Other serious-injury cases we consider

Our practice is built around product liability, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, transportation and government cases. We also consider a limited number of matters in the areas below when the injury is severe, the responsible party is a business or institution, and the case is one that should be tried rather than settled early.

Dangerous property

Negligent security, structural failures, fires, pool incidents, elevator and escalator malfunctions and hazardous-materials exposure on commercial or public property. Tobin's role in the Santa Monica Farmers Market litigation and the downtown Los Angeles explosion case are examples of premises cases at the serious end of the range.

Workplace injuries beyond workers' compensation

Workers' compensation pays limited benefits and bars most claims against the employer. It does not bar a claim against a third party: the manufacturer of the equipment, the owner of the site, a subcontractor or a driver. Those claims recover full wage loss, pain and suffering and, where warranted, punitive damages, subject to the compensation carrier's lien. We take these cases in construction, warehousing, manufacturing, oil and gas and agriculture when the injury is catastrophic.

Serious vehicle collisions

We do not handle routine car-accident claims. We do take collisions involving a death or a permanent injury, particularly where a commercial vehicle, a rideshare company, a defective vehicle component or a dangerous roadway is involved. California applies pure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804): a person who is partly at fault still recovers, reduced by their share of responsibility.

Employment

Wrongful termination in violation of public policy, retaliation, and discrimination and harassment under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, in cases suited to trial. Tobin's $2.6 million jury verdict in Flores v. ConvergeOne was featured on the Great Trials Podcast. Most FEHA claims must first be filed with the California Civil Rights Department within three years of the last act (Gov. Code § 12960), and suit must follow within one year of the right-to-sue notice.

Each case is different. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.

If your matter is not one we can take, we will say so quickly and, where we can, refer you to a lawyer who can help. Consultations are free and confidential. We represent clients on a contingency fee: no attorney's fee unless we recover for you. If there is no recovery, you owe us nothing for the costs we advance; a court may in some cases award costs to the opposing side.