Los Angeles County Personal Injury Attorneys
Effres & Associates

When you or a loved one has suffered severe or debilitating injuries that will impact your future, it is important that you are aware of your legal rights. The legal experience, knowledge and wisdom of your lawyer will be key factors in ensuring a successful outcome.

The Los Angeles serious injury lawyers of Effres & Associates recognize the turmoil and grief that individuals and families endure and handle each case with sensitivity, care and proven trial strategies. With their approach, clients have recovered the compensation they needed to move forward after a life-altering event.  Effres & Associates specializes in the following areas:

• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice
• Legal Malpractice
• Personal Injury
• Elder Abuse
• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
• Construction Accidents
• Products Liability
• Premises Liability
• Automobile Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Airplane Crashes
• Dog Bite
• Sexual Molestation
• Insurance Bad Faith

Clients of the Firm have suffered:

• Brain Injury
• Birth Defects
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Nerve Injury
• Amputations
• Serious Scars
• Eye Injuries
• Burns
• Many other permanent, severe, debilitating injuries

Serious and catastrophic injuries usually happen suddenly and without warning. While some people may recover from from their injuries, others are permanently disabled, are subject to extreme long-term suffering and sometimes even experience a significantly shortened lifespan--not to mention long-term medical care, loss of income and learning to live with a disability. Dealing with insurance companies and big corporations on your own just adds to the nightmare. Don't suffer financially and/or mentally -- contact Effres & Associates today.

"We provide our clients with more than 36 years of combined experience dealing with an extensive array of catastrophic personal injuries. Our lawyers have obtained record verdicts in California and Virginia, and have been consulted by attorneys nationwide to advise on dental and medical malpractice cases."

- Attorney Steven Effres

Getting Results for Real People:
Effres & Associates knows that hard work, dedication and commitment to detail form the basis of every successful settlement or verdict achieved. And the results speak for themselves. The following is a sampling of the exceptional results secured for personal injury clients by the Firm:

AIRPLANE CRASH

• Airplane Crash - Death of flight attendant from terrorist explosion of Aircraft: $8,000,000

AUTO ACCIDENTS

• Auto Accident / Dangerous Highway - Fractured leg, shoulder, head injury and pain syndrome to 44-year old Bank Vice-President struck head on due to dangerous highway: $4,099,000
• Auto Accident - Freeway collision. Wrongful death to 69-year-old father of adult son: $1,200,000
• Auto Accident - Intersection collision. Cerebral concussion with nerve damage to 16-year-old girl: $1,130,000
• Auto Accident - Broken leg to 36-year-old production biller when a car cut in front of his motorcycle: $1,000,000
• Auto Accident - Freeway collision. Hairdresser - age 55 - neck and back sprain. Homemaker -- fractured leg: $925,946
• Auto/Pedestrian Accident - 5-year-old boy skipping across street heading to playground struck by auto. Wrongful death: $500,000
• Auto Accident - Freeway collision. 35-year-old real estate agent suffers closed head injury resulting in migraine headaches. 30-year-old sales rep -- Right elbow and knee trauma: $485,000
• Auto/Pedestrian Accident -- Truck runs over woman pushing a shopping cart in supermarket parking lot. Wrongful death of 68-year-old mother of 4 adult children: $420,000
•  Auto Accident -- Freeway collision. 38-year-old nurse -- Cervical vertebral fracture. 53-year-old homemaker -- Fractured ribs, shoulder and collarbone. 19-year-old dancer -- Knee injury: $390,000
• Auto Accident - Herniated cervical disc to 45-year-old homemaker from head-on collision: $375,000
• Auto v. Pedestrian - Van strikes 6-year-old girl riding her bike down her driveway into the street. Lacerated scalp, liver and kidney; fractured skull and ribs: $370,000
• Auto Accident - Sheriff in pursuit of drunk driver cuts corner in residential neighborhood striking car of 20-year-old man as he is pulling out of parking space. Annular tear to disc in low back: $305,000

CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS

• Construction Accident - 41-year-old painter falls from a catwalk with a missing guardrail. Fractured left elbow, wrist and pelvis: $1,788,361
• Construction Site Accident - Leg and neck injury to pipe-fitter due to ill-maintained scissor lift: $1,000,000
• Construction Accident - Degloving injury to asphalt worker when pinned under dump truck backing up at construction site: $732,250
• Construction Accident - Makeshift scaffolding collapse. Concussion, wrists, right hand and collarbone fractures to 46-year-old journeyman framer: $525,000

DOG BITE

• Dog Bite - 10-year-old boy bitten by neighbor's dog. Lost fingernail-sized portion of top of left ear: $175,000

ELDER ABUSE

• Elder Abuse - 72-year-old woman in convalescent hospital is dropped while being transferred by a patient lift from bed to wheelchair. Fractured left femur: $425,000
• Elder Abuse - Elder care facility allows 80-year-old patient with dementia to wander from the facility where they were supposed to be watching her. Fractured hip from fall: $300,000

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

• Medical Malpractice - Morphine overdose in hospital after back surgery. Wrongful death of 31-year-old finance manager: $830,000
• Medical Malpractice - Hospital's negligent failure to resuscitate 5-year-old heart patient. Wrongful death: $624,774
• Medical Malpractice - Patient's duodenum cut during gallstone surgery. Peritonitis to 49-year-old aerospace engineer: $350,459

NEGLIGENCE

• Negligence - School fails to provide eye protection for supervised hockey game. Eye injury to 7-year-old boy: $1,375,000
• Negligence - Federal Tort Claims Act -- Neck injury to 46-year-old veteran when handicap hand rail came loose at VA hospital: $1,000,000
• Negligence - Restaurant - Bouncer slams 23-year old patron to the ground. Brain injury resulting in manic-depression: $900,000
• Negligence - Pain syndrome from department store sign falling on customer: $640,000
• Negligence - Rancher carelessly moving cattle on highway resulting in auto collision. Herniated cervical disc and wrist injury to 64-year-old man: $500,000

POLICE MISCONDUCT

• Police Misconduct - Unarmed 15-year-old shot by police when he turns into an alley while heading home. Injury to stomach, liver and spleen: $1,400,000

PREMISES LIABILITY

• Premises Liability - Multiple fractures to a forklift operator from a defective gate: $625,000
• Premises Liability - Failure to safeguard steam pipe. Burns to 28-year-old chemical cleaner: $500,000
• Premises Liability - Homeowner's brickwork pattern conceals step-down resulting in fall to house guest. Brain injury resulting in loss of smell and taste alteration: $400,000
• Premises Liability - Electrical panel box explosion. Wrongful death to 34-year-old electrician: $362,500
• Premises Liability - Hotel casino fails to warn that moving walkway is ending. Patron falls because she is standing sideways looking out the picture windows at the tropical scenery. Herniated lumbar disc. No surgery: $330,000
• Premises Liability - Plumber falls through collapsing floor. Torn labrum to shoulder: $316,512

PRODUCTS LIABILITY

• Products Liability/Negligence - Underground electrical switch explosion. Burns to 7-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl: $4,545,000
• Products Liability - Excessive heat to floor of truck. Burns to foot of a 29-year-old woman: $400,000

SEXUAL MOLESTATION

• Sexual Molestation - High School football coach has affair with student as school administrators negligently ignore history of past complaints against coach. Emotional distress to 15-year-old student: $Confidential
  

Take Action to Protect Your Rights:
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or have lost a loved one due to wrongful death and need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, call Effres & Associates today at 866-696-0466, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free initial consultation.

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

California Vehicle Accidents:
Legal claims that arise from vehicle accidents are typically governed by the law of negligence. Any individual who negligently operates a motor vehicle may be required to pay damages to an injured victim. A personal injury case involving a vehicle accident may become formalized through civil court proceedings, or may be resolved through an informal settlement before a lawsuit is filed. Vehicle accidents can include:

• Admiralty and maritime law
• ATV accidents
• Automobile accidents
• Aviation accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Commercial bus accidents
• Cruise ship accidents
• Intersection accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Rear end collisions
• Semi-tractor trailer accidents
• School bus accidents
• SUV rollover accidents
• Train accidents
• Truck accidents
• Yacht accidents

The surviving family members of a fatally injured accident victim may be able to bring wrongful death charges against the defendant.

