Los Angeles, California Personal Injury, Motor Vehicle Accidents and Wrongful Death Lawyers

The Heller Law Firm

24025 Park Sorrento
Suite 240
Calabasas, California 91302-4008
USA

(866) 461-5791

(818) 571-6399

www.seriousinjury.org

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Law Firm Overview Free Consultation

At The Heller Law Firm, our attorneys and professional staff care deeply about our clients and their futures. Together, our goal is to help them obtain the resources they need to recover and rebuild their lives. For over 30 years, the Los Angeles area personal injury lawyers at The Heller Law Firm have been helping injured persons and their families obtain the compensation they need to recover and rebuild their lives.

Our record of success includes numerous cases involving negligent accidents, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death where we have made a positive difference in our clients' lives. The founder of our firm, Stephen Heller, is AV-rated under Martindale Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating™ process*. He leads a team of attorneys and legal professionals who are committed to helping injured persons and their families through their time of personal crises.

For each and every client, we build a strong and persuasive case designed to help secure the necessary compensation. Often, our careful case preparation enables us to achieve favorable negotiated settlements. However, when representation requires litigation, we are aggressive trial lawyers who are not afraid to fight for the rights of our clients. We have obtained substantial damages for clients who have suffered brain injuries, or who have been injured in car accidents, and other negligence cases causing serious injury or death.

Practice Areas

Additional Practice Areas: Doctor Error, Emergency Room Error, Medical Device Failure, Cerebral Hypoxia, Oxygen Deprivation, Fetal Distress, Erb's Palsy, Cerebral Palsy, Driver Negligence, Driver Fatigue, Reckless Driving, Driver Error, Speeding, Trucking Company Liability, Unsafe Truck Loads, Improperly Maintained Trucks, Tire Blowouts, Faulty Highway Design, Disfigurement, Amputation, Traumatic Brain Injury, Dog Bites, Negligent Premises Security, Design Flaws, Dog Bites, Inadequate Premises Maintenance, Toxic Exposure, Inadequate Safety Instructions, Bone Fractures, Paraplegia, Quadriplegia, Disfigurement,
Chemical Burns, Electrocution

Practice Areas Description

The Heller Law Firm focuses on personal injury and wrongful death claims, including:

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

At the Heller Law Firm, we are experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys, who have been helping injured persons and their families obtain medical treatment and financial support since 1974. We are passionate about our work and committed to helping our clients obtain the compensation and peace of mind they need to rebuild their lives. In fact, because we represent only a limited number of clients at any one time, we are able to devote a full and intense effort to every case. The Heller Law Firm cares about you, your family, and your future.

- Medical Malpractice

Doctors and other health care providers must follow well-defined “standards of care” when caring for patients. Medical malpractice occurs when a physician or health care provider either fails to do something that should have been done, or does something which results in injury or death. This is called a “breach of the standard of care.” While a simple mistake is not enough to constitute medical malpractice, a failure to provide reasonable and appropriate care can be malpractice. Our firm represents clients in medical malpractice cases, involving:

* Doctor errors
* Hospital errors
* Surgical errors
* Medication errors
* Failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
* Birth injury
* “Wrongful life” and “wrongful birth”
* Nursing home neglect and abuse
* Medical device failure
* And others

Medical providers and their insurance companies almost always resist providing full and fair compensation in cases involving medical malpractice and negligence. In fact, unlike many other types of personal injury cases, medical malpractice lawsuits frequently go to trial.

The Heller Law Firm, knows how to prepare a strong case and present it in court in a compelling and persuasive manner. Our extensive knowledge, supported by the testimony of highly-qualified medical experts, has enabled us to achieve an enviable track record in medical malpractice cases.

- Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose

The failure to diagnose a potentially fatal disease or condition can cause untold suffering. The victim suffers physically, but can also be tormented by thoughts of what might have been. This mental anguish can extend to family members as well.

In cases involving failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases, the victim and their family deserve answers. They may also be entitled to compensation for their financial losses and suffering.

Medical malpractice cases, particularly failure to diagnose cases, can be complex, as they hinge on interpretations of highly technical ultrasound tests, MRI scans, x-rays, laboratory test results, and other medical data. Success in these cases requires an ability to interpret this data and get to the truth.

