With over 100 years of combined experience and nearly 1 billion dollars recovered for our clients in the last 20 years, Rodriguez & Associates is well known as home to some of the top personal injury trial lawyers in Kern County. The firm’s dedication to excellence and attention to detail is apparent in each case from consultation through conclusion.
Daniel Rodriguez, founder and president of Rodriguez & Associates, brings a unique background that taught him the importance of hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity. These two character traits have helped define his success as an award-winning personal injury attorney and one of the top trial lawyers in Kern County.
Daniel has experienced personal success as an attorney and litigator, and he has built a firm that echoes his drive and commitment to pursuing justice for those who need it most. The Rodriguez & Associates trial team has become known as a force to be reckoned with in the Southern San Joaquin Valley and continues to grow in both size and reputation with every case they represent.
“Our clients come to us at their most vulnerable and weakest moments in life. Being able to help them take strides in a positive direction and help guide them toward resolution is always our priority.”
– Chantal Trijullo, Senior Partner
Success In The Numbers
Led by Daniel Rodriguez, the Rodriguez & Associates trial team comprised of partners Chantal Trujillo, Danay Gonzalez, and Joel Andreesen, has more multi-million dollar verdicts than any other law firm in the Southern San Joaquin Valley and takes more personal injury cases to trial than any other local law firm. Among their thousands of cases, the firm holds the top settlement and the 3 highest personal injury verdicts in Kern County history:
- $116,400,000 Largest personal injury settlement in Kern County history
- $73,650,000 Largest personal injury verdict in Kern County history
- $70,578,289 2nd largest personal injury verdict in Kern County history
- $31,600,000 3rd largest personal injury verdict in Kern County history
In 2023, Daniel, Chantal, and Danay were recognized by the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts List for obtaining the largest personal injury verdict in Kern County history in Ruckman et al. v. Big N Deep Ag Development Co. et al. (BCV-15-101699). Through combined settlement agreements and jury verdicts, the plaintiffs received a total of over $140 million in damages collectively from the five defendants involved in the incident. This case was also listed by Top Verdicts as the number one verdict in California in 2022.
In another record-setting case, Rodriguez & Associates obtained a $70,578,289 verdict on behalf of a family injured in a major crash with a big rig in Bakersfield, California in August of 2017.
In 2022, Daniel and his team of trial attorneys including partners Joel, Chantal Trujillo, and Danay Gonzalez obtained an $11,000,000 verdict in a wrongful death case in which a man was killed while working on a construction site. The verdict brought the victim’s three children some closure and held the construction company accountable for their negligence to properly train their employees.
Attorney Jefferson Eberhardt joined Daniel to secure a $2,300,000 verdict in a civil lawsuit against the Kern High School District, California’s largest 9-12 school district, for failing to protect a special needs child from sexual assault. Prior to trial, the highest offer by the school district and its insurance company was $250,000.
With a case record that demonstrates their ability to go to bat for their client’s rights, it’s no wonder Rodriguez & Associates is both feared and respected by insurance companies. The numbers above indicate the trial team’s ability to take on large and aggressive companies – and win.
A Unique & Collaborative Team
The Rodriguez & Associates trial team is unique in its experience and ability to offer creative problem-solving to its clients. While “settlement mill” firms churn through cases, pushing them towards quick and easy resolutions, the attorneys and staff at Rodriguez & Associates go above and beyond for their clients, also taking the initiative to push for reform and policy changes to influence how the law is applied in future cases.
Daniel has cultivated a dynamic and diverse staff and ensures each individual at the firm has the opportunity to demonstrate and utilize their personal and professional strengths, a unique characteristic for a trial team. As represented by the case results above, if Rodriguez & Associates believes a settlement offer is not fair, they are equipped to pursue a trial.
From the initial consultation of the case to the final verdict and payout, Rodriguez & Associates’ clients truly have a team behind them.
“The firm is very attentive, detailed, and cares greatly about each of its clients. Overall, it is a great team made up of individuals who all work toward the ultimate goal of helping the client and getting the job done…” – Heather Foster, Accounting Dept., Change Beyond the Courtroom
Serious personal injury cases have the tendency to uncover injustices within our society, many times at the hands of large corporations and organizations protected by aggressive insurance policies. The Rodriguez & Associates trial team works diligently to uncover the truth and create change behind the systemic negligence that allows the same dangers to arise again and again.
Whether working on a case involving trucking companies, child abuse, or oilfield accidents, it is the firm’s goal to protect the rights of everyday citizens and help them move past horrible events with hope for recovery and the future.
“Our most successful cases are those that will have the most impact and create change where change needs to happen.” – Chantal Trujillo, Senior Partner
To learn more about the top trial lawyers at Rodrigez & Associates, click here.