skip to content
Google 5 Star Reviews

5 stars (60 Reviews)

Yelp 5 Star Reviews

5 stars (82 Reviews)

Santa Ana Personal Injury Attorneys

ESPAÑOL| TIẾNG VIỆT| 한국어| TAGALOG| 中文

Home Case Results

A Proven Track Record

The attorneys at HN Injury Lawyers have the knowledge and experience to make sure your case is handled by a professional in the practice area that you need.


Attorneys Edward W. Hess, Jr. & Phillip B. Nghiem

Auto Accident $52.9 Million

Client suffered serious injuries as a passenger in a vehicle accident

In 2017, Joshua Hernandez was returning home in South Gate, California after playing soccer with friends. Just less than 5 minutes from his home, Joshua, a passenger in his friend’s car, was t-boned at an intersection by a semi-truck. Joshua suffered catastrophic brain injuries. Upon retention of H&N, attorneys Phil and Ed went to the scene of the crash to investigate and ultimately obtained critical video footage that conclusively established that the semi-truck blew through a red light, and that the driver of Joshua’s car, in no way contributed to the cause of the crash.

At trial, H&N was able to secure a verdict of $52.9 million on behalf of Joshua. The verdict accounted for Joshua’s inability to earn income in the future, his past and future medical care, and the impact the crash had on his quality of life.


Assault and Battery $1.3 Million

Client suffered back injuries following altercation with police

Our client, a commercial fisherman, was attacked and kneed in the back by security guards. The casino at which it occurred initially denied our client’s claim, prompting us to file a lawsuit on his behalf. After obtaining documents from the casino establishing their safety policies and obtaining deposition testimony from several witnesses, the case was resolved for $1.3 million in less than three weeks before trial.


Auto Accident $1,000,000

Client sustained lower-back injuries in car accident

H&N client was rear-ended on a freeway while returning home from work. Incredibly, the insurance company disputed liability until literally three weeks before trial. The client suffered chronic low back pain that ultimately necessitated the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator. H&N eventually recovered the maximum amount insurance coverage from the responsible party’s insurance company.

  • Initial Offer: $85,000
  • Settlement: $1,000,000

Auto Accident $850,000

Insurance company put blame on client and tried to evade paying

In 2021, our client was involved in T-bone collision at an intersection. The client suffered a concussion and injuries to his lower back. For the next two years, the insurance company tried blaming our client. Through the work of experts in the field of accident reconstruction, HN Injury Lawyers was able to successfully establish, without question, that their client had the right-of-way and did not cause the crash. After acquiring crucial testimony from the insurance company’s hired experts and just a month before trial, the case was settled for $850,000.


Defective Product $750,000

Client’s hand crushed by malfunctioning work machine

In 2019, while our client was operating a CNC (computer numerical control) machine at work, the machine malfunctioned, crushing his non-dominant hand. The injury led to amputation of his index finger and partial amputation of his thumb. After attorneys from other major law firms rejected the client’s case, the client consulted with our law firm. H&N Partner Ed Hess, who spent decades defending insurance companies, determined that the CNC machine had a manufacturer’s defect that unnecessarily endangered its users.

H&N filed a lawsuit in federal court against the foreign manufacturer. After two years of zero settlement offers, the insurance company for the manufacturer offered $27,000 to settle the client’s case. Wanting nothing less than full justice for their clients, Phil and Ed continued to prepare the case for trial and were able to successfully exclude the insurance company’s critical experts from testifying at trial. Two days before the jury trial was set to commence, the case settled for $750,000.

The client also had over $100,000 in medical expenses that H&N was able to successfully negotiate down to $10,000.

  • Initial Offer: $27,000
  • Settlement: $750,000

Slip and Fall $550,000

Zero offer and liability disputed

Our client was shopping at a retail store at around 11:30 a.m. An employee was cleaning the floor with a scrubbing machine that left a trail of water. Our client slipped on the puddle of water and developed pain in her low back.

During litigation, HN Injury Lawyers obtained critical testimony and documents showing that the store had a track record of these types of falls and that its employee violated multiple store policies established to keep their customers safe.


Auto Accident $500,000

Case settled for more than 33 times what the insurance company offered

HN Injury Lawyers represented a client who suffered a concussion and back injuries following a crash caused by another driver who ran into the back of our client’s car. The driver disputed liability, claiming he was not actually driving even though independent witnesses identified him as the driver.

Typically, the most an insurance company is obligated to pay in an accident is the amount of their insured driver’s policy limits. However, when an insurance company refuses to accept a reasonable settlement offer within the policy limits, the company could become obligated to pay any amount in excess of the policy limits.

