San Clemente, CA is a city located in the Orange Coast region of Southern California. Known for its beautiful beaches and Spanish colonial architecture, the city is a popular tourist destination that is ideally situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. The city’s slogan, “Spanish Village by the Sea” is appropriate, considering the beautiful Spanish Revival homes in the area, including the Casa Romantica, the 1920s home of the city’s founder, Ole Hanson.
Whether you are visiting San Clemente or you live in the city, you depend on the city government to provide essential services, like firefighting, law enforcement, and preserving public records. Unfortunately, those working for the city of San Clemente may be lax in their duties, which can cause people to be injured through no fault of their own. Accidents that can result from negligent conduct by the city include:
- Falling down on city streets and sidewalks (trip and fall or slip and fall)
- Being hit by a city vehicle, either as a pedestrian or motorist
- Accidents caused by falling objects, especially in outdoor areas like city parks
- Injuries due to hazardous conditions at the San Clemente Pier
- Assault and battery or sexual assault by city employee or from lack of security
- Car accidents caused by the city’s failure to maintain the roads
Our mission is to represent your interests and fight to bring you the compensation you deserve from a city of San Clemente accident claim. For more information on your rights as a victim of negligence or misconduct, contact us to schedule a free consultation.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$1.1 Million
$1.5 Million
$600,000
$525,000
$734,851
How to File a Compensation Claim with the City of San Clemente
Claims against the city of San Clemente must be filed with the City Clerk’s Office, which is located at City Hall, 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673. You can email the office at CityClerk@san-clemente.org or call 949-361-8353 to ask for the claim forms or download a copy by clicking here. Please note that this is the only way to file a claim for damages; and other forms or paperwork will not be accepted.
You can, however, attach additional pages and evidence to support your right to compensation. You must also itemize the expenses that resulted from the accident and how you came up with these amounts. Then, you will need to prove that the city is liable, i.e., legally responsible for the incident that caused you harm and suffering.
Many people who call the city to ask how they should answer these questions will be told to seek counsel from an experienced attorney. It’s understandable that the city doesn’t want to provide legal advice, nor do they want to give you an advantage in a situation where they are about to lose money. That’s why we encourage you to contact us immediately so that one of our attorneys can help you with the claims process.
Once you complete the forms and file them with the City Clerk, you should receive a response from the city in 45 days. Under California law, this is how long government entities have to respond to a liability claim. The city may accept liability for what happened to you and agree to pay the requested amount. Or, they may reject your claim for compensation, which means you will need to seek payment by filing a lawsuit against the city. You must file your lawsuit within 6 months from whenever your claim was rejected, so please don’t delay in contacting our office and talking to a lawyer who can help you sue the city of San Clemente.
What if 45 Days have Passed, but I Got Nothing from the City?
This will happen from time to time, though most claimants will receive correspondence from the city to let them know if the claim was accepted or denied. But in the event you do not get an email or letter by the deadline of 45 days, you can go ahead with a lawsuit as if your claim was denied. Since you don’t have a rejection from the city in writing, you can default to the normal stature of limitations to file a lawsuit, which is 2 years from the date of injury. Once you are at the lawsuit stage, it’s imperative that you seek guidance from a personal injury attorney, as it can be very difficult to navigate the legal system and negotiate the settlement you deserve.
Deadline to Submit a City of San Clemente Claim for Damages
No matter how strong of a case you have against the city of San Clemente, you must ensure that your claim is filed no later than 6 months from the incident of injury and/or damage to property. This may come as a surprise, and we agree that the deadline is very tight for those who are dealing with the aftermath of an accident. Unfortunately, there is no way to waive this requirement, as it’s established under the California Tort Claims Act, a law that outlines the procedures for how to sue the government.
Missing the deadline means you will forfeit the right to demand payment from the city for your medical expenses and other monetary losses. By contacting a city government lawsuit attorney, you can ensure that you claim if filed on time with the necessary evidence to show why you are owed a certain amount of compensation from the city of San Clemente.
Value of an Average Settlement for Lawsuits against City Governments
Those who are eligible for compensation from the city of San Clemente may receive payments ranging from several thousand dollars to over $2,500,000. How much you will end up with depends on numerous factors that have to do with your accident, the injuries you’ve sustained, and the city’s role in causing you bodily harm. These circumstances are different for each and every claimant, and that’s why it’s perfectly acceptable for one victim to receive $10,000 in damages and for someone else to end up with over $1,000,000. If you would like help from a lawyer that can calculate the amount of compensation for a city of San Clemente injury claim, please take a moment to contact our office.
How Long Does a City of San Clemente Incident Claim Take to Settle?
On average, it takes anywhere from 1 to 2 years to settle a claim for injuries resulting for negligence by the city of San Clemente. Of course, there are cases where a settlement is reached in 6 months or less, just like there are lawsuits that go to trial and take 3 or more years to resolve. These differences are due to many variables that are specific to your case, which is why it’s important to speak with an accident injury lawyer as soon as possible. Our legal team is happy to address all your questions and concerns during a free case review, so please give us a call.
Contact Normandie Law Firm
Are you interested in learning about your rights and legal options from a California government claims attorney? Would you like to receive free legal services if you are eligible for a claim against the city of San Clemente? If so, the lawyers of Normandie would like to offer you a Zero Fee Guarantee. This is a policy where you pay $0 to hire us for an accident injury claim. Instead, we add the cost of representing you to the payment you are due from the city government. That means you are not responsible for any legal fees if we don’t win your case.
To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our legal experts, contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
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How to File an Accident Claim against Los Banos, California
