Results.

At AlderLaw, we help people who have been victimized by catastrophic, life-altering events. We understand the pain, suffering, psychological issues and financial stress that accompany severe injury or the loss of a loved one. The inability to work, the grief, and the loss of enjoyment of life are all horrific consequences of an unexpected event that you didn't cause. We sympathize with the anxiety that you inevitably suffer, and the feelings of guilt that you will undoubtedly experience. We have the experience to help you get the compensation and the relief you deserve.

Some of the areas in which we have had in-depth experience and have litigated extensively are listed to the right. AlderLaw has achieved dozens of verdicts and scores of substantital settlements for their clients. For example, Mr. Alder achieved a $15.7 million verdict for a retired L.A.P.D. officer injured in a motorcycle accident [see Motorcycle Accident]. Other notable verdicts include a $7.8 million verdict for a woman who lost her right leg below the knee after being hit by a car in a parking lot [see Amputation Injury], and a $4.2 million verdict for a schizophrenic woman who suffered serious injuries when her apartment complex burned and her smoke detector did not sound an alarm to allow her to escape the blaze earlier [see Burn Injury]. Recent settlements include a $6.25 million result for a pedestrian hit by a van as she crossed the street [see Pedestrian Accident], $4 million for a blind woman injured in an auto accident causd by her boyfriend, who was driving drunk [see Car Accident], a $5.3 million settlement for a boy with suspected brain damage when the car he was riding in was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler [see Truck Accident], and $6.125 million to a child injured in a house fire [see Smoke Detector].

Traumatic Brain Injury

Many accidents result in traumatic brain injuries that forever change a person’s life. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is classified as mild, moderate or severe in nature, and results in symptoms ranging from memory problems to serious cognitive disfunction. While all three levels of brain injury result in significant disruption of a person’s life, most defendants refuse to acknowledge traumatic brain injuries (particularly the mild or moderate type) and typically hire experts to tell a jury that the person is not really hurt or, in some instances, that the person is "faking" a brain injury. AlderLaw has extensive experience in litigating traumatic brain injury cases and has the proven ability to get justice for these victims. The testimony of multiple expert witnesses is required when presenting a TBI case to a jury. The plaintiff usually must present trial testimony from a neurologist, a neuropsychiatrist, a neuropsychologist, a life care planner, a physical medicine doctor, a vocational rehabilitationist and an economist to fully explain to a jury the extent of the present and future damages suffered by the plaintiff.

Some of AlderLaw’s more notable verdicts and settlements have come in traumatic brain injury cases, including a $15.7 million verdict for a retired police officer riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a dump truck, a $6.125 million settlement for a child who suffered a brain injury from smoke inhalation due to a failed smoke detector, a $4.2 million verdict for a schizophrenic woman who suffered a moderate brain injury from smoke inhalation due to a failed smoke detector in her home and a recent $1.67 million verdict for a man on dialysis who sustained mild traumatic brain injury in a motor vehicle accident. If you have or suspect you suffered a TBI in an accident, we can help you get the right treatment from the right doctors and get the results your case deserves.

Amputation Injury

At AlderLaw, we understand the catastrophic effect on a plaintiff’s life after the loss of one or more limbs. The emotional scars are often worse than the physical scars. Phantom pain (pain felt as if the limb were still attached) can be excruciating, and is a common symptom among those who suffer limb loss. Presenting the full loss experienced by the victim to a jury – both mental and physical – is required to obtain complete compensation for an amputation injury. Multiple experts are required at trial, including a rehabilitation expert, a physical medicine doctor, an orthopedist, a life care planner, a psychiatrist, a prosthetics expert, and an economist.

We have in-depth experience in analyzing these types of cases and taking them to trial. For example, in December 2008, Mr. Alder received a $7.8 million verdict for a 41 year old woman who lost her right leg slightly above the knee after being struck by an automobile. If you have experienced an amputation injury, we can help you get immediate, appropriate treatment, and can help present your case properly in order to receive full value for your loss.

