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Dawn Hassell and her team of lawyers

The firm handles civil matters and litigation, specializing in:

• Personal Injury/Accidents
  Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, construction site accidents, slip and fall accidents, trip and fall accidents, gun accidents, premises liability accident cases, dog bites/dog attacks, train accidents, product defect cases, product liability cases, drunk driving accidents, airplane accidents, boating accidents, ATV accidents, skiing accidents, bus accidents, ladder accidents, intersection accidents, multiple vehicle car accidents, rear end collisions, semi-tractor trailer accidents (big rig accidents), SUV rollover collisions, yacht accidents, scooter accidents, moped accidents, rollerblading accidents, pothole accidents, sidewalk accidents, and most other kinds of accident injury cases.



• Employment Law
  Severance Package Negotiations, Discrimination, Wrongful Termination, Sexual Harassment, Layoff and Termination, Wages and Hours Case, Failure to pay wages, Failure to pay overtime, Pregnancy discrimination, Worker’s Compensation Claim Retaliation, Improper classification as an independent contractor, Sexual Orientation Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Gender Discrimination, National Origin Discrimination, Pay Discrimination, And More



• Insurance Claim Disputes
  Failure to pay claims, coverage disputes, failure to pay property damage claim, failure to pay injury claim, failure to pay benefits available under an insurance policy, wrongful denial of claims, and more

PERSONAL INJURY/ACCIDENTS

The civil laws governing the rights of victims injured, whether negligently or intentionally, are complex. We represent individuals and the families of individuals who have been seriously injured or killed as a result of the negligent or wrongful conduct of others, particularly in automobile related-accidents.

As experienced an personal injury law firm, we understand how insurance companies and their attorneys think. Insurance companies are interested in minimizing their economic exposure when a serious injury or death has occurred. They hire attorneys whose job it is to aggressively undermine each aspect of your claim. We know their tactics. We invest the time and resources necessary to prepare every case for the most successful possible outcome.

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Discrimination

Our firm handles all aspects of discrimination. California law protects employees against an employer's discrimination based upon:

• Race/Color
• Employment Law
• Disability
• Gender
• Pregnancy
• Sexual Harrassment
• National Origin
• Sexual Orientation

In California, most cases of unlawful discrimination by an employer are pursued under California 's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), rather than under federal law.  That is because in most instances FEHA provides greater remedies and more protection to an employee who has been victimized by this type of conduct than does federal law.  If you believe you have been the victim of discrimination or harassment, we invite you to contact our office for a free initial consultation.

Under both state and federal law, it is unlawful for an employer to wrongfully terminate, discriminate or harass an employee because of that employee's race, gender or age. Even "at-will" employees are entitled to the legal protections afforded by these statutes, can sue an employer who has engaged in this type of discrimination, and may even be awarded reimbursement for attorney fees.  Additionally, discrimination based on a woman's pregnancy, childbirth, or other related medical conditions, may constitute a form of discrimination, including sex discrimination.

Severance Package Negotiation

Severance Agreements are designed to compensate an employee for their service as an employee in situations involving lay offs or termination, or where the relationship between employer and employee has gone sour. However, employers almost always require the former employee to sign a release and give up all rights against the employer. The employer may even attempt to impose new obligations on the departing employee. These may include non-compete clauses and confidentiality provisions. If you think you might be giving up a claim or are unsure of your rights, it makes sense to have an attorney review the severance agreement and release before you sign it.

As an employee, sometimes you can be compensated for having to leave your employment without have to sue your employer by filing a lawsuit. In addition, a lawyer can review the text of the severance agreement and make recommendations concerning burdensome terms and additional provisions, which are favorable to the employee, so that the agreement is not one sided.

Wrongful Termination

Wrongful termination involves being fired from a job for an unlawful reason.

If you are fired and the employers' motivating factor is your race, sex, ethnic origin, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, or medical condition, it is a violation of the California Fair Employment & Housing Act.

If you are terminated because you complained about or exercised your rights pursuant to a law, statute or regulation, which has been adopted for the benefit of the public, you may have a cause of action for wrongful termination in violation of public policy. If you were fired in retaliation for complaining about discrimination or reporting it, you may have a claim for retaliation.

If you believe you have a cause of action for wrongful termination, it is in your best interest to seek the advice of an attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your rights are protected and to get the best possible relief available to you under the law.

INSURANCE CLAIM DISPUTE

The purpose of insurance is to help you when you are in need after an accident or an unfortunate event. Some times the insurance company pays you the money that is due under the insurance policy after you make your claim. Sometimes it denies legitimate claims, pays less than is due on a claim, delays payment, or makes unreasonable demands before making payment. This is when a lawyer can benefit you the most. A free consultation regarding your claims dispute will help you determine whether the insurer is acting fairly or not, and if not, what can be done about it.

In some instances where you have an insurance dispute, and the insurer has not resolved it, a lawyer can bring a bad faith claim against your own insurance company if it can be shown that they purposely refused to process a legitimate insurance claim.