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Author name: Tom Feher, Esq.

Tom Feher is the founding attorney of Feher Law APC, a California personal injury and employment law firm with offices in Torrance and Huntington Beach. He has recovered over $100 million for injured workers and accident victims across California. Tom is a trial attorney licensed to practice in all California state courts and focuses on complex personal injury, workplace discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination cases. He offers free consultations to prospective clients.

Woman calling for help after roadside car accident with another driver

How Are Car Accident Settlements Calculated in California?

California car-accident settlements are calculated by stacking economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, future treatment costs) plus non-economic damages (pain and suffering, typically 1.5x to 5x economic damages for soft-tissue and 5x to 10x for surgical or catastrophic injuries). Under California’s pure comparative fault rule (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804) recovery

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Businesswoman on stairs holding ankle in pain near fallen shoe

What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in California (2026)

After a California slip and fall, document the hazard immediately (photographs of the floor, lighting, drainage, or condition), report it to a manager and request a written incident report, get the names of every witness, and seek same-day medical care because gaps in treatment let insurers argue the injury was unrelated. Premises liability under Civil

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Average Workplace Harassment Settlement in California (2026)

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Workplace harassment cases that go highest in California are those where plaintiff counsel pleads the right FEHA prong combination from the start. Hostile environment alone caps at one range. Quid pro quo plus retaliation, with 2021 uncapped punitive exposure, materially shifts employer-side settlement posture. The pleading decision in month one often

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civil rights

Average California Civil Rights Lawsuit Settlement (2026)

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Civil rights cases under Section 1983 and the Bane Act settle on different math than ordinary tort cases. Federal fee-shifting under 42 USC 1988 changes everything because the defendant pays your attorney’s fees if you prevail. We’ve taken cases with modest physical damages to mid-six-figure recoveries because the constitutional violation supports

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How to Sue a Company for Discrimination in California (2026)

Key Takeaways You can sue a company for discrimination in California even if you are still employed there Before filing a lawsuit, you must first file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or the EEOC and receive a Right-to-Sue letter California law (FEHA) protects employees from discrimination based on race, gender, age,

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desperate man

How Much Can I Sue for Emotional Distress in California? (2026): Settlement Amounts, Small Claims and Who You Can Sue

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Emotional distress damages are real, but they don’t survive on their own. We’ve watched strong NIED and IIED claims collapse because the client had no contemporaneous treatment records. The cases that settle for six figures share three things: a documented physical or psychological condition, a treating provider who can testify to

How Much Can I Sue for Emotional Distress in California? (2026): Settlement Amounts, Small Claims and Who You Can Sue Read More »

lawyer sitting in the office

How to Sue Your Employer in California: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

By Thomas Feher, Esq. · Founder, Feher Law APC · Last reviewed May 2026 To sue your employer in California you need (1) clear evidence the employer violated state or federal law, (2) administrative exhaustion through the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or EEOC where required, and (3) an employment attorney who knows California Labor

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Woman reacting to argument during meeting

Is It Worth Suing Your Employer in California? The Economics, Pros and Cons, and When It Pays (2026)

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Suing an employer is worth it when three things line up: a clear legal violation, contemporaneous documentation, and damages worth more than the cost and stress of the case. We turn down meritorious claims where the damages don’t justify the fight. We take cases where the violation is documented and the

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a physical therapist helping a patient with back massage

How Much Is a Bulging Disc Worth in a Car Accident in California? (2026)

From Tom Feher, Esq. “Bulging disc cases live or die on whether the imaging shows the bulge is causally related to the crash. We’ve seen $40K cases turn into $180K settlements when the treating orthopedist documents that the disc was asymptomatic before the collision and now is symptomatic. Pre-existing degenerative findings hurt the case but

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Fired man with box

Reasons to Sue Your Employer in California: 16 Common Grounds (2026)

You can sue your California employer for: (1) discrimination based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics under FEHA, (2) sexual harassment or hostile work environment, (3) wrongful termination violating public policy or contracts, (4) retaliation for whistleblowing or protected activity, (5) wage theft and unpaid overtime, (6) FMLA/CFRA violations, and (7)

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a semi truck moving along a rural road

California Semi Truck Accident Lawsuit: Complete Guide (2026)

A California truck-accident lawsuit triggers Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as the controlling negligence standard, opening up discovery into hours-of-service logs (FMCSR 395.3), maintenance records (FMCSR 396), driver qualification files (FMCSR 391), and ELD data. Direct negligence claims against the carrier (negligent hiring, training, retention, entrustment) often unlock higher policy layers than vicarious-liability claims alone.

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man with hand injury and lawyer

Average Personal Injury Settlement in California (2026)

Personal injury settlement amounts in California can range from $2,500 to more than $10,000,000. The value of each case depends on factors such as the severity of the injury, liability, and available insurance coverage. While every case is unique, these figures highlight just how much settlement amounts can vary. If you’ve been injured in an

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woman holding folder in front of employers

How Much Can You Get for Suing Your Employer in California? (2026)

The average amount you can get for suing your employer in California ranges from $10,000 to $500,000, or more. You can sue for different types of discrimination and recover amounts depending on the claim and its impact: Discrimination: $40,000 to $500,000 Emotional distress: $10,000 to $100,000 Harassment: $50,000 to $200,000 Retaliation: $40,000 to $250,000 Wrongful

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truck crash accident on a highway

What Happens When a Truck Driver Has an Accident in California? (2026)

From Tom Feher, Esq. “When a commercial truck driver is involved in an accident in California, three investigations open in parallel: CHP, FMCSA, and the carrier’s internal review. Each pulls different evidence streams. Each can be leveraged by skilled plaintiff counsel into negligence-per-se findings. The cases we recover the most on are the ones where

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big rig accident

California 18-Wheeler Lawsuit: Timeline and Settlements (2026)

Most 18-wheeler lawsuits in California settle within 6 to 16 months. However, some cases may take longer due to the complexity of truck accidents, the involvement of multiple parties, and the need to comply with strict federal and state trucking regulations. Unlike passenger vehicle accidents, trucking accidents often result in catastrophic injuries or permanent disabilities.

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