Erik L. Peterson

Highest medical malpractice settlement in California history

Obtained a $21 million verdict for a brain injury from auto accident

Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©

Named to Super Lawyers® for 15 years

AWARD-WINNING PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY SERVING ALL OF CALIFORNIA AND HAWAII

Erik L. Peterson is regarded among the nation’s top civil trial attorneys. A partner at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP, he has cultivated a reputation of excellence among his peers, colleagues and clients. His record of success includes a $17M birth injury settlement for a brain injury that is believed to be the largest recovery in California history for a medical malpractice case and a $21M jury verdict for a brain injury sustained in a car accident.

Mr. Peterson is licensed to practice in California and Hawaii and represents victims and families throughout both states and the U.S. in a range of medical malpractice and personal injury claims.

Mr. Peterson has earned widespread recognition from leading legal organizations. He has been named to the prestigious Super Lawyers® Magazine every year since 2006, is included among The Best Lawyers in America© and The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, and selected as a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only trial lawyer society comprised of less than one-half of one percent of all practicing U.S. attorneys.

A CAREER DEDICATED TO HELPING CATASTROPHICALLY INJURED CLIENTS

Erik Peterson has helped the firm recover more than $1 billion in compensation for clients. A graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, Mr. Peterson has successfully tried an array of complex and high-stakes civil claims over his nearly 30 years in practice, including those involving medical malpractice, maritime law, wrongful termination, and motor vehicle accidents.

In addition to his passion for helping victims and families navigate emotionally turbulent times, Mr. Peterson is known for being an intelligent, experienced and gifted litigator. He has also secured a number of high-value verdicts and settlements, several of which have set local and state records.

Some of Mr. Peterson’s most notable results include:

• Mr. Peterson successfully co-tried a case involving a brain-injured truck accident victim resulting in a $21M verdict with interest and costs. The jury verdict is believed to be the largest net compensatory (non-punitive) award of its type for an individual in California state history.
• In May 2019, Mr. Peterson obtained a $17M birth injury settlement over brain damage during pregnancy. The recovery is believed to be the largest medical malpractice present value result (settlement or verdict) in the history of California.

AWARD & ACCOLADES

• Top Rating by Avvo.com
• The Best Lawyers in America© (2021-2022)
• Super Lawyers® Magazine (2006-2021)
• Hawaii Medical Malpractice Super Lawyers® (2019)
• Top 100 Lawyers Registry Attorney of the Year California for Medical Malpractice (2019)
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers
• AV® Preeminent™ Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®
• America’s Top 100 Attorneys (Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Litigation)
• Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
• Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers in California by The National Trial Lawyers Association

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS / DISTINCTIONS

• Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
• Hawaii Association for Justice
• San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America
• Judge Pro-Tem, Superior Court of San Francisco
• Panelist, San Francisco Bar Association Early Settlement Program
• Board of Directors, Consumer Attorneys of California
• Avvo's Highest Available Rating for Client Satisfaction and Success
• Member, National Association of Distinguished Counsel

PUBLICATIONS

• California Medical Malpractice Law in Spotlight– SF Gate
• Getting Sick on the High Seas: A Question of Accountability– The New York Times
• Profile: Erik Peterson- Plaintiff