A personal injury lawsuit is a legal process in which a person seeks compensation for damages and injuries suffered due to another party's negligence. The injured party, known as the plaintiff, files a lawsuit against the defendant (or defendants) alleging that defendant’s actions were the proximate cause of their damages, including pain, suffering, and/or financial losses. If the case does not resolve, then the court and/or a jury examines evidence presented by documents, witnesses, and the arguments of lawyers to determine if the plaintiff’s allegations warrant financial compensation.
So, what defines a personal injury? A personal injury can range from mild injuries, such as whiplash, for example, or it can be more severe, leading to life-threatening or lifelong emotional, physical, and financial challenges. Even injuries that may not seem life-altering at the time of the incident can force a person out of the workforce or require specialized care for an extended period. For those who suffer from amputation, paralysis, or other permanent disabilities, lifelong care may be necessary. All of these circumstances can lead to financial strain, particularly when combined with the high medical costs over a long period of time
Types of Personal Injury Lawsuits
Personal injury lawsuits cover a broad spectrum of claims, including vehicle accidents, defective medical devices, dangerous pharmaceuticals, toxic chemical exposure such as Roundup, aviation incidents, and other catastrophic events. In the most serious cases, these incidents may result in catastrophic life-changing injury or wrongful death. Proving liability can be challenging and often requires careful investigation and experienced legal representation to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Types of personal injury lawsuits Wisner Baum handles:
- Transportation Accidents: Transportation accidents can result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. While some cases involve negligence by a single defendant, many involve multiple responsible parties, including vehicle owners, operators, manufacturers, maintenance providers, and other companies involved in the design, operation, or maintenance of transportation systems.
- Product & Pharmaceutical Liability: Injuries arise from defective consumer products, dangerous pharmaceuticals, and malfunctioning medical devices. These cases often involve complex engineering, scientific, and medical issues, and frequently involve widespread harm caused by a manufacturer’s failure to properly design, test, manufacture, or warn about the risks associated with a product.
- Toxic Tort & Environmental Exposure: Toxic tort cases involve injuries caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals, pesticides, or other hazardous substances. These claims frequently arise when manufacturers or corporations place unsafe products into the marketplace or release harmful substances into the environment. Examples include herbicides linked to cancer or neurological disease, contaminated consumer products, and exposure to industrial chemicals.
Understanding Personal Injury Torts: Individual Claims vs. Mass Torts
A tort is a civil wrong arising from negligent or intentional conduct, recklessness, product defects, or other actions that cause economic loss or damage to property. When a tort causes or contributes to physical injury or illness, it gives rise to a personal injury claim. Personal injury claims fall under the broader umbrella of tort law, which is why they are often referred to as personal injury torts. Depending on the circumstances, a personal injury claim may be filed individually or become part of a larger mass tort action.
In an individual claim, one or more plaintiffs seek compensation for harm caused by one or more defendants. Although these cases are brought on behalf of specific individuals, they may still involve multiple injured parties and be filed against several responsible companies or individuals, particularly where complex products or large-scale incidents are involved.
A mass tort, by contrast, involves a large number of individual claims filed against the same defendant or group of defendants based on harm caused by a common product, exposure, or event. While each plaintiff in a mass tort retains their own individual claim, the cases are often coordinated for discovery and consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in federal court, or a state court equivalent, to streamline pretrial proceedings and promote judicial efficiency.
Mass torts differ from class actions. In a class action, a small group of named plaintiffs represents a larger “class,” and any settlement or judgment generally applies to all class members. In a mass tort, however, each plaintiff maintains an individual case, and each person’s injuries, causation, and damages are evaluated separately.
Common personal injury torts that lead to mass tort litigation include cases involving defective medical devices, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, toxic chemical exposure, contaminated consumer products, and large-scale disasters such as commercial aviation accidents, train derailments, or other catastrophic events.
Personal Injury Claims in California
While states share some common legal principles, specific aspects of personal injury law vary. Below are some examples of what makes California personal injury laws unique and how they may apply to a mass tort or class action case.
Pure Comparative Negligence
Unlike many states that use modified comparative negligence, California follows a "pure comparative negligence" system. This means:
- You can recover damages even if you were 99% at fault: For example, if you were texting while walking and tripped over a broken sidewalk, you might be mostly at fault, but you can still recover money for your injuries.
- Your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault: If you win $10,000 but were 60% responsible for the accident, you'll get $4,000 (40% of the total).
Statute of Limitations Variations
California has specific timeframes for different types of claims:
- General personal injury (two years): You have two years from the date you got hurt to file your lawsuit, like if you slip and fall at a store.