 

Medical Malpractice: 
Medical malpractice is the failure of a health care provider to follow the accepted standards of practice of his or her profession in the community where the service is rendered. If a physician was careless, lacked proper skills or disregarded standardized rules resulting in injury to a patient, a jury may find the health care provider liable for negligence. Hospitals can also be held liable for the negligence of their employees, including staff nurses and technicians.

 Examples of Medical Malpractice include:

• Failing to diagnose a tumor while reading an x-ray
• Puncturing a nearby organ or tissue during surgery
• Failing to order necessary and appropriate medical tests
• Failing to diagnose a condition in time to treat it properly
• Failing to refer a case to a medical specialist
• Prescribing incorrect medication
• Brain Injury
• Birth Injury
• Cerebral Palsy
• Incorrect diagnosis that results in a failure to treat a medical condition
• Failing to properly administer anesthesia
• Emergency room negligence
• Dental Malpractice
• Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice

Nursing Home Negligence:
Americans are living longer than ever before. The fastest growing segment in the United States is the elderly population. As a result of this demographic shift, many elderly Americans have become residents of nursing homes during their final years. As many of these nursing homes are under-funded and understaffed, a disturbing incidence of neglect and abuse is being reported.  Injuries sustained by nursing home residents due to neglect and abuse often involve the inappropriate use of physical restraints, joint contractors, overuse of sedatives, unnecessary use of urinary catheters, loss of mobility, pressure sores and lack of nutrition with weight loss.

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents. Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death. In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action in California, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one. Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his wife, children and/or parents had he or she survived. It also includes the recovery for funeral services in memory of the decedent and for burial costs. Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.

California Burn Injuries:
People who have suffered and survived the agony of second, third and even fourth-degree burns describe the pain they experienced as among the most severe of all traumatic injuries. Personal injuries involving severe burns commonly result from explosions, premises fires, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, electric shock, as well as accidental exposure to harmful chemicals and radiation.

California Dog/Animal Bites:
Every year, millions of Americans are bitten by animals. Being attacked by a dog is an extremely stressful event.  Many dog bite injuries leave scars and have lasting emotional effects. In the State of California, the owner or keeper of a dog is strictly liable for his or her dog, even if it is the first time the dog has injured someone. As long as the injured victim was not trespassing, teasing or tormenting the dog, the keeper or owner of the dog is liable for any injuries sustained. Compensation for a dog bite can include payment for medical bills, pain & suffering, mental anxiety, fear and scarring.

Defective Products:
Products liability refers to a manufacturer or seller being held liable for placing a defective product into the hands of a consumer. Products liability cases may include defective or poorly designed machinery, tools, motor vehicle defects, recreational products, pharmaceuticals, and other defective products and equipment. A person injured by a defective or dangerous product may be eligible to file a lawsuit for products liability, and recover damages under one of the following categories: strict products liability, negligence, or breach of warranty.

California Spinal Cord Injury:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the nerves within the spinal canal are damaged. Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the vertebral column, affecting the spinal cord's ability to send and receive messages between the brain and the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic function. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI, followed by acts of violence, falls, sports injuries and diseases such as polio, spina bifida, and Friedreich’s Ataxia. The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur; it only has to be fractured.

California Traumatic Brain Injury:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a medical phrase used to describe the damage to the brain suffered by sudden impact or physical force to the head. Essentially, the human brain floats in a fluid substance called cerebrospinal fluid. TBI can result when the force of momentum causes the brain to impact against the skull. This type of injury, often the result of hitting your head on the windshield, pavement, or object, is frequently referred to as a “closed head injury.” Whiplash can also cause TBI. These closed head injuries can result in lasting physical and mental problems.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or have lost a loved one due to wrongful death and need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, call Effres & Associates today at 866-696-0466, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free initial consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following information includes frequently asked personal injury questions. The answers stated are general in nature and are not intended to apply to every situation. Each case is different and carries its own set of circumstances which must be taken into consideration by competent legal counsel.  By contacting Effres & Associates at 866-696-0466, you can receive a personal consultation regarding your specific legal claim. 

