El Monte is a city within the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, just east of the city of Los Angeles. The city’s name means “the mountain” in Spanish, which is appropriate, as 70% of the residents speak Spanish. The city was mainly known for its walnut groves up until the 1970s, when there was a sharp increase in the number of people who built homes in the area and stayed on a permanent basis.
The city government is made up of 7 members – the mayor and 6 council members that are elected every 4 years. These individuals are in charge of overseeing critical services that ensure the safety and protection of the residents, as well as visitors to the city of El Monte. Unfortunately, these entities can suffer due to poor leadership and negligence in their duty of care to the public.
When there is a failure of duty by a city government, people can be harmed from a serious accident or even criminal incidents, like sexual assault. In this article, we will discuss the steps you can take if the city of El Monet is responsible for causing harm to you or your loved ones. Since we can only offer general information, don’t hesitate to contact us if you have specific questions about your rights as an injury victim.
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Suing the City of El Monte for an Accident
City governments have a duty of care to the people within their borders, and as a result, you can sue if negligence by an agency, employee, or independent contractor hired by the city of El Monte caused you bodily harm and/or property damage. Your right to sue, as well as the procedures for how to seek compensation is based on the California Tort Claims Act. Here are some examples of incidents that can make you eligible for a lawsuit against the city of El Monte:
- Trip and fall on city sidewalks
- Slip and fall inside buildings and public outdoor areas
- Car collision and other accidents with city vehicles
- Injuries caused by falling objects
- Assault and battery or sexual assault by a city employee
- Assault incidents due to lack of security
- Accidents on property owned and operated by public schools
How to File an Accident Claim with the City of El Monte
Before you can file a lawsuit, you’ll need to submit a compensation claim with the El Monte City Clerk’s Office. The form, which you can download online, includes important instructions, like how to include supporting documents and where you can send the forms. While the form is only a couple of pages, the questions you are asked are quite challenging to answer. You must also have evidence to back up the amount of damages you are seeking and why the city bears legal responsibility for your accident.
Frankly, many people do their best to make a strong argument, but this is difficult to accomplish without expert knowledge of the state’s personal injury laws. That’s why so many of these claims are rejected on the basis of unclear or missing information, or lack of evidence to show that the city is liable. These are just some of the reasons why you should contact a government claims lawsuit attorney if you were injured because of negligence by a city of El Monte department or someone that works for the city.
Please note that you must submit your claim within 6 months from the date of the incident. This is a firm deadline, and there are no exceptions if you are past the 6-month mark. That’s why it’s essential to gather the necessary evidence and fill out your claim forms as soon as possible. A City of El Monte injury claims lawyer at our office can ensure that all your paperwork gets to the City Clerk’s office on time, so contact us for help if you are filing an incident report with the city of El Monte.
What can I Expect Once I Send in My Claim?
The city of El Monte has a time limit of 45 days to get back to you from the date of receiving your claim. You will receive an acceptance letter telling you that they will pay the requested amount. Alternatively, the city will send a rejection notice with the reason for why they are denying your claim. This is not the end of the road, however, since you have 6 months to file a lawsuit with the civil court system.
In the event that you don’t get any kind of response from the city in 45 days, you have 2 years from whenever you were injured to file a personal injury lawsuit. Whether you receive a denial letter or your claim is rejected by default, you should obtain counsel from an experienced accident injury attorney if you plan on suing the city. Our legal team is here for you day and night, so contact us to schedule a free case review.
What are These Cases Worth on Average?
Claims for accidents caused by a city government can be worth $10,000 to $50,000 on the lower end, and over $2,000,000 in the most extreme cases of injury and loss of property. The degree of negligence or misconduct by the city will also affect the amount we can obtain on behalf of an accident victim. The amount of compensation is based on the total sum of monetary damages, like medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional distress. It’s very important that you discuss the payments you are entitled to with a personal injury attorney, since many people are under the assumption that you can only recover the cost of medical bills and damage to your belongings. We will ensure that you receive the full value of your losses, which you can learn more about during a free case evaluation.
How Long Does a City of El Monte Accident Case Take to Settle?
The average incident claim against a city takes around 12 to 24 months to settle. This may seem like a long time, but it’s the unfortunate reality of suing the government. These entities have more protections than private entities, like a business or homeowner. That means the lawsuit process is more complicated, which then affects the amount of time it takes to reach a settlement. Of course, we do have cases that are settled in less time, so the 1 to 2 year rule is not absolute. But, if you were to ask us for an average amount of time based on the majority of city accident claims, we would say at least 1 year is needed in order to negotiate a favorable settlement award.
Free Legal Services
Here at Normandie, accident victims pay $0 out of pocket to hire a City of El Monte accident injury lawyer. That’s because we have a Zero Fee Guarantee, where all legal fees are paid by the defendant on the condition that we win your case. If we don’t bring you payment from a personal injury or property damage lawsuit, you owe us $0 in legal fees.
As you can see, there is nothing to lose by allowing us to represent you and fight for the compensation you deserve. To learn more about your rights and legal options, contact our law firm, where you can talk to one of our attorneys during a free consultation.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
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
How to File an Accident Injury Claim against the City of Beaumont, CA