- Government entity claims (six months): If you're hurt because of a city bus or on government property, you may only have 6 months to file a special claim form.
- Medical malpractice (one year from discovery or three years from injury): If you are injured as a result of a doctor’s negligence, for example, you must send notice of intent to file within one year from when you know or should have known about the injury, or three years from when the incident happened, whichever comes first.
- Claims by minors (Tolled until age 18): Under California law, if a child gets hurt, "tolling" means the statute of limitations is paused or extended until the child reaches the age of 18. After turning 18, the person with the claim has a specific additional timeframe to file a personal injury lawsuit. Tolling of the statute of limitations for minors does not apply to all cases, such as medical malpractice or claims against government agencies.
Damage Caps and Limitations
- No caps on most personal injury damages: In most cases, there's no limit to how much money you can get for your injuries.
- Punitive damages must show clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud: While punitive damages are rare in personal injury claims, when awarded, the amounts can be substantial. However, punitive damages are only awarded when injury lawyers prove that the person who hurt the claimant did so purposefully or due to extreme recklessness.
Insurance Requirements and Rules
- Minimum auto insurance requirements: Every driver must have at least this much insurance to pay for injuries they cause to others in the event of an auto accident. California’s minimum requirements include: $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damages.
- Prop 213 limits uninsured drivers from recovering non-economic damages: If you don't have car insurance and get hurt in an accident, you can only get money for medical bills and lost wages, not pain and suffering.
- California is a "fault" state for auto accidents: The person who caused the accident is responsible for paying for damages, usually through their insurance.
- Bad faith insurance laws protect consumers from unfair claim denials: If an insurance company unfairly denies your claim, you can sue them.
Specific Injury Claims in California
- Government immunity rules: Cities and government agencies have special protections, but you may still be able to sue them if they were negligent.
- Joint and several liability only applies to economic damages: If multiple people caused your injury, each person must pay their fair share of pain and suffering. That said, each defendant is fully responsible for paying the injured person's economic damages (like medical bills, lost wages). This means if one defendant can't pay, another defendant might have to cover the entire economic cost.
- Mandatory reporting requirements: Some accidents, like serious car crashes or workplace injuries, must be reported to authorities right away.
Consumer Protection Laws
- California Unfair Competition Law: Protects you from businesses that cheat or mislead customers, like false advertising or hidden fees.
- California Consumer Legal Remedies Act: Gives you the right to sue businesses that use unfair or deceptive practices to sell you things.
- Expanded product liability protections: Makes it easier to sue companies that sell dangerous or defective products.
- Strong privacy rights under California Consumer Privacy Act: Gives you control over how companies use your personal information and allows you to sue if they misuse it.
Unique Settlement Rules
- California good faith settlement provisions: If one defendant settles with you fairly, other defendants cannot sue them later.
- Mandatory settlement conferences: In many California courts, you must try to settle your case before going to trial by meeting with a judge. The judge will review the case, hear arguments, and help facilitate potential settlement.
- Specific rules for settling minor's claims in California: A judge must approve any settlement for someone under 18 to make sure it's fair. This is known as a "Minor's Compromise" or "Compromise of Minor's Claim."
- Requirements for structured settlements: California uses structured settlements in some personal injury cases, particularly for significant injury claims, cases involving minors, and in cases that involve long-term medical needs. California structured settlements may have tax advantages for the plaintiff.
Mass Tort and Personal Injury Claims
Many personal injury cases come from isolated incidents, but sometimes a single product, action, or event causes harm to a large group of people. These cases are known as mass torts. Unlike typical personal injury claims that involve one injured individual, mass tort lawsuits involve multiple plaintiffs who suffer from similar injuries caused by the same defendant or product.
At Wisner Baum, we have extensive experience handling both individual personal injury claims and complex mass tort litigation. Our dedicated legal team understands how mass torts combine the strength of collective action with the tailored focus of individual attention to achieve just compensation for every injured client.
We represent clients in mass tort and personal injury claims involving:
- Defective products: Hazardous consumer goods, recalled items, or dangerous vehicle components.
- Transportation disasters: Catastrophic accidents involving airplanes, commercial trucks, trains, or buses that injure multiple people.
- Dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Harm caused by defective or unreasonably risky drugs and medical implants.
- Environmental or industrial exposures: Large-scale chemical spills, toxic exposure, or industrial accidents affecting communities or workplaces.
Mass tort claims allow numerous injured parties to pursue their individual claims collaboratively, often through consolidated legal processes such as multidistrict litigation (MDL). This approach enhances efficiency while ensuring each plaintiff’s specific injuries and damages are individually assessed and fairly compensated.
