Santa Cruz is a city located in Northern California in the county of Santa Cruz. The city’s name, which means “Holy Cross” in Spanish, was given to the area in the late 1700s by Spanish missionaries. For many years, the city of was actually under the control of Mexico, but it was ceded to the United States under the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War.
Nowadays, Santa Cruz is a notable tourist destination due to its historic landmarks and location on the edge of Monterey Bay, which makes it an ideal surfing spot. The city also has a rich arts and culture scene that is appreciated by the residents and visitors.
Whether you live or work in Santa Cruz, or just stopping by as a tourist, there are various conditions in the city that can cause you to be injured. Bus accidents are common, which may be blamed on the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. Those on city properties may be injured from a slip and fall or trip and fall due to the city’s failure to take care of broken sidewalks, slippery floors, and other hazards. People can also be hit as a pedestrian on crosswalks due to careless driving by a city employee.
No matter how you were injured in the city of Santa Cruz, it’s imperative that you learn about your legal rights from a personal injury lawsuit attorney. If negligence or misconduct at the city level is the reason for your monetary losses and negative impact to your health, we can help you file a claim for damages, like medical expenses, wages lost from your job, and pain and suffering. Contact Normandie Law Firm today and talk to a city government claims accident attorney.
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How to File a Claim for an Accident Caused by the City of Santa Cruz
The process begins with a City of Santa Cruz Claim for Damages Form, which you can download here, or obtain by contacting the city’s Risk Management office at (831)420-5057 or claims@cityofsantacruz.com.
At the bottom of the form, you will find instructions on how and where to send in the paperwork, which is simple enough. The hard part is answering the questions on the form and including evidence that shows how the city is liable for the injuries you’ve suffered. Based on the fact that the claim is one page, it seems like these questions should be easy to answer. In reality, most people’s demands for compensation are rejected because of missing information, lack of evidence, or failure to provide a convincing legal argument.
This is why it’s beneficial to seek help from a lawyer who can file a compensation claim for injury or property damage with the City of Santa Cruz.
Government Claims Must be Filed in 6 Months!
That’s right – the time limit to seek monetary damages from a government entity is 6 months, starting from the accident date. We understand that this is a very short amount of time when you are struggling to recover from an accident. However, the 6-month statute of limitations is established by the California Tort Claims Act, so there is no exception to the rule if you miss the deadline. To make sure that your paperwork is received by the city of Santa Cruz on time, don’t hesitate to ask for help from one of our legal experts.
How Long will It Take the City to Get Back to Me?
You’ve confirmed that your claim was received by the city, and at this point, you are probably wondering, “When will I be told whether my claim was approved or not?”
According to the CTCA, the government has 45 days to respond to a compensation claim, starting from the date of receipt. Normally, you will be sent an approval or denial notice from a department, like the Risk Management Office or City Attorney. Don’t despair if the city denies your claim; you can still seek monetary damages by filing a lawsuit within 6 months.
If it turns out that the city doesn’t provide you with a written response in 45 days, you can file a lawsuit against the city within 2 years from the incident that resulted in bodily harm and/or damage to property.
Average Value of an Injury Claim against a City Government
Compensation claims for accidents where the city of Santa Cruz if liable may be settled for around $10,000 to over $2,000,000 based on many factors, including the degree of harm and suffering to the victim. The severity of injuries plays a direct role in the amount of medical expenses and lost income, but they can also be used to substantiate a claim for emotional distress and other non-monetary damages. This is relevant in assault and battery and sexual assault cases, where the victim’s emotional suffering is just as relevant as their physical injuries.
Obtaining an accurate case value requires input from a lawyer with experience in lawsuits against the government. Please reach out to us if you would like to discuss the amount of compensation you can receive from a city of Santa Cruz accident injury claim.
What is the Expected Wait Time before I Receive Payment?
The process of reaching a settlement for accident claims against the city of Santa Cruz can take between 1 and 2 years. Of course, this is not an absolute timeline that applies in every situation of injuries or property damage by the city government. But the legal requirements that are involved and the length of time to negotiate a proper amount of compensation usually take around 12 months. If you have serious injuries that require 6 to 7 figures in compensation, it may take 18 to 24 months before the city makes us a fair settlement offer. Cases rarely go to trial, but when they do, it can take more than 3 years to get paid from an accident claim against the city of Santa Cruz.
Contact Our Law Firm
Our attorneys are ready to take action on a city of Santa Cruz accident claim if you or your family member was injured due to negligence by a city agency or someone that works for the city government. We understand, however, that you may be worried about how much it will cost to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.
All clients here at Normandie Law Firm are protected by the Zero Fee Guarantee. That means you will never pay out of pocket for us to represent you. Attorneys’ fees are paid by the city or Santa Cruz if we are successful in recovering your settlement award. If not, you will never receive a bill from us as we stand by our policy of “No Recovery – No Payment.”
To learn more about the legal options that are available to you, contact our office and schedule a free case review.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
How to File an Injury Accident Case against the City of Muscoy
How to File an Injury Accident Lawsuit against the City of Hemet, CA
How to File an Accident Injury Case against the City of Yucaipa, CA
