Located in Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley, the city of San Gabriel was founded in 1771 by the Spanish. During the Spanish and Mexican eras in California, San Gabriel was crucial to the development of Los Angeles, to the point where it is referred to as the “birthplace of the Los Angeles region.”
Today, San Gabriel is a suburban community with a population of approximately 39,000 people. These people depend on the city government to provide essential services and keep them safe. But what if there is careless or reckless conduct by the people that work for the city of San Gabriel? Unfortunately, this is how many people end up being injured from accidents such as:
- Being hit by a falling object
- Auto accidents with vehicles owned / operated by the city
- Slip and fall or trip and fall incidents
- Collapsing buildings / structures
- Assault and battery (excessive violence by the police, for example)
- Sexual assault
As an accident victim, you may have grounds to seek monetary damages from the city of San Gabriel. Our lawyers have decades of experience in compensation claims with government entities, and we are more than ready to fight for the justice you deserve. Contact us today and schedule a free case evaluation if you had an accident resulting from negligence by the city of San Gabriel.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$1.1 Million
$1.5 Million
$600,000
$525,000
$734,851
How to File a Claim for Damage with the City of San Gabriel
With most cities, you have to download the claim forms or obtain them from the City Clerk’s Office. But San Gabriel is unique, as they allow you to file and submit your claim online. To get started on an accident claim, click here.
You will note that there are links to help you attach pictures, diagrams, medical bills, and other evidence to support your right to compensation. These documents are essential, but evidence can be difficult to obtain and compile in a way that establishes a clear case of negligence. These and other issues make it difficult to succeed in a claim against the city on your own, which is why it’s important to consult a government claims lawsuit attorney.
Once your claim is submitted through the city’s website, it will be reviewed by the appropriate department, probably Risk Management or the City Attorney. But how will you find out if your claim will be paid or not? How long does the city of San Gabriel have to get back to you with an update on your claim?
When will I Find Out if my Claim is Approved?
From the date of receiving your claim, there is a deadline of 45 days for the city to notify you that your claim is approved or denied. This notice must be in writing, so you may receive an email or a physical letter in the mail. If your case is exceptionally complex, the city may need more time to make a determination, but they must let you know that this is the case within 45 days.
Under California, you have 6 months to file a lawsuit if you receive a formal rejection of your claim by the city of San Gabriel. That’s not a lot of time when it comes to preparing and petitioning the courts, so make sure to seek help from a lawyer if you receive a denial notice from the city.
If you have waited 45 days and the city has failed to respond in writing, this will also allow you to file a lawsuit, as it’s considered a rejection by default. Your deadline for a lawsuit is 2 years from when the accident occurred, so this is a critical difference between a rejection by default and a rejection in writing.
Statute of Limitations – How Long Do I have to File a Claim?
It’s essential to submit your claim to the city by the legal deadline, which is 6 months of the incident date, whether you fell down on a city sidewalk or suffered injuries from a car accident with a city vehicle. If you miss this deadline, there is no way to obtain additional time to file a claim unless the city makes an exception. But most cities are firm about the time limit of 6 months, so you generally lose the right to any compensation if you are past the statute of limitations. To avoid this outcome, please contact our law firm right away so that our legal team can help you file a claim on time against the city of San Gabriel.
Average Settlement from a City of San Gabriel Negligence Case
Claims for injuries caused by city departments or employees may be worth $5,000 to $15,000 on the lower end. If you have significant injuries and/or property loss due to an accident, compensation amounts can start at $125,000 and go all the way up $3,000,000. But there’s really no such thing as an “average” payment amount for a city government claim, since each case involves unique factors that are used to determine how much the victim is owed. That’s why you must contact an experienced personal injury attorney if you are interested in learning the value of your lawsuit against the city of San Gabriel.
How Long Does a City Government Claim Take to Settle?
There are instances where a government accident claim may be settled within a few months, but we would say that most cases take around 12 to 24 months. As you may have figured, cases that take the longest are the ones that involve serious injuries, particularly those that result in disability. Coupled with significant property damages, it’s more than likely that the city will deny the amount you are seeking, which means you will need to file a lawsuit. Once you are at the lawsuit stage, you still have over a 90% chance of reaching a settlement, but the amount of time to get there may be over 2 years. Very rarely does a city of San Gabriel compensation claim go to trial, but if it does, getting paid for your monetary losses can take several years.
Contact Our Law Firm
Negligence by government agencies is the reason countless people are injured through no fault of their own. Unfortunately, justice is very difficult to achieve on your own, so please seek help from a City of San Gabriel accident claim lawyer at our office.
You can take advantage of the Zero Fee Guarantee we offer all our clients, where you pay $0 for the cost of legal services. Instead of charging you upfront, we take a percentage of your settlement at the end of your case. So, in other words, we don’t make a penny unless you receive payment from a successful lawsuit.
To get started on the legal process, contact our law firm to schedule a free initial consultation.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
How to File a Claim against the City of Victorville
How to File a Claim against the City of Redding, CA
How to File a Claim against the City of Ramona, CA
