Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Conal Doyle
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2012 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Conal Doyle is an award winning trial lawyer who has received national recognition for his courtroom victories that have had broad reaching impact on society. He is one of the few attorneys in history to argue before the United States Supreme Court and obtain multiple seven and eight figure jury verdicts.
His international human rights victory in Castaneda v. United States was a catalyst for the reform of the United States immigration healthcare system, and garnered widespread acclaim from his peers, legal publications and the international media.
For example, he received the 2012 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) Award in Human Rights, and the 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). He has been listed in both Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers for the past nine years, and his courtroom victories have been chronicled in newspapers around the world, including a piece on the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes."
Conal's reputation as one of the finest trial attorneys in America was further cemented with two stunning back-to-back verdicts in Kern County, California, one of California's most "conservative" jurisdictions.
In December 2013, Conal obtained as lead trial counsel a $26.8 million medical malpractice jury verdict in McKnight v. Spain. This result was the largest medical malpractice verdict in County history and was recognized by The Daily Journal as a Top 10 Verdict in California for 2013. The National Law Journal recognized the verdict as a Top 100 Verdict nationally and the Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC) named him a Finalist for the 2014 Consumer Attorney of the Year Award. The highest pre-trial offer by the defense was $300,000.
In March 2014, Conal obtained as lead trial counsel a $3.8 million jury verdict in Didone v. Jack In The Box. In this premises liability case, the highest pre-trial offer was $200,000.
The foundation of this success is a passion for justice and a commitment to client service. Conal was born without his right leg, and like many of his clients, has overcome great obstacles and endured daily struggles. These experiences provide him a unique insight into his clients' challenges, and help him guide his clients through difficult times.
Conal is well known as an advocate for amputees in injury and bad faith insurance claims. His article, "Glimpsing the Future for an Amputee," is used as a guide for litigating limb loss cases by attorneys across the country.
Conal has never backed down from a challenge or started a fight that he couldn't finish. When he isn't challenging corporate giants in the courtroom, Conal enjoys skiing the rockies, a remnant from his past as an alpine ski racer.
Overview
Beverly Hills, California
- English
- Gender: Male
- Florida State University, J.D., graduated 1997
- Florida State University, graduated 1997
- New York, New York State Bar Association
- District of Columbia, The District of Columbia Bar
- Florida, The Florida Bar
- California, The State Bar of California
- Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities - Board Member
- Melvin Belli Society - Invited Member
- National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 - Invited Member
- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA) - Member
- Consumer Attorneys of California - Member
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association - Member
- American Association for Justice - Member
- Public Justice Foundation - Board Member
Beverly Hills, California
- English
- New York, New York State Bar Association
- District of Columbia, The District of Columbia Bar
- Florida, The Florida Bar
- California, The State Bar of California
- Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities - Board Member
- Melvin Belli Society - Invited Member
- National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100 - Invited Member
- Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA) - Member
- Consumer Attorneys of California - Member
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association - Member
- American Association for Justice - Member
- Public Justice Foundation - Board Member
- Florida State University, J.D., graduated 1997
- Florida State University, graduated 1997
- Gender: Male
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
- Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Insurance Law
- Medical Malpractice Law
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Professional Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
Awards:
- National Law Journal-National Appellate Lawyer of the Week
- 2011 SFTLA Civil Justice Award
- 2011 Public Justice Acheivement Award
- 2011 Finalist-CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year
- 2010-Daily Journal's Top 20 Under 40
- Southern California Super Lawyer 2012-present
- 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award-Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles ("CAALA")
- 2012 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) Award-California Lawyer Magazine
- 2011 Attorney of the Year-The Recorder
- The National Law Journal-Top 100 Verdicts 2013
- The Daily Journal-Top 10 Verdicts 2013
- 2014 Finalist-CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Jane Doe v. Doe Corporation-$7.5 million settlement
$7.5 Million Settlement in Premises Liability Sexual Assault case
- Castaneda v. United States-$1.95 million settlement
Conal Doyle obtained a $1,950,000 settlement in Castaneda v. U.S., 538 F.Supp.2d 1279 (C.D. Cal 2008), affirmed, Castaneda v. U.S., 546 F.3d 682 (9th Cir. 2008), reversed, Castaneda v. Hui,130 S.Ct. 1845 (2010), which is an action by an immigration detainee who suffered a penile amputation and subsequently died due to the United States’ failure to timely diagnose and treat penile cancer.
Castaneda v. United States is a companion case to Castaneda v. State, and the settlement with the United States is in addition to the $1.73 million dollar verdict obtained against the State. This settlement is almost eight times the $250,000 medical malpractice cap that the United States argued applied to the case. The Firm spent more than $180,000 in case costs prosecuting the Castaneda cases.
The case has received extensive international media coverage, with numerous stories published by the San Francisco Chronicle, L.A. Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Canadian News Press, British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Daily Journal, Univision, Telemundo, numerous other international media outlets, and 60 Minutes.
The San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association honored Conal Doyle with the 2011 Civil Justice Award for his unprecedented work on behalf of the Castaneda family. And the National Law Journal recognized him as its national “Appellate Lawyer of the Week” for his argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hui v. Castaneda.
Castaneda v. United States is a companion case to Castaneda v. State, and the settlement with the United States is in addition to the $1.73 million dollar verdict obtained against the State. This settlement is almost eight times the $250,000 medical malpractice cap that the United States argued applied to the case. The Firm spent more than $180,000 in case costs prosecuting the Castaneda cases.