Construction Accident

Safety should be the top priority when construction is underway; however, safety is too often not the primary concern at construction sites. Injuries at a construction site can be devastating, but attempting to prove who is responsible for an injury on a construction site can often result in a complex maze of contractors and subcontractors all blaming each other, OSHA inspections and reports, and worker’s compensation exclusivity. AlderLaw has worked through this maze on many occasions and can make sure that every responsible party is held accountable to the injured person. For example, AlderLaw received a $1.8 million verdict for a worker who suffered broken ankles when the scaffolding he was standing on at a construction site gave way and he was thrown to the ground. If you were injured on a construction site, we can help figure out which parties are responsible and bring them to justice.

Job Injury

Many people believe that if a person is injured at work, he is entitled to nothing more than workers’ compensation benefits. While that is sometimes the case, it is often not true. If a party other than the person's employer is at fault, even in part, for the injury, then the victim may be entitled to compensation from that party for part of his damages. On-the-job injuries are often some of the most serious injuries, and AlderLaw has had tremendous success in achieving results for damages from on-the-job injuries: for example, AlderLaw received a large settlement for a client who suffered injuries after a workplace altercation with an employee from another company on a job site. AlderLaw is currently litigating an electrocution case involving an accident where the victim suffered wrongful death because a third party company did not properly ground a portable toilet. Accidents at work happen frequently, and if you feel that your accident during work hours might be someone else's fault, we can help you determine if you have a case.

Personal Injury

When a person is injured due to someone else’s negligence, that person is entitled to be compensated for all of his damages. However, insurance companies have attempted to poison the jury pool, claiming that most lawsuits are frivolous. A long history of success at trial, like AlderLaw's, is critical to getting insurance companies to pay attention to your claim and fully compensate you. Unfortunately, one of the most important factors in whether the insurance company will treat you fairly and give you full value for your claim is how successful your lawyer has been in forcing insurance companies to "pay up" in the past. AlderLaw has a proven track record of taking insurers and big business to trial and winning big verdicts.

Understanding accident reconstruction (literally, a re-enactment, down to the tiniest detail, of the accident that caused your injury) is critical to properly representing the plaintiff in litigation and at trial. Insurance companies routinely hire the same “expert” witnesses to reconstruct accidents in the light most favorable to the defendant. Invariably, the defense “expert" analysis shows that the plaintiff is either completely or partially at fault for the accident. AlderLaw maintains an extensive library of research on, and prior testimony from, most of the experts used by the insurance industry. This library, plus Mr. Alder's extensive personal experience with most of these witnesses in deposition and at trial, allows AlderLaw to vigorously cross-examine these experts and expose them as one-sided advocates for the defendant – not unbiased truth tellers, as they claim to be. At the same time, AlderLaw works hard to hire the best and the brightest engineers in the accident reconstruction field to show the jury what truly happened in the accident.

AlderLaw’s superior technology is an important edge, and we often present animated recreations of the accident so the jury can see for themselves exactly what happened, and why the plaintiff's version of events is the correct one. Clear and easy to understand demonstrative evidence – such as animation, video, photographs or illustrations of the accident scene – goes a long way towards winning a trial.

Insurance companies ultimately respond best to one thing – the ability of the plaintiff’s attorney to win at trial. AlderLaw has extensive experience in litigating personal injury cases of every kind throughout California and also in many other states, including Nevada, Arizona, and Louisiana. If the defendant refuses to pay what the victim deserves, and the victim is represented by AlderLaw, he or she will end up in trial. In the last 12 months alone, AlderLaw has received 5 verdicts in personal injury cases in excess of $1 million, including a $7.8 million verdict in December 2008. This track record of large verdicts has also led to a record number of big settlements, because insurers and big business would often rather pay up front than take the risk associated with trial and endure the related publicity.

