"I always say that if aliens landed on Earth and we tried to explain our current insurance system to them, they would say 'are you people crazy?' Because here's how it works: hard-working people pay big premiums to an insurer in order to get coverage in the rare event that something bad happens to them. If the bad event never happens, as it usually doesn't, the insurance company keeps all the money. On the unusual occasion when the bad event actually occurs, the insurance company immediately invests all of its resources not in paying the poor client and living up to their contract, but instead in trying to figure out ways to avoid paying the victim and avoid taking responsibility. It is scandalous, and I am thrilled to be on the side of the individual, helping people who need help at what is probably the worst time in their lives."
Jennifer Burkes
CA Personal Injury Attorney
Ms. Burkes is a litigator with over twenty years of experience as a trial lawyer. Ms. Burkes has tried numerous cases that resulted in substantial jury verdicts, including a $9 million verdict for a plaintiff with permanent brain damage that the defense blamed on marijuana use, a $2 million verdict for the wrongful death of a 42 year old man that the defense blamed on cocaine use, 
and a $1.5 million verdict for the below-knee amputation of a client's leg that the defense blamed on his misuse use of a motor bike. Ms. Burkes has been lead trial counsel in both state and federal court in California.
In addition, Ms. Burkes' exacting pretrial preparation and skill in handling expert witnesses has resulted in substantial settlements for injured clients, including a seven-figure settlement for the death of a 38 year old man who died while undergoing routine out-patient surgery, a seven-figure settlement for a woman who suffered below-the-knee amputations after undergoing a minor medical procedure, a confidential trailblazing settlement for the death of a fetus of a woman with bipolar disease who attempted suicide after she was abruptly taken off her medication, and a confidential top-dollar settlement for the death of a 19 year old girl with multiple sclerosis.
Since becoming associated with AlderLaw, Ms. Burkes has been instrumental in pretrial preparation for cases that have resulted in numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements, including a $39.4 million verdict in Ventura county; a $33 million verdict in Los Angeles County; a $7 million settlement for a client injured in a motorcycle accident; a $6.5 million settlement for an electrocution of a 63 year-old man; a $3 million settlement for a child injured in an automobile accident; and a $3 million settlement for a man struck by a bus. Ms. Burkes has been instrumental in reaching settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million in numerous other cases in the past 2 years alone. Ms. Burkes has argued before several state, federal, and appellate courts, including before the en banc United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi (B.S., English) and the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") School of Law (J.D., cum laude) , Ms. Burkes was Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. She was also awarded first place in the Moot Court Board Oral Advocacy Competition and represented Ole Miss on its National Moot Court Competition Team. Ms. Burkes was the recipient of five American Jurisprudence awards and was also awarded membership in Phi Kappa Phi.
Following graduation, Ms. Burkes clerked for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She is admitted to practice law in both California and Mississippi.
Contact Information for Jennifer Burkes - Phone 310-275-9131 - Email: Jennifer Burkes