Were you harmed due to the negligence of a city agency, office, or employee? If so, you might have grounds to sue. If you or a member of your family were injured because of the negligence of the City of Oakland, you could sue the city. You likely have many questions about how to sue and the process of filing a government claim.
Our lawyers at Normandie Law Firm are ready to guide you throughout the process.
Common Accidents that Involve the City
Some of the most common personal injury accidents that can involve the City of Oakland include the following:
- Assault and battery and sexual assault by city employees
- Trip and fall accidents caused by broken, defective, or raised sidewalks
- Tree collapse or tree branch incidents caused by a lack of maintenance
- Police shootings
- Pedestrian accidents and auto accidents resulting from getting hit by government vehicles, city vehicles, police cars, city fire department vehicles, city work truck, city trucks, etc.
If you or a member of your family were involved in any of the types of incident mentioned above, you likely suffered harm. Depending on the injuries resulting from the incident, you could have the right to sue. More specifically, you could be eligible to file a government claim.
The Process of Filing Government Claims
How can you sue the City of Oakland? Suing any city is somewhat of a difficult process, as claimants have to do a little more than if they were filing a normal civil lawsuit against a negligent party. To sue the City of Oakland, you have to file a government claim.
You will have to file a claim directly with the city agency that was involved in your accident (i.e., if you were struck by a police vehicle, you would file the claim with the police department). You only have 6 months to file the claim with the city agency. The city agency will then have only 45 days to respond to your claim.
If the city agency responds with approval, your claim is settled as that’s that. However, things are not always as easy as this. It is possible for the city agency to respond rejecting your claim. It is also for the city agency to fail to respond entirely.
If the city responds and rejects your claim, you will have 6 months to file your lawsuit in court. However, if the city does not respond to the claim (which deems your claim as rejected), you will have 2 years to file your lawsuit in court. After the initial claim has been filed directly with the government agency, the filing process is the same as any other type of injury claim.
Government claims, in general, tend to be very complicated mostly due to their technicalities and their strict deadlines. Because of that, having a lawyer is always recommended.
Contact Us Today
If you are interested in learning more about how to file an accident claim against the City of Oakland, do not hesitate to contact our personal injury attorneys with experience in government claims at Normandie Law Firm. Our lawyers are more than ready to evaluate your claim against the city entity and help you recover the compensation that you are owed. Our lawyers are ready to guide you every step of the way.
