Gonzales Law Offices — San Bernardino Wrongful Death Attorney
Mark "The Shark" Gonzales (CA Bar #249340) represents surviving families in San Bernardino wrongful death cases — DUI fatalities on Hospitality Lane, commercial truck deaths on I-215 and I-10, freeway crashes, and pedestrian fatalities. No fee unless we recover. Free 24/7: 909-587-6336.
San Bernardino car accident lawyer — Mark "The Shark" Gonzales, Esq. | CA Bar #249340 | 909-587-6336
Gonzales Law Offices — Mark Gonzales, Esq. (CA Bar #249340) — represents surviving spouses, children, and families in San Bernardino wrongful death cases. We handle both the wrongful death claim (CCP §377.60) and the survival action (CCP §377.30) simultaneously to maximize your total recovery. Free 24/7: 909-587-6336.
Losing a family member to a preventable crash is catastrophic. The legal process should not be another burden. Gonzales Law Offices handles every aspect of your wrongful death case — from evidence preservation and insurance demands to San Bernardino County Superior Court litigation if the carrier refuses to pay fair value. You owe nothing unless we recover.
San Bernardino's Hospitality Lane entertainment district and downtown bar corridor generate some of the highest DUI fatality rates in the Inland Empire. DUI wrongful death cases carry punitive damage exposure under Civil Code §3294 — verdicts and settlements 3–10x higher than standard cases.
Settlement range: $750K–$5M+ (DUI punitive multiplier)
Cajon Pass freight trucks descending I-215 and I-10 freeway commercial traffic are the leading cause of wrongful death crashes in San Bernardino. FMCSA violations (brake failure, HOS, overweight loads) create punitive exposure for carriers in addition to compensatory wrongful death damages.
Settlement range: $1M–$7M+ (FMCSA violations)
Highland Ave and Waterman Ave are the two highest-pedestrian-fatality streets in San Bernardino. City of SB infrastructure failures (missing crosswalk lighting, faded markings, broken pedestrian signals) create direct government liability alongside the driver's vehicle liability.
Settlement range: $500K–$4M+
Road defects, missing guardrails, inadequate signage, and dangerous intersection designs that contribute to fatal crashes create Caltrans and City of SB liability. Government wrongful death cases require a tort claim within 6 months — call immediately.
Settlement range: $400K–$3M+
When the at-fault driver flees, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage becomes the primary recovery source. Gonzales Law Offices pursues every available insurance layer — including employer vicarious liability if the driver was working at the time.
Recovery from every available insurance source
A survival action (CCP §377.30) recovers the deceased's own damages — medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages from the time of injury to the time of death. This runs alongside the wrongful death claim. Both must be filed together for maximum recovery.
Both claims filed simultaneously
Under California CCP §377.60, the following parties have legal standing to file a wrongful death claim:
The surviving husband or wife has primary standing and the broadest claim — including loss of consortium, companionship, and financial support.
Registered domestic partners have the same standing as spouses under California law.
Biological and adopted children — including minor children and adult children who depended financially on the deceased — have standing to file wrongful death claims.
Anyone who was financially dependent on the deceased — including parents, siblings, or other relatives — may have standing even without a biological/legal family relationship.
We review every family relationship to maximize the number of qualifying claimants and the total damages available.
Gonzales Law Offices — Mark Gonzales, Esq. (CA Bar #249340) represents surviving families in SB wrongful death cases. DUI fatalities, commercial truck deaths, freeway crashes, and pedestrian fatalities throughout San Bernardino County. Free 24/7: 909-587-6336.
Surviving spouses, domestic partners, children, and financial dependents under CCP §377.60. We review every family relationship to identify all qualifying claimants.
Loss of financial support, loss of love/companionship/consortium, loss of household services, funeral/burial expenses, and punitive damages (in DUI cases under Civil Code §3294). We also file a survival action (CCP §377.30) for the deceased's own pre-death damages simultaneously.
Standard crash wrongful death: $500K–$2M depending on the deceased's income and family circumstances. DUI wrongful death with punitive damages: $750K–$5M+. Commercial truck FMCSA violations: $1M–$7M+.
Two years from the date of death under CCP §377.60. Government entity involvement (Caltrans, city): 6 months under Government Code §911.2. Call immediately — 909-587-6336.
A wrongful death claim (CCP §377.60) compensates survivors for their own losses. A survival action (CCP §377.30) compensates the estate for damages the deceased suffered before death — pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages from injury to death. Both claims are filed simultaneously by Gonzales Law Offices to maximize total recovery.