W. Crawford Appleby IV

Practice areas

Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff, Aviation and Aerospace, Personal Injury – Products: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Aviation Accidents – Plaintiff, Brain Injury, Personal Injury – Plaintiff, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death

Working from Wisner Baum’s (formerly known as Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman) Los Angeles branch, William Crawford Appleby IV, an attorney, specializes in intricate legal motions, comprehensive legal research and writing, and strategic case planning. To deliver optimal outcomes for his clients, Crawford extensively explores both United States and international laws. His primary focus lies in cases related to transportation accidents, as well as whistleblower and qui tam claims.

Crawford significantly contributes to Wisner Baum’s legal matters during both trial and appellate stages. He excels in crafting legal briefs, staying updated on emerging legal domains, delving into novel legal issues, monitoring advancements in legal technology, and analyzing legislative histories. His fervent dedication to assisting others propels him to invest maximum effort into each case, establishing him as a pivotal figure within the firm’s award-winning legal team.

Before joining Wisner Baum, Crawford served as a clerk at the Los Angeles Superior Court for over two years. This role provided him extensive experience across all aspects of civil litigation, encompassing drafting of tentative rulings, conducting research, and preparing written materials for superior court judges.

Crawford pursued his legal education at Loyola Law School, following completion of his bachelor’s degree from Boston University. During his pursuit of a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, he refined his legal skills and undertook Mediation Training at the Loyola Center for Conflict Resolution. He was also selected to participate in the Hobbs District Attorney Clinic, where he conducted 20 felony preliminary hearings for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

In addition, Crawford worked as an extern at the California Department of Justice under the leadership of former Attorney General and current Vice President Kamala Harris. He zealously represented professional licensing boards in administrative hearings and received a Certificate of Appreciation for his contributions to the Licensing Section of the State of California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General.

Even during breaks, Crawford remained dedicated to his legal pursuits. He took on the role of a federal judicial extern for the Honorable R. Gary Klausner in the Central District of California due to his profound interest in the law.

Amidst his academic commitments, Crawford served as a senior technical editor at the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. His commentary on the Supreme Court case Rehberg v. Paulk was published, earning citations in both the Witkin Summary of California Law and the book “Federal Grand Jury: A Guide to Law and Practice.”

Crawford’s contribution extended beyond academics. He authored articles on legal topics, such as:

• Reevaluating Delaware as a Potential Forum in Multi-Defendant Tort Cases
• Recent Developments in Personal Jurisdiction for Aviation Cases
• Preservation, Discovery, Subpoenas and Metadata: Court Rules, Case Law and Recent Developments
• Laying a Foundation: Real-World Scripts/Examples
• Pro-Plaintiff Decisions Post-Daimler & Bristol-Myers
• Stick Versus Puncture: Etihad Ends Causal Link Requirement between Mental and Bodily Injury in Montreal Convention Cases
• Using Agency Agreements to Pin Down Foreign Airlines in American Courts
• Liability of Airlines in Intentional Downing of Aircraft
• Understanding the ‘Sudden Illness’ Defense in California Courts
• Pro-Plaintiff Decisions Post-Daimler
• The Marital Privilege – Attorneys’ Understanding of Marital Privilege, California Lawyer, MCLE Evidence

He also initiated a legal tech company in 2019, creating a unique database of California state court tentative rulings. This platform provides litigants with insights into past judicial decisions, citations, and reasoning, offering valuable guidance for upcoming cases.

Crawford’s legal accomplishments led to various accolades:

• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40
• The Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™
• Southern California Super Lawyers® Rising Stars
• 2018 Elite Trial Lawyers, Finalists Consumer Protection, The National Law Journal

Outside of his professional commitments, Crawford enjoys family time with his wife Lauren and their three children, along with pursuing activities like running, skiing, golf, and tennis. Notably, he ran the Los Angeles Marathon in 2010 to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.