NBTAFewer than 3% nationwide
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer
National Board of Trial Advocacy · ABA-accredited
Recertified February 2026
The Record of Honors
A Wall Earned Over 28 Years
Credentials are not decoration — they are your assurance. Each honor below was earned: by examination, by peer review, by courtroom record, by service. Most trial lawyers hold none of them. A few hold one. David Milligan holds nearly all.
Board-certified in civil trial advocacy — a distinction confirmed on his official State Bar of California record — invitation-only ABOTA advocate and Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
CAFewer than 1 in 100 CA attorneys
Certified Specialist, Civil Trial Advocacy
The State Bar of California
Separate examination & peer evaluation
ABOTAInvitation only · fewer than 10% qualify
Ranked Associate
American Board of Trial Advocates
Judged by peers on courtroom record & integrity
HLSHarvard Law School
ABOTA National Trial College
American Board of Trial Advocates
Advanced trial advocacy — completed
NITAFaculty qualified
Master Advocate
National Institute for Trial Advocacy
Master Advocate & Advocate designations
AVHighest peer rating
AV Preeminent®
Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review
Rated by judges and fellow lawyers
10.0“Superb” — top rating
Avvo 10.0 Rating
Avvo Attorney Ratings
The highest rating Avvo awards
SL2018–2021 · 2024–2026
Super Lawyers, California
Thomson Reuters
Selected 2018–2021 and 2024–2026
MDAFLife Member
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
National trial lawyer recognition
Limited to attorneys with documented million-dollar results
CCTLAPast President
Central California Trial Lawyers Assn.
Elected leadership of the regional trial bar
A vote of confidence from the colleagues who know the work
×2Presidential Awards
Consumer Advocacy Awards
Central California Trial Lawyers Assn.
Awarded twice for advocacy on behalf of consumers
CAOCBoard of Governors
Consumer Attorneys of California
The statewide plaintiffs’ bar
A voice for injured Californians
USN1985 – 1992
United States Navy Veteran
Gulf of Oman · Asia · Central America
Service before the law
SARSquadron Pilot Award
Sheriff Search & Rescue Pilot
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
Instrument-rated · 2,000+ flight hours
J.D.Class of 1997
Juris Doctor
San Joaquin College of Law
Agricultural Law Review
1997Admitted to practice
State Bar of California & Federal Bar
California state and federal courts
28+ years at the bar
5.0Google Reviews
100+ Five-Star Client Reviews
In our clients’ own words
DLMCalifornia
Law Offices of David L. Milligan, APC
A California catastrophic-injury trial boutique
Selective practice · prepared for verdict
Drag to explore — the wall drifts on its ownSwipe to explore the honors
Our jury trials, arbitrations, mediations, and settlements amount to many millions of dollars recovered — three decades of helping thousands of people obtain full and just compensation for their serious injuries.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Why the Severely Injured Choose This Firm
Built for the Case You Cannot Afford to Lose
I.
A Boutique by Design
We deliberately accept a limited number of serious cases. Yours is prepared by the attorney — not handed off to an assembly line. When we take your case, it is because we intend to win it.
II.
Tried, Not Just Settled
Insurance carriers keep track of which lawyers actually try cases. A board-certified trial specialist across the table changes the value of every settlement conversation — before a jury is ever seated.
III.
Credentials That Were Earned
Board certification. State Bar specialization. ABOTA. NITA. Harvard trial college. The wall above isn’t decoration — it is 28 years of examination, peer review, and courtroom record.
IV.
One-on-One With Your Attorney
Personalized attention from intake through verdict. You and your family will always know who is fighting for you — and you will be able to reach him.
V.
The Resources Serious Cases Demand
Accident reconstruction, medicine, economics, hydrogeology, life-care planning — we retain the experts your case requires, pursue every available source of recovery, and prepare every case as if it will be tried.
VI.
Statewide Reach, Trial-Lawyer Depth
This boutique tries cases throughout California — Los Angeles County institutional litigation, state facilities in Chowchilla and Chino, environmental claims across the Central Valley. The venue changes; 28 years of preparation does not.
Now Reviewing — Confidential
Major Claims Currently Under Review
Our office is accepting confidential case reviews in three significant areas. Click any card below to read more, or call (559) 439-7500.
Institutional Abuse — Los Angeles
LA County Juvenile Hall Sexual Abuse
For adults who were sexually abused, coerced, or retaliated against while held in Los Angeles County juvenile halls or probation camps — including Central, Barry J. Nidorf, Los Padrinos, and Camp Joseph Scott. Litigation continues despite recent settlements.
Read More & Confidential Review →Institutional Abuse — CDCR
California Women’s Prison Sexual Abuse
For women sexually abused, coerced, threatened, or retaliated against at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF, Chowchilla) or the California Institution for Women (CIW, Chino). Active federal civil rights investigation.
Read More & Confidential Review →Environmental — Central Valley
Nitrate Well Water Contamination
For Central Valley families whose private wells or community drinking water has been contaminated with nitrate — Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Merced, and Stanislaus counties. Documented contamination tied to dairy and agricultural operations.
Read More & Talk With Us →
David L. Milligan · California Civil Trial Attorney
About the Attorney
28 Years in the Arena
Welcome. I have dedicated more than 28 years to helping people who have suffered catastrophic injuries obtain the justice and compensation they deserve. Through every case, my goal has never changed: to serve my clients with diligence, integrity, and respect.
