# California Injury Law Explained

> A resource from GJEL Accident Attorneys about California personal injury law.

General information, not personal legal advice. California jurisdiction. Examples are hypothetical.

## About this resource

- [California Injury Law Explained](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/): Clear explanations of California injury law.
- [All guides](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/): Browse the guide library by topic.
- [Court decisions](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/): Decisions discussed in the guides, with their limits.
- [Legal words](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/glossary/): Plain-English definitions.
- [Legal sources](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/sources/): Statutes, court opinions, and other references.
- [About and editorial standards](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/about/): Who publishes this resource and how it is reviewed.
- [Site map](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/sitemap/): A browsable directory of the resource.
- [Andy Gillin, attorney reviewer](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/attorneys/andy-gillin/): Credentials, California license, and review role.
- [Privacy policy](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/privacy/): How this educational site handles information.
- [Using this resource](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/terms/): Scope and limits of the educational material.
- [Attorney advertising disclosure](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/disclaimer/): Publisher, responsible attorney, and important limitations.

## Topics

- [Fault & responsibility](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/topics/fault/): Understand fault, shared blame, and who may need to pay.
- [Deadlines & claim steps](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/topics/deadlines/): Learn about time limits, evidence, and the steps in a claim.
- [Insurance](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/topics/insurance/): Make sense of adjusters, coverage, and settlement offers.
- [Compensation](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/topics/compensation/): Explore medical bills, missed work, and other losses.
- [Accident situations](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/topics/situations/): Start with a crash, a fall, a bite, or another real-life situation.

