Settled along Route 66 and spanning over 81 square miles, the city of San Bernardino is home to over 213,000 people and is the second biggest in the Inland Empire. Along with its impressive population, San Bernardino houses many important cultural centers, businesses, environmental sites, and residential areas.

With all of San Bernardino’s excitement and opportunity comes a certain amount of risk. Every day, people are injured in various accidents across the city, being forced to deal with the repercussions of the property damages and injuries these accidents cause. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident in the San Bernardino area, you may be entitled to compensation.

Luckily, the lawyers at OnderLaw have been successfully protecting the rights of the people of San Bernardino since 2002. Our team of hardworking attorneys is dedicated to making sure you receive the justice you deserve as we build your personal injury case.

If you are ready to claim the compensation to which you’re entitled, give us a call today. We’ll schedule a free consultation with you so that you can discuss your circumstances with one of our top-rated attorneys and take your first step towards seeking justice.

How an Injury Lawyer Can Help if You’ve Been Injured in San Bernardino

The process of gathering evidence, building a case, and dealing with insurance companies can be difficult to undertake on your own. Particularly if you’ve sustained injuries in an accident that wasn’t your fault, building an accident case by yourself can be arduous and potentially very stressful.

With the help of an OnderLaw attorney, you can rest assured that your accident case is in the most qualified hands. Since our foundation in 2002, we’ve been receiving national acclaim and obtaining impressive settlements and verdicts for a wide range of clients across the Inland Empire. When you hire one of our attorneys, you’re saying yes to over nineteen years and over $3.5 billion of success.

Not only this, but our attorneys are committed to handling all communication on behalf of our clients. You won’t have to worry about dealing with other parties and insurance companies. We make sure to protect your rights throughout the entire process of seeking compensation, including protecting you from potential accidental admissions of guilt.

Our team of personal injury attorneys has built a long-lasting legacy of success both in and out of the courtroom, establishing a wide-reaching network of legal connections and developing many tried-and-true strategies to ensure our clients will receive the justice they deserve.

Common Injury Claims in San Bernardino

As you might expect from a city of San Bernardino’s size, there is a wide range of accidents that its residents face on a daily basis. Some of the most common types of personal injury claims have been included below:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

In a state with over 26.2 million registered drivers, motor vehicle accidents occur frequently. Some of the most common of these accidents are:

Premises Liability Accidents

Premises liability accidents are those that occur on someone else’s property as a result of the unsafe conditions there. Some examples of such accidents include:

Worker’s Compensation Accidents

In California, most employers are required to provide their employees with worker’s compensation benefits. These insurance policies are intended to cover the costs of any injuries sustained in the workplace, including:

  • Exposure to hazardous materials
  • Machinery malfunction accidents
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Falls from heights
  • Falling objects and equipment
  • Injuries caused by workplace disputes/violence
  • Slip and fall accidents

Nursing Home Abuse Accidents

As tragic as they are, cases of nursing home abuse happen frequently. Residents in elderly care centers may be subject to any one of the following types of abuse:

  • Neglect
  • Sexual abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Financial exploitation
  • Slip and fall
  • Medical malpractice
  • Abandonment
  • Dehydration/malnutrition

Common Injuries Suffered in Accidents in San Bernardino

There are several types of injuries associated with each of these accidents. Some examples of injuries from these situations are listed here.

Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries

Though there are many injuries associated with motor vehicle accidents, a few of the most common are:

  • Paralysis
  • Lacerations
  • Broken bones
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Whiplash
  • Concussion
  • Contusion
  • Traumatic brain injury

Premises Liability Accident Injuries

These accidents may cause several types of injuries, including:

  • Drowning
  • Brain injury
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Amputation
  • Dog bites
  • Fractured bones

Worker’s Compensation Accident Injuries

Some of the most common injuries associated with workplace accidents are:

  • Amputation
  • Brain damage
  • Broken bones
  • Spinal cord damage
  • Soft tissue damage
  • Repetitive trauma injuries
  • Burns

Nursing Home Abuse Injuries

An elderly resident of a nursing home facility may be vulnerable to abuse and could sustain any of the following injuries:

  • Bedsores
  • Choking
  • Sexual abuse trauma
  • Emotional abuse trauma
  • Severe bruising
  • Malnutrition
  • Dehydration
  • Bruising
  • Post-traumatic stress syndrome
  • Broken bones
  • Medication overdose

What Compensation Am I Owed?

When you were injured in an accident through no fault of your own, you can take your first steps toward pursuing the compensation you deserve by hiring an attorney from OnderLaw. Pursuing compensation can be done in a couple of ways. You can either file a claim with the liable party’s insurance company or file a lawsuit. In either case, you can seek to obtain compensation for your losses or damages. These damages are economic or non-economic. There is another type of damages that you’ve probably heard of. Punitive damages are only available through a lawsuit.

Economic Damages

These are the losses that are easily measured in economic terms. That is to say, economic damages are those that cost money, both now and potentially in the future.