What is negligence in regard to Personal Injury?
Negligence is any conduct that falls below the standards of behavior established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm. A person has acted negligently if he or she has departed from the conduct expected of a reasonably prudent person acting under similar circumstances. Negligence is also the name of a cause of action in the law of torts. To establish negligence, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant had a duty to the plaintiff, the defendant breached that duty by failing to conform to the required standard of conduct, the defendant's negligent conduct was the cause of the harm to the plaintiff, and the plaintiff was, in fact, harmed or damaged.

How do I prove negligence?
The burden of proof in a tort case, as in most civil law cases, is lower than the proof required in criminal law cases. In a criminal case, the state must prove a person's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. To win a personal injury lawsuit based on tort law, the plaintiff need only prove that the weight of the evidence shows that an injury was caused by the defendant's negligent actions. This standard of proof is called "the preponderance of the evidence." The different burdens of proof mean that a company might be acquitted of criminal charges stemming from its actions, but be found liable in a civil lawsuit stemming from the same actions.

What is Personal Injury?
Personal injury is any physical or mental injury to a person that results from another person’s negligence or harmful act. Personal injury involves civil law cases as opposed to criminal law cases which involve a defendant and the State of California. The following are some of the most common accidents resulting in personal injury:

• Auto Accidents
• Other Vehicle Accidents (Aviation, Bicycle, Boat, Motorcycle, Railroad, Truck)
• Burn Accidents
• Construction/On the Job Accidents
• Dangerous or Defective Products
• Dog/Animal Bites
• Medical Malpractice (Birth Injuries, Misdiagnosis, Surgical Negligence)
• Nursing home abuse and Neglect
• Slip and Fall Accidents/Premises Liability
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Toxic Exposure
• Traumatic Brain Injury

What financial compensation can I recover in a personal injury claim?
Personal injury accident victims are entitled to recover monetary damages for all losses and expenses sustained as the result of an accident. Depending upon the particular circumstances of your case, damages may include recovery for any of the following:

• Medical bills
• Lost income, including overtime wages
• Pain & suffering
• Physical disability
• Disfigurement
• Emotional trauma
• Mental disability
• Property damage

What is the Statute of Limitations?
Every state has certain time limits, called "statutes of limitations," that govern the period during which you must file a personal injury lawsuit. In California, for example, you generally have two years to file a lawsuit from an automobile accident. When the statute of limitations expires on your case, you simply don't have a case anymore.

Statutes of limitations differ not only from state to state, but also in regard to the kinds of lawsuits involved. In some states the statute of limitations for medical malpractice, suits against governmental agencies, and wrongful death actions is shorter than that for other types of personal injury cases. In general, however, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is from one to three years, and the time begins from the time of the accident.

What is Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death occurs when a person's death was caused by the negligent, willful or wrongful act of another, such as careless driving or a deliberate murder. In addition to injuring the person who died, people who depended upon the deceased for financial or emotional support may be entitled to compensation for the wrongful death. The State of California has enacted a statute permitting a lawsuit to be brought by the relatives of a person who died as a result of a wrongful act.

What is Pharmacist Malpractice?
Pharmacist malpractice falls into the same category as medical malpractice, in the respect that if pharmacists and pharmacy technicians fail to treat the patient with a reasonable degree of skill and care, they are guilty of medical malpractice just the same as a doctor, nurse or other health care provider. If you receive the wrong medication for your condition or wrong combination of medications and suffer damage as a result, you may have a claim either against the doctor who prescribed the medication or the pharmacist who filled the prescription.

