suffer life-changing injuries when struck by automobiles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, or other vehicles.
These claims may require investigation of driver conduct, traffic signals, crosswalks, witness accounts, surveillance footage, vehicle data, medical evidence, and other available evidence.
Catastrophic Injury Case Results
Some accidents result in injuries that affect nearly every area of a person’s life.
The Sterling Firm handles personal injury matters involving serious and catastrophic injuries, including claims involving:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Severe orthopedic injuries
- Permanent impairment
- Significant scarring or disfigurement
- Long-term medical treatment
- Loss of mobility
- Other life-altering injuries
In these cases, evaluating damages may require understanding not only what the injured person has already experienced, but also how the injury may affect future medical needs, employment, independence, and quality of life.
Wrongful Death Case Results
The loss of a family member can create emotional and financial consequences that cannot be measured by a settlement figure alone.
Wrongful death claims require careful investigation of liability, the relationship between surviving family members and the decedent, economic losses, and other recoverable damages.
The Sterling Firm approaches these matters with care, professionalism, and respect for the families involved.
What Determines the Value of a Personal Injury Case?
There is no universal formula for determining the value of a personal injury claim. The potential value depends on the facts of the accident, liability, available insurance, the nature and severity of the injuries, medical treatment, lost income, future damages, supporting evidence, and other circumstances unique to the case.
Factors That May Affect a Personal Injury Settlement
Important factors can include:
- Severity of the injury
- Length and type of medical treatment
- Whether injuries are temporary or permanent
- Past medical expenses
- Potential future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Available insurance coverage
- Strength of liability evidence
- Comparative fault allegations
- Witness testimony
- Photographs and video
- Expert testimony when appropriate
- Whether litigation becomes necessary
For this reason, comparing your case directly with a result shown on another case can be misleading.
A personal injury lawyer must evaluate the individual evidence before determining how a claim should be approached. For more information on evaluating the value of a personal injury case, please see Personal Injury Damages in California: What Can You Recover?
Does a Large Personal Injury Settlement Mean My Case Is Worth the Same Amount?
No. Even when two accidents appear similar, important differences can dramatically affect their outcomes.
For example, one claimant may have significantly greater injuries. Another case may involve higher insurance limits. Liability may be undisputed in one claim but heavily contested in another. Likewise, medical history, treatment, lost income, future care needs, available evidence, and the parties involved may differ.
Therefore, published personal injury case results should be viewed as examples of prior matters rather than estimates of future compensation.
Settlement vs. Verdict: What Is the Difference?
A settlement occurs when the parties agree to resolve a personal injury claim for an agreed amount rather than having a judge or jury decide the outcome.
A verdict generally results after a case proceeds to trial and the fact finder determines liability and damages.
Many personal injury disputes resolve through settlement rather than trial. However, whether a particular matter should settle or proceed further depends on the evidence, the offers made, litigation risks, the client’s objectives, and other circumstances.
The appropriate strategy must be determined individually.
More Than a Settlement Number
A personal injury case is about more than an insurance claim number.
An injury can interfere with your ability to work, sleep, drive, exercise, care for your family, and participate in everyday life. Medical appointments may become part of your routine. Bills can accumulate. Meanwhile, insurance companies may begin requesting statements, medical records, authorizations, and other information.
That is why personal injury representation should focus on the complete impact of an accident rather than a settlement figure alone.
At The Sterling Firm, the process may include investigating the incident, reviewing available evidence, assessing damages, communicating with insurers, evaluating settlement proposals, and preparing for litigation when appropriate.
Why Case Preparation Matters
Insurance companies evaluate evidence.
Accordingly, developing a personal injury claim may involve collecting and preserving:
- Accident reports
- Photographs
- Video footage
- Medical records
- Medical bills
- Employment records
- Wage documentation
- Witness information
- Insurance policies
- Property damage evidence
- Expert analysis when appropriate
- Evidence concerning future damages
The specific investigation depends on the circumstances of the accident.
Strong case preparation can help ensure that liability, injuries, damages, and insurance issues are properly documented before important evidence becomes unavailable.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle
The Sterling Firm represents clients in a range of California personal injury matters, including:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car crashes, motorcycle accidents, truck collisions, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, and other motor vehicle claims.
Serious and Catastrophic Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, amputations, significant orthopedic injuries, and other life-changing injuries.
Premises Liability
Claims arising from dangerous property conditions and other circumstances involving alleged property-owner negligence.
Wrongful Death
Claims brought by qualifying family members after the death of a loved one caused by another party’s wrongful conduct.
Other Negligence Claims
Personal injury matters involving individuals, companies, property owners, drivers, and other potentially responsible parties. For more information on the types of case handled by The Sterling Firm, please see Personal Injury Lawyer.
Looking for Personal Injury Case Results Before Hiring a Lawyer?
Reviewing a lawyer’s previous results can be one part of your research. However, it should not be the only factor.
Consider asking:
- Who will actually handle my case?
- How will the firm investigate the accident?
- How will my damages be documented?
- Who communicates with the insurance company?
- What happens if the insurer disputes liability?
- How frequently will I receive updates?
- How does the firm evaluate settlement offers?
- What happens if the case cannot be resolved through negotiation?
The right questions can help you evaluate not simply what happened in someone else’s case, but how your own claim may be handled.
Can I Get a Free Review of My Personal Injury Case?
Yes. The Sterling Firm offers a free personal injury case evaluation so you can discuss the circumstances of your accident and potential next steps.
Discuss Your Personal Injury Case With The Sterling Firm
If you were injured because of another person’s or company’s negligence, The Sterling Firm can review the circumstances of your claim. A prior settlement or verdict cannot tell you exactly what your case is worth. A meaningful evaluation begins with your accident, your injuries, your evidence, your damages, and the insurance coverage available.
FREE PERSONAL INJURY CASE EVALUATION
Call or Text: (310) 498-2750
Toll Free: (844) 4-GETLEGAL / (844) 443-8534 Website:
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Case Results
There is no single settlement amount that accurately represents every California personal injury case. Results vary substantially depending on injuries, liability, insurance coverage, damages, medical evidence, and other case-specific circumstances.
Determining potential case value requires reviewing the facts. Relevant considerations may include your injuries, medical treatment, lost income, future medical needs, liability evidence, insurance coverage, and the long-term effects of the accident.
Whether information becomes publicly available depends on how a matter resolves and the documents involved. Some settlements remain confidential, while information associated with litigation or court proceedings may become publicly accessible.
The timeline varies. The complexity of the case, duration of medical treatment, liability disputes, insurance issues, negotiations, and litigation can all affect how long a matter takes to resolve.
No. No lawyer can responsibly guarantee the outcome or dollar value of a personal injury case. Every case must be evaluated according to its individual facts.
You can use case results to understand the types of matters a firm has handled. However, they should not be used to predict your own recovery because even similar-looking accidents can involve significantly different injuries, evidence, insurance limits, and legal issues.
