Record Results.
98% Success Rate.
10,000 Helped.
Kirk Bernard

Bernard Law Group Significant Cases & Settlements

Bernard Law Group's Success Record

When searching for a personal injury attorney to represent you or your loved ones, the only question you need to ask is “what are your results?” Bernard Law Group has achieved record breaking results for their past clients.

We are dedicated to defending individuals’ rights and the below lists out only some of the legal cases we have worked on in our 30+ years of experience. If you want to ensure that your case has every opportunity to achieve maximum compensation you need Bernard Law Group.

Disclaimer: The cases and results set forth herein are a sampling of results achieved. This is a partial list and does not constitute a promise, guarantee or warranty of any kind. Results differ from case to case depending on the facts.

Landmark Cases

$27 Million Jury Award

City of San Francisco Municipal Railway truck crash that killed a 4-year-old girl and injured and severely traumatized her mother, the little girl’s best friend and her best friend’s grandmother.

Read more about this record verdict.

Record $18.5 Million Settlement

Injury Settlement: The accident happened at approximately 5:20 a.m. on April 17, 2015. Mr. Bliss was traveling on the Interstate 5 on-ramp off Harrison Avenue in Centralia when he collided with a dump truck that made an illegal U-turn across the on-ramp.

Read more about this record settlement.

$12.5 Million Settlement

Injury Settlement: King Metro bus driver drove their bus onto a sidewalk running over the victim and drove away. Victim sustained life-altering injuries including a leg amputation that will require lifetime medical care.

Read more about this case.

Other Cases

$7,900,000.00

Settlement

Big Rig vs. Auto Accident. Defendant driver fell asleep at the wheel of big rig truck and hit Plaintiff, causing quadriplegia.

$5,500,000.00

Settlement

Motorcycle accident occurring when a construction defect was left in the roadway, causing the motorcyclist to lose control and be struck by a passing automobile. After 65 depositions and 2 years of litigation the case was settled 2 weeks prior to trial.

$4,400,000.00

 Settlement inclusive of a life of lifetime annuity.

Automobile accident involving a defective seatbelt. The plaintiff child was a passenger in an automobile operated by his parents. The vehicle was involved in a head-on collision, causing traumatic brain injury to the child.

$3,000,000.00

Settlement

Pedestrian accident involving 74 year women struck by company truck. Plaintiff sustained legs injuries that included below the knee amputation of one leg and sever injuries to her other leg requiring multiple surgeries

$1,825,000.00

Settlement

Motorcyclist v. vehicle.  Injuries – crushed foot/ankle requiring multiple surgeries and fusion.  Now suffers permanent disability and physical restrictions due to the fusion and ongoing pain.

$1,525,000.00

Settlement

Automobile accident caused by a driver who was over-served alcohol at a restaurant/bar. Fatal injuries sustained by one passenger in vehicle hit by drunk driver and severe head injuries sustained by another passenger. Defendants claimed passengers entered vehicle with a drunk driver raising contributory negligence issues.

$1,200,000.00

Settlement

A longshoreman was asked to move a truck on a barge deck by his boss. Doug worked night shift. He walked across the barge after parking his forklift. As he approached the truck, he fell 20 ft down into the barge through an open deck plate. He suffered severe feet and ankle injuries.

$1,150,000.00

Settlement

Motorcycle accident occurring when defendant made a sudden u-turn in front of motorcyclist causing collision with SUV. Plaintiff sustained severe injuries. Liability and damages were hotly contested by the defense. The case was settled one week prior to trial.

$1,000,000.00

Settlement

 Automobile accident caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol who attempted to turn left in front of plaintiff, striking plaintiff head-on. Plaintiff sustained severe injuries including a broken knee which required surgery and facial lacerations.

$1,000,000.00

Settlement

Employer UIM Settled for $1,000,000.00 policy limit in April 2022. Client was injured in auto accident while on the job. He was 33 years old and suffered severe and permanent back injuries requiring fusion surgery at T5-8.

$775,000.00

Settlement

Pedestrian hit by a car and sustained multiple orthopedic injuries requiring surgical intervention. Case settled for $775,000.00.

$750,000.00

Settlement

Automobile accident involving a truck and motorcycle. Plaintiff sustained severe injuries to foot requiring multiple surgeries.

