Darren Aitken

Mr. Aitken has successfully litigated and tried numerous civil actions both in the state and federal courts, and he has obtained numerous seven and eight figure results for his clients. His notable achievements include a trial judgment on behalf of his clients in the amount of $55,180,000 in Gutierrez vs. The United States. The Gutierrez judgment is believed to be the largest amount ever awarded in an Orange County personal injury action to a single plaintiff, and the largest amount ever awarded in an injury action against the United States government. This judgment was subsequently upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In a separate matter, Mr. Aitken negotiated a settlement in the amount of $19,250,000 for his clients in a fiercely disputed action against a publicly traded international corporation. In 2009, Mr. Aitken obtained a jury verdict over $2,600,000 for his clients after a hotly contested four week trial against Ford Motor Co., based on a product defect in a Ford F350 truck. His appellate practice is reflected in published opinions such as Boicourt v. Amex Assurance Co., and Rothman v. Jackson.

• Catastrophic Personal Injury
• Wrongful Death
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Product Liability
• Commercial Tort
• Electrical Injury

• Orange County Bar Association Master’s Division (2016 – Present) (currently vice-president)
• Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Directors (2009 – Present)
• Public Law Center, Board of Directors (1995 – Present)
• Laura’s House, Golf Committee Member (2014 – Present)
• Constitutional Rights Foundation – Orange County, Board of Directors (2004 – Present)
• Public Law Center, President (2016)
• Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County, President (2013 – 2014)
• Orange County Bar Association, Board of Directors (2006 – 2012)
• Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Orange County, President (2011)
• American Red Cross (Orange County Chapter), Board of Directors (2005 – 2009)
• Orange County Bar Association, Product Liability Section Co-Chair (2003 – 2007)
• Celtic Bar Association of Orange County, Founding President (2001 – 2002)
• Orange County Hispanic Bar Association, President (1998)

• Anti-Defamation League Marcus M. Kaufman Jurisprudence Award (2020)
• Top 50 Attorneys in Orange County, Southern California, Los Angeles Magazine (2019)
• Best Lawyer, Personal Injury & Product Liability Litigation, Best Lawyers in America (2012-2021)
• Southern California Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers (2005-2021)
• Top 100 Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers (2016)
• Top Lawyers of the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Magazine (2016)
• Attorney of the Year, Orange County Hispanic Bar Association (2016)
• Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2007-2016)
• Consumer Attorney of Year Finalist, Consumer Attorneys of California (2014)
• Product Liability Lawyer of the Year, Orange County, Best Lawyers Magazine (2014)
• Southern California Top 100 Attorneys, Super Lawyers Magazine (2013)
• Presidential Award of Merit, Consumer Attorneys of California (2010-2011)
• Top 5 Personal Injury Lawyers in Orange County, OC Metro Magazine/AVVO (2010)
• Learned Hand Community Service Award, AJC (2010)
• Top Gun-Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year, Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (2008)
• Rising Star, Super Lawyers Magazine (2004-2008)
• 3000 Leading Plaintiffs Lawyers in America, Lawdragon Magazine (2007)
• New Star, Lawdragon Magazine (2006)

• Conference Name: CAOC Webinar
  Title: Successful Minor’s Compromises: Petitions in a Post-COVID World
  Year: July 2020
• Conference Name: RCBA Webinar
  Title: Minor Details: Tips for Successful Minor’s Comps, Petitions & Hearings
  Year: February 2020
• Conference Name: HBA Costa Rica
  Title: Lawyers Civility: Why should we care?
  Year: 2019
• Conference Name: OCBA Scotland Travel Seminar
  Title: Lawyers Civility: Why should we care?
  Year: 2019
• Conference Name: CAOC Annual Convention
  Title: Making the MOST Out of Your Cases By Developing Punitive Damage Theories
  Year: 2016
• Conference Name: OCTLA
  Title: Understanding Corenbaum & Ochoa
  Year: June 25, 2015
• Conference Name: CAOC 54^th Annual Convention
  Title: Trial Skills Track:  Dealing with Evidence at Trial, Moderator
  Year: November 5, 2015
• Conference Name: CAOIE 2015 Palm Springs Seminar
  Title: Litigation Strategies from the Masters, Moderator
  Year: April 5, 2015
• Conference Name: CAOIE 2014 Palm Springs Seminar
  Title: Experts: Friend or Foe?
  Year: April 4, 2014
• Conference Name: CAOC 52^nd Annual Convention
  Title: Mock Trial with the Masters, Moderator
  Year: November 14, 2013

• Publication Name: Los Angeles Daily Journal
  Title: Navigating the Death of a Party
  Year: July 2011
• Publication Name: CAOC Forum
  Title: When is the Cable Guy Off the Clock? The ins and outs of the “going and coming” rule
  Year: December 2011

• ABC7: Orange Unified School District Reaches $10 Million Settlement In 2014 Bus Crash
• OC Weekly: Civil and Criminal Cases Over Same Anaheim Hills School Bus Crash Loom
• KFI AM640: The Orange School District will write a check with a lot of zeros to some students.
• OC Register: Dana Point sues Headlands developer over legal fees in beach access dispute
• KESQ News Channel 3 & CBS Local 2: Family Of Man Electrocuted in Cabazon Retains Attorneys
• San Bernardino Sun: Yucca Valley Woman’s Family Sues Government Over Death
• OC Register: $55 Million Judgment for Quadriplegic Costa Mesa Girl
• Voice of OC: Dana Point Sues Developer Over ‘Strandsgate’ Legal Fees