The short answer
Victims of police misconduct in California can recover compensation for excessive force, false arrest, and civil rights violations under federal and state law. Claims against government entities require filing within six months under the Tort Claims Act. Consult a lawyer immediately.
When a police officer violates your rights, the harm goes beyond the injury. A wrongful arrest, a beating during a traffic stop, or a search that should never have happened can cost you your job, your reputation, and your trust in the people sworn to protect you. In Los Angeles, these incidents can involve the LAPD, the Sheriff's Department, CHP, school police, transit police, or any of the dozens of smaller city departments across the county, and each one has its own lawyers and risk managers.
Police misconduct cases are not ordinary injury claims. They are brought under federal civil rights law, California's own civil rights statutes, and state tort law, and each has different rules about who can be sued, what must be proven, and which defenses apply. Government defendants also benefit from strict filing deadlines and immunity doctrines that do not exist in a typical car accident case. Missing a single step early on can end a strong claim before it starts.
Our founding attorney has fought insurers for injured Californians since 2002. We know how claims are valued, how risk pools and city attorneys decide what to fight and what to settle, and which weaknesses they look for first. We use that knowledge to build your case the way the defense will test it, so there are fewer surprises later.
Consultations are free and confidential, and you pay no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation for you. If you or a loved one was mistreated by law enforcement anywhere in Los Angeles County, contact us as soon as possible so we can protect the evidence and the deadlines that matter most.
From the other side of the table
How the defense sees your claim
They lead with your record
Defense lawyers routinely dig into a plaintiff's arrest history, prior complaints, and social media to paint you as the problem. We get ahead of that by learning your background first, framing it honestly, and keeping the focus on what the officer did and whether the law allowed it.
They rely on the officer's report
The official narrative is usually written before anyone else is interviewed, and it is written to justify the stop or the force. We compare it line by line against body-worn camera footage, dispatch audio, and independent witnesses to find where the story does not hold together.
They raise immunity early
Individual officers often argue qualified immunity on federal claims, and public entities invoke statutory immunities on state claims. We plead claims under both federal and California law, including the Bane Act, so that one defense does not dispose of your entire case.
They wait out the deadline
Public entities know many people never file the required government claim within six months. We calendar every deadline on day one, file a complete claim, and track the rejection notice so your right to sue is preserved.
Why it happens
Common causes
Excessive force during an arrest or stop
Takedowns, strikes, chokeholds, TASER use, K-9 bites, and baton or projectile injuries can all be excessive when the situation did not justify that level of force. The question is whether a reasonable officer would have used that force given what was known at the time.
False arrest and false imprisonment
Being detained or arrested without probable cause, or held longer than the law allows, can support a civil claim even if the charges were later dropped. Mistaken identity arrests and arrests for lawful conduct, such as recording police in public, fall in this category.
Unlawful searches and seizures
Warrantless home entries, vehicle searches without consent or probable cause, and property seizures that violate the Fourth Amendment may give rise to damages, in addition to any impact on a criminal case.
Retaliation for protected speech
Officers may not arrest, injure, or target you because you criticized them, filmed them, or took part in a lawful protest. Los Angeles has seen repeated litigation over crowd-control tactics at demonstrations.
Malicious prosecution and fabricated evidence
When officers falsify reports, plant evidence, or pressure witnesses to secure charges, the resulting prosecution can support a civil rights claim once the case is resolved in your favor.
Mistreatment in custody
Injuries in holding cells, denial of needed medical care after arrest, and abuse during transport can all be forms of police misconduct, and they often involve multiple agencies and contractors.
What we see
Injuries we handle
What you may recover
Compensation in a California claim
Medical expenses
Emergency care, surgery, therapy, counseling, and the reasonable cost of future treatment related to the misconduct.
Lost income and earning capacity
Wages lost while injured or jailed, jobs lost because of a wrongful arrest, and reduced ability to earn in the future.
Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
Compensation for physical pain, fear, humiliation, and psychological harm, which often represents a major part of a civil rights case.
Punitive damages against individual officers
Where an officer acted with malice or reckless disregard for your rights, punitive damages may be available against that officer. Public entities themselves are generally not subject to punitive damages under California law.
Attorney's fees and statutory remedies
Federal civil rights law and the Bane Act allow a court to award reasonable attorney's fees to a prevailing plaintiff, and the Bane Act provides additional statutory remedies.
The rules that apply
California law you should know
Federal civil rights claims
Anyone acting under color of state law who deprives you of a constitutional right can be held liable in a civil action. This is the primary vehicle for excessive force, false arrest, and unlawful search claims.
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Objective reasonableness
Force is judged by whether it was objectively reasonable in light of the facts confronting the officer, considering the severity of the crime, the immediate threat, and whether the person was resisting or fleeing.
Graham v. Connor (1989) 490 U.S. 386
Tom Bane Civil Rights Act
California law allows a civil action against anyone who interferes with your constitutional or statutory rights by threats, intimidation, or coercion, and it provides for damages and attorney's fees.
Civil Code § 52.1
Government claim deadlines
A claim for personal injury against a California public entity generally must be presented within six months of the incident. After a written rejection, you typically have six months to file suit.
Gov. Code §§ 911.2, 945.6
General information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules depend on the facts of your case, so talk to an attorney promptly.
Right now
Protect your claim
Evidence to gather
- Photos of your injuries taken daily as they heal
- Names and contact details of every witness
- Any video you or bystanders recorded, backed up in more than one place
- Booking paperwork, citations, property receipts, and release documents
- Medical records from the jail, ER, and follow-up providers
- Torn or bloody clothing, kept in a paper bag
- Officer names, badge numbers, and patrol car numbers
- A written timeline made as soon as possible after the incident
Mistakes insurers count on
- Waiting to talk to a lawyer until after the six-month government claim deadline has passed
- Giving a statement to internal affairs or investigators without legal advice
- Posting about the incident or the officers on social media
- Skipping medical care or failing to report all of your symptoms
- Assuming you have no case because you were charged with a crime
Step by step
How we handle your case
- 1
Confidential case review
We listen to what happened, review any paperwork you have, and explain your options, including how any pending criminal case may affect timing.
- 2
Preserve the evidence
We send preservation demands for body-worn and dash camera video, dispatch recordings, use-of-force reports, and nearby surveillance footage before routine retention periods run out.
- 3
File the government claim
For state-law claims, we prepare and file a detailed claim with the correct public entity within the six-month deadline and track the agency's response.
- 4
Build the liability case
We interview witnesses, obtain medical documentation, and pursue records through the California Public Records Act and discovery, including prior complaints where the law allows.
- 5
Litigate or negotiate
We file in state or federal court as the case requires and prepare it for trial. We pursue a fair settlement when one is offered, and we are ready to try the case when it is not.
From the Case Vault
Related results
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
For state-law claims against a city, county, or other public entity, you generally must file a government claim within six months of the incident under Government Code § 911.2. Federal civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 borrow California's two-year personal injury period, but you should not rely on the longer deadline, because losing your state claims can weaken your case. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
Civil Rights & Emerging Harms