Active Mass Tort Injury Cases
The personal injury lawyers at Wisner Baum handle a wide variety of mass tort cases. We have helped to secure billions of dollars on behalf of families in California and across the nation. Individuals harmed by the negligence or wrongful actions of another person are encouraged to contact Wisner Baum today to determine whether they can take legal action.
Active mass tort injury cases:
- Toxic baby food: Wisner Baum managing partner R. Brent Wisner was appointed to serve as co-lead trial counsel overseeing the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Toxic Baby Food MDL. Toxic baby food lawsuits allege that major baby food manufacturers knew or should have known that their products contained high levels of heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, and mercury.
- Antipsychotics: Lawsuits allege that leading antipsychotic drugs, including Risperdal, Invega, and Zyprexa, may increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer. Lawyers with Wisner Baum were the first in the nation to file a breast cancer-specific antipsychotic lawsuit against the manufacturers.
- Paraquat: Wisner Baum injury attorneys represent individuals who sprayed Gramoxone® and developed Parkinson’s disease. Our firm is preparing to take at least one case to trial in 2026.
- Atrazine: Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. Wisner Baum is investigating whether long term exposure to atrazine may increase the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other serious health conditions.
- Roundup (Glyphosate): Wisner Baum was a national leader in the Roundup cancer litigation. Our attorneys won landmark jury verdicts on behalf of individuals who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides. These court victories led to settlement agreements worth roughly $10.9 billion in 2020. While our firm is no longer actively involved in the Roundup litigation, cases are ongoing in 2026.
- GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Our firm is evaluating cases alleging that manufacturers of popular GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, including Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy, failed to adequately warn patients about the risk of serious gastrointestinal injuries, including gastroparesis and intestinal blockages.
- California Wildfires: Wisner Baum represents families and property owners affected by California wildfires caused by the negligence of utility companies and other responsible parties.
How To Know If I Have a Personal Injury Case
Individuals who believe they have suffered harm due to another person’s negligence or wrongful conduct are encouraged to contact Wisner Baum for a free personal injury claim evaluation. An experienced attorney can help determine whether you have a valid claim against a potentially liable party. It is important to act promptly, as personal injury cases are governed by state-specific statutes of limitations, which limit the amount of time you have to file a claim. Failure to timely file may prevent you from pursuing legal action altogether.
Personal injury lawsuits may be based on one or more legal theories, with negligence and strict product liability among the most common. To establish negligence, a plaintiff must show that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and that the breach was a substantial factor in causing harm resulting in damages. Alternatively, strict product liability applies when a defective or unreasonably dangerous product causes injury. In these cases, liability may be imposed without proof of negligence, focusing instead on whether the product was defectively designed, improperly manufactured, or lacked adequate warnings or instructions.
Product liability applies when a defective or unreasonably dangerous product causes injury. In these cases, a manufacturer, distributor, or seller may be held responsible regardless of whether they acted negligently. The focus is on the product itself and whether it was defectively designed, improperly manufactured, or lacked adequate warnings or instructions. Many of the mass tort cases Wisner Baum handles are rooted in product liability, particularly those involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, defective medical devices, and toxic consumer or industrial products.
An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate which legal principles apply to your specific situation and advise you on the best path forward.
How Much Will I Get for a Personal Injury in California?
This is a common question asked after suffering a personal injury: “How much is my case worth?” And for good reason—people need to know what they can expect.
The value of your case will be determined by the following factors (among others):
- The circumstances surrounding the crash, particularly the conduct of the responsible parties.
- The severity of your injuries.
- The insurance policy limits of all responsible parties and entities.
- The location of the crash and where you live, as laws can vary significantly from state to state.
While these factors may not themselves provide an immediate estimate of the dollar value of your case, they do offer a foundation for estimating damages, which will ultimately determine the compensation that may be available in your injury case.
Compensation in a California Personal Injury Case
The compensation a person can receive in a California personal injury case largely depends on the severity and extent of their injuries. For example, someone who sustains whiplash that resolves after a few months would obtain less in overall damages than someone who is paralyzed. Damages can be economic—such as medical expenses, both past and future, and lost income and earning capacity—or non-economic, like compensation for past and future pain and suffering.
Common damages in a personal injury case in California can include:
- Past and future medical bills: After an accident, you’ve likely already paid or are in the process of paying for medical care. In a personal injury lawsuit, these medical bills are considered economic damages because they are expenses you would not have incurred if not for the injury. Additionally, you may be able to seek damages for future medical bills, as many accident victims require ongoing care for weeks, months, or even years after an accident. An experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you in gathering the necessary documentation to demonstrate anticipated future medical expenses. The medical bills you incurred, as well as those you may incur in the future play a significant role in determining the value of your case.