What rights do nursing home residents have?
Federal and state regulations provide nursing home residents with various rights. Some of these rights are as follows:

• Residents have a right to know their medical condition and can participate in making decisions regarding their medical treatment. 
• Residents, who were not appointed a guardian or conservator, are allowed to manage their own financial affairs. 
• Residents are entitled to be told what extra services the nursing home offers and how much these services cost. 
• Residents have a right to a safe, clean environment that is also comfortable. 
• Residents have a right not to be abused in any way, including but not limited to, physically, sexually, mentally or through restraints and/or isolation.
• Residents are entitled to send and receive all mail unopened. 
• Residents can associate and relate to others in a private matter. 
• Residents have the right to participate in social and religious events.
• Residents are entitled to be given advanced notice if they will be getting a new roommate.

Professional Profiles

Throughout California, the skilled attorneys of Effres & Associates have represented and advised thousands of people in major personal injury and wrongful death cases. They are known for their record of success as well as their sensitive representation of each client.

If you or someone you know has been seriously injured or have lost a loved one due to wrongful death and need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, call Effres & Associates today at 866-696-0466, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free initial consultation. 

FIRM ADDRESS:
Effres & Associates
24025 Park Sorrento, Suite 240
Calabasas, CA 91302
Phone: 866-696-0466
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:30PM

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

Steven Effres

EDUCATION:

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, 1983 J.D.

•  Graduated With Honors

Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1980 B.S.

• Accounting, Graduated With Honors

COURTS ADMITTED:

• California, 1983
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1984
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1984
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1984

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• State Bar of California, Member
• The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Member
• Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
• Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, Member
• Lawyers for Social Responsibility, Founder
• Los Angeles County Superior Court
• Settlement Conference Officer
• Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
• Outstanding Lawyers of America
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  

PUBLICATIONS:

• Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Handbook, (Contributing Author), 1995

HONORS AND AWARDS:

• Profiled by Los Angeles Daily Journal, "Litigation Profile" Series
• "Spotlight", Association of Trial Lawyers of America
• Public Service Award for Contribution to a Safer, More Just America, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
• O'Brien's Verdictum Juris
• Recognized by the Pasadena Star
• Recognized by the Los Angeles Times
• Certificates of Appreciation, Los Angeles County Superior Court
• Profiled Los Angeles Magazine as a Southern California 2006 Super Lawyer
• Received the Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent rating for the highest level of professional excellence and ethics in the practice of law
• Profiled by Los Angeles Daily Journal, "Litigation Profile" Series

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Personal Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Torts
• Construction Accidents
• Products Liability
• Premises Liability
• Medical Malpractice
• Legal & Professional Malpractice
• Elder Abuse

Robert Pourvali

EDUCATION:  

Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California, 1993 J.D.

• Honors: Moot Court Honors Programs
• Honors: Recipient; American Jurisprudence Awards in Legal Research & Writing.
• Honors: Exceptional Achievement Award in Business Planning

California State University at Northridge, 1989 B.A.

University of California, San Diego, California

COURTS ADMITTED:

• California, 1993
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1993
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1993

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• State Bar of California, Member

REPRESENTATIVE CASES:

• International Engine Parts. Inc. v. Feddersen & Co., 64 Cal.App.4th 345, 75 Cal.Rptr 2d 178 (Cal. App. 2Dist. 1998)
• Cotran v. Rollins Hudig Hall Intern. Inc. , 17 Cal.4th 93, 948 P. 2d 412 (Cal. 1998)
• Castaneda v. Bornstein, 36 Cal. App. 4th 1818, 43 Cal. Rptr. 2d 10 (Cal. App. 2Dist. 1995)
• Nguyen v. Los Angeles County Harbor UCLA Medicine Center, 40 Cal. App. 4th 1433, 48 Cal. Rptr 2d 301 (Cal. App. 2Dist. 1995)
• Hughes Aircraft Co. v. Superior Court, 44 Cal. App. 4th 1790, 52 Cal. Rptr 2d 514 (Cal. App. 4Dist. 1996)
• Scofield v. Critical Air Medicine. Inc., 45 Cal. App.4th 990, 52 Cal.Rptr.2d 915 (Cal. App. 2Dist. 1996)

PRACTICE AREAS:

• Civil Appeals