Erika Contreras

Erika Contreras is a partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP who represents plaintiffs in serious personal injury matters. Her practice includes catastrophic injury, wrongful death, motor carrier liability, and mass tort litigation involving pharmaceutical products and medical devices. She has worked on complex cases requiring detailed discovery, expert evidence, and coordinated litigation strategy. Her background includes years of plaintiff-side work involving product liability, medical malpractice, and significant injury claims.

Contreras earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she completed a minor in French. Her legal education supports a practice that combines written advocacy, factual analysis, and litigation planning. That training has been applied to cases involving complicated medical, product, transportation, and damages issues in California and Nevada courts.

Contreras joined the firm in 2011 after practicing at Kussman & Whitehill, where she represented plaintiffs in catastrophic personal injury, product liability, and medical malpractice cases. Her earlier work included tire defect litigation connected with coordinated proceedings involving Bridgestone/Firestone and Continental Tire. She has since continued representing injured clients in high-stakes civil matters, including claims that require extensive document review, depositions, expert analysis, and preparation for trial.

Erika Contreras has been recognized through legal industry honors and has held leadership roles supporting the profession. She has served on the board of Latina Lawyers Bar Association and has received recognition for plaintiff-side litigation work. Her practice remains centered on helping individuals and families pursue accountability after catastrophic injuries or deaths. She brings experience with complex liability theories, large-scale litigation, and the practical demands of serious injury cases.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP
• Member, The State Bar of California
• Member, State Bar of Nevada
• Member, American Association for Justice
• Member, Mexican American Bar Association
• Member, National Association of Women Lawyers
• Member, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles

Licensed State

• California
• Nevada

Education

• Loyola Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of California, Los Angeles
  Bachelor’s Degree in English

Awards & Badges