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Partner
Christopher Aitken was born in Placentia, California on May 10, 1969, is a partner of Aitken Aitken Cohn with nearly 25 years of experience in trial litigation. He is proud to represent plaintiffs in major civil jury trial litigation in the fields of personal injury, insurance bad faith, wrongful death and general business litigation.
free consultationDaily Journal recognized Chris as one of the “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California” in both 2024 and 2022, a distinction given to less than 50 lawyers in California. Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) named Chris also Finalist for 2021’s Consumer Attorney of the Year Award for securing an $11 million settlement with a state political party to resolve a case involving a Riverside man left paralyzed after a freeway collision with an unlicensed election worker.
Chris has been named 2024’s “Citizen of the Year” by The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce for his various non-profit endeavors to help his local community, including supporting the local businesses through his leadership of the downtown business association during Covid. Chris was also recently named in 2024 to the Irish 100.
Chris graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Political Science Major. He obtained his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Southern California.
Chris is a life-long resident of the OC and currently resides in San Clemente, with his wife Maureen, and their four children.
Contact Chris @ chris@aitkenlaw.com
Cases
Chris Aitken is a strong advocate for consumer safety and has successfully litigated and tried numerous civil actions wherein he has obtained numerous seven and eight figure results for his clients. One of his most notable achievements includes a trial judgment on behalf of his client, a 13 year old boy who sustained a severe brain injury in an automobile collision, resulting in a jury verdict of $23,500,000 in Feitler v. E.A. Pedersen Power Products, Peter I. Mr. Aitken recently obtained a $20,000,000 settlement (and estimated over $100,000,000 payout) for an 8 year old boy who suffered a brain injury by falling from a soft contained playground at a prominent fast food chain in B. v. Doe Fast Food Chain. Due to in part to this matter, the food chain is in the process of performing retrofits for consumer safety on all their playgrounds on a national basis.
Mr. Aitken successfully litigated Lieu vs. Disneyland, a case which reached national attention when a metal cleat dislodged from Disneyland’s “Sailing Ship Columbia”, killing a man and seriously injuring his wife. The settlement of this matter was estimated at $25,000,000 by the Los Angeles Times and the case led to major changes in California law regarding the safety of theme parks. Shortly thereafter, Chris Aitken successfully litigated the matter, Torres v. Disneyland, involving a fatality on the Thunder Mountain roller coaster at Disneyland. He has also been involved in other high profile litigation such as Larkin v. Peterson Brothers, a wrongful death matter of a renowned optometrist in Anaheim Hills which resulted in a recovery of over $4,100,000 and heightened County awareness for truck safety and Corbin v. Westbrent Limited, involving the traumatic brain injury of Ryan Corbin, grandson of performing artist, Pat Boone, resulting in a $10,125,000 settlement. His appellate practice is reflected in opinions such as Huie v Southland Sod, which immediately thereafter resulted in a $5,000,000 settlement for the wrongful death of a loving father and husband of two children in an automobile collision.
Mr. Aitken has successfully litigated numerous cases. Adam M. v. Doe Industrial Plant resulted in a resolution of $17,500,000 on behalf of a welder who was blamed for his own injuries in an industrial plant explosion. He successfully litigated Christina, Michael and Kathy A. v. Doe Trucking for $6,000,000 unraveling a trucking insurance scheme wherein the Defendant was claiming employees as independent contractors, including the trucking company defendant. Mr. Aitken also resolved Derek P. v. Doe Ambulance Company and Shuttle Med for $1,250,000 representing a paramedic firefighter who was injured in an ambulance performing his duties, struck by another medical transport vehicle.
A cyclist suffered catastrophic injuries following a collision caused by a utility truck driver who recklessly failed to stop at an intersection, striking the woman and leaving her with life-altering damages. The plaintiff had a rare pre-existing condition, erythromelalgia, that caused her to experience chronic pain and discomfort after being struck by the truck. The plaintiff had discovered that cycling for many miles a day was an exercise that helped alleviate her symptoms. Still, her injuries left her with left leg numbness and severe neuropathic pain in the lower back by the tailbone, sacral/buttock region, and right side, including the perineal/rectal area, significantly limiting her ability to bike. Mr. Aitken was able t settle the case for $2,000,000.
Most recently, Chris Aitken achieved a successful outcome in a complex case involving a client with a pre-existing medical condition. The case involved an auto accident captured on video, resulting in the client requiring back surgery and a recommendation for future fusion. Despite the pre-existing condition and medical causation being a point of contention, Aitken secured a $1.1 million settlement on behalf of his client after State Farm agreed to pay the full policy limits in a recent mediation just before the trial.
Testimonials
“During a very difficult time, Chris Aitken and his team worked with my family with compassion and empathy. He worked diligently on our case and talked us through all aspects. We were more than satisfied with the end results. Thanks again for all of your help!”
– Allison S.
“I cannot speak highly enough of Chris Aitken and his legal assistant Sarah after they helped my elderly mother, who was significantly injured in an automobile accident, settle her case in a very professional, empathetic, and quite frankly helpful manner. She simply would not have been able to navigate the settlement effectively without their assistance. I wholeheartedly recommend Chris and Sarah to friends, family, and all of you reading this review. They will maximize your insurance outcome for you, just like they did for Mom”
– Faith Sandmaier
“After my motorcycle accident, the first person I called was Chris Aitken. Chris took my case without hesitation and did an incredible job with outlining what to expect, communication and ultimately resolving my case beyond expectations. If you need someone you can trust and rely on to have your best interest in mind give Chris a call!!!”
– Brian Steuber
“Chris Aitken represented us in a case where serious injury occurred to my husband while in a pedestrian crossing. Chris educated us on what we would be encountering during the case. His explanations were clear and responses to our questions were caring and thoughtful . Chris won our case with an excellent result.
We give Aitken Aitken & Cohn 5 Stars!”
– J&T Hustwick
“We are more than please to write a letter of recommendation for Chris Aitken of Aitken Aitken and Cohn. Chris represented our daughter in a case where a truck ran a stop sign and hit her causing considerable injuries. Chris made our daughter feel important and cared about her personally. He was very knowledgable, thoughtful, and professional securing a large settlement on her behalf. We highly recommend Chris and his firm.”
– Bruce Nelson
“Chris Aitken was very friendly, knowledgeable, responsive, and experiences. As a first time client I feel very fortunate to have found such a helpful firm.”
– Anderson Chrysostomo
“This firm provided me with respect, consideration, and helped me through each step of the process. Chris Aitken was patient with me and always quick to respond. I appreciated his confidence which left me feeling secure.”
– Linda Phillips
“Chris Aitken provided me with a high level of professionalism. The firm lived up to the high reputation they uphold by nurturing an important personal relationship with me while they worked on my case.”
– Rebecca Price
“My favorite part about this firm was my amazing attorney, Chris. His patience and understanding throughout this incredibly difficult situation has helped me heal. This firm is extremely high quality and I would refer others.”
– Christina Fu
“I felt that Christopher Aitken cared for me and my family. The firm provided complete guidance and direction while not overstepping in decision making.”
– Andrea & Larry Watson
Areas of Practice
Professional Associations & Memberships
Awards
Speaking Engagements
Event Name: CAOC Seminar
Title: Serious Head Injuries: Using the Latest Medical Knowledge and Tests to Persuade Juries
Year: 2019
Event Name: Riverside Bar Association Civil Litigation Section
Title: Tactful Use of Demonstrative Evidence in Mediation and Trial
Year: 2018
Articles
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