Legal Experience
From 1989 to 1991, Ms. Morales represented plaintiffs in civil actions primarily involving vehicular accidents and other miscellaneous tort actions involving police brutality from initial investigatory stages up to arbitration proceedings. During this time, Ms. Morales also litigated claims at various Worker’s Compensation Appeals Boards and Rehabilitation Units in Southern California.
From 1992 to 1998, Ms. Morales represented self-insured employers such as the City of Santa Ana, County of Orange, Long Beach Unified School District, Montebello Unified School District, Orange County Transit Authority, in the defense of worker’s compensation claims in trial and appellate work.
From 1998 to 2005, Ms. Morales was an associate and partner in a Law Firm in Long Beach and exclusively represented injured workers in handling all aspects of their worker’s compensation claims from intake, investigation, depositions, and cross-examination of medical experts, discovery proceedings, mandatory settlement conferences, trial, petitions for reconsiderations, filing of Petitions for Reconsideration and Serious and Willful Misconduct of Employer, Petitions for Discriminatory Conduct by Employer and involvement in cross-over cases involving third party actions.
Representing the Injured Worker
From 2006 to the present, Ms. Morales enjoys representing clients as a Riverside workers’ compensation lawyer while practicing in Santa Ana for DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo. Ms. Morales is able to utilize her language skills as she is fluent in Spanish and is able to communicate with the Spanish-speaking injured worker community. Ms. Morales strives to maximize each injured worker’s compensation.
Ms. Morales was admitted to practice law in the State of California in December of 1989.
Education
She has earned a Juris Doctorate Degree from Western State University, Fullerton, California in 1987. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Irvine, Irvine, California in 1980.
Leadership & Membership
Ms. Morales has been a member of the California Applicant’s Attorney Association since 1999, Orange County Bar Association, worker’s compensation section, and Latino Comp organization. Ms. Morales was involved in a Spanish Language “Know your Legal Rights” Radio Talk Show Saturday Mornings in 2004 and answered questions from southern California live on-air participants relating to worker’s compensation.
Family
Ms. Morales is an active member of her Church. She is married and has two boys in college. She enjoys travel and gardening.