## Guides

- [What does “negligence” mean?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/what-is-negligence/): Negligence means someone failed to use reasonable care. An injury claim usually needs more than a mistake: you must connect that mistake to an injury and a loss.
- [Can I have a claim if I was partly at fault?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/partly-at-fault/): You may still have a claim when you share some blame. California generally uses comparative fault: your share of fault can reduce what you recover.
- [How do I show who caused an accident?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/prove-fault/): You need proof of what happened and who failed to use care. You also need to show how that failure caused your injury.
- [Does a police report decide who was at fault?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/police-report/): A police report can help explain a crash. It does not decide the whole injury claim. An insurer or court may look at other proof too.
- [Does a traffic ticket prove an injury claim?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/traffic-ticket/): A ticket may help show what happened. It does not prove every part of an injury claim. You still need to link the unsafe act to your injury.
- [What if more than one person caused my injury?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/more-than-one-person/): More than one person can share fault. More than one business can too. How they split the payment depends on the kind of loss and the law.
- [Can a business be responsible for its worker?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/employer-responsibility/): A business may have to pay for harm caused by its worker. This can apply when the worker was acting within the scope of the job.
- [What if the driver borrowed someone else’s car?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/borrowed-car/): The car’s owner may share legal fault if they let someone drive it. The driver can also be at fault for their own acts.
- [Can an injury matter if no one can see it?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/no-visible-injury/): An injury does not have to be visible to matter. Care records can help show the harm and its link to the event.
- [What if I already had a health problem?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/preexisting-condition/): An injury can make an old health problem worse. A claim may cover that added harm. It does not have to be a brand-new problem.
- [How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/injury-lawsuit-deadline/): Many injury lawsuits in California have a two-year time limit. Some claims need action much sooner. Do not use two years as a safe rule for every case.
- [What if a city or other public agency is involved?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/government-claim-deadline/): Claims against a public agency often need a formal notice within six months. This is called a government claim. A later lawsuit has its own time limit.
- [Are the deadlines different when a child is hurt?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/child-injury-deadline/): Some lawsuit time limits can pause while a person is under 18. That does not mean every deadline waits until adulthood.
- [Is opening an insurance claim the same as suing?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/insurance-claim-vs-lawsuit/): No. An insurance claim asks an insurer to handle a loss. A lawsuit starts a court case. One does not automatically replace the other.
- [What evidence should I save after an injury?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/save-evidence/): Save proof of what happened, what harm followed, and what it cost. Keep the original records when you can.
- [What should I do in the first days after an accident?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/first-days-after-accident/): Get to safety and seek medical care as needed. Then save facts about the event. Check which reports and claims have time limits.
- [What happens in a personal injury lawsuit?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/civil-lawsuit-steps/): A lawsuit starts with court papers and notice to the other side. The parties then share evidence. They may reach a deal. Some cases go to trial.
- [How long does an injury claim take?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/how-long-claim-takes/): There is no single timetable. Your care, proof, and disputes about fault can affect the time. So can the insurer and court schedule.
- [Can I use small claims court for an injury?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/small-claims/): Small claims court may be an option for a claim within its dollar limits. It follows different rules from a regular civil lawsuit.
- [What should I ask before hiring an injury lawyer?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/hiring-lawyer/): Ask who will handle the case, what the fee is, and how costs are paid. Ask how you will get updates. Read the agreement before you sign.
- [What should I know before talking to an adjuster?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/talking-to-adjuster/): An adjuster handles claims for an insurer. Be truthful and keep notes. Do not guess about fault or how long your injury will last.
- [Do I have to give a recorded statement?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/recorded-statement/): It depends on who asks and what your policy says. A request from your own insurer may differ from one from the other driver’s insurer.
- [What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/uninsured-driver/): Your own uninsured motorist coverage may help. This is coverage for some harm caused by a driver with no insurance. You must have the coverage and meet its rules.
- [What if the other driver does not have enough insurance?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/underinsured-driver/): Your own underinsured motorist coverage may help. It can apply when the driver who hurt you has too little insurance. It does not always add both policy limits together.