$725,000.00

Settlement

Automobile accident in which intoxicated driver rear ended a semi truck, causing severe injuries to his passenger. The driver claimed passenger, who was a bartender, was at fault for over-serving him prior to the accident.

$720,000.00

Settlement

Rear-end collision. He tried to treat and return to normal activity, including work. But had lingering and debilitating back pain that required surgery.  Despite surgery, he continues to have back pain that limits his ability to return to his welding career.

$700,000.00

Settlement

Auto accident involving a head on collision. Plaintiff sustained multiple fractures to both legs and facial lacerations.

$600,000.00

Settlement

An on the job auto accident injury involving a driver who was driving a FedEx truck. He suffered low back injuries. and became permanently disable (cannot lift more than 25 lbs), and lost his job as a result. He had $77,000+ in past medical expenses and approximately $150,000 wage loss.

$485,000.00

Settlement

Failure to yield to oncoming traffic. Client was on a motorcycle and underwent a wrist and shoulder surgery. Permanency issues with significant time away from work.

$430,000.00

Plus a lifetime annuity of $1 million dollars

Plaintiffs were rear ended by Defendants who were distracted because they were engaged in road rage. One of the vehicles rear ended our clients causing the engine to burst into flames. Good samaritans stopped and pulled the Plaintiffs from the burning car. Injuries included closed head injury and internal injuries. A blood transfusion was given and abdominal surgery was performed. Plaintiff also sustained a compression fracture of the L1-L2.

$425,500.00

Settlement

Settlement at mediation for $425,500.00 to a Puyallup woman who was a passenger on the back of a motorcycle which was struck by a car that pulled out of a stop sign into the path of the motorcycle. She sustained a pelvic fracture, multiple rib fractures and a burst fracture of her lower back at L1 requiring surgical fusion of her spine with insertion of a cage and bone grafting. The driver of the motorcycle received a settlement of $50,000.00 for a wedge compression fracture of his lower back requiring a back brace but minimal medical treatment.

$350,000.00

Settlement

Automobile head-on accident. Plaintiff sustained multiple fractures to both legs and severe facial lacerations.

$300,000.00

Award

Trucking accident involving truck and automobile. Plaintiff was hit by a truck and required extensive surgery. Disputed liability.

$300,000.00

 Award

Automobile accident involving a truck and automobile. Plaintiff sustained multiple injuries.

$275,000.00

Settlement

Auto accident. Defendant turned left in front of Plaintiff and hit his vehicle. Plaintiff sustained fracture of the orbital bone with surgery.

$250,000.00

Award

Automobile accident caused by negligent high speed driver. Plaintiff sustained severe back injuries and facial lacerations.

$245,000.00

 Settlement

Auto accident where Defendant came out of and alley and hit Plaintiff.

$160,000.00

Settlement

A man was delivering lumber to a construction site. The project superintendent at the site tried unsuccessfully to unload the lumber from the delivery truck with a forklift. The delivery driver stood on top of the load and lifted it with his hands to help the forklift driver insert the forks under the load. The driver struck the load with the forks and the delivery driver fell off the truck, landing on the ground and breaking his shoulder. Following mediation the case settled for $160,000.

$101,000.00

Award

Semi-illegally parked on red curb under bad lighting. Plaintiff drove into the rear end of the “big-rig” truck that was illegally parked in a red zone with no trailer lights on or emergency warning. Plaintiff was knocked unconscious during the incident and suffered amnesia with a large linear liver laceration.

Birth Injury

$245,000.00

 Settlement

$1,600,000.00 Settlement
Plaintiff brought a lawsuit against a hospital and doctor for negligent delivery of a baby. A uterine rupture caused a loss of blood and oxygen to the baby resulting in brain damage. Defendants denied the claim and offer no compensation. Plaintiff’s lawyer hired numerous experts and the case was vigorously litigated. Eventually defendants settled the case for $1,600,00.00.

Construction Accident

$35,000.00

 Settlement

A sheet metal worker was guiding a load of sheet metal onto the roof of a building under construction at the University of Washington. The sheet metal was loaded onto the roof by a crane and the man was holding a tag line, guiding it onto skids. Suddenly, the nylon straps holding the sheet metal together burst and the worker turned to run to avoid the load. A piece of the load struck his thumb and fractured it. He settled his claim with the construction company that improperly strapped the load in the amount of $35,000.

