Christopher AitkenChristopher Aitken was born in Placentia, California on May 10, 1969, is a partner of Aitken Aitken Cohn with nearly 25 years... Read MoreChristopher Aitken was born in Placentia, California on May 10, 1969, is a partner of Aitken Aitken Cohn with nearly 25 years of experience in trial litigation. He is proud to represent plaintiffs in major civil jury trial litigation in the fields of personal injury, insurance bad faith, wrongful death and general business litigation. Chris graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and Political Science Major. He obtained his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Southern California. Chris is a life-long resident of Orange County, California, and currently resides in San Clemente, with his wife Maureen, and their four children.
CASES
Chris Aitken is a strong advocate for consumer safety and has successfully litigated and tried numerous civil actions wherein he has obtained numerous seven and eight figure results for his clients. One of his most notable achievements includes a trial judgment on behalf of his client, a 13 year old boy who sustained a severe brain injury in an automobile collision, resulting in a jury verdict of $23,500,000 in Feitler v. E.A. Pedersen Power Products, Peter I. Mr. Aitken recently obtained a $20,000,000 settlement (and estimated over $100,000,000 payout) for an 8 year old boy who suffered a brain injury by falling from a soft contained playground at a prominent fast food chain in B. v. Doe Fast Food Chain. Due to in part to this matter, the food chain is in the process of performing retrofits for consumer safety on all their playgrounds on a national basis.
Mr. Aitken successfully litigated Lieu vs. Disneyland, a case which reached national attention when a metal cleat dislodged from Disneyland’s "Sailing Ship Columbia", killing a man and seriously injuring his wife. The settlement of this matter was estimated at $25,000,000 by the Los Angeles Times and the case led to major changes in California law regarding the safety of theme parks. Shortly thereafter, Chris Aitken successfully litigated the matter, Torres v. Disneyland, involving a fatality on the Thunder Mountain roller coaster at Disneyland. He has also been involved in other high profile litigation such as Larkin v. Peterson Brothers, a wrongful death matter of a renowned optometrist in Anaheim Hills which resulted in a recovery of over $4,100,000 and heightened County awareness for truck safety and Corbin v. Westbrent Limited, involving the traumatic brain injury of Ryan Corbin, grandson of performing artist, Pat Boone, resulting in a $10,125,000 settlement. His appellate practice is reflected in opinions such as Huie v Southland Sod, which immediately thereafter resulted in a $5,000,000 settlement for the wrongful death of a loving father and husband of two children in an automobile collision.
In the past year, Mr. Aitken has successfully litigated numerous cases. Adam M. v. Doe Industrial Plant resulted in a resolution of $17,500,000 on behalf of a welder who was blamed for his own injuries in an industrial plant explosion. He successfully litigated Christina, Michael and Kathy A. v. Doe Trucking for $6,000,000 unraveling a trucking insurance scheme wherein the Defendant was claiming employees as independent contractors, including the trucking company defendant. Mr. Aitken also resolved Derek P. v. Doe Ambulance Company and Shuttle Med for $1,250,000 representing a paramedic firefighter who was injured in an ambulance performing his duties, struck by another medical transport vehicle.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
?Catastrophic Personal Injury
?Automobile Accident
?Trucking Incidents
?Brain & Spinal Cord Injury
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
? Orange County Bar Foundation, Board of Directors
?Downtown Business Association, San Clemente, Current Chair
?Orange County Bar Association, Judiciary Committee, Past Board of Directors
?Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund, Past Board of Directors
?Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County
?Laura's House, Past Chairman
?Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
?Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
?Public Law Center, Member
?American Association for Justice, Member
?Legion Lexington Inn of Court, Member
AWARDS
?Best Lawyer, Personal Injury & Product Liability Litigation, Best Lawyers in America (2012-2019)
?Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (2010-2019)
?Top Lawyers of the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Magazine
?The Top 100 Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers
?Top 50: Orange County Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2013-2019)
?10 Best Attorneys in Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
?Top 10 Attorney in Southern California, National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
?Organization Name: CAOC
Title: Serious Head Injuries: Using the Latest Medical
Knowledge and Tests to Persuade Juries
?Organization Name: Riverside Bar Association Civil Litigation Section
Title: Tactful Use of Demonstrative Evidence in Mediation and Trial
?Conference Name: Mediation
Title: Mediation Strategies
?Conference Name: CAOC: Beaver Creek
Title: Brain Injury
ARTICLES
?Publication Name: Jefferson's California Evidence Benchbook
Title: Third and Fourth (Current) Editions
Year: 2000-2019
?Publication Name: California Tort Forms From Expert Litigators
Title: “Vehicle Collisions in Intersections”
Year: 2014
?Publication Name: California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)
Title: “PI Proof (Treatise on Personal Injury)”
Year: 2013
?Publication Name: National Webinar
Title: Serious Head Injuries: Using the Latest Medical Knowledge and Tests to Persuade Juries
Year: 2013
IN THE NEWS
?Lawyers.com - Beware of Amusement Park Dangers Read Less