Here, our client tried to resolve the case alone for the insurance policy limits of $15,000. When the insurance company refused to pay the policy limits, our client retained HN Injury Lawyers. Upon notice of our representation, the insurance company immediately offered to pay the $15,000. Not satisfied, we immediately filed a lawsuit. Following critical depositions involving our client’s physicians, the insurance company agreed to a $500,000 settlement. More than 33 times the policy limits!


Auto Accident $500,000

Insurance company claimed client’s issues were preexisting and not their responsibility

HN Injury Lawyers settled a case on behalf of a client with signs of dementia who was involved in a car crash. The client suffered injuries to her back and a concussion. The insurance company argued that any ongoing issues from the concussion were not their responsibility since our client had already exhibited some signs of dementia before the crash. HN Injury Lawyers was able to successfully argue that even though our client had some preexisting issues, these issues were exacerbated by the crash. The case was successfully settled for $500,000 on behalf of our client.


Rideshare Accident $500,000

Partner at national law firm injured as a result of a rideshare driver’s negligence

Our lawyer client was injured while a passenger in a car driven by a driver using a rideshare app. The client suffered a concussion but unfortunately, the doctors at the hospital misdiagnosed her with only a cervical strain. As such, the rideshare app’s lawyers challenged whether our client had actually suffered a concussion.

We spoke with our client’s friends, family, and colleagues who knew her. We also helped our client consult with top medical professionals, including a board-certified neurologist, without having to pay anything out-of-pocket, who confirmed our client suffered a concussion.

  • Initial Offer: $95,000
  • Settlement: $500,000

Rear-end Accident $500,000

Claim denied because client had significant prior injuries to her neck and low back

HN Injury Lawyers Client Roxanne Discusses Life After a Car Accident

HN Injury Lawyers represented a client who was rear-ended while out shopping with her husband. Nearly 20 years before the crash, the client had major neck surgery and, two weeks before the crash, complained of significant neck and low back pain that prevented her from performing many activities of daily living. As such, the insurance company claimed that the car accident could not have caused our client’s injuries since they already existed before the accident.

To counter the insurance company’s arguments, we sat down with our client and her family to truly understand her story and the impact the accident had on her. We worked with our video production team to create a story to make sense of our client’s life before and after the accident. By putting pressure on the at-fault driver’s insurance company, we were able to recover a significant award for our client.

  • Initial Offer: $80,000
  • Settlement: $500,000

Car Accident $475,000

Liability disputed, impact undermined

At around 5:30 a.m., an HN Injury Lawyers client was driving to his construction job site. Another driver went through a stop sign and cut off his right of way. The driver’s insurance disputed liability and claimed the impact was “minor.” The initial settlement offer was only $65,000.

  • Initial Offer: $65,000
  • Settlement: $475,000

Sideswipe Accident $325,000

Client struck by armored truck and insurance company claims no injury due to lack of damage to both vehicles

Our client was injured after an armored truck committed an illegal lane change and sideswiped her car. Both vehicles were drivable from the scene of the accident. Our client suffered injuries to her left knee and low back.

The insurance company failed to take the case seriously because there was not a lot of visible damage to both vehicles and our client had significant treatment to her left knee and low back prior to the accident. To overcome these issues, by working with our client and her doctors, we were able to draw a distinction between the symptoms our client had before and after her accident. The law contemplates scenarios where an injured victim has a preexisting injury that was made worse by an accident that was not their fault. This is the exact law we relied on in presenting our client’s case.

  • Initial Offer: $35,000
  • Settlement: $325,000

Rear-end Accident $295,000

Insurance company claimed client wasn’t badly hurt because he was able to drive home from the accident

Our client, a truck driver, was injured when he was rear-ended while returning home to California from Arizona after completing a job. Our client suffered injuries to his shoulder that required arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The insurance company argued that the shoulder injury was unrelated and that our client could not have been that badly hurt since he was able to drive home safely from Arizona after the accident and there was only minimal damage to his truck.

The insurance company initially only offered $20,000 to settle our client’s injury claim. In response to the lowball settlement offer, we filed a lawsuit and after significant negotiations, we settled the client’s case for $295,000.

  • Initial Offer: $20,000
  • Settlement: $295,000

Sideswipe Accident $250,000

Sideswipe resulted in a concussion

Our client was injured after his pickup truck was sideswiped by another car. The client had previously been involved in another motor vehicle accident the year before. In this incident, our client suffered a concussion and his prior neck and lower back injury was aggravated. To evade responsibility, the insurance company argued that the damage to his truck was minor, that his injuries were not serious since he did not go to the hospital, and that his were preexisting injuries. The insurance company initially denied his claim.