- [What insurance might help after a hit-and-run?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/hit-and-run-coverage/): Your uninsured motorist coverage may help after some hit-and-run crashes. These claims have special rules about proof, contact, reports, and notice.
- [Do I have to accept the first settlement offer?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/first-settlement-offer/): No. An offer is a proposal. You can ask questions and review whether it accounts for the injuries and losses covered by the claim.
- [What does a settlement release do?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/settlement-release/): A release is an agreement that can give up legal claims in exchange for payment. Its wording matters.
- [Who pays medical bills while a claim is pending?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/medical-bills-while-waiting/): Bills may still be due while your claim is open. Your health plan or auto policy may help pay some costs. The other side may not pay as each bill arrives.
- [What can I do if insurance denies my claim?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/insurance-denial/): Ask why the insurer said no. A dispute about policy coverage differs from a dispute about fault or the amount of a loss.
- [Can being uninsured affect my own injury claim?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/uninsured-injured-driver/): Yes. If you drove without insurance, state law may limit what you can claim for pain and other nonfinancial harm. This can apply even when the crash was not your fault.
- [What losses can an injury claim cover?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/what-can-claim-cover/): A claim may cover bills, lost pay, and other harm caused by an injury. It may also cover pain and changes to daily life. You need proof of those losses.
- [Can a claim include medical costs?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/medical-costs/): A claim may cover care needed because of the injury. The care must be reasonable and needed. The amount you can claim may differ from the price on the bill.
- [What if I will need medical care later?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/future-treatment/): You may be able to claim the cost of care you will need later. There must be proof that the injury is likely to cause that need.
- [Can a claim cover pay I missed?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/missed-work/): A claim may include pay lost because you could not work due to the injury. You need proof of the missed time and lost income.
- [What if I cannot do the same job anymore?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/future-earning-ability/): A claim may cover harm to your ability to earn money later. This is different from pay you already lost.
- [What does “pain and suffering” mean?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/pain-and-suffering/): Pain and suffering means harm that is not just a bill or lost pay. It can include pain, distress, and loss of enjoyment of life caused by an injury.
- [Can I include other costs caused by an injury?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/out-of-pocket-costs/): A claim may cover some costs you paid because of the injury. The costs must fit the legal rules. Keep proof of what you paid and why.
- [Are extra damages available to punish bad conduct?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/punitive-damages/): Some cases allow extra money to punish very bad acts. These are called punitive damages. A careless mistake is usually not enough.
- [Why is my settlement different from what I take home?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/settlement-take-home/): The total settlement may be more than the amount you keep. Fees, case costs, unpaid bills, and valid repayment claims may come out of it.
- [How much is my injury claim worth?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/case-value/): There is no set price for an injury. The facts about fault, care, lost pay, and lasting harm all matter. The funds or insurance that can pay also matter.
- [What if I was hit from behind?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/rear-end-crash/): Being hit from behind may show the driver followed too closely. But it does not settle every fault question. The facts of the crash still matter.
- [What if a driver turned left in front of me?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/left-turn-crash/): A driver turning left must generally yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard. Other drivers must still use care too.
- [What if the other driver was speeding?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/speeding-crash/): Unsafe speed can help show a lack of care. A driver may be going too fast for conditions even below the posted limit.
- [What if the other driver was distracted?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/distracted-driving/): A driver who fails to watch the road may be negligent. The claim still needs proof of what happened and how it caused harm.
- [Can I have a claim after a parking lot crash?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/parking-lot-crash/): An injury in a parking lot can lead to a claim. Drivers must use care around cars and people on foot. You need to show what went wrong.
- [What if I was hit in a crosswalk?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/pedestrian-crosswalk/): Drivers generally must yield to people in marked crosswalks and some unmarked crosswalks. Both drivers and people on foot must still use care.
- [Can I have a claim if I was outside a crosswalk?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/pedestrian-outside-crosswalk/): You may still have a claim if you were outside a crosswalk. That fact alone does not decide all questions of fault. Both sides’ actions matter.