The case has received extensive international media coverage, with numerous stories published by the San Francisco Chronicle, L.A. Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Canadian News Press, British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Daily Journal, Univision, Telemundo, numerous other international media outlets, and 60 Minutes.
The San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association honored Conal Doyle with the 2011 Civil Justice Award for his unprecedented work on behalf of the Castaneda family. And the National Law Journal recognized him as its national “Appellate Lawyer of the Week” for his argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hui v. Castaneda.
- Castaneda v. State of California-$1.735 million jury verdict
Conal Doyle obtained a $1,735,557 jury verdict on November 10, 2010 on behalf of the family of Francisco Castaneda, a state prisoner who died because the State of California refused to provide him a biopsy to rule out penile cancer during his four month detention. The suit was brought by Mr. Castaneda’s 17 year old daughter, Vanessa Castaneda. Prior to trial, the State offered $10,000 to settle the claim, and disputed liability, causation, and damages. During trial, Mr. Doyle asked the jury to return a verdict of $1,500,000 in non-economic damages and $235,557 for past medical bills.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the jury returned a verdict for the exact amount requested, which was 170 times the pre-trial defense offer. The amount of the verdict was not reduced due to comparative fault and is not subject to California’s medical malpractice tort reform act (“MICRA”), and is 100% collectible.
The Daily Journal, California’s daily legal newspaper, recognized Castaneda v. State of California as one of California’s Top 10 most impactful verdicts of 2010. The Castaneda verdict was ranked third in impact, behind only the verdicts striking down the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and Proposition 8, the California ban on gay marriage. The Castaneda verdict was recognized for its impact on improving the medical care system for immigration detainees. The Consumer Attorneys of California have named Conal a Finalist for its 2011 Consumer Atttorney of the Year Award.
After deliberating for less than four hours, the jury returned a verdict for the exact amount requested, which was 170 times the pre-trial defense offer. The amount of the verdict was not reduced due to comparative fault and is not subject to California’s medical malpractice tort reform act (“MICRA”), and is 100% collectible.
The Daily Journal, California’s daily legal newspaper, recognized Castaneda v. State of California as one of California’s Top 10 most impactful verdicts of 2010. The Castaneda verdict was ranked third in impact, behind only the verdicts striking down the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and Proposition 8, the California ban on gay marriage. The Castaneda verdict was recognized for its impact on improving the medical care system for immigration detainees. The Consumer Attorneys of California have named Conal a Finalist for its 2011 Consumer Atttorney of the Year Award.
- Doe v. Roe Hospital-$2.4 million settlement
Conal Doyle obtained a $2.4 million recovery on behalf of a 33 year old man who broke his leg playing baseball and had it amputated at the knee two weeks later due to the defendants’ failure to timely diagnose and treat Compartment Syndrome. Conal Doyle was lead counsel on this Georgia case, which resolved three weeks prior to trial after almost two years of litigation, which included more than forty depositions. The value of the case was constrained by the two million dollar insurance policy limits of the target defendant and a conservative jurisdiction. The firm spent more than $100,000 in case costs in prosecuting this case.
- Doe v. Product Manufacturer and Hospital-$2.175 million settlement
Conal Doyle and Jody Moore, Law Offices of Jody Moore, obtained a $2.175 million recovery on behalf of a 61 year old woman whose leg was amputated below the knee due to medical negligence and products liability. The plaintiff consented to amputation of her leg because she was erroneously told she had cancer due to an error in the hospital information technology system. Plaintiff brought both medical negligence and products liability claims, and obtained pre-trial rulings that MICRA’s cap on damages did not apply to the hospital defendants. The plaintiff had no claim for future lost wages. Mr. Doyle was retained to act as trial counsel after the case was originally brought and worked up by Ms. Moore.
- Doe v. Los Angeles County, et al-$2.17 million settlement
Conal Doyle obtained a $2.17 million settlement against various defendants in a complex civil rights/medical malpractice action. The plaintff was an immigration detainee who suffered a significant brain injury due to receiving inadequate medical care while detained by the United States and Los Angeles County. The case was litigated for four years and settled on the eve of trial.
- McKnight v. Johnson and Spain-$26.8 million jury verdict
Conal Doyle was lead trial counsel in McKnight v. Johnson, et. al., a landmark medical negligence case resulting in a $26.8 million jury verdict. The verdict is believed to be the largest medical negligence verdict in Kern County, California, history. The case involved a spinal surgery gone wrong resulting in the paralysis of Ms. McKnight. Ms. McKnight sued two neurodiagnostic technicians for negligent monitoring of her surgery. She obtained a significant pre-trial legal ruling that MICRA, California's medical malpractice tort reform statute, did not apply to the case. This was significant because it meant that there was no cap on general non-economic damages. The verdict was rendered on December 2, 2013. The case settled on appeal, and the total actual recovery for Ms. McKnight was $17 million, one of the largest recoveries for a medical malpractice plaintiff in California history.
- Didone v. Jack In The Box-$3.8 million jury verdict
In March 2014, Conal Doyle obtained a $3.8 million jury verdict against Jack In The Box, Inc., where the highest pre-trial settlement offer was $200,000. The plaintiff was struck in the foot by a 5 pound metal panel that fell off a fountain drink dispenser. She suffered a superficial laceration and bruise that subsequently developed into Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ("CRPS"). The non-economic damages award of $3,100,000 is one of the highest awards of its type in Kern County, California, history.
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