Michael D. Padilla

A founding partner of The Padilla Law Group, LLP Attorneys at Law, located in Encinitas, California, Michael D. Padilla provides representation to clients throughout San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties. He focuses his practice on plaintiff's personal injury litigation, with representative matters including motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, construction accidents, defective medical products and wrongful death.

Mr. Padilla received a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University in 1972. He then went on to attend the University of San Diego School of Law and was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1975. After graduation, Mr. Padilla spent nine years in the civil litigation department of a well-known San Diego law firm. He was then a partner at another area firm where he handled plaintiff's personal injury cases until co-founding his present firm with his son Jeff in 2018. Mr. Padilla is admitted to practice before all California state courts.

During his career, Mr. Padilla has obtained many significant jury verdicts and settlements for his clients. One notable example was a jury award in excess of $63 million in a medical malpractice case where a doctor's failure to order a CT scan resulted in brain damage. Another was a $3.7 million damage verdict for a worker injured in an explosion, where the highest pre-trial settlement offer had been $250,000. His successful track record and high degree of ethics have earned him the respect of his fellow professionals, as evidenced by his receipt of an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell and a "Superb" peer review rating through Avvo. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates aka ABOTA, an invitation only organization of the finest lawyers and judges in America.

Mr. Padilla is actively involved in his community. He has served as a board member of the 22nd District Agricultural Association, which is the sponsor of the annual San Diego County Fair, and has been a member of the President's Council at California State University San Marcos.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.