I am humbled to have earned the trust of people across California by standing up for their rights when they were hurt the most. Our cases take us into courtrooms throughout the state — Los Angeles County institutional litigation, CDCR facilities in Chowchilla and Chino, environmental and injury claims across the Central Valley. If you have been seriously injured and need an advocate, know this: I will always fight to protect your best interests, wherever in California your case belongs.
- Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer — National Board of Trial Advocacy
- Certified Specialist, Civil Trial Advocacy — The State Bar of California
- United States Navy Veteran, 1985–1992
- Eight-figure career recoveries for the seriously injured
What We Take On
Three Pillars of Practice
Each pursued to verdict when needed. We represent injured individuals against companies, government entities, and the people responsible.
Pillar I
Catastrophic Personal Injury
Severe, life-altering injuries — the cases where the medical record alone tells a story.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Spinal injuries requiring surgery
- Loss of limbs / amputations
- Burn injuries
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Severe nerve damage; CRPS / RSD
- Aviation accidents (handled by an instrument-rated pilot)
- Trucking and commercial vehicle accidents
- Product liability — defective vehicles & machinery
- Lithium-ion battery fires & explosions
- Agricultural & industrial equipment injuries
- Bus, transit & common-carrier accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Serious construction worksite injuries
- Work-related third-party civil claims
- Wrongful death and survivor actions
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist claims
- Pedestrian accidents
- Rideshare accidents (Uber / Lyft)
- Drunk driver cases
- Premises liability / slip and fall
- Negligent security — assaults on commercial property
- Dog attacks
- California DMV hearings & trials — every hearing won to date
Pillar II
Institutional Accountability
Cases against the public and private institutions whose failures or misconduct caused the harm.
- Sexual abuse in juvenile facilities and probation camps
- Sexual abuse in women’s prisons (CDCR, CCWF, CIW)
- Failure to supervise / failure to protect
- Negligent hiring and retention
- Cover-ups and institutional silence
- Elder & dependent-adult abuse — nursing homes & care facilities
- Sex trafficking survivor claims — hotel & platform liability
- Government-entity liability
- Civil rights violations by public agencies (42 U.S.C. § 1983)
- Cases revived under California’s AB 218 framework
Pillar III
Environmental & Toxic Exposure
Cases where industrial or agricultural operations have damaged the environment people live in and depend on.
- Nitrate contamination of well water
- Drinking water contamination from agricultural sources
- Dairy and CAFO-related groundwater claims
- Pesticide & agricultural chemical exposure
- Property and health impacts of contamination
- Source identification through expert hydrogeology
- Loss of property value from contamination
- Wildfire claims (utility-caused fires, JCCP coordinated proceedings)
What we do not handle: medical or dental malpractice, or workers’
compensation claims (though we do handle work-related third-party civil claims).
Past results — including administrative hearing outcomes — do not guarantee future results.
In Their Own Words
What Clients Say
Ten selections from more than one hundred five-star reviews on Google.
David Milligan has generously donated his time and aircraft to transport my daughter and me to her medical appointments. My daughter’s care would not be possible without his generosity.
He is second to none — the only one I had ever seen better was Perry Mason. You have to see this guy in action in a courtroom; it is amazing how he moves around the courtroom.
I asked a simple question about my hit-and-run case, and the next thing you know, he is getting me six times more money than the insurance company was offering. Mr. Milligan cares about his clients.
After two law offices took my case and then dropped it, David Milligan took it over and handled everything above and beyond my expectations. Even when I moved to Puerto Rico mid-case, he did not miss a beat. He represented me to the fullest, and won my case.
I have dealt with many attorneys throughout my 12-plus years of practicing as an attorney myself, and David is among the best. He will work tirelessly to win your case.
My doctor took away my DMV license. Mr. Milligan took my case for free. We had the trial and he won 100 percent across the board — I got my license back with no restrictions.
The best attorney I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He is in control, and he is not afraid of anyone in the courtroom. He won every case for much more than they ever expected.
He responds to all calls and texts within 10 to 15 minutes. When I think it is impossible, he has made it possible. Not many firms can you reach the attorney directly and have him return a text on a weekend.
Over four years he consistently checked in and kept us informed. His professionalism and compassion stood out — he exceeded our expectations in every way, always genuinely caring about my wife and me.
This is by far the greatest accident attorney west of the Mississippi.
Testimonials reflect the experiences of individual clients and are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of any other matter. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case is different and is evaluated on its own facts (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6158.3).
How It Begins
Three Steps Between You and Answers
1
Reach Out
Call (559) 439-7500 or submit the confidential form below. Tell us what happened, in your own words. There is no obligation.
2
A Real Review
Your situation is reviewed personally and confidentially. If we can help, you will hear from us promptly. If we cannot, we will tell you honestly — and point you in the right direction.
3
We Carry It From There
Investigation, experts, medical records, negotiation — and trial, if that is what full and just compensation requires. Injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis.
Confidential · No Obligation
Tell Us What Happened
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured, the sooner we hear from you, the more we can preserve and protect. We represent the seriously injured throughout California. Evidence fades. Deadlines run. Insurers are already working. So are we.
Call the Firm
(559) 439-7500Phones are answered during business hours. Messages are returned promptly.
The Office
Law Offices of David L. Milligan, APC1265 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 100
Fresno, CA 93711
Representing clients statewide. Directions via Google Maps →
Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMWeekends by appointment
Request a Confidential Case Review
Injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis.
By submitting this form, you acknowledge that:
- This does not create an attorney-client relationship.
- The information you provide will be kept confidential.
- You agree to be contacted by the firm regarding your case.