Dog Bite

$100,000.00

 Settlement

Plaintiff was visiting with a friend when the dog jumped and bit Plaintiff on the face.

$62,000.00

Settlement

$62,000.00 settlement for a young woman from Auburn bit by a pit bull requiring 20 stitches while entering an acquaintance’s apartment.

Policy Limits Settlement


Policy limits settlement for dog bite injuries to a 13 year-old Tacoma, Washington girl, resulting in small scar on her cheek.

Nursing Home/Elder Care Neglect/Abuse

$400,000.00

 Settlement

70 year old woman who was a resident of a nursing care facility. She was dropped by an attendant who was attempting to transfer her from the bed to the wheelchair. She sustained serious injuries which ultimately resulted in her death. Nursing home was in violation of failing to comply with the care plan.

$250,000.00

Settlement

80 year old woman who was a resident of a nursing care facility in Oregon. Prior medical problems included multiple strokes. She died as a result of negligence in failing to follow the care plan. Defendants claimed she died from complications from her strokes. Oregon law limits recovery in claims involving health care.

$40,000.00

Award

An elderly man was brought to hospice home for end of life care after a severe injury. Unfortunately, there was evidence that the hospice care facility allowed him to develop severe bedsores, failed to administer medications, and failed to regularly clean his tracheotomy site. The hospice care facility denied liability and claimed that the bedsores developed elsewhere. The case was arbitrated and the arbitrator found in favor of the injured man’s estate, awarding $40,000.

Product Liability

$1,004,000.00

 Settlement

Explosion of a boat/barge due to faulty construction causing leg fractures and other injuries to two children.

$950,000.00

Settlement plus a lifetime annuity for the children in excess of $5,000,000.00.

Fatality involving a defective part that caused a helicopter to crash onto the plaintiff. The deceased was a Hispanic immigrant who worked as a janitor and was survived by two children and a common law spouse.

$625,000.00

 Settlement

16 year old developed life-threatening blood clots and deep vein thrombosis after using the Ortho Evra birth control patch and was hospitalized for several months. After filing suit, plaintiff’s case was joined in Multi-District litigation with several others who had died or became sick after using the patch and Ortho Evra eventually agreed to a settlement.

$412,000.00

 Total Settlement

Faulty hip implant device causing pain and subsequent surgeries for two plaintiffs.

Confidential Settlement

Plaintiff was injured when a bottle exploded and hit Plaintiff in the eye causing permanent blindness in the eye.

Premises Liability

$185,003.14

  Jury Verdict

Plaintiff slipped and fell on the dangerously slippery floor in hospital room while getting ready for a kidney surgery. Plaintiff sustained fractured hip and fractured ribs.

$150,000.00

 Jury Verdict

Plaintiff slipped and fell and broke her leg requiring surgery on her way out of her sisters rental the day she was to be married. The tiled entry way of the house was broken and plaintiff caught her heel on broken tile.

$70,000.00

 Settlement

A woman worked aboard a crab boat off the coast in Alaska. She slipped and fell into some plastic tubs, injuring her back. She requested to be taken to shore, but the boat was short handed and demanded that she keep working, further injuring her back. When she finally arrived at shore she was diagnosed with a bulged disc in her lower back. Although the boat denied liability, she settled her claim at mediation in the amount of $70,000.

$15,000.00

Settlement

A man injured his knee by slipping and falling on the frozen floor in the hold of a salmon processor in the Bering Sea, Alaska. The salmon processor denied liability, but settled out of court in the amount of $15,000.

Medical Malpractice

$250,000.00

 Settlement

Medical negligence involving improper adjustment of a prosthetic leg of a 49 year-old man. The prosthesis fell off, causing the plaintiff to fall onto the stump of his tibia, shattering it. The plaintiff also developed severe post-traumatic arthritis of the knee. In a motion before trial, the judge ruled that the prosthetist was liable for failing to tighten a crucial screw which held the limb together.