The Heller Law Firm has handled numerous medical malpractice, birth injury, and failure-to-diagnose cases. As skilled lawyers, we understand how to evaluate such cases and effectively prepare for litigation. We have a record of success in failure to diagnose, medical malpractice, and other negligence cases.

We supplement our capabilities by consulting with some of the nation's top medical experts, including oncologists, neuroradiologists, cardiologists, and other medical and forensics specialists who can provide insight and compelling testimony to bolster your case.

- Birth Injury

Improper actions on the part of a doctor, nurse or midwife during the birthing process can result in a severe birth injury or obstetrical injury. When any medical professional fails to act in accordance with the standard of care, the child must live with the devastating consequences for the rest of his or her life. Our firm represents victims who have suffered serious birth trauma as a result of medical malpractice. Examples of birth injury cases we handle include:

* Brain damage
* Spina bifida
* Failure to diagnose
* Cerebral palsy
* Erb's palsy
* Paralysis

Our attorneys hold doctors, nurses and other medical professionals accountable for their negligence that cause such serious birth injuries. This negligence often involves failing to recognize symptoms of conditions which may harm the baby or mother or failing to perform adequate testing, including:

* Failing to recognize fetal distress (leading to hypoxia or anoxia)
* Inadequate genetic testing
* Failing to diagnose preeclampsia
* Failure to recognize uterine abruption
* Complications with VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean-section)
* Failing to perform a C-section when necessary (such as in conditions of Placenta previa, placenta accretal/increta, vasa previa)

Hypoxia, or anoxia, is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. This can result from a prolonged delay in the birthing process (such as a delayed C-section) or the improper anesthesia. The effects of hypoxia can range from mild intellectual impairment to severe mental retardation and brain damage.

Whatever the nature of your child's problem, The Heller Law Firm will thoroughly investigate the extent of his or her injuries. Using some of nation's top experts in obstetrics, perinatology, neurology, neuroradiology, life-care planning, infant development and other medical disciplines, we will seek to document the nature of the birth injury and how it occurred. This investigation will play a major role in building a strong case for compensation for your child.

- Motor Vehicle Accidents

Serious car and motor vehicle accidents require the guidance of an experienced attorney. For example, without legal representation, evidence important to your case may begin to disappear, while a failure to act promptly may jeopardize your ability to obtain compensation at all.

We work with physicians and other healthcare providers to assess and review all of the short and long-term medical aspects of your case, particularly the costs of medical care, rehabilitation therapy, and other services you need. We will include the costs of these services, as well as replacement income and damages for pain and suffering in your claim. At The Heller Firm, we want to see you make as complete a recovery as possible — medically, financially, and emotionally.

Our detailed understanding of California's automobile, insurance, and liability laws means we know the various sources of recovery available to car accident victims and how to obtain compensation from those who caused them unnecessary harm.

- Truck Accident

Every day, truck accidents occur on streets and highways in California and throughout the country. In fact, because of their size and speed, trucks, semis, 18-wheelers, tractor trailer rigs, big rigs or other large commercial vehicle can strike with devastating force. It does not matter whether the accident happened because of a tire blowout, improper load handling, equipment failure or, as is often the case, driver fatigue — the victims of these accidents and their families face a long road to physical, emotional and financial recovery.

Our truck accident lawyers use their experience, skill and resourcefulness to investigate these often devastating accidents and expose negligence which caused or contributed to the accident. This negligence often involves defective products, dangerous road conditions, negligence of the truck driver or negligence of the trucking company, including:

* Failure to maintain dangerous equipment
* Carrying unbalanced or overweight loads
* Carrying improperly restrained loads
* Speeding or driving under the influence (of drugs or alcohol)
* Failure to maintain roads
* Negligent hiring practices or training by trucking companies
* Overzealous delivery schedules (promoting speeding or unsafe driving)
* Driver fatigue

A trucking accident caused by an 18-wheeler, construction vehicle, bus or other commercial vehicle may have multiple causes. As experienced trial lawyers, aided by accident investigators, automotive engineers, mechanical engineers and others, we will thoroughly investigate the accident and seek to identify the true source or sources of liability. Moreover, we will also examine the effects that the accident has had and will continue to have on your life. The Heller Law Firm will work to build a strong case designed to obtain the financial resources you need to rebuild your life after a devastating truck accident.