Slip and Fall Injury

A person can be severely injured by tripping or slipping and falling on someone else’s property. Defendants, however, will typically refuse to pay an injured person the full amount of their damages and often seek to place part of the blame on the injured person for being clumsy, or by saying that the victim "should have seen" the hazard and avoided it. Although these types of cases are difficult to take to trial, AlderLaw has a nearly 100% success rate. AlderLaw knows how to ensure that the blame stays on the property owner, and AlderLaw seeks full compensation for their clients injured in slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents.

Earlier this year, AlderLaw received one of the highest trip and fall verdicts in the history of the Santa Maria, California courthouse. The verdict received was 12 times the insurance company’s last settlement offer to the plaintiff. Other cases won by AlderLaw include a slip and fall outside a Los Angeles high rise office building; a slip and fall at a Wal-Mart where a shampoo spill caused the plaintiff to slip, fall in the store, and suffer a serious back injury; a slip and fall at an indoor shopping mall that caused the victim much pain and suffering through the fibromyalgia she acquired after the accident; a slip and fall down wet stairs outside a church causing a back injury to the plaintiff; and a slip and fall in an outdoor shopping mall while it was raining causing the plaintiff serious injury. If you have suffered in a slip-and-fall accident, AlderLaw can help you get the recovery you deserve.

Spinal Cord Injury/Paraplegia/Quadraplegia

Whatever the cause, a spinal cord injury is a devastating one that will forever alter a person’s life. The future costs not only for medical treatment, but also for constant assistance required for daily activities, can be astronomical. The mental distress associated with a spinal cord injury is often nearly as serious as the physical injury, as the person's life and that of his loved ones is turned upside down. Many times the plaintiff’s personal relationships dissolve, because his or her spouse or loved one is simply unable to deal with the stress caused by the injury. Financially, the injured plaintiff’s life is in grave condition as well.

It is imperative that an aggressive and experienced trial attorney fight for compensation in an amount that will provide long-term care for such an injury. Properly presenting a spinal cord injury, paraplegia or quadraplegia claim to a jury requires extensive financial resources and experience – two things AlderLaw has worked hard to acquire. The plaintiff must present testimony from a neurologist, a neuropsychiatrist, a neuropsychologist, a life care planner, a physical medicine doctor, a vocational rehabilitationist and an economist to fully explain to a jury the present and future damages suffered by the plaintiff.

AlderLaw has litigated dozens of spinal cord injury/paraplegia/quadraplegia cases, several resulting in multimillion dollar verdicts or settlements. If you or a loved one has suffered such a catastrophic injury, AlderLaw can help get you the medical care your family needs today, and litigate your case in such a way to recover the amounts you deserve.

Aviation Accident

Whether the accident involves a major airline or a small plane, AlderLaw has the ability and the resources to pursue the case to resolution. Hiring the right experts early in the case and doing an immediate, thorough investigation of the crash site, the plane itself, and the company or companies involved in maintaining the plane is critical to a successful outcome. This, of course, takes financial resources and good contacts – two things AlderLaw has worked hard to acquire. AlderLaw recently received a substantial settlement in an aviation accident case in the state of Washington involving the wrongful death of a young man.

Bicycle Accident

When a person riding a bicycle is hit by a motor vehicle, the injuries to the bike rider victim are typically severe. His attorney must have the experience necessary in bicycle accident cases to force the negligent party to fully compensate the victim for all of his damages. Most jurors’ initial bias is against the bicyclist, and believes anyone riding a bike does not have the same rights to the road as a motorist. Understanding the laws that apply to bicyclists is critical to winning a bicycle case at trial.

AlderLaw has handled all manner of bicycle accident cases – for example, motorists making left turns in front of a bicyclist traveling in the opposite direction, motorists making right turns in front of a bicyclist trailing slightly behind them, bicyclists whose bikes suffered broken steer tubes that caused the bikes to crash, dangerous roadway surfaces that caused the bicyclists to crash – and understands biking law.

Bus Accident

AlderLaw has extensive experience in litigating bus accidents. When a bus runs over an individual or causes an accident, the plaintiff's damages are usually severe; however, the defendant typically refuses to accept responsibility for the negligence of their drivers or their own negligence in failing to properly train the driver. When the negligent party refuses to accept responsibility, AlderLaw has aggressively pursued the case and received full compensation for its clients on multiple bus accident cases.