$17,500.00

Settlement


$17,500.00 settlement for a Federal Way man who had treated for his soft tissue back and neck injuries for about six weeks. After his emergency room visit he followed up with his doctor and received physical therapy. The initial offer from the insurance company before he retained Bernard Law Group was $1,500.00.

Welding Rod Fumes

$20.5 million

Verdict

47 year old man diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease caused by the ingestion of welding rod fumes.

Disclaimer: The cases and results set forth herein are a sampling of results achieved. This is a partial list and does not constitute a promise, guarantee or warranty of any kind. Results differ from case to case depending on the facts.

$91,000.00 Settlement
Settlement at mediation for $91,000.00 to a Kirkland woman who was rearended in Mill Creek, Washington. She was a professional body builder who was forced to quit competitive body building due to neck and back strain and right wrist strain requiring surgery involving a De Quervain’s release and lengthy hand therapy.

$70,000.00 Settlement
A man driving a tow truck stopped for traffic on interstate I90. A tractor trailer failed to stop in time and rear ended the tow truck. At mediation, the case settled for $70,000.

$65,000.00 Settlement
A young man came to a stop on an exit ramp exiting Interstate 5. A large truck failed to stop in time to avoid collision and struck the rear of the young man’s truck. Unfortunately, the man had a genetic condition which caused an outbreak of mediterranean fever. He settled his personal injury case for fever, neck and knee pain for $65,000.

$60,000.00 Settlement
A young man stopped for traffic on I405 and was rear ended by a truck at a speed estimated at 40 mph. He was unable to work as a computer networker and due to an accident related knee injury and was laid off. He settled his case for $60,000.

$51,500.00 Settlement
$51,500.00 settlement with the City of Tacoma. Client was rearended by a utility vehicle and sustained a torn rotator cuff requiring surgery. The defense disputed the causation of the injury based on the damage estimates to the vehicles and the plaintiff’s preexisting shoulder injuries.

$50,000.00 Settlement
A man in his 50’s who was employed as an air traffic controller was injured when his car was sideswiped in an accident; one car struck another, striking his car. He was unable to report to work due to severe neck pain. A year later, when he had finally returned to work he was rear ended by a hit and run uninsured driver. His neckpain became worse and he was forced to retire. He settled his claims with the sideswiping cars for policy limits in the amount of $200,000, which included his own underinsured motorists insurance. He then settled a claim for again with his underinsured motorist carrier for policy limits of $50,000.

$45,000.00 Settlement
A woman was injured in a rear end motor vehicle accident. She settled her case for $45,000.

$42,000.00 Settlement
$42,000.00 settlement for Tacoma man injured in a rearend accident in Seatac. The accident exacerbated a preexisting injury which was related to an open Labor & Industries claim.

$41,115.00 Settlement
$41,115.00 settlement for Redmond woman who was knocked into the highway barrier on Interstate 520 in Redmond. Soft tissue back and neck injuries treated with physical therapy, massage, and acupuncture.

$40,000.00 Settlement
Settlement of $40,000.00 to a Whidbey Island, Washington woman who struck her chest on the steering wheel when the defendant ran a red light and T-boned her vehicle. She sustained neck and upper back strains and bruising to her chest which aggravated her prior chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, leading to pneumonia which caused her death three months following the collision. The causal relationship of the collision to the pneumonia given her chronic respiratory problems was greatly disputed by the defense.

$40,000.00 Settlement
A woman was rearended by a person who was talking on her cell phone. The woman was unable to work for several weeks following the injury. At mediation, she settled her case for $40,000.

$36,000.00 Settlement
A woman who worked as a housekeeper was injured in a rear end accident. The party that injured her had no insurance, so she applied for benefits with her underinsured motorist insurance. After getting nowhere, she contacted Bernard Law Group who helped her settle her case for $36,000.

$36,000.00 Settlement
Settlement of $36,000.00 for a Tacoma woman who was a passenger in a vehicle that was T-boned when a driver ran a red light. She sustained right hip strain and right shoulder strain which developed into bursitis requiring physical therapy.

$34,000.00 Settlement
$34,000.00 settlement for Shoreline man. Treatment mainly consisted of chiropractic despite periods of time where the client was not in the country.