- Motorcycle Accident

A motorcycle accident can have complex and far-reaching effects. The Heller Law Firm initiates our investigation by focusing on the victim and the nature of the injuries which they have suffered. Our firm has extensive experience in cases involving spinal cord injury, neck injury, head injury, compound bone fractures and other catastrophic injuries.

With the help of medical experts and specialists, we identify the extent of the injuries and the medical care you or your loved one needs to make as full a recovery as possible. We will also investigate the cause of the bike accident, by drawing on the resources of experienced specialists in the field of motorcycle dynamics, accident reconstruction, biomechanics, human factors, highway safety and experts in related fields. We frequently expose negligence which enables us to pursue maximum compensation for our clients. Motorcycle accidents often involve:

* Defective or dangerous equipment
* Other inattentive drivers
* Drivers who cut off motorcyclists
* Unsafe lane changing
* Defective or dangerous road conditions (faulty highway design)

The Heller Law Firm will create a strong and convincing case designed to secure maximum compensation for all of your losses suffered in a motorcycle accident. Although money alone may never fully replace what has been lost, it can nevertheless provide the financial resources and peace of mind that you need to move forward and live your life with dignity.

- Rollover Accidents

A rollover accident is among the most serious and potentially lethal types of vehicle accidents. It can come suddenly and with no warning. Unfortunately, survivors and their families often do not know where to turn for help or consolation in the aftermath of these terrifying accidents.

At The Heller Law Firm, we help clients recover from catastrophic accidents. The compensation we help our clients obtain can provide them with the medical treatment, long-term care, and replacement income they need to move forward with their lives after the altogether devastating accident.

We carefully investigate every case by using the collective knowledge of our attorneys and staff, and by calling upon accident reconstruction specialists, highway safety experts, automotive engineers, and other professionals. Often, a rollover accident may have been the result of a flaw in the design of the vehicle or tire, or caused by the actions of another driver. Slowly but surely, we will uncover the true cause or causes behind your accident, and work to build a strong and persuasive case on your behalf.

- Pedestrian and Bicycle Accident

Man verses machine. When a walker, jogger, bicyclist or other pedestrian is struck by a moving vehicle, the outcome is preordained. People suffer serious and catastrophic injuries when hit by a car or other motor vehicle, due to the size and force of the impact from vehicle. Many of these accidents result in fatalities.

Many accidents occur because a roadway is insufficiently lit and the driver fails to see the pedestrian. It is important that pedestrians and bicyclists take every precaution necessary to protect themselves from injury. Pedestrians and bicyclists should wear reflective gear and helmets, use crosswalks where available, should use a light on their bikes at night and should be aware of the laws of the road.

Even when pedestrians and bicyclists follow all traffic laws and taking every precaution available, serious accidents still occur. Negligent drivers fail to observe traffic laws, fail to see pedestrians or folks on bikes, fail to yield and simply drive recklessly. More recently, people have been involved in pedestrian accidents involving hybrid vehicles due to the lack of noise made by the approaching vehicle.

- Premises Liability

Under California law, every property owner must maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition, or else warn people of any potential dangers. When a property owner fails to do this, and a serious injury results, the injured person may seek compensation.

Business entities owe you, as a customer (or "business invitee"), one of the highest duties of care recognized by law: "The duty to warn, inspect and make save," in so many word not to expose you unreasonable risks of harm. Our firm represents clients who have suffered injuries in premises liability accidents involving:

* Slip-and-fall / trip-and-fall: We represent people who have broken their arms, wrists, legs, knee caps, ankles or suffered other complex fractures and traumatic head injuries including brain damage in slip-and-fall/trip-and-fall accidents on private, public or commercial property.
* Improper design: Our firm investigates cases involving structural design flaws or defects which contribute to a serious accident. Design defects often lead to slip/trip and falls, elevator accidents and other serious accidents.
* Inadequate maintenance: A property owner's failure to maintain the property can cause or create dangerous conditions which contribute to accidents. Such conditions may involve a landlord's failure to maintain lighting or handrails in a stairwell, a property owner's failure to maintain steps or a commercial property owner's failure to maintain a safe walkway.
* Negligent /inadequate security: We represent individuals who have been attacked, robbed or suffered any other injustice as a result of a property owner's insufficient or negligent security. This often involves ineffective security, defective video cameras in a parking garage, inadequate lighting in a parking lot, unsecured firearms, inattentive security staff and other negligence.
* Dog bites: Our firm provides skilled representation to victims of dog attacks in California. We represent people who have suffered severe lacerations, puncture wounds or other injures as a result of a dog bite.

