Situated in Riverside County, the city of Temecula is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its beautiful golf courses, film and wine festivals, and abundance of structures from the 1800s. The town was named after the Temecula Indians that lived in the region prior to the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the late 1700s. Nowadays, Temecula is a thriving city of more than 110,000 people, largely of Hispanic descent.
Like any other city in Riverside County, Temecula has its share of incidents that cause serious harm to others. This may be due to a natural disaster or carelessness by a business in the area. But city departments and staff members can also engage in dangerous conduct, like failing to make repairs, driving recklessly, and not providing adequate security.
Those who are injured by another party’s negligence have the right to file a lawsuit for monetary compensation. However, suing any entity of the government is complicated, and it’s very easy to make mistakes that end up with your case being dismissed. The city government lawsuit attorneys of Normandie are here to assist you in a claim for compensation against the city of Temecula. Contact us today for a free consultation on your rights and legal options.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
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The City of Temecula’s Liability for an Accident
The California Tort Claims Act, commonly referred to as the CTCA, is the legislation that allows you to demand compensation for injuries that are caused by a public entity. Thus, you have the right to sue the city of Temecula if you were injured in an accident, such as:
- Slip and fall in city buildings
- Trip and fall on the sidewalks owned by the city of Temecula
- Being hit with a falling object on properties owned or operates by the city
- Security and premises liability incidents in public schools
- Car accident with a city vehicle (fire trucks, police cars, etc.)
- Assault and battery or sexual assault by city employee
How to File a Compensation Claim against the City of Temecula
The process of suing a city government in California begins with a compensation claim, which you must file in 6 months from whenever you had the accident. The claim form and the instructions for how to fill it out can be found on the city’s website. Along with answering the questions on the form, you will need to attach evidence to show how and why the city is responsible for what happened to you.
The questions may seem easy to answer at first, but it can be very challenging to come up with a sound legal argument to show that the city of Temecula is liable for a slip and fall, car accident, or any other incident. You will also need to state a specific amount of damages and justify why you are entitled to these funds. This is why hiring a government accident injury claims lawyer is in your best interest if you have been injured due to negligence by a city of Temecula employee or agency.
What will Happen Once the City Receives my Claim?
The claim form has instructions on where to drop off or mail your paperwork. Once your claim is received by the City Clerk, they have a deadline of 45 days to get back to you. Normally, you would receive a written notice telling you whether your claim was approved or denied. If the city rejects your demand for compensation, make note of the date on the rejection notice, as you will need to file a lawsuit within 6 months of this date.
While it doesn’t happen very often, the city may not get back to you within the 45-day waiting period. Since they failed to provide you with a response by the statutory deadline, your claim is deemed rejected by default. That means you can follow the standard procedure of filing a personal injury lawsuit within 2 years of the accident date.
To ensure that you can obtain payment as fast as possible, please talk to a lawyer with experience in government claims for injury or property damage.
Average Settlement Value of a City of Temecula Injury Case
Payments for an accident claim against the city of Temecula can be worth between $10,000 and $2,000,000, so there’s no way for us to say what these cases are worth on average. These variations are due to many factors that are specific to each claimant, like how badly they are injured, the long-term impact on their health and finances, and the city’s negligence that caused the claimant to be injured. You must also keep in mind that certain accidents qualify you for non-economic damages, like pain and suffering and emotional distress. At the end of the day, there is a lot to consider before you can determine the value of a Temecula City accident injury claim. This is why it’s essential to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney, who can help you obtain maximum payment for your injuries.
How Long Do these Cases Take to Settle?
While the average personal injury claim can be settled in just a few months, lawsuits where the government is at fault can take 1 to 2 years. This is based on the procedures that must be followed when you are suing a public entity, which includes the process of filing a claim with the city, county, or state. Keep in mind that the settlement process does not include going to trial, which is very rare. We would say that less than 5% of all accident claims are tried in court, so we fully anticipate that we can negotiate a settlement without taking your case to trial. Nevertheless, a city of Temecula injury case often takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months before a settlement is reached.
Contact Our Law Firm
The legal system can be a complicated maze to navigate for anyone without expert knowledge of the laws or court procedures. Our goal is to ensure that you have a fair shake when it comes to a lawsuit for bodily harm and/or property damage caused by the city of Temecula.
All clients here at Normandie Law Firm receive free legal services from day one. We have a policy known as the Zero Fee Guarantee, so clients are never asked to pay out of pocket if they wish to sue the city of Temecula for an accident. The only way we get paid is by recovering your settlement, which will include our expenses. Otherwise, we make absolutely nothing and all and you walk away without losing a penny.
Our attorneys look forward to educating you on your legal rights, so please schedule a free case evaluation by contacting our office.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
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How to File an Accident Claim against the City of Upland