- [What if a car hit me while I was riding a bike?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/bicycle-car-crash/): People on bikes have rights and duties on the road. A driver may be at fault for an unsafe turn or pass. You still need proof of what caused the harm.
- [What if a driver passed my bike too closely?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/unsafe-bicycle-pass/): State law has rules for safely passing a bike. An unsafe pass may support an injury claim if it caused harm.
- [Does lane splitting mean a motorcycle rider is at fault?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/motorcycle-lane-splitting/): Lane splitting is legal in California. It does not, by itself, make a rider at fault in a crash. How the rider and other drivers acted still matters.
- [Who may be responsible after a truck crash?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/truck-crash/): The driver or the business they work for may be at fault. Other parties may be involved too. A truck’s size alone does not prove who caused the crash.
- [What if a driver was working when the crash happened?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/work-driver-crash/): The driver’s employer may also have to pay. This can apply when the driver was doing work within the scope of the job.
- [What if a public bus or city vehicle hit me?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/bus-or-city-vehicle/): A crash with a public vehicle has special claim rules. You may need to act much sooner than in a claim against a private driver.
- [What if I slipped and fell at a business?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/slip-and-fall/): A store may be at fault if it fails to use reasonable care to keep the site safe. A fall alone does not prove the store must pay.
- [What if unsafe stairs caused my injury?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/broken-stairs/): Unsafe stairs may lead to an injury claim. The issue may be poor upkeep, a bad design, or a failure to fix a known danger.
- [What if I fell on a public sidewalk?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/public-sidewalk-fall/): A fall on public land has special rules. You may need to prove that the walkway had a dangerous defect. You may also need to file an early claim with the public agency.
- [What if someone’s dog bit me?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/dog-bite/): A dog owner may have to pay for a bite even if the dog never bit anyone before. The state’s dog-bite law has rules about where and how the bite happened.
- [What if a dog knocked me down but did not bite?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/dog-knocked-me-down/): A dog can cause harm without a bite. The dog-bite law does not automatically cover a knockdown. Other rules, such as negligence, may apply.
- [Who can bring a wrongful death claim?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death/): State law says who can sue after a death caused by someone else. A close bond with the person is not enough by itself.
- [How is a wrongful death claim different from a survival claim?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death-vs-survival/): A wrongful death claim is for certain survivors’ losses. A survival claim continues a claim the person who died could have brought. They are different claims.
- [What if only my car was damaged?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/property-damage-only/): You may have a property-damage claim even if you have no bodily injury. The type of loss matters. You still need proof of fault and the damage.
- [Can my policy help if I have only liability coverage?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/liability-only-injury-coverage/): This part of a car policy usually pays for harm you cause to other people. It is not the same as coverage for your own injuries. The whole policy needs review.
- [What if I was driving for a rideshare service when I was hurt?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/rideshare-driver-injury/): Coverage may depend on what you were doing in the app when the crash happened. Personal and rideshare policies may have different roles. Fault and harm still need proof.
- [What if the crash happened around a delivery-app job?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/delivery-driver-injury/): A crash during delivery work can raise questions about fault, policy coverage, and work status. The fact that an app was involved does not answer them all.
- [How do I know if this is a personal injury matter?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/is-this-a-personal-injury-case/): An injury claim concerns harm and a legal basis for asking another person or business to pay. Not every accident or upsetting event supports the same kind of claim.
- [What do California’s car insurance minimums mean?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/california-auto-insurance-minimums/): California’s standard car policy minimums are often called 30/60/15. That means $30,000 for injury or death to one person. It means $60,000 for all injury or death in one crash, and $15,000 for property damage. These limits do not promise a payment.
- [Why does a child’s injury settlement need court review?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/child-injury-settlement/): A proposed settlement of a child’s injury claim generally needs court approval. This process is often called a minor’s compromise. A parent agreeing to a number is not the whole process.
- [What if an injury harms my married life?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/loss-of-consortium/): If a third party injures your spouse, your married life may change. You may have a claim for that loss. It is called loss of consortium. It is separate from the injured person’s own claim.
- [What losses can a wrongful-death claim cover?](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/wrongful-death-damages/): Some survivors may claim money for lost support and loss of a loved one’s care and company. These are called wrongful-death damages. The law limits which losses the claim can cover. Proof still matters.

