Superheroes to our clients since 1986.

Personal Injury

Most people who are hurt in an accident don't know what to do next — whether to talk to the insurance representatives for the person who caused their injuries or whether to call a lawyer. Many clients wonder how they will be able to pay substantial medical bills. In the long term, many injury victims are also concerned about how they will continue to earn a living while facing permanent physical consequences, and how they can be compensated for their losses. Families who have lost a loved one often face different challenges, from trying to determine who is responsible and why, to figuring out how to function day-to-day without the guidance and support of the person who has died. At the Viola Law Firm, we have fought for injured people and their families for more than two decades. We understand these concerns, have the answers to these questions, and guide our clients through the process of making a claim for loss resulting from injury or death and obtaining a favorable resolution.

In the courtroom, we aggressively pursue our clients' interests to the fullest extent of the law. By thoroughly investigating and preparing each case, we position our clients to obtain successful trial outcomes, and often achieve exceptional settlements in the process. The following representative cases are the result of our diligence, dedication, and hard work on behalf of injured clients and their families:

• Multi-million dollar settlement of personal injury case against multiple defendants, including the employer of defendant drunk driver in San Mateo County.
 
• Successful mediation of wrongful death cases stemming from Alaska Airlines crash.
 
• Pretrial settlement of personal injury and death case against intoxicated driver who caused head-on collision in Sonoma County, orphaning a small child residing in a foreign country.
 
• Settlement of negligence and premises liability claim against local retailer short of filing suit, where customer tripped over improperly placed garment rack.
 
• Negotiation of largest settlement ever paid by the City of Palo Alto for premises liability.
 
• Pretrial settlement of individual’s work related claim for catastrophic injuries suffered as a result of a gunshot to the head, against employer’s claim of independent contractor status.
 
• Winning appeal and successful resolution on behalf of individual against Delta Airlines for maintenance of secret list of employees suspected to have HIV.

Many of our cases fall into one of three categories of injury cases: automobile, wrongful death, and premises liability, although there is overlap between them. Automobile, wrongful death, and premises liability are each discussed below in more detail.

Automobile Cases

Automobile cases include different injuries caused by all different automobiles. For example, this category includes collisions involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, buses, trains, or any of those vehicles striking a pedestrian or bicyclist. Automobile cases most often focus on the actions of the parties involved, including whether they were following the law at the time of the accident and whether they were exercising care in their actions. Clients in these cases are seeking damages for their medical bills, property damage, other out-of-pocket losses, lost past and future wages, and general pain, suffering, and mental distress.

Wrongful Death Cases

Wrongful death claims arise when someone is killed as a result of the actions of another. Wrongful death claims include but are not limited to deaths caused in automobile, airline, and other accidents. In wrongful death cases, specific members of the deceased person’s family can recover for the loss of financial and emotional support, as well as the loss of care and comfort, caused by the death. In addition to examining the underlying behavior of the people involved in the incident, wrongful death cases are often focused on the relationship between the person who has died and his or her surviving family members.

Premises Liability Cases

Premises liability cases arise when a person is injured as a result of the dangerous condition of the property of another person. There are many things which can be considered dangerous conditions, from spills in a grocery store to tripping hazards on a sidewalk to dogs with dangerous tendencies living next door. A plaintiff in a premises liability case must show that the owner knew about the dangerous condition before the injury was suffered; otherwise, the case will focus on the parties’ behavior at the time of the incident.

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