Silvio Natale - Personal Injury and Appellate Attorney

Since 1986, Silvio Natale has been a trial and appellate lawyer specializing in personal injury cases. His career took off dramatically in 1988 when he won a landmark appeal that saved a case dismissed for being filed "one day late."

The Breakthrough Case: Gonzales v. County of Los Angeles (1988) 199 Cal.App.3d 601

In Gonzales v. County of Los Angeles, a Government Claim was “Rejected” by the County of Los Angeles on January 20, 1983. A lawsuit filed on July 21, 1983 (182 days after the date of rejection) was dismissed as "late". After becoming an attorney in 1986, Natale was assigned the case.

Natale noticed a critical flaw in California's lawsuit filing requirements. Public entities had six months to reject claims, but depending on the rejection date, plaintiffs received anywhere from 181 to 184 days to file suit—an inequitable system ripe for abuse if Public Entities chose to reject claims only giving Plaintiff Attorneys 181 days to file. For Example what if a claim is rejected August 31st? When is it Due? There is no February 31st!

Natale discovered an obscure statute: Government Code Section 6803, which defined “quarter year” means 91 days; "half year" means 182 days; “whole year” means 365 days. This case was filed on day 182! County argued “six-months” and “half year” were not the same! Court wisely rejected that argument.

While a similar case, Edgington v. County of San Diego (1981), had lost on appeal with identical facts, Natale successfully argued that the statutes must be harmonized—Section 6803 provided a minimum 182-day standard to prevent public entities from manipulating rejection dates.

The Court of Appeal agreed. This published decision, Gonzales v. County of Los Angeles (1988) 199 Cal.App.3d 601, is still cited today by appellate attorneys nationwide for establishing that "three months" means 91 days, not 90. Natale recently found out they teach his case in Law School, that “Bakes My Noodle!”

"Last Best Hope" Practice

Natale Law has built a reputation for taking on "impossible" cases—the ones other lawyers withdraw from. Specializing in cases against public entities, premises liability and dog bite cases, Natale relishes being an injured party's "Last Best Hope."

With 37 years of experience, sharp legal acumen, and a track record of out-of-the-box strategies, Silvio Natale fearlessly tackles cases others deem unthinkable and delivers results that change lives and makes the world safer.