$32,000.00 Settlement
Settlement of $32,000.00 for a Seattle woman who was struck head-on by a left turning driver causing neck and back strain as well as severe bruising of her chest caused by the seatbelt. She also sustained a full-thickness rotator cuff tear requiring steroid injections.

$30,000.00 Settlement
A man was stopped in traffic on an off ramp and was rear ended by a Lincoln Towncar at a high rate of speed. His car was pushed into flatbed tow truck in front of him. He then started spinning and went into traffic. He treated mainly with chiropractic and was able to settle his claim for $30,000.

$30,000.00 Settlement
$30,000.00 settlement for Mercer Island man. Client sustained a ruptured disc requiring a cortisone injection (non surgical). Insurance company disputed the extent of the injury based on the property damage estimate of $1000.00

$29,200.00 Settlement
Settlement of $29,200.00 for a Bothell woman who was rearended on I-5 in Everett, Washington, causing upper and lower back strains which disabled her from work as a newspaper typesetter for six months. She was also diagnosed with a disc bulge in her lower back at L5.

$27,500.00 Settlement
$27,500.00 settlement for a Buckley woman rearended in Mountlake Terrace.

$25,000.00 Settlement
A woman was a pedestrian in a parking lot of a grocery store. A car was backing into a stall and struck her, sending her to the ground. She was diagnosed with a sprained ankle. Her case was settled for $25,000.

$25,000.00 Settlement
A man was rearended and experienced backpain. The person who injured him was not insured. The man settled with his uninsured motorist insurance for $25,000.

$25,000.00 Settlement
A young man was waiting for traffic to clear in the center turn lane so that he could make a left turn. Suddenly a driver shot out from a driveway and tboned the young man’s car. The young man eventually needed surgery to repair a shoulder injury. Bernard and Lindquist settled the young man’s claim for $25,000. The lawyers then asked whether the young man had underinsured motorist insurance. The young man was surprised to find that he did have such insurance. The lawyers were able to settle his underinsured motorist claim for $25,000 and a full waiver of PIP reimbursement.

$23,500.00 Settlement
Settlement of $23,500.00 to a Puyallup woman who was rearended on I-5 in Tacoma, Washington. She aggravated prior neck and back strain injuries, requiring six months of physical therapy.

$20,000.00 Settlement
A man who was already on disability for a severe skull and bone fractures in a bicycle accident was rear ended, which caused a recurrence of his pain symptoms. After his deposition was taken, he settled in the amount of $20,000.

$20,000.00 Settlement
A woman was walking from her car in a dark parking lot early in the morning. A man was backing into a parking spot and struck her, knocking her to the ground. She settled her case for $20,000.

$19,000.00 Settlement
A young man was injured in a rear end accident and treated for several months. He settled his claim for neck and back pain for $19,000.

$18,750.00 Award
A woman was trying to exit a driveway at a pizzeria and was rear ended with such force that it pushed her car into the traffic lane. The case was arbitrated and the arbitrator awarded her $18,750 for her neck and back injuries.

$16,000.00 Settlement
Settlement of $16,000.00 to a Seattle woman who was sideswiped by a vehicle attempting to pass a Metro bus. She sustained neck and back strain injuries and underwent nearly a year of physical therapy, massage and acupuncture treatment.

$15,865.00 Settlement
Settlement of $15,865.00 to a Kent man who was rearended on I-5 in Seattle, Washington, aggravating preexisting osteoarthritis in his lower back, requiring chiropractic and physical therapy.

$15,000.00 Settlement
A man was T-boned by a car that pulled out of a driveway onto a street. Evidence showed that the injured man was speeding. After a contested arbitration, the case settled for $15,000.

$15,000.00 Settlement
A man was rearended and experienced neck pain. He settled his case for $15,000.

$14,838.00 Settlement
A man was t-boned in traffic and had ongoing pain in his hip which he treated with chiropractic care and over the counter pain killers. He settled his claim after arbitration for $14,838.

$14,500.00 Settlement
Settlement of $14,500.00 to a Tacoma, Washington woman who was injured when she was rearended as a passenger in a vehicle, causing neck and back strain injuries requiring physical and massage therapy.

