Hacienda Heights is a suburban community of approximately 54,000 people in Los Angeles County. It is the second largest CDP (census designated place) in LA County, next to Topanga. The community was originally part of Rancho La Puente – a former ranch in southern San Gabriel Valley. Hacienda Heights underwent heavy residential development in the 1950s, and today, it’s known as a bedroom community.
Due to its quiet, mostly residential streets, Hacienda Heights is an ideal place to live, whether you work in Los Angeles or want a safe place to raise your kids. While the community enjoys a warm, moderate climate and low crime rates, accidents due to negligence are not uncommon. Some of these incidents are caused by city employees, or they occur on properties that are managed by the government.
Were you injured from an accident at a city park, a government building, or another location that’s managed by Hacienda Heights or the county of Los Angeles? Were you harmed by a government employee, such as a police officer or a member of the fire department? If so, you may be entitled to compensation from an accident claim against the government. Our law firm has many years of experience with city and county agency claims throughout the state of California. Reach out to us at your earliest convenience and schedule a free consultation on your rights and legal options.
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How to File an Accident Claim against Hacienda Heights
If Hacienda Heights was its own municipality, you can go ahead and file a claim with them directly. But Hacienda Heights is an unincorporated community within Los Angeles County. Thus, you will have to seek payment from the County of Los Angeles, which you can do by filling out a
“Claim for Damages to Person or Property” form. The form, along with instructions for where to send it to, is available on the county’s website.
All claims against Los Angeles County must be received within 6 months of the accident date. This is actually the deadline for all compensation claims involving public entities in California. Keep in mind you will need to include proof of the harm you suffered, why the County is at fault, and why you are entitled to a certain amount of compensation. This is quite challenging for the average person to accomplish on their own, which is why so many of these claims are rejected on the basis of missing or insufficient evidence. Our legal team will help you gather the necessary information and ensure that you have a solid case against the County of Los Angeles.
Claims that are Eligible for Compensation under the CTCA
The CTCA is the abbreviation for the California Tort Claims Act. This is the law that governs lawsuits against government agencies and their employees within the state of California. If negligence by either of those entities causes you bodily harm, you have the right to file a claim for monetary compensation. Accidents that are eligible for a claim against Hacienda Heights include:
- Slip and fall / trip and fall on sidewalks, buildings, parks, and other properties
- Injured by a falling object
- Car accidents / pedestrian accidents with city vehicles
- Hurt in a public school building, parking lot, etc.
- Accidents due to poor road conditions
- Injured by public transportation vehicle (buses, for example)
- Physically or sexually assaulted by county employee
What Happens Once My Claim is Received by Los Angeles County?
From the date of receiving your claim, the County of Los Angeles has 45 days to provide you with written notice. You will either receive an approval notice and an offer to settle your case, or you will receive a rejection notice with justification as to why your claim is denied. If you have waited 45 days from the date of receipt and you have not heard back from the County, you can assume that your claim is denied by default.
Upon receiving a denial notice, you have 6 months to file a lawsuit through the appropriate court system. If the County has failed to respond within 45 days, you have two years to file a lawsuit for monetary damages. Help from a California government claims attorney is highly recommended to ensure that you follow the correct procedures, including the submission of your claim by the applicable deadline.
You should also have an attorney to walk you through any claims against the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, which is the public school system for Hacienda Heights. In terms of student population, it is San Gabriel Valley’s largest school district. Aside from Hacienda Heights, HLPUSD serves students in parts of La Puente, West Covina, Industry, West Puente Valley, Avocado Heights and Valinda.
We know that all this may be overwhelming to you right now, but rest assured that our law firm is here for you every step of the way. Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have questions or concerns about a County of Los Angeles Claim for Damages.
Settlement Value of a Hacienda Heights Accident Claim
The total cost of what someone has lost due to another party’s negligence is different for each and every case. To figure out what your injury claim is worth, we will need to examine many factors that have to do with your injuries, the negligence by LA County, and the losses you suffered as a result of your accident. Some of the claims we handle are sufficiently resolved for around $15,000 or less. Others involve significant bodily harm and lifelong health issues, and these claims may be worth around $250,000 to $3,000,000.
We know that these figures don’t provide you with a clear indication of what you stand to recover from a lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles. That’s something you will need to determine with guidance from one of our legal experts.
Reaching a Settlement – How Long Does it Take?
The road to a settlement is often longer than most claimants would like, and it’s an unfortunate aspect of the legal process. This is particularly true with city or county agency claims, due to additional requirements that do not apply to lawsuits against private entities. As we mentioned, you would have to go through the claims process first, and it can sometimes take the full 6 months to prepare a convincing case. Once you receive a rejection notice (or it’s denied by default), you will need to file a lawsuit and prepare for the possibility of a trial.
We want to point out that trials only happen in a small percentage of cases. With an experienced lawyer by your side, you are more than likely to reach a settlement before the trial date. But that process can still take 1 or more years, so it’s possible that two or more years may be needed to settle your case.
Schedule a Free Case Review
It can be difficult to make sense of the claims process when you are suing a city or county agency. Frankly, the laws favor the government when it comes to these cases, but achieving justice is possible when you have a seasoned attorney to represent you. Our lawyers are here for you day and night, so contact us for a free case evaluation. Alternatively, if you have a city of Hacienda Heights accident lawsuit that you have questions about, call us to schedule a free second opinion.
As a client, we will represent you for free and defer all legal fees until the end of your case. If we recover your settlement, our expenses will be covered by the county of Los Angeles. If we don’t win your case, our Zero Fee Guarantee means that you are free from any responsibility for attorney’s fees.
If you’re ready to explore your legal options with a government agency lawsuit attorney, contact us today.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
How to File an Accident Claim against the City of Irvine
How to File an Accident Claim against the City of Stockton
How to File an Accident Claim against the City of San Bernardino
