Holding Government Entities Accountable

Government agencies operate roads, bridges, public transit systems, parks, schools, and public buildings that millions of Californians rely on every day. When those agencies are negligent in designing, maintaining, or operating public infrastructure and facilities, and people are injured or killed as a result, they must be held accountable just like any private entity.

Attorney Tobin Lanzetta has built one of the strongest track records in California against government defendants. His results include a $13.82 million verdict against the MTA in Garcia v. MTA, $21 million in settlements in the Santa Monica Farmers Market tragedy, $9 million in the Ho v. City of Rancho Palos Verdes settlement, a $3 million settlement against LAUSD in Saucedo v. Los Angeles Unified School District, a $3 million settlement in Blood v. County of San Bernardino, and a $2.6 million verdict against the City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus in Mehdipour. These cases demonstrate the ability to take on city, county, and state agencies and win.

Special Rules for Government Claims

Suing a government entity in California is fundamentally different from a standard personal injury case. Before you can file a lawsuit, you must first file a government tort claim with the responsible agency. For most claims, this must be done within six months of the incident. If you miss this deadline, your claim is almost certainly barred, regardless of how strong your case is. The agency then has 45 days to respond. Only after the claim is denied (or the agency fails to respond within the deadline) can you file a lawsuit in court.

These strict procedural requirements are one of the most common ways that valid claims against government entities are lost. If you’ve been injured by government negligence, consulting an attorney quickly is essential.

Common Government Liability Claims

Our firm handles government liability cases involving public transit accidents, including bus, train, and subway incidents, dangerous road conditions such as potholes, missing signage, and defective traffic signals, defective or missing guardrails and safety barriers, dangerous conditions in public parks, pools, and recreational facilities, school injuries involving negligent supervision or unsafe facilities, police and law enforcement misconduct, public building and facility hazards, and water, sewer, and utility infrastructure failures.

Multi-Party Government Cases

Government liability cases frequently involve multiple defendants. A dangerous road condition might involve both the city that owns the road and the state agency that designed it. A transit accident might implicate the transit authority, a vehicle manufacturer, and a maintenance contractor. Tobin Lanzetta has extensive experience managing these large, multi-party government cases, coordinating complex discovery across multiple defendants, and building cohesive cases that hold every responsible party accountable.

Free Consultation

If you’ve been injured due to government negligence, contact Lanzetta Law immediately for a free consultation. Licensed in California and New Mexico, with offices in Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Fe, we handle government liability cases in both states. Remember: you may have as little as six months to file a government tort claim, so time is critical.