AlderLaw has found that most bus companies and city bus lines cut corners, poorly train their drivers, do not follow their own rules and procedures, and often allow drivers who have been disciplined for bad driving in the past to continue to drive after they have been found to be an inadequate driver. Most of these companies attempt to hide their actions behind multiple levels of bureaucracy and lawyers. Knowing the ins and outs of proper bus driver training and procedure is critical to uncovering the truth about the company and its driver, and bringing them to justice. AlderLaw has compiled a library of bus driver manuals, training manuals and videos and past depositions of bus company managers. Using this wealth of information, AlderLaw can effectively cross-examine nearly any type of witness in a bus accident case.

AlderLaw has received several large settlements in bus accident cases, including cases against the Los Angeles MTA, Foothill Transit, Antelope Valley Transit and the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Line. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving a bus, we may be able to help you receive the full amount to which you are entitled.

Car Accident

Unfortunately, car accidents are commonplace, especially on freeways and interstates. It is also commonplace for defendants to deny any liability, place the blame on the victim, and/or refuse to compensate the victim for the full extent of his injuries. Insurance companies have worked hard to poison the jury pool, claiming that most cases are frivolous and worth very little. The insurance industry wrongly asserts that its rates go up because there are too many lawsuits (which are usually filed only after the insurance company refuses to pay the victim what he deserves, or in many cases refuses to pay anything at all, blaming the victim for the accident) and makes the carefully worded false claim to jurors that a large verdict will ultimately take money out of the jurors’ pockets.

Understanding accident reconstruction is critical to properly representing the plaintiff in litigation and at trial. Insurance companies routinely hire the same “expert” to reconstruct accidents in the light most favorable to the defendant. Invariably, the “expert’s” analysis shows that the plaintiff is either completely or partially at fault for the accident. AlderLaw understands exactly how to reconstruct an accident to show that the victim was not at fault and instead where the blame lies - with the defendant. AlderLaw benefits from a highly skilled litigation graphics team. Clear and easy to understand demonstrative evidence – such as photographs or illustrations of the accident scene – shows the jury exactly what happened and why the defendant was at fault.

In the last twelve months alone, AlderLaw has received 4 verdicts in car accident cases in excess of $1 million, including a $7.8 million verdict in December 2008.

Hit and Run Accident

When a defendant flees the scene of an accident, he was often intoxicated or under the influence of an illegal substance. Such accidents require immediate action to bring the defendant to justice and determine if criminal as well as civil charges need to be filed. Victims of hit and run accidents need experienced attorneys who understand how to fully prosecute the case and recover all the damages to which the injured party is entitled. Doing a proper background check and determining whether the defendant was working at the time should happen immediately. AlderLaw has experience with hit-and-run cases; for example, Mr. Alder received a $4 million verdict for the wrongful death of a girl killed in an accident with a "phantom" vehicle that could not be located prior to his involvement. Working with witnesses, Mr. Alder identified the "phantom vehicle" through a rare bumper sticker that a witness had noticed on a car near the scene; at trial, the defendant finally tearfully admitted that he in fact drove the phantom vehicle, caused the accident and then fled the scene. This "Perry Mason" moment, and the dogged detective work behind the scenes that resulted in it, are trademarks of AlderLaw, and the relief and closure brought to the victim's family were as important to them as the substantial verdict.

Motorcycle Accident

Injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident are typically severe. AlderLaw has experience in representing individuals injured while riding a motorcycle and can get the victim the justice he deserves. Most jurors’ initial bias is that a motorcyclist who is hit “gets what he deserves” and does not have the same rights to the road as the driver of a car or other motor vehicle "with doors". Understanding the laws that apply to motorcyclists is critical to winning a motorcycle case at trial.

