San Diego Personal Injury & Employment Lawyers

Need a San Diego personal injury lawyer or employment attorney? Smith Trial Group represents people throughout San Diego County who have been seriously injured or treated unlawfully at work, from downtown San Diego and Chula Vista to Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Escondido.

Consultations are free, we work on contingency, and we prepare every case to be tried. Call 855-202-2232.

On this page: Injury cases · Employment cases · San Diego County cases · How we work · FAQ

Personal Injury Cases We Handle in San Diego

• Car accidents, truck accidents, bus accidents, and Uber and Lyft accidents
• Motorcycle, bicycle and e-scooter, and pedestrian accidents
• Hit-and-run and uninsured motorist claims
• Dog bites, slip and fall injuries, and defective products
• Brain injuries, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death

Employment Cases We Handle in San Diego

• Wrongful termination and retaliation
• Discrimination, including race, sex and equal pay, disability, pregnancy, and age
• Sexual harassment and hostile work environments
• Unpaid wages and overtime, misclassification, meal and rest breaks, and PAGA claims
• Whistleblower retaliation, medical leave violations, and severance agreement review

Handling Cases Across San Diego County

San Diego County’s roads include some of the busiest corridors in the state: the I-5 along the coast, the I-805 and I-15 inland, and the SR-163, SR-94, and SR-78. Tourist traffic, military commuters, and dense downtown streets also produce frequent pedestrian, bicycle and e-scooter, and rideshare collisions. Claims involving the region’s public transit system are subject to a six-month government claim deadline.

The county’s major employers span defense contracting, biotech and life sciences, healthcare, hospitality, and tourism. We represent employees in wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour cases across these industries.

San Diego County civil cases are heard in the San Diego County Superior Court, and federal cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

How We Work

• Free consultation. Tell us what happened, and we will tell you honestly whether you have a case.
• Contingency fees. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover for you.
• Trial-ready from day one. Our attorneys previously represented Fortune 500 companies. We know how the other side values cases, and we prepare every case to win in front of a jury.
• Flexible consultations. We meet by phone, by video, or at our Newport Beach office, whichever is easiest for you.

See our case results or meet our attorneys.

Helpful resources: San Diego County Superior Court · U.S. District Court, Southern District of California

San Diego Roads and Crash Hotspots

San Diego’s major freeways, including the I-5, I-15, I-8, I-805 and SR-163, carry heavy commuter, military, tourist and cross-border traffic. The I-5 and I-805 near the border see significant commercial truck traffic heading to and from the Otay Mesa port of entry. Downtown, the Gaslamp Quarter, beach communities and university areas have high numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders. See truck accidents and pedestrian accidents.

Crashes Involving Military Personnel or Vehicles

San Diego has a large military presence. Crashes involving federal government vehicles or federal employees acting within the scope of their duties are governed by the Federal Tort Claims Act, which requires an administrative claim, generally within two years, before a lawsuit. If a service member was driving a personal vehicle off duty, the claim usually proceeds against the driver’s own insurance. These distinctions matter and should be evaluated early.

Employment Cases in San Diego County

San Diego’s biotech, defense, technology, health care and hospitality industries generate discrimination, retaliation, wage and whistleblower claims. See defense contractor whistleblowers, pharmaceutical and medical device whistleblowers and employment law.

San Diego Courts

Civil cases arising in San Diego County are filed in San Diego County Superior Court, with civil cases heard at the Hall of Justice downtown and in regional courthouses. Federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Claims against the City or County of San Diego, MTS or other public entities generally require a government claim within six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your office is in Newport Beach. Can you handle my San Diego case?

Yes. We represent clients throughout San Diego County and meet by phone, by video, or at our Newport Beach office.

I was hurt on a trolley or city bus. Is there a special deadline?

Yes. Claims against public transit agencies generally require a formal government claim within six months of the injury. See bus accidents.