Injured in a crash in a construction zone in San Bernardino, CA? Our skilled San Bernardino construction zone accident attorneys can help you recover financial compensation for your injuries.
Construction zone crashes are not like ordinary car accidents. You may be facing a negligent driver, a construction company, and a government agency like Caltrans simultaneously, each with an insurer working to limit what they pay you.
Hiring our San Bernardino construction zone accident lawyers is not about being litigious. It is the responsible step when powerful parties have every financial reason to minimize your claim.
Krasney Law Accident Attorneys represents injured people across San Bernardino County, including the I-15 corridor, Rancho Cucamonga, and construction zones on CA-210 and Route 60. We know how contractors document their work zones, how Caltrans handles tort claims, and how the big carriers value serious injury cases when a real trial lawyer is on the file.
You get one shot at this recovery, and you deserve a firm that treats it that way.
Contact us today for a free consultation. You owe us nothing unless we win your case.
What Is a Construction Zone Accident?
A construction zone accident is any crash or injury that occurs inside a designated road work area, whether a rear-end collision during a sudden lane merge, a car striking an on-site worker, or a vehicle losing control after hitting an unmarked drop-off.
These incidents are common on the I-10, I-15, CA-210, and Route 60, where construction projects run year-round across San Bernardino County.
Who Is Liable for Your Crash?
Liability in a work zone is rarely limited to one party. We investigate every possible defendant to find every available source of insurance coverage.
Negligent Driver
A driver who was speeding, distracted, impaired, or failed to comply with posted work zone speed limits can be held fully or partially responsible.
General Contractor or Subcontractor
The company managing the job site has a legal duty to keep the traffic environment safe. If they violated their approved traffic control plan or ignored Cal/OSHA requirements, they are liable.
Caltrans or a Local Government Agency
If a poorly designed or improperly approved work zone caused your crash, the government entity that owns the road may be accountable. Claims against government agencies carry a strict six-month filing deadline. Contact us immediately if this applies.
Equipment Manufacturer
If defective barriers, faulty warning signs, or malfunctioning equipment contributed to your crash, the manufacturer can be brought in under product liability law.
Traffic Control Subcontractor
A separate company is often hired exclusively to manage cones, signs, and flaggers. If their setup was inadequate, they carry independent liability.
One pattern we consistently see in San Bernardino County work zone claims is that the driver’s insurer and the contractor’s insurer each try to point the finger at the other before either one makes a fair offer.
Our San Bernardino construction zone accident lawyers have watched this play out on projects along Route 60 and Waterman Avenue, where a driver’s carrier will argue the lane closure was confusing while the contractor’s carrier argues the driver simply was not paying attention.
When we file in San Bernardino County Superior Court, that kind of finger-pointing tends to stop, because each defendant knows a jury can assign blame to more than one party at once.
Workers’ Compensation or Third-Party Claim?
If you were on the job site when injured, workers’ compensation lets you recover medical bills and partial lost wages without proving fault. However, workers’ comp does not cover pain and suffering and only replaces a portion of your income. If a driver, contractor, or third party caused your injury, you may also file a personal injury lawsuit that recovers your full losses. In many cases, you can pursue both.
| Claim Type | Who Pays | What You Recover | Fault Required? |
| Workers’ Compensation | Employer’s Insurer | Medical Bills, Partial Lost Wages | No |
| Third-Party Personal Injury | At-Fault Party’s Insurer | Full Damages and Pain and Suffering | Yes |
Call (909) 380-7200. We will sort out which option fits you at no cost.
Can You Sue Caltrans or the City?
Yes, but California law requires a critical first step before any lawsuit against a government agency.
You must file a government tort claim, which is a formal written notice to the agency stating your intent to seek compensation. You have only six months from the accident date to submit this document, and missing that deadline permanently eliminates your right to sue.
If the agency sends a written rejection notice, you have six months from that notice to file your lawsuit in court under Government Code section 945.6. If the agency never sends a written notice, you have up to two years from the date your claim accrued to file suit instead. Contact us immediately. These deadlines are strict and cannot be recovered once missed.
A tactic we see repeatedly from Caltrans and other public agencies handling construction zone claims in San Bernardino County is