AlderLaw has handled all manner of motorcycle cases – left turns by a car or truck in front of an opposite traveling motorcyclist (the driver failed to see or yield to the biker), right turns in front of a motorcyclist riding behind a car, truck or bus (again, the driver of the vehicle failed to even see the motorcyclist prior to striking him), dangerous roadway surfaces that cause a motorcyclist to crash, inadequate signage on roads typically travelled by bikers, causing a motorcyclist to miss a sharp curve in the road – and understands motorcycle law.

In December 2007, Mr. Alder represented a retired motorcycle officer who, while riding his bike, was struck by a Los Angeles City dump truck. The verdict, $15.7 million, was one of the highest verdicts ever in Chatsworth Superior Court history.

Pedestrian Accident

When a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle, the results are usually disastrous. Whether it is an elderly person trying to cross the road or a young child leaving school, the damages can be catastrophic. AlderLaw has represented many individuals who were injured, or whose family member(s) were killed, simply because the individual was trying to cross the street or was otherwise walking down the sidewalk, and AlderLaw has worked hard to see that these individuals were fully compensated for their injuries.

AlderLaw's pedestrian accident successes include a $7.8 million verdict in December 2008 and several other multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements.

Truck Accident

Accidents involving trucks often cause very traumatic injuries. Trucking companies, however, aggressively defend even the most obvious cases of negligence and attempt to place fault on the injured party. AlderLaw has successfully fought big trucking companies and has won substantial awards for its clients.

AlderLaw has found that most trucking companies cut corners on documentation, poorly train their drivers, do not follow their own rules and procedures and often allow drivers to continue to drive after they have been disciplined for poor driving skills. Most of these companies attempt to hide their actions, assuming because they've gotten away with it in the past, they will continue to do so. Knowing the details of proper truck driver training and procedure is critical to uncovering the truth about the trucking company and its driver. AlderLaw has an extensive library of truck driver manuals and tests, training manuals and videos, and past depositions of truck company managers from its past successful lawsuits against trucking companies. Using this wealth of information, AlderLaw can effectively cross-examine nearly any type of witness in a bus accident case.

AlderLaw has received several large verdicts and settlements in truck accident cases, most of which occurred after AlderLaw had exposed a lying truck company or driver.

Products Liability

Manufacturers of products fight hard; if a person is injured due to a defective product, he must have an experienced and aggressive lawyer who also has the resources to do battle with a huge corporate defendant. AlderLaw is such firm. AlderLaw has the ability - and the capability - to take on the "big guys" and get the damages that a victim deserves. AlderLaw has gotten substantial settlements and verdicts in products liability cases involving, just to name a few, rolling walkers, bicycles, and smoke detectors. AlderLaw can help you if you have been injured by a defective product.

Baby Seat

Baby seat failure cases are among the most tragic, and ones where AlderLaw fights most aggressively to bring justice and closure to the victim's family. Whether the baby seat is ejected from the vehicle or otherwise fails to do its job and keep the infant free from harm, the defendants should be required to pay for their damage and more importantly, fix their product if it is defective. Defendants in these cases will usually try to blame the family at this horrible time in their lives, claiming that the family installed the car seat incorrectly or did not strap the baby or toddler in the "right way". It is critical to move quickly on these cases to secure all necessary evidence, which is particularly important to prove fault later. The family often just wants to move on from their loss, which is understandable, and why AlderLaw can help take over the details and ensure that the family has the information they need to fight the defendant when they are ready to do so.

Insurance Bad Faith

What happens when an insurance company refuses to pay you the benefits to which you are entitled? In such a situation, you need an aggressive and experienced trial attorney to take on the insurance company and demonstrate the insurance company's bad faith in refusing to pay you. AlderLaw has such experience and has the ability and resources to fight these corporate giants. Whether you have suffered, for example, the failure to pay on a theft loss claim or the failure to pay on a uninsured motorist policy, AlderLaw can help you take on the insurer and get what you deserve.

Legal Malpractice

If an attorney is negligent in his representation of a client, the attorney can be held liable. AlderLaw has experience in pursuing damages for those injured by another attorney’s negligence. AlderLaw is currently representing the owners of a large real estate company against one of the country's largest law firms. That firm's lawyers, despite charging huge fees, failed to include key provisions in a partnership agreement, triggering disastrous financial results to our clients.

