Michael D. Padilla

Practice areas

Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury – Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff, Personal Injury – Products: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Medical Devices, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury – Plaintiff, Pharmaceutical, Premises Liability – Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death

Michael D. Padilla, a founding partner at The Padilla Law Group, LLP Attorneys at Law situated in Encinitas, California, extends legal representation to individuals across San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside counties. His professional focus centers on litigation concerning personal injury cases on behalf of plaintiffs. His portfolio of cases encompasses scenarios such as motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, construction accidents, defective medical products, and cases involving wrongful death.

In 1972, Mr. Padilla achieved a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University. His academic journey continued at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1975. Following his graduation, he amassed nine years of experience in civil litigation within a renowned San Diego law firm’s department. He later ascended to the role of partner at another local firm, concentrating on personal injury cases for plaintiffs, until he co-established his current firm alongside his son Jeff in 2018. Mr. Padilla holds admission to practice in all California state courts.

Throughout his career, Mr. Padilla secured a multitude of substantial jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. A notable instance involved a medical malpractice case, resulting in brain damage due to a doctor’s failure to order a CT scan, which garnered a jury award surpassing $63 million. Another achievement includes a $3.7 million damages verdict for a worker harmed in an explosion, a case where the highest pre-trial settlement offer had been a mere $250,000. His history of successful outcomes and unwavering ethical standards have earned him the esteem of his peers, evident in his reception of an AV Preeminent* peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a “Superb” peer review rating from Avvo. Furthermore, he holds membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an exclusive organization comprising exceptional legal professionals and judges in the United States.

Actively engaged in his community, Mr. Padilla has contributed as a board member of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, the sponsoring body of the annual San Diego County Fair. Additionally, he holds membership in the President’s Council at California State University San Marcos.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished, and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks employed under license in adherence to Martindale-Hubbell’s certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® manages a peer review rating process, where ratings reflect the anonymous assessments of legal and judicial professionals. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ are categorized into two aspects – legal ability and overall ethical standards.