- Products Liability

Every year, thousands of consumers and industrial workers sustain serious injuries from, or are killed by defective and dangerous products. Many of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented if the manufacturers or distributors of these products took simple and inexpensive steps to ensure the safety of these products.

The Heller Law Firm represents people who have suffered serious injuries because of dangerous and defective products. We obtain the compensation our clients need to cover the costs of the medical treatment and recover their lost wages. Our firm represents clients in all types of products liability actions, including those stemming from:

* Defective household products
* Defective industrial equipment
* Exposure to toxic and other dangerous substances
* Defective medical products and devices
* Dangerous drugs
* Defective vehicle components
* Inadequate and misleading instructions or safety data
* And others

Our firm has succeeded in securing compensation and justice in numerous cases involving defective and dangerous products. Success in these types of cases often depends upon highly technical analyses of the design, materials, or construction of the product. As such, we engage consulting engineers, materials specialists, human factors experts, and other specialists from the appropriate technical/professional disciplines to help us determine the causes of the product failure.

As skilled lawyers, we will work to build you a solid and altogether persuasive case. At the same time, we will also look at what you need to recover as fully as possible -- including medical care, reparative or cosmetic surgery, long-term care, replacement of lost income, and other services.

- Bone Fractures

Fractures are very painful and can cause great disabilities. A serious fracture, such as a compound fracture may require surgery or extensive physical therapy and may prevent you from working for weeks or months during your recovery period.

If you have suffered a fracture as the result of someone else’s negligence, you must take action to protect your right to compensation. You may do this by collecting and preserving as much evidence as possible and by getting the names of any witnesses. You should report the event to your insurance company, but do not speak with representatives of any other insurance company or party.

- Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury can have an immediate and catastrophic effect, including paraplegia or quadriplegia. However, there are other physical, emotional, and financial effects, as the victim may not be able to work, or may suffer severe depression and other emotional illnesses. There may also be long-term physical effects, such as cardiovascular disease and eventual organ failure. Lastly, the family of the victim suffers emotional and financial hardship as they struggle to provide care for their loved one and try to make ends meet.

We are skilled trial lawyers. We will look at the causes of the accident that resulted in your injury and consult with engineers, accident reconstruction specialists, human factors experts, and professionals from other appropriate disciplines to develop a strong and convincing case for you. These medical and engineering experts support our litigation effort through powerful and persuasive courtroom testimony.

The Heller Law Firm, has a strong record of success in spinal cord injury, back injury, neck injury, and other catastrophic injury cases. We understand how to obtain results in cases involving paralysis and spinal cord injury caused by the negligence of others. We will work with you to maximize the compensation you receive.

- Brain Injury

A brain injury caused by a car accident, defective product, medical malpractice, construction accident, slip and fall, or other act of negligence can have devastating effects. The victim may suffer loss of motor function and mobility, or may linger in a coma or vegetative state for weeks, months, or the rest of his or her life. He or she may also suffer amnesia or emotional problems that prevent them from earning a living.

Victims of brain injuries need financial help, as well as the love and support of family and friends. The Heller Law Firm obtains compensation for brain injury victims, including financial resources that can provide medical treatment, long-term care, rehabilitation, and replacement income.

- Burn Injury

A severe burn injury is one of the most catastrophic, disabling injuries an individual can suffer. Multiple surgeries may be necessary to restore function to the affected area and to regain cosmetic appeal to an area, such as the face. Even after extensive treatment, burns injury victims may never look, feel or move the same. Burns can also cause death due to the enormous damage the skin often suffers.

Severe burn injuries can result from any form of accident or negligence, ranging from a car fire in a motor vehicle accident a fire involving a defective smoke alarm, a product malfunction/failure leading to a fire and explosion, etc.. Our firm thoroughly investigates and works to expose the negligence which caused the accident to obtain the maximum compensation for our clients.