$14,500.00 Settlement
Settlement of $14,500.00 for a Burien woman who was a passenger in a vehicle which was T-boned by a speeding driver who ran a stop sign. She sustained neck and back strain injuries and required three months of chiropractic, physical and massage therapy.

$12,000.00 Settlement
A man was rear ended. He experienced neck pain and an irritation in his eye which was caused by a foreign object, likely a piece of plastic which had to be removed. He settled his case for $12,000.

$10,500.00 Settlement
$10,500.00 uninsured motorist settlement for young man from Oak Harbor who sustained back and neck soft tissue injuries after a road rage altercation with an uninsured motorist. The insurance company initialed questioned whether coverage would apply based on the facts of the altercation and subsequent car accident.

$10,500.00 Settlement
$10,500.00 settlement for a Tacoma woman who was 8 months pregnant injured while riding in a taxi cab.

$6250.00 Settlement
A young woman was a passenger in a car that came to a stop in the middle of a road for a cat. The car was rearended at a low speed and the woman complained of neck and low back pain. She sued both the driver and the person who rearended the car. Her case settled in the amount of $6250.

$5,000.00 Award
A man was injured by a driver who turned left and failed to yield. At arbitration, the arbitrator awarded him $5,000.

$3,045.00 Settlement
Settlement of $3,045.00 from defendant who had no auto insurance when she struck an Everett woman who was a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The pedestrian received treatment for knee strain at the emergency room and a few chiropractors visits for back strain.

Confidential Settlement
Ford Van rollover on I-5 due to inherent instability causing the death of two occupants from massive head injuries as well as injuries to 10 other passengers. Bernard Law Group teamed with Geragos and Geragos of Los Angeles to pursue a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company for designing an unsafe product. Experts determined that the defects in the design of the van were the primary if not the only reason for the fatal injuries, allowing the case to settle at mediation for a confidential amount.

Policy Limits Settlement
A woman with a pain pump in her hip was a passenger in a car that was rear ended and propelled into a telephone pole. The case settled for policy limits with the at fault party.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a 16 year-old struck in a crosswalk in Bellevue, Washington, who sustained a bilateral mandibular (jaw) fracture requiring surgical repair, severe right thigh laceration and traumatic brain injury.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for Mountlake Terrace man injured in an intersection accident by a left turning vehicle.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for Mountlake Terrace man who was hit by an oncoming motorcycle while driving his work truck. Subsequent employer’s underinsured motorist settlement for $225,000.00.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a Federal Way woman who was T-boned by a vehicle that ran a red light at Southcenter, Washington. She sustained neck, back and left shoulder strains requiring physical and massage therapy. She was also diagnosed with bulging discs in her neck requiring nerve root block injections as well as bursitis and tendinitis in her left shoulder.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for an Everett woman who was T-boned by a driver who ran a red light, causing a concussion, chest wall contusions, and neck strain with bulging discs. She was also diagnosed with numbness in her right arm which was discovered to be caused by demyelinating neuropathy, as well as a probably meniscus tear in her left knee.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for an Enumclaw woman 39 weeks pregnant when she was T-boned by a driver that ran a stop sign, causing her to require an emergency C-section due to fetal distress. She also sustained neck and back strains and severe right leg pain which was diagnosed as damage to the peroneal nerve, likely a permanent injury.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a Kent man and his 8 year-old son who struck a camper trailer which had ran out of gas on I-5 with no operable lights on the trailer. The father sustained a right eyelid laceration, neck and upper back strains. The son struck the dashboard, sustaining severe skull fractures requiring surgery to insert a metal plate in his forehead, as well as damage to the femoral artery in his leg. He also developed a seizure disorder and behavioral problems due to his head injury.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a Monroe man who was struck on the passenger side by a driver exiting a driveway. This aggravated his prior neck fusion requiring another fusion surgery at C5-7 with placement of a cage and grafting, resulting in a chronic pain syndrome.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a Marysville woman who was T-boned by a left-turning vehicle, causing bulged discs and an annual tear in her lower back which required a surgery involving an interbody fusion at L5-S1.

Policy Limits Settlement
Policy limits settlement for a Bremerton woman who was rearended, sustaining separation of the vertebraes in her neck at C1 and C2, requiring fusion surgery and inability to return to work as a caregiver at a senior center.