  • Initial Offer: 0
  • Settlement: $250,000

Uninsured Motorist Accident $250,000

Uninsured driver caused accident and insurance company claimed the impact was minor

Our client was a passenger in her husband’s car when they were rear-ended. There were three major challenges that we had to overcome: first, there was not much damage to her husband’s car, so the insurance company claimed that our client could not have been hurt. Second, our client did not see a doctor for several days after the crash. And third, the driver who struck her husband’s car did not have insurance.

We immediately retained an expert to extract data from our client’s car demonstrating that the collision between our client’s car and the adverse driver was more significant than what the pictures showed. We also helped our client obtain the necessary care to recover from her concussion and neck injury. Since the at-fault driver was uninsured, we filed a claim with her husband’s insurance since he had uninsured motorist coverage.

  • Settlement: $250,000

Slip and Fall $250,000

After work, client suffered slip and fall injury on water from an industrial floor cleaning machine.

HN Injury Lawyers represented a federal employee who had just clocked out on New Year's Day 2019. As he was walking to his car with a co-worker, the client slipped on a puddle of water and suffered an ankle injury. The water trail had been left by an employee using an industrial floor cleaning machine.

For two years, the insurance company never made an offer. After HN Injury Lawyers took the depositions of most-qualified employees and personnel for the defendants, the insurance proposed mediation. HN Injury Lawyers responded with a demand for $250,000 to compensate their client. Despite the insurance company attempting to negotiate down from $250,000, HN Injury Lawyers refused to accept anything less to compensate their client. The insurance company eventually paid the $250,000.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $250,000

Rear-End Accident $250,000

High school student rear-ended on New Year’s Eve while on vacation

Our client was on vacation with her family when their car was rear-ended. The client began experiencing concussive symptoms but unfortunately, the symptoms were not documented by the emergency room physician. Our client was in her junior year of high school and was taking honors and AP courses. The client had trouble focusing and concentrating in school due to the concussion. She also experienced sensitivity to light and loud noises, forcing her to quit playing high school basketball. After nearly two years of trying to handle the case herself, the insurance company offered her a max of $6,500 to settle her case. After the client retained our firm, we met with her friends and family and spoke to those around her. We learned firsthand how the concussion had affected our client and how it continued to affect her.

  • Initial Offer: $4,500
  • Settlement: $250,000

T-Bone Accident $250,000

Client was t-boned at an intersection, suffering neurological injuries and back pain

Our client, while returning home from church, was t-boned by another driver. Our client developed lower back pain, dizziness, headaches, and anxiety as a result of her injuries. The major issue with the case was whether the at-fault driver was working at the time of the accident. Through our firm’s investigation and numerous depositions, we were able to establish that the at-fault driver was in fact working at the time of the accident. This opened up a new layer of insurance coverage that allowed our client to be adequately compensated for her injuries. The case settled for $250,000.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $250,000

Car Accident $250,000

Prior law firm’s efforts disappoint

The client was involved in a rear-end auto crash. She was represented by a prior law firm that wanted to settle her case for $10,000. Within four months of HN Injury Lawyers’ involvement, the case settled for the other driver’s full insurance policy of $250,000.


Rear-end Accident $200,000

Ride share app passenger suffers back injury and insurance denies claim due to prior medical treatment

Our client, a New York resident, was in California for business. While a passenger in a ride share app vehicle, our client was rear-ended. There was only minimal damage to both cars, so the insurance company denied the claim. Never judging a book by its cover, our law firm accepted the case. Complicating matters, our client was actively receiving treatment from a chiropractor before the accident and was recommended epidural steroid injections by her orthopedic surgeon. Essentially, the insurance company argued that even if its driver caused the accident, the accident did not cause our client’s injuries.

By collecting all of our client’s medical records and consulting with medical experts, we were able to establish a distinction between the symptoms our client had before the accident versus the symptoms she experienced after the accident.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $200,000

Slip and Fall $150,000

Client slipped on wet floor outside apartment, suffering injuries to mid- and lower back.

HN Injury Lawyers represented a client that had been turned away by multiple law firms. The client slipped on water outside his apartment complex, suffering injuries to his mid- and lower back. The water had been left over by an employee of a maintenance company hired by the apartment complex. Both the apartment complex and the maintenance company denied responsibility, claiming that warning signs were posted about the wet floor.