Elder and Dependent Care Abuse

Perhaps the cruelest abuse of all is abuse of the elderly or dependent by those entrusted to care for them. Whether grandparent or dependent child or adult, when an institution's or medical professional’s negligence is the cause of injury or death to one who cannot care for himself, the injured party or his surviving loved ones are entitled to recover for his damages. Mr. Alder was a finalist for California's Trial Lawyer of the Year for his groundbreaking work in exposing the horrific conditions existing at Napa State Hospital, a hospital for those convicted of crimes but determined to be victims of mental illness, and received significant recoveries for multiple patients' families.

Premises Liability

A landowner has a duty to keep his property in a reasonably safe condition. If an unsafe condition exists on the premises and this causes injury to an individual, the individual is entitled to damages. Landowners aggressively defend these cases and typically attempt to place the fault on the injured party. AlderLaw has successfully represented many individuals who were injured due to a landowner’s negligence in maintaining his property, including cases where properties did not have properly working or interconnected smoke detectors, trip-and-fall cases where property owners were negligent in keeping their properties hazard-free, mudslide cases where campers were killed due to improper maintenance of campgrounds, cases involving improper grading leading to flood potential of a neighbor's business, ceiling collapse cases resulting in substantial injuries to victims below the faulty ceiling, and cases involving mold or other hazardous materials.

Wrongful Death

When someone else’s negligence results in the death of an individual, that individual’s family is entitled to recover damages for their loss. Such damages include the financial support that the deceased would have contributed to the family and the loss of the deceased’s love, companionship, comfort, care, protection, and affection. AlderLaw has represented many families who have lost one or more loved ones due to someone else’s negligence, and received large, multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of these families. AlderLaw is proud to continue its relationship with many of these families and watch them use the proceeds of their tragedy to help their family heal and, on some occasions, to help others and effect real change in the world.

Employment Discrimination

Employers are subject to many laws governing how they treat their employees. AlderLaw understands what is acceptable treatment either on the job or in the termination process, and has achieved multimillion dollar settlements and verdicts for plaintiffs who have been wrongfully discriminated against due to age or wrongfully terminated for other, illegal reasons.

Police Abuse

Law enforcement is not permitted to use excessive force in arresting or otherwise subduing an individual, regardless of what the police claimed that individual did. AlderLaw has been successful in representing plaintiffs who have been subjected to excessive force by law enforcement, or police abuse, and has negotiated substantial settlements on behalf of these individuals. In today's world where everyone has a video camera, AlderLaw knows how to get the evidence needed in a timely manner to show a jury exactly what happened and why what the police did was unacceptable and not in line with the department's training guidelines.

Burn Injury

Burn injuries are often the most horrific, painful injuries that our clients face. We understand what burn victims must endure, and the extent of their pain and suffering. We also know how to hold those responsible -- whether the injury is due to a fire resulting from a smoke detector malfunction in a dwelling, an electrical malfunction in a house, a car or truck accident, electrocution, or any other cause. Presenting the full extent of a plaintiffs' injuries, both present and future, requires extensive expert testimony. AlderLaw has the experience and financial resources to litigate any case, any where.

Smoke Detector Malfunction

Smoke detector malfunction is an all too common problem in our world today. Smoke detectors should work and should be interconnected - always. But they often don't work and/or work together, and those valuable seconds or minutes lost can lead to horrible burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries from smoke inhalation or death. When a house, apartment or other dwelling is built, there are laws that govern what the builder has to do to bring the dwelling "up to code" and be permitted to sell or rent it. Builders often cut corners, and don't install working smoke detectors, or interconnect them. At AlderLaw, we have had multiple multimillion recoveries for victims of burn injuries due to smoke detector malfunction. We have held landlords and responsible at trial, and have won our clients millions of dollars from builders who failed to ensure that the smoke detectors in the homes they built and sold worked properly.