Laguna Beach Brain Injury Lawyer
What to Do After a Laguna Beach Traumatic Brain Injury
A brain injury may start with less pain than you’d expect. Yet, it can reshape how you think, speak, sleep, and relate to the people who depend on you, often for years or a lifetime. Medical bills, lost income, and rehabilitation costs stack up quickly, and figuring out who should pay is not something most people want to face alone.
Bentley & More LLP, founded in 2016 by trial lawyers Gregory L. Bentley and Keith P. More, works as a Laguna Beach brain injury lawyer team for Orange County families facing this kind of catastrophic loss.
Both founders were named to the 2026 Super Lawyers list, and the firm has recovered more than $735 million in combined verdicts and settlements for injured clients across California. Our lawyers understand how insurers value a brain injury claim, and we know how to build a case with compassion. Understanding how to find a good personal injury lawyer in California is crucial when seeking fair financial recovery for catastrophic harm.
Contact us to talk through what happened and what your next step should look like.
What Our Brain Injury Case Results Show About These Claims
We have helped other people with traumatic brain injuries. Below are some of our brain injury case results:
- $30 million settlement for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury and permanent vision loss after a truck’s driveshaft sheared off and struck her windshield
- $67 million judgment for a client who fell through an unmarked open hole in a roof during construction and suffered a traumatic brain injury and other injuries that require lifetime confinement to a care facility
- $31.5 million jury verdict against Caltrans after a dangerous condition on Highway 138 caused brain and spinal cord injuries
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case, since every brain injury case depends on its own facts and evidence.
Brain Injury Claims We Handle for Laguna Beach Clients
We can represent clients in claims involving:
- Car accidents and motorcycle crashes on Pacific Coast Highway, where narrow lanes and blind curves along the coastal bluffs can lead to head-on collisions
- Rollover and head-on wrecks on Laguna Canyon Road (SR-133), the two-lane canyon route connecting the city to the 405 and 73 freeways
- Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall incidents on uneven sidewalks, beach stairways, or poorly maintained commercial property
- Bicycle and pedestrian collisions near beach access points and busy intersections
- Falls from height on construction sites or commercial properties
- Defective helmets, vehicle safety systems, or other products that failed to prevent a head injury
Each case calls for a different mix of evidence that shapes how the claim gets built.
What a Traumatic Brain Injury Can Cost You Long Term
A moderate to severe brain injury often means years of cognitive therapy, lost earning capacity, home modifications, and ongoing medical monitoring. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, the estimated lifetime cost of a person living with a brain injury exceeds $4 million. Insurance adjusters tend to undervalue these long-term costs because the damage is not always visible from the outside.
Understanding the full scope of what a brain injury will cost you is the first step toward making sure a settlement or verdict actually covers it. Examining average personal injury settlement amounts in California provides helpful baseline context on how catastrophic harm impacts claim valuation.
Why Families Choose Our Laguna Beach Brain Injury Lawyer Team
Bentley & More built its practice around catastrophic injury and government liability cases, two areas that overlap often in brain injury claims tied to dangerous roads or public property. The firm holds a U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 ranking. Seven of its attorneys were also individually recognized in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
The firm offers services in Spanish, so language is never a barrier to getting your case heard clearly.
As trial lawyers who litigate cases rather than refer them out, the team prepares every brain injury claim as if it may need to go before a jury. That approach shapes how evidence gets gathered and preserved from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a brain injury lawsuit in California?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the injury under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 335.1. That window shrinks dramatically if a government agency was involved.
What if a government entity caused my brain injury in Laguna Beach?
You generally must present a formal written claim within six months of the injury before you can sue the city, county, or state. If you miss that deadline, you may lose the right to recover anything from the public entity, even if the injury happened on a clearly dangerous stretch of road.
Does a brain injury always show symptoms right away?
No. Many brain injuries, especially concussions and other mild to moderate brain injuries, produce symptoms like headaches, memory problems, or mood changes that appear hours or days after the initial impact. Seeing a doctor promptly and documenting ongoing symptoms help connect the injury to the accident later.
What does it cost to hire a brain injury lawyer?
Bentley & More handles brain injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees upfront. We also offer a free consultation to review what happened before any commitment is made.
Can I still recover money if I was partly at fault for the accident?
California allows injured people to recover damages even if they share some fault for the accident. However, your fault percentage can reduce your final award. An attorney can help assess how shared fault might affect your specific claim.
Where do serious brain injury lawsuits in Laguna Beach actually get filed?
Most catastrophic brain injury claims exceed $35,000 in damages.They qualify as unlimited civil cases and are filed at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
Learn More About Your Brain Injury Claim From Our Laguna Beach Team
A traumatic brain injury changes almost everything, from your paycheck to your daily routine. The parties responsible for it rarely volunteer to make that right. Personal injury lawyers at Bentley & More LLP brings trial-ready preparation and direct experience with both private and government liability cases to every brain injury client it represents.
Whether the injury happened on Pacific Coast Highway, Laguna Canyon Road, or private property, the sooner the evidence gets gathered, the stronger your claim may be. Contact us today for a free consultation about your brain injury case.
Client Testimonials
“I can’t thank Bentley & More enough, especially Steve. After my dad’s passing in a car accident, they secured a settlement we are so grateful for. From the start, they made sure we were taken care of, handling everything so we didn’t have to worry. Steve went above and beyond, always there when we needed support, and it was such a relief knowing we were in good hands. If you’re looking for a firm that truly cares, Bentley & More is the one. Highly recommend them!” – Kevin Jimenez ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bentley & More LLP Office
Address: 4931 Birch Street Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 870-3800
Laguna Beach, CA Related Brain Injury Resources
- What to Do If You Have a Personal Injury Case in California
- Do I Need a Lawyer for a Personal Injury Case in California?
Laguna Beach, CA Brain Injury Legal Resources
- Laguna Beach Police Department – Traffic Collision Reports
- Orange County Superior Court – Central Justice Center (Santa Ana)
- California Department of Public Health – Traumatic Brain Injury Program
About Laguna Beach, CA
Laguna Beach is world-renowned for its scenic coastal bluffs, vibrant art galleries, and iconic destinations like Main Beach and Heisler Park. However, congested traffic along Pacific Coast Highway and winding canyon roads like Laguna Canyon Road leads to severe motor vehicle collisions and traumatic head injuries, with over 12,500 fatal and injury collisions reported annually across Orange County according to California Highway Patrol SWITRS data. Local traffic safety officials continue to implement road infrastructure upgrades and active safety enforcement. These ongoing community initiatives help protect commuters, visitors, and residents across the region.
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