After nearly giving up on his claim, the client retained HN Injury Lawyers. Within a month of trial, partner Ed Hess obtained critical evidence in depositions showing the maintenance company had lied about posting the warning signs. The case eventually settled for $150,000 when no prior offers had been made.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $150,000

Auto Accident $100,000

Client sustained injuries despite insignificant car damage

Three years prior, H&N client was involved in another motor vehicle accident. For the accident H&N represented the client on, the insurance company initial denied the claim because there was little visible damage to the client’s car and the at-fault party’s car. The insurance company claimed that the accident was a “light tap” and could not have possibly caused our client any injuries. Not judging a “book by its cover,” H&N proceeded with the case. H&N, upon obtaining the client’s medical records for treatment received in the prior accident, was able to draw a distinction between the first and second accident and establish that the client was an “eggshell plaintiff.” That is, given the prior injuries, the client was more susceptible to injury and aggravation. H&N ultimately recovered the at-fault party’s maximum insurance coverage.

  • Initial Offer: Claim Denied
  • Settlement: $100,000

Car Accident $100,000

Disputed liability following t-bone accident

Our clients were heading to the Morongo Casino when a driver went through a stop sign and collided with the side of our clients’ car. The insurance company initially denied liability claiming our clients were driving “too fast.” The case eventually settled for the other driver’s full insurance policy limits of $100,000.


Car Crash $100,000

Previous attorney wanted to settle for $6500; HN Injury Lawyers won 15 times that

Our client was previously represented by another law firm. Despite the client having chronic lower back pain, his attorney insisted that he settle his case for only $6500. Within six months of HN Injury Lawyers’ involvement, the case resolved for the other driver’s full insurance limits of $100,000.


Auto Accident $100,000

Client injured in rear-ending by underinsured driver

H&N recently represented a client who was rear-ended by an uninsured driver. H&N presented an underinsured motorist claim to the client’s insurance company. Initially, the insurance company denied the bodily injury claim because there was little visible damage to the client’s car. H&N prepared a settlement proposal that illustrated the serious nature of the client’s injuries. H&N’s settlement proposal also explained how the accident affected the client’s quality of life. That is, how the client led a full and active life. How he loved spending time with his grandchildren and how he loved working in his garden every weekend and most summer nights. This case illustrates the critical nature and getting to know the clients we represent and “telling their story.”

  • Initial Offer: Claim Denied
  • Settlement: $100,000

Rear-End Accident $100,000

Husband and wife rear-ended and could no longer participate in dragon-boat racing

We represented a husband and wife who were rear-ended while in stop-and-go traffic on the freeway. Our clients suffered concussions and injuries to their necks and backs that necessitated treatment with a neurologist and a chiropractor. As part of our firm’s strategy, we met with our clients frequently and learned how the accident affected their qualify of life, their ability to work, and their ability to do the things they love and enjoy.

  • Settlement: $100,000 (maximum policy limits) for each client.

Car Accident $100,000

After church, client was a passenger in a friend’s car and a car pulled out in front of them

Our client was returning home from church with a friend when a car blew past a stop sign and cut off their right-of-way. The client suffered injuries to her neck, low back, and left knee. The client required medical treatment, including chiropractic treatment, MRIs, and a consultation with an audiologist.

As part of its regular case workup, HN Injury Lawyers sat down with the client to find out more about the accident and how the accident affected her quality of life. Using this information, our team prepared a settlement proposal tailored to the client’s unique circumstances to “tell her story.” HN Injury Lawyers demanded the other driver’s full insurance policy coverage, which the insurance company agreed to pay within 30 days.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $100,000

Car Accident $75,000

Client sideswiped on freeway, suffering pain to neck, low back, and wrist

Our client was sideswiped on the 91 freeway in Riverside, resulting in pain to his neck, low back, and wrist. Because of the client’s felony record, the insurance company never offered anything reasonable to settle his case.

As part of its workup for trial, HN Injury Lawyers prepared motions to file with the court to exclude evidence of the client’s prior felonies on the basis that the evidence was being used purely to damage the client’s character and was irrelevant to proving who caused the accident and the client’s injuries.

Before the motions were heard, the insurance company agreed to increase its offer to over 10 times the original amount.

Even though everyone prefers a settlement since there is certainty, you still have to demonstrate to the insurance companies that you are willing to go to trial. That’s why it is important to be represented by a law firm with a proven track record of taking cases to trial.