## Court decisions

- [Li v. Yellow Cab Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/li/): A person can share fault and still have a negligence claim. Their share of blame can reduce the recovery.
- [Rowland v. Christian](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/rowland/): The court applied reasonable-care rules to unsafe property. A visitor’s label alone did not decide the owner’s duty.
- [Ortega v. Kmart Corp.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/ortega/): A lack of reasonable inspections may help show that a store should have found a spill.
- [Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/howell/): For the insured care at issue, a bill’s unpaid negotiated writeoff was not a loss the patient could recover.
- [Cabral v. Ralphs Grocery Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/cabral/): The court rejected a broad no-duty rule for a truck stopped beside a freeway. Drivers still had to use ordinary care.
- [State of California v. Superior Court (Bodde)](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/bodde/): Before suing a public agency, a person may need to send it a formal claim. The court required the lawsuit to address that step or a valid excuse.
- [Fox v. Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/fox/): The court asked when a person had reason to suspect harm and a wrongful cause. That can affect when the time to sue starts.
- [Priebe v. Nelson](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/priebe/): The court barred the kennel worker’s claim under the dog-bite law in that setting. That claim involved a risk of caring for the dog.
- [Mitchell v. Gonzales](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/mitchell/): The court favored a substantial-factor instruction for cause in fact over a confusing older instruction.
- [Box v. California Date Growers Assn.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/box/): The court kept the police report and its diagram out of the crash trial. It applied rules about what proof the court could use.
- [Alarid v. Vanier](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/alarid/): A broken safety law could lead to a starting assumption of fault. The court said proof of a valid excuse could overcome it.
- [Perez v. Van Groningen & Sons, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/perez/): A worker could still be doing the employer’s work despite breaking a rule against giving a ride.
- [Souza v. Corti](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/souza/): The car owner’s consent could matter even when a different person drove. The court applied the vehicle-owner law then in force.
- [American Motorcycle Assn. v. Superior Court](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/american-motorcycle/): The court let people who shared blame seek a fair split of the loss from one another.
- [DaFonte v. Up-Right, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/da-fonte/): Each defendant’s share of noneconomic harm was tied to its share of fault. That type of harm includes pain.
- [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center v. Superior Court](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/cedars/): The court discussed evidence rules and case sanctions as responses to lost evidence in the setting before it.
- [Fergus v. Songer](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/fergus/): The fee contract lacked a term the law required. The court discussed what that meant for the lawyer’s fee.
- [Murphy v. Allstate Ins. Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/murphy/): The insurer owed a duty about settlement to its own insured. The other side could not simply enforce that duty as their own.
- [Brizuela v. Calfarm Ins. Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/brizuela/): The policy required a sworn exam of the insured. The court allowed denial when the insured failed to attend.
- [Winet v. Price](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/winet/): The court enforced the broad release at issue, including its express treatment of unknown claims.
- [Waller v. Truck Ins. Exchange, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/waller/): The court read the policy to decide if a loss might be covered. What the contract says matters.
- [Capelouto v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/capelouto/): Pain may be shown by more than a medical bill. The court allowed lay proof and, in some cases, inferences from the injury.
- [College Hospital Inc. v. Superior Court](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/college-hospital/): The court discussed when money can be awarded to punish bad acts. A careless mistake alone was not enough.
- [Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/aguilar/): The court explained when a judge can rule without a trial. The key is whether a real dispute over an important fact needs a trial.
- [Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Macri](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/macri/): No insurance and too little insurance are different problems. The court held that some coverage rules differ too.
- [Bouton v. USAA Casualty Ins. Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/bouton/): Some coverage questions belong in court. They differ from the fault and money issues a policy sends to arbitration.
- [Pitzen v. Superior Court](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/pitzen/): One small-claims plaintiff tried to retry an issue they had clearly lost. The court did not allow that.
- [Sanchez v. Kern Emergency Medical Transportation Corp.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/sanchez/): The court recognized that wrongful conduct can worsen a health condition a person already had.
- [Licudine v. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/licudine/): Lost future earnings need proof of what the person likely could have earned. A hoped-for job is not enough by itself.
- [Corenbaum v. Lampkin](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/corenbaum/): The court rejected using full billed amounts from the care at issue as proof of other losses. The bills were subject to insurance discounts.
- [Huckey v. City of Temecula](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/huckey/): The court looked at the sidewalk defect and the whole setting. On those facts, it found the defect too minor to support the claim.
- [Drake v. Dean](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/drake/): The court said dog-owner negligence has its own rules. It is not limited to proof that the dog had known dangerous traits.
- [Davis v. Gaschler](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/davis/): The owners argued that the person accepted the risk. The court rejected that as a complete defense on the facts before it.
- [Ceja v. Rudolph & Sletten, Inc.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/ceja/): A person’s honest belief in a marriage could matter to a wrongful-death claim. The court looked at that person’s actual belief.
- [Quiroz v. Seventh Ave. Center](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/quiroz/): A family’s wrongful-death claim is not the same as the deceased person’s surviving claim. They concern different injuries.
- [J.M. v. Huntington Beach Union High School District](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/jm/): A child missed the time to seek court relief after a late-claim request was denied. Being a child did not erase that separate deadline.
- [Shalabi v. City of Fontana](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/shalabi/): The court examined how to count the filing period after a pause based on a person’s age ended.
- [Inter-Insurance Exchange of Automobile Club v. Lopez](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/lopez/): An unknown car hit another car and pushed it into the insured car. The court treated that chain of contact as physical contact.
- [Hodges v. Superior Court](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/hodges/): The court let a claim about a car’s unsafe design proceed despite the driver’s lack of insurance. The damage limit did not apply in that setting.
- [Scruton v. Korean Air Lines Co.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/scruton/): The court explained why a child’s proposed settlement needs court approval. A guardian alone could not make the deal final.
- [Rodriguez v. Bethlehem Steel Corp.](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/rodriguez/): The court recognized a spouse’s claim for loss of companionship and other parts of married life after injury.
- [Krouse v. Graham](https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/cases/krouse/): The court distinguished loss of a loved one’s companionship from grief itself in a wrongful-death claim.