- Lost wages for missing work after an accident: Lost wages encompass all income that you would have earned if you had not been injured. This includes your hourly wage or salary, as well as applicable overtime pay, sales commissions, bonuses, paid time off, and other benefits.
- Lost earning capacity: This issue arises when a victim’s injuries prevent them from performing the same work or working at the level as they did before the injury. For example, a construction worker who suffers a severe neck or back injury may be forced to find a new, potentially lower-paying job because they can no longer handle the physical demands of construction work. Proving lost earning capacity can be challenging, so working with an experienced injury lawyer who will retain medical and vocational rehabilitation experts is crucial for building a strong case.
- Loss of consortium: This occurs when an injured person can no longer provide their spouse or close family member with the same love, affection, services, and companionship as they did before the accident. A plaintiff, such as a wife, husband, domestic partner, or a minor child who has suffered such a loss may be eligible to pursue loss of consortium damages through a negotiated settlement or a jury trial. While there is no standard formula for calculating damages for loss of consortium, generally, the more severe and long-lasting the loss, the larger the potential award. Not all states allow victims to sue for loss of consortium.
- Pain and suffering: Pain and suffering damages compensate for the physical pain, mental and emotional distress, and suffering that a victim endures because of their injuries. For example, a person who sustains a painful facial laceration in an accident may be eligible to recover damages not only for the pain but also for the disfigurement and ongoing suffering. These damages, including pain and suffering for the immediate victim and loss of consortium for a loved one, such as a spouse, are considered non-economic damages because they are not based on direct financial losses like medical bills or lost earnings. Instead, they are intended to compensate for non-economic losses such as psychological trauma, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life caused by the crash. To secure an award for pain and suffering, the victim's personal injury lawyer must gather substantial evidence documenting how the crash impacted their life.
- Punitive damages: Punitive damages are designed to punish the defendant and deter others from engaging in similar wrongful, intentional, or gravely dangerous behavior. These damages can be substantial if a personal injury attorney proves that a defendant’s actions were recklessly indifferent to human life or safety or were malicious. For example, in 2019, our firm secured a jury verdict that included $2 billion in punitive damages. Although the verdict was later reduced, it sent a strong message to the defendant and helped pave the way for settlement agreements worth billions for thousands of plaintiffs with similar injuries.
What Is the Legal Process in a Personal Injury Case?
Navigating a personal injury claim involves several stages. Understanding the mass tort process can help you feel more confident in pursuing your case with one of the top personal injury law firms in California.
- Free Consultation: You’ll start with a no-cost case evaluation with a personal injury litigation attorney who can explain how mass torts work and whether you qualify for the claim.
- Investigation and Evidence Collection: Your legal team will gather medical records, product information, incident reports, and any other relevant evidence. They will often work with experts to build a strong case.
- Claim Filing and Coordination: If your claim is viable, your attorney files it, potentially as part of a mass tort, where cases are consolidated for efficiency.
- Discovery Phase: Both sides exchange evidence, conduct depositions, and develop legal strategies. This phase can take months or years depending on the complexity.
- Bellwether Trials: Selected cases (bellwethers) are tried first to help all parties evaluate the strength of claims and guide potential settlement amounts.
- Settlement Negotiations or Trial: Most mass tort cases are resolved via settlements after bellwether trials, but if necessary, your case may proceed to trial.
How to Find the Best Personal Injury Lawyer in California
Finding the best lawyer for your case can be daunting. Should you hire a local attorney? Does the attorney need to specialize in a specific area of law? How can you be sure the attorney is the best fit for your unique situation? These are all valid questions, and below are some helpful tips for navigating a search for a lawyer.
1) Assess Your Needs
This may seem obvious, but before you begin researching attorneys, it’s crucial to understand the specific type of case you will pursue. Is your legal claim related to a car accident, a slip and fall, a workplace injury, or medical malpractice? While all of these fall under the umbrella of personal injury, each is distinct. A lawyer specializing in car accidents may not have the experience to handle a slip and fall premises liability case, and vice versa.
Once you understand the specifics of your case, you can begin researching personal injury lawyers with the experience that aligns with your needs.
2) Research and Compile a List of Injury Lawyers
There are many ways to find a lawyer. You can rely on word-of-mouth referrals from people you trust, use online resources like lawyer directories, or search “best personal injury lawyer” on Google or Yelp. The possibilities are endless.
