Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Insurance Coverage, Medical Malpractice; view more
Licensed in California since: 1997
Education: Florida State University College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2025 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2010 - 2011 Details
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. His role as lead trial counsel in Castaneda 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 Superlawyers for the past six 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 devotes a significant portion of his practice to public interest work and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Justice Foundation, a non-profit public interest law firm. Mr. Doyle frequently acts as “lead cooperating counsel” on cases with Public Justice, where he donates a portion of his fees as a pro bono contribution to the organization. Conal is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities (LATLC), an organization that raises money to help local Los Angeles charitable organizations.
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.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Insurance Coverage, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: PlaintiffFocus areas
Bad Faith Insurance, Birth Injury, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Delayed or Incorrect Diagnosis, Dram Shop Laws, Informed Consent, Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Toxic Mold, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
First Admitted: 1997, California
Professional Webpage: http://www.conaldoylelaw.com/about-us/conal-doyle/
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
- Earl Warren American Inns of Court, 2005 - 2006
- American Association for Justice
- Florida, 1997
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 2004
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1998
- District of Columbia, 2006
- San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
- California, 2003
- Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1997
- U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 2004
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2008
- American Bar Association
- New York
- Consumer Attorneys of California
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2004
- U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2004
- Trujillo v. United Healthcare. Class action settlement against nation's largest health insurer for denial of prosthetic limbs to amputees. Settlement required United to change it's unlawful claims practices and reprocess claims., 2019
- $6.5 million settlement-Wrongful Death based on medical malpractice. Failure to diagnose and treat cancer., 2020
- $700,000 Jury Verdict. Conal Doyle obtained this verdict as lead trial counsel-auto collision case resulting in microdiskectomy. Venue was Chatsworth, CA., 2016
- $13.3 Million Medical Malpractice Settlement. Conal Doyle obtained this recovery as lead counsel for a 30 year old woman who lost all four of her limbs due to medical malpractice. The claim was subject to California's cap on non-economic damages in medical cases ("MICRA"), so the more than $13 million recovered was for the future life care plan of the plaintiff. Mr. Doyle utilized his in depth knowledge of prosthetics to obtain full and fair compensation for the victim., 2015
- $7.5 million settlement-Sexual Assault Premises Liability. Conal Doyle obtained this settlement against a hotel chain that allowed a third party criminal assailant to sexually assault a hotel guest., 2018
- $11.5 million recovery-Trucking Accident, Traumatic Brain injury. The plaintiff, a motorcyclist, collided with a dump truck on a residential street in Los Angeles, and suffered significant injuries, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the plaintiff made a nice recovery, returning to work as an IT professional. The case was settled a month before trial after completion of expert discovery. Conal Doyle was the lead trial lawyer on this case., 2018
- $645,000 Settlement in insurance coverage fire loss case, 2008
- $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), 2011
- $250,000 verdict in federal civii rights action against the United States involving immigration detainee who suffered diabetic foot wound, 2012
- $275,000 settlement in insurance coverage case: failure to pay for prosthetic benefits, 2009
- Conal Doyle obtained a $7,500,000 settlement for a woman who was sexually assaulted at a Southern California hotel by a third party criminal intruder. The victim was referred to the firm by a local trial judge, who described Mr. Doyle as “one of the best jury trial lawyers he has ever seen.” The case was settled after a lawsuit was filed but before discovery began, so the plaintiff did not even have to give a deposition in the case. Justice was obtained so efficiently in this tragic case in large part because of Mr. Doyle’s courtroom reputation. The settlement was remarkable because it brought justice and resolution to a wonderful woman who was brutally attacked through no fault of her own. There were no economic damages in the case, the settlement was purely for “pain and suffering” damages, primarily psychological. The entirety of the settlement was paid by the hotel as the actual assailant was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to more than thirty years in prison. This result is one of the largest premises liability sexual assault settlements in California history., 2017
- $750,000 Settlement in insurance bad faith action for failure of insurance company to pay for prosthetic limb benefits., 2012
- $3.8 million jury verdict. The highest pre-trial defense offer was $200,000, 2014
- $2,400,000 Settlement in medical malpractice leg amputation case, 2007
- $250,000 Settlement in insurance coverage case: failure to pay for prosthetic limb health benefits, 2009
- 1.73 Million Dollar Jury Verdict, Castaneda v. State of California, Los Angeles Superior Court., 2010
- $2,170,000 Settlement in Medical Malpractice action involving brain injury., 2012
- $26.8 million jury verdict in McKnight v. Spain, 2013
- CBS's news magazine 60 Minutes features Conal Doyle and Yanira Castaneda, Detention in America, 2008
- Former member of the Board of Directors (1998-2002) of Self-Reliance, Inc.
- Member of the Board of Directors of Public Justice Foundation and acts as “lead cooperating counsel” on cases with Public Justice, 2009
- Melvin Belli Society
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charity
- Finalist, Street Fighter of the Year, Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), 2020
- Listed for the past ten years in Best Lawyers In America, Best Lawyers, 2021
- The National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100- 2008-2011
- California’s legal newspaper, The Daily Journal, honored his jury verdict in Castaneda v. State of California as one of California’s Top 10 verdicts of 2010
- Civil Justice Award, San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, 2011
- The Best Lawyers In America (Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury), 2012
- California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award, 2012
- Finalist, CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year, 2011
- Martindale Hubbell – AV Rating, 2007-present
- The Daily Journal Top 10 Verdicts, for his record setting $26.8 million verdict in McKnight v. Spain, 2013
- Tampa Bay Magazine-Tampa's Top Attorneys (Medical Malpractice)
- Trial Lawyer of the Year-Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles ("CAALA"), 2011
- Attorney of the Year-The Recorder, 2011
- Conal was one of eight finalists for the 2014 Consumer Attorney of the Year Award for acting as lead trial counsel in McKnight v. Spain, a record setting $26.8 million medical malpractice jury verdict., Finalist-Consumer Attorney of the Year, Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC), 2014
- The National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts, 2013
- Marquis Who's Who in American Law
- The National Law Journal-Appellate Lawyer of the Week, for his argument before the Supreme Court in Hui v. Castaneda, 2010
- Public Justice Achievement Award-Public Justice Foundation, 2011
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2011
- Super Lawyers-Southern California Superlawyer, 2012
- Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida, B.A., 1993
- Stetson University College of Law- first year of law school (1994-1995), St. Petersburg, Florida, Honors: Class Rank: 1/159, West's Outstanding Scholar Award-#1 ranked first year law student, Book Award-Torts, Book Award-Civil Procedure, Book Award-Criminal Law
- Frequent Lecturer and Author on the topics of civil trial practice, civil rights, and personal injury litigation at law schools, Continuing Legal Education seminars, and the FBI NAA National Convention, where he has been recognized as an expert in civil rights litigation
- Jury Verdict Finally Vindicates The Family of Francisco Castaneda, JustLaw-Southern Trial Lawyers Association, First Quarter 2011
- Cruel and Unusual: How the Ninth Circuit Changed the Landscape of Bivens Litigation Under the Eighth Amendment, AAJ Civil Rights Section Newsletter, Winter 2009
- Evaluating the Jail Medical Neglect Case, CAOC Forum, March, 2006
- Glimpsing the Future for An Amputee, AAJ Trial Magazine, May, 2008
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2012 - 2025
- Rising Stars: 2010 - 2011