  • Medical expenses. This is the cost of anything connected to the healing process. Whether it’s specific treatments, time off work for medical appointments or procedures, or leave from work to heal, medical expenses are one type of economic loss for which you might seek reimbursement. You can keep track of these expenses by taking note of all medical records and receipts.
  • Lost earnings. These are any wages, both current and future, that are lost as a direct result of an accident you were involved in and the time you took off work to heal. To keep track of lost income, document all pay stubs, time cards, and disability records.
  • Property damage. This is the cost of any damage to your property that an accident causes. Your vehicle, home, or personal items may all have been damaged in an accident you were involved in. You may need the receipt from the original purchase, an estimate of what the cost to repair the item might be, or the replacement value of the item in order to accurately add these losses to an assessment of the value of your claim.

Non-Economic Damages

These damages are not measured in economic terms and cover the intangible losses associated with an accident. To document any of the non-economic losses listed below, it’s best to keep a journal of how your injury affects your daily life, document your feelings and emotions, or note any appointments with a counselor or therapist.

  • Physical pain. This is any bodily pain you are forced to live with as a result of an accident.
  • Loss of enjoyment of life. This is an inability to enjoy the same activities and relationships as before an accident.
  • Emotional trauma. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as other forms of emotional trauma that an accident may have caused.
  • Mental stress. This is the pressure of dealing with the medical, physical, and financial repercussions of an accident, both now and in the future.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are rare and are only awarded by the court to victims of accidents caused by extremely negligent or careless behavior. Should the other party be deemed to have been “guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice,” you may be awarded punitive damages. These damages are not intended as compensation for the injured party but rather are meant to deter the liable party from repeating their bad behavior in the future.

California Accident Statistics

Every day, accidents cause injuries and fatalities, both in San Bernardino and across the state of California. Some statistics regarding these accidents have been included below:

The California Office of Traffic Safety estimates that roughly 164 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes in California in 2019.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute reports that in 2019, 27% of motor vehicle crash deaths were pedestrians, followed by motorcyclists (13%) and bicyclists (4%).

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the death rate for drug overdoses in California is roughly 15.0 per 100,000 residents. Accidents are listed as the fifth most common cause of death in the state of California.

The Department of Developmental Services reports that in 2019, 53 children aged 0-5 years died in drowning accidents involving pools and other bodies of water in the state of California.

Statute of Limitations for Injury Claims in San Bernardino

To qualify for filing a lawsuit for your accident-related injuries in California, there are some important timelines you should be aware of. You must observe the statute of limitations. If you file your lawsuit after the statutory deadline expires, your case could be dismissed by the court. If that happens, you may lose your right to pursue compensation in court altogether.

  • In most accident cases, victims have two years from the date of the original accident to file a lawsuit.
  • If you’ve been involved in a medical malpractice accident, you have one year to file a lawsuit.
  • For government agency accidents, you will usually have six months to file a lawsuit and ensure your claim will be heard in court.

If you’ve been hurt, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney. At OnderLaw, we’ll help you file an insurance claim or a lawsuit and get connected with the best resources for seeking compensation.

Resources for Accident Victims in San Bernardino

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident through no fault of your own, you may find the following resources helpful:

Hospitals in San Bernardino

Any of the following medical care centers in San Bernardino can help you if you were involved in an accident.

Dignity Health – Community Hospital of San Bernardino

Address: 1805 Medical Center Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92411

Phone: (909) 347-7333

Dignity Health – St. Bernardine Medical Center

Address: 2101 N Waterman Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92404

Phone: (909) 883-8711

Law Enforcement in San Bernardino

If you’ve been injured in an accident in San Bernardino, call one of the following local law enforcement offices:

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department

Address: 655 East Third Street, San Bernardino, California 92415-0061

Phone: (909) 888-5916

San Bernardino Police Department

Address: 710 North D Street, San Bernardino, CA 92401

Phone: (909) 384-5742

San Bernardino Department of Motorized Vehicles

San Bernardino DMV

Address: 1310 N Waterman Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92404

Phone: (800) 777-0133

To file an official police report, use the following link:

http://www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us/cityhall/police_department/online_reports/default.asp

Hurt in an Accident? Turn to OnderLaw for Help

Have you been involved in an accident that was not your fault? If you sustained injuries or property damage as a result of this accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult one of our attorneys at OnderLaw today to determine the best course of action for your circumstances.

Our team of personal injury attorneys is committed to bringing you the finest legal care in the Inland Empire. As part of this commitment, our firm operates on a contingency-fee basis. This means that, should we decide to take on your case, you’ll pay no fees upfront. If we get compensation for you, then we get paid. If we don’t get you money, you won’t owe us anything.

In choosing an OnderLaw attorney, you’re choosing to work with one of the most successful firms in the area. Get some of our success for yourself. Call OnderLaw today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our attorneys and to take the first step on your journey towards compensation.