3) Check Credentials
Once you have a shortlist of lawyers in mind, it’s important to verify their qualifications and experience. Look into their education, recognition, and case results in personal injury law. Although many personal injury cases are settled privately or out of court, attorneys should be able to share some notable verdicts and settlements from similar cases.
4) Read Client Reviews and Testimonials
An attorney or law firm should have numerous positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or other third-party legal resources like FindLaw.com and Lawyers.com. Seeing that others in similar situations and similarly situated clients had a good experience with the lawyer and/or the firm should help give you the confidence to ask for a free case evaluation or consultation.
5) Ask for a Free Case Evaluation or Consultation
Most California personal injury lawyers offer free case evaluations. Use this as an opportunity to interview the attorney and ask any pertinent questions. Don’t hesitate to consult with multiple lawyers; at Wisner Baum, we encourage this so clients can compare and contrast. Remember, the initial consultation is free, so speak with as many lawyers as you need to.
6) Prepare Questions in Advance
You should prepare questions for your consultation with an attorney. Here are some important questions to consider asking:
- What level of experience do you have with cases like mine?
- What results have you obtained in cases similar to mine?
- Do you have trial experience?
- What fee do you charge for handling a case like mine?
- How often can I expect to hear from you regarding my case throughout the legal process?
- How long will the case take once I retain a lawyer?
7) Evaluate Comfort with the Attorney
During the initial consultation, consider whether you are comfortable with the person you speak to. Do they communicate clearly? Do they put you at ease? Remember, your attorney will work closely with you for months or even longer, so it’s important to choose a lawyer who communicates effectively and makes you feel at ease.
8) Local vs. National
Clients often ask, “Do I need to hire a personal injury attorney near me?” While we understand the appeal of hiring an attorney nearby, we believe that proximity should not be the primary factor in your decision-making process. Your comfort level with the attorney, their experience, results in similar cases, and client reviews should weigh more heavily on your decision than the location of the law firm’s or the attorney’s office.
9) Make Your Decision and Sign the Retainer Agreement
After your consultations, compare your notes on each lawyer’s qualifications, fees, and your level of comfort with them. Choose the lawyer you feel is most competent and with whom you have the best rapport. Once you’ve made your selection, carefully read and understand the fee agreement before signing. Make sure the attorney has clearly explained the fee structure so you fully understand what you are agreeing to.
How We Handle Personal Injury Cases at Wisner Baum
At Wisner Baum, we bring decades of litigation experience as one of California’s top rated personal injury law firms. Our approach centers on client advocacy, clear communication, and a commitment to securing maximum compensation.
Mass tort cases are one of our specialties. We understand how these complex, multi-plaintiff cases work and leverage our extensive resources and national network to hold responsible parties accountable. Our award-winning attorneys, many recognized as top accident and personal injury lawyers, dedicate themselves fully to every client’s case.
We tailor our legal strategies to your unique facts and medical needs while making the process as straightforward as possible — there’s no need to navigate this challenging journey on your own. Schedule a consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys today.
California Personal Injury Settlement Examples
At Wisner Baum, our attorneys have obtained more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Some of our noteworthy personal injury settlements and verdicts include:
- $2 billion jury verdict won for a California couple in consumer product liability case.
- $289 million jury verdict won for a California man in consumer product liability case.
- $80 million jury verdict won for a California man in consumer product liability case.
- $15 million settlement for California pedestrian accident.
- $10 million settlement for a California school bus crash.
- Hundreds of verdicts and settlements worth $1 million or more.
Get a Free Case Evaluation | Wisner Baum Personal Injury Attorneys
Wisner Baum is a California injury law firm that represents clients across a broad range of practice areas. Since 1985, we have obtained over $4 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients.
Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer with proven results allows you to exercise your legal rights without sacrificing time and effort that would be better spent healing from your injuries. Our mission is to earn maximum compensation on your behalf and hold the responsible party accountable for the harm they have caused you and your family.
We offer free and confidential personal injury case evaluations for people in California and across the nation. We have the experience and resources necessary to take on any corporate opponent and win.
Injured and Need Help Now? Start Your Injury Claim
If you have been harmed by a dangerous product or negligent action affecting multiple victims, joining a mass tort claim with Wisner Baum can increase your legal strength. Our experienced attorneys will guide you through the complexities of mass tort litigation and help you achieve the maximum compensation you deserve.
You don’t need to have all the answers right now — just reach out to a personal injury law specialist who understands the complexities of mass tort litigation and can guide you through your options. Contact us today for a free consultation, so we can start building your case and protect your rights from the outset.
Call us at (310) 207-3233 or use the contact form to get immediate help.