  • Initial Offer: $7,000
  • Settlement: $75,000

Car Accident $75,000

Insurance company claimed preexisting injury and low-speed impact

A client of HN Injury Lawyers was involved in what their insurance company claimed was a low-speed impact. The client had been involved in a prior car accident nearly a decade before, where she suffered a lower back injury that required chiropractic treatment and a lumbar facet block injection. Based on these facts, the insurance company never took the case seriously.

After HN Injury Lawyers filed a lawsuit, the insurance company paid $75,000 to settle the case within weeks of trial.

  • Initial Offer: $9,000
  • Settlement: $75,000

Rear-end Accident $50,000

Claim denied because of little visible damage to client’s car

HN Injury Lawyers represented a client who was rear-ended. The insurance company agreed that their driver caused the crash but refused to accept responsibility for our client’s injuries to his neck and low back. The insurance company claimed that our client could not have possibly been hurt because there was not much cosmetic damage to our client’s car.

At our firm, we have a policy of never judging a book by its cover, so in response, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of our client. After depositions, the insurance company paid $50,000—the maximum amount of their driver’s insurance policy to settle the case.

  • Initial Offer: $0
  • Settlement: $50,000

T-Bone Accident $40,000

Insurance company denied original claim

Another driver slammed into the side of our client’s car. Investigating officers determined the other driver was at fault. Our client’s car was not driveable, so he and his wife had to share their only remaining car.

We notified the other side’s insurance company in writing that our client’s damages exceeded their driver’s full insurance coverage of only $5,000 and that we would accept this amount if it was paid within 30 days. If the amount was not paid, we would file a lawsuit and seek the full amount regardless of their driver’s insurance coverage limits.

The insurance company did not accept our offer. Eventually, we collected over $40,000 for our client even though the insurance policy limits were only $5,000.


Cut-off Driver $25,000

Client suffered neck and back injuries when a vehicle swerved in front of him

Our client, seventeen years old at the time of his accident, ran into the back of a car that swerved in front of him by making a sudden lane change. The insurance company initially blamed our client for his injuries, claiming that our client was negligent for rear-ending the other car. Our client suffered injuries to his neck and back, necessitating physical therapy and chiropractic treatment. The injuries prevented our client from participating in his last year of high school varsity football.

H&N prepared a settlement proposal that demanded the other driver’s $25,000 insurance policy limit, which the insurance company eventually paid.

  • Settlement: $25,000

Uninsured Rear-end Accident $20,000

Client was rear-ended and received 3 months of chiropractic treatment

Consistent with our mantra that no case is too small for our firm to consider, HN Injury Lawyers represented a client who was rear-ended on the freeway and suffered a back injury for which she saw a chiropractor for 3 months. The at-fault driver did not have insurance, but our client had uninsured motorist coverage, so she was able to file a claim with her own insurance company. However, the insurance company refused to offer anything more than $2,500. Not willing to accept anything less than the best for our client, we presented the case before a retired judge in arbitration, who awarded our client $20,000.

  • Initial Offer: $2,500
  • Settlement: $20,000

Courts Rule in Favor of Justice

Husband is able to seek justice for his late wife and unborn child

HN Injury Lawyers represents a husband who tragically lost his wife and unborn child in a horrific car crash caused by a drunk driver. The drunk driver’s lawyers argued that their client’s “rights” would be violated if our client’s lawsuit was allowed to move forward. Then, the insurance company’s lawyers tried to convince the court to suspend our client’s civil lawsuit against their insured driver. Following verbal arguments, we were able to persuade the court to deny the insurance company’s request. This decision allows us to continue prosecuting our client’s claims against the drunk driver to ensure he receives justice for his profound losses.

HN Injury Lawyers Client Will Get His Day in Court!

Client sues his previous law firm for legal malpractice

HN Injury Lawyers represented a client who was misled and mistreated by his prior law firm, which resulted in the client having a significant monetary judgment entered against him. The client retained HN Injury Lawyers to sue his previous lawyers for legal malpractice.

During the course of the case, the client’s previous lawyers tried to rob the client of his “day in court” by forcing him to arbitrate his claims in a private forum. HN Injury Lawyers successfully challenged the previous firm’s efforts. The previous lawyers appealed the trial court’s decision. After written and verbal arguments, the California Court of Appeal agreed with the trial court and denied the previous lawyers’ efforts to force our client into arbitration.


Additional Results

Trucking $1,000,000

Defective Product $800,000

Consumer Fraud $600,000

Rideshare $500,000

Auto Case $325,000

Auto Case $325,000

Government Tort Liability $275,000

Auto Case $250,000

Dental Malpractice $250,000

Auto Accident involving back injury $250,000

Ride Share $200,000