Kirk Bernard
Mission
Thank you so much for considering the legal services of the Bernard Law Group. You have many different choices for legal representation, and the sheer number of options can become confusing. Please let me introduce myself to you, in hope you can make a better informed decision about us.
Defending the rights of victims is a personal calling for me. It’s much more than a job. Saul Bernard, my father, began practicing law in the 1930s. He settled hundreds of cases for all kinds of clients, regardless of their economic station or social standing. The only standard my father used to determine whether to take on a client was whether or not he could aid the victim of a wrongdoing. He spent 40 years working as an attorney with the guiding principle that practicing law should make a difference in the world.
Biography
Since he was admitted to the bar in 1981, Kirk Bernard has worked as a civil litigation attorney for more than 30 years, operating on a contingency basis and specializing in personal injury lawsuits and defending the rights of accident victims. The settlements Mr. Bernard has acquired for his clients in those years total millions of dollars.
Bernard obtained a record setting $27 million jury award after a City of San Francisco Municipal Railway truck crash killed a 4-year-old girl and injured several other people.
When a driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit the client making him a quadriplegic, Bernard obtained a $7.9 million settlement.
A malfunctioning seatbelt caused the client,, a minor, to experience severe brain injury after his parents got into a head-on collision. The Bernard Law Group obtained a $4.4 million settlement.
A 74-year-old female pedestrian was hit by a company-owned truck. The client suffered several traumatic injuries to her legs, which required multiple surgeries and a below-the-knee amputation. The Bernard Law Group obtained a $3 million settlement.
In the case of Odell v. Wooden Boat Foundation, which followed an explosion linked to liquid nails, the Bernard Law Group obtained a $1,004,000 settlement in mediation.
In the case of Salguero v. the City of Los Angeles, a malfunctioning part caused a helicopter to crash on and kill the plaintiff, a Hispanic immigrant working as a janitor. He left behind a spouse and two children. The Bernard Law Group obtained a $950,000 settlement, which included a lifetime annuity worth more than $5 million for the children.
In the case of Basye v. Sorathia, the client was a 22-year-old woman who suffered two bulging disc injuries after a rear-end car collision. The defendant refused any offer to settle before the court date. After a three-day jury trial, the Bernard Law Group obtained a $166,000 settlement.
Kirk Bernard is the owner and manager of law firms in both Los Angeles, California and Seattle, Washington. In his 30 years of practicing law, Bernard has been involved in many other noteworthy cases including:
Meisner v. the State of Washington: Insufficient road signage warning of highway construction zone led to a motorcycle collision causing severe injuries to the plaintiff. Two weeks before the trial date, Bernard settled the case for $5.5 million.
Wages v. Wah Kue Café: An auto collision case in which both drivers had been drinking. The establishment serving the alcohol was found liable, and Bernard obtained a $1.5 million settlement.
Bargas v. Houlihan’s: Bernard obtained a $725,000 settlement for the plaintiff, who was served alcohol by the establishment before driving.
Bernard also represented the victims suffering from the side-effects of the prescription drug Baycol and recipients of the defective Sultzer artificial hip implant. Both cases were resolved successfully.
Licensed to practice law in both California and Washington, Kirk Bernard is also an active member of the State Bar, an eagle member of the Washington Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association, and a member of the American Association for Justice.
In cases where financial restitution is not enough, our lawyers have occasionally been able to utilize their contingency retainer to prompt changes in laws, with the amendments to the HMO regulations in California being the most prominent example. The work of our attorneys has in some cases defended and even improved the rights of the public along with those of our clients.
If you decide to hire the services of The Bernard Law Group, I make this personal guarantee to you: My highly qualified staff and I will work diligently without rest, letting nothing prevent us from seeking justice on your behalf until you’ve been given the restitution that is due to you and your rights have been returned.