Civil Litigation

Brain Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and other life-altering injuries can be devastating for both the victim and loved ones. Your brain is your “command center” and is one of the most sensitive organs in your body. Any injury to your brain can cause lasting physical, cognitive, and emotional problems. Some types of brain injuries may be hard to detect and do not show physical symptoms. Yet these types of invisible injuries can adversely affect your life.

At Knight Law, we provide compassionate legal representation to people with serious brain injuries and take on an assertive approach to prosecuting brain injury claims on behalf of our clients. Entrusting your personal injury case to Knight Law will bring you a peace of mind, knowing you are in good hands.

Car, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents

A collision involving a motorcycle, bicycle, or a car can upend your life. Motorcyclists and bicyclists are often more vulnerable simply because there is a discrepancy in size and weight between motorcycles and bikes compared to other vehicles on the road. You may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, lost income through missed work, ongoing treatment or therapy, loss of future earning capacity and pain and suffering. There is a strong chance that the insurance company you are dealing with will not treat you fairly and will try to “low-ball” you. Insurance companies push back on claims all the time and make low settlement offers to get you to accept them and to close the case. That is what they do and that is how they make money. You are at a significant disadvantage if you got toe-to-toe with your insurance company alone. At Knight Law, we can deal with the insurance companies and negotiate on your behalf to get you the compensation you are entitled to. Our trial experience allows us to negotiate from a position of strength.

Excessive Use of Force – 42 U.S. Code § 1983 Civil Action for Deprivation of Rights 

Law enforcement personnel have the difficult task of protecting and serving the community, but they have standards that they must adhere to in the performance of their duties. In California and in the United States, the vast majority of police officers follow these standards. However, it is no surprise that there are police officers who abuse the power entrusted to them, which may lead to a violation of your constitutional rights.

If that is the case, Section 1983 of the United States Code allows for you to seek compensation and to hold the police officer accountable under the law. Section 1983 applies when your constitutional rights have been violated by a person acting under color of law, resulting in injury to you as a result of this violation. A “person” acting under color of law includes not just police officers but also other government officials. You may have a valid Section 1983 claim if your constitutional rights have been violated by a prison guard or other prison personnel, school district officials, county sheriff’s office personnel, or county or city employees. Although these individuals are granted immunity from civil lawsuits for actions performed in the line of duty, they may lose this immunity if it can be shown that they deliberately interfered with your rights.

A common Section 1983 claim involves an excessive use of force by police officers. This may include the use of a firearm by a police officer which was not warranted under the circumstances, or the use of tasers, batons or chokeholds the use of which is unreasonable under the circumstances. Police officers may be held personally responsible for the harm they caused by violating your constitutional rights. When you file for a Section 1983 lawsuit, you may be able to collect monetary damages to reimburse you for medical bills, lost wages, disability, and to obtain compensation for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and damage to your reputation or embarrassment. Punitive damages are also available in certain situations, along with reimbursement for legal fees, which include your attorney’s fees.

Nana Knight has extensive experience dealing with law enforcement. She is familiar with police agencies, their internal protocols, and the way they operate. Her previous experience as a professor of criminal law and procedure renders her uniquely suited to advise you on whether your constitutional rights have been violated. As a former senior deputy city attorney for the City of San Jose, she has litigated excessive use of force cases on behalf of the City and is your reliable partner and ally in aggressively advocating for your rights.

Personal Injury

Physical injuries are an unfortunate part of life. In most cases, people who are injured simply try to physically recover and move on with their lives. Sometimes, injuries are caused by the negligence of others, and it is very difficult to return to the life you enjoyed before the injury. If you are injured through the negligence of someone else, you may be able to recover money to help you adjust to the new challenges your injury presents. This requires a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party.

For example, a personal injury or property damage lawsuit can be based on a landowner failing to properly maintain his or her property, or a driver texting and being distracted while hitting a pedestrian. It can be based on a dog owner allowing his or her dog to break away and viciously bite an innocent person. It can be based on a doctor failing to detect a potentially serious health problem. In all of these cases, the courts have developed a system in which the negligent parties are held accountable, allowing you to recover monetary damages to assist you.

To make use of this process, you must work with a lawyer who knows how to skillfully litigate a personal injury case and who can try your case to a jury, if necessary. From asking the right questions at a deposition to working with experts to discuss injuries, a skillful personal injury lawyer must be a good trial lawyer and understand the nuances of what it takes to prevail in a personal injury case.

If you have suffered a personal injury, it is easy to feel confused, frustrated and alone. You may be angry with your insurance company for looking for ways to question your injuries or dispute the necessity of your medical care and undermine your claim.

That is why you need a reliable partner. Someone who will handle all the difficult issues for you, explain it all in terms you can understand and empower you with knowledge so you can make great decisions about your case. Personal injury cases commonly give rise to numerous complex issues and unanticipated obstacles throughout the course of the representation. The road to financial recovery will vary from case to case because every personal injury incident or accident arises from a unique set of facts. For this reason, it is important to contact an experienced attorney right away.

At Knight Law, we see our clients as people, not just cases. We are your partners, and we work hard to get you the best outcome in any case. As we work together, we will get to know you, what motivates you, what you care about and the impact that the personal injury has had on you and your life. We work with you closely as a team to build a compelling case and get you the compensation you deserve.

Wrongful Death

There is no amount of money that can replace the loss of a loved one. But when someone else’s wrongful act causes the death of your loved one, you can seek money through a lawsuit to assist you in coping with your grief. In California, grieving families can seek accountability and compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. You can seek compensation for the mental, emotional, and financial suffering you have suffered from the wrongful death of your loved one. The path to financial recovery, however, is not an easy one. Wrongful death claims can be very complicated and proving the wrongful action that caused the death of your loved one requires considerable skill and expertise. At Knight Law, we stand with you as your committed and compassionate partner, ready to assist you and your family in navigating this complicated and difficult process. Let us take care of the difficult work of getting you the compensation that you deserve, while you focus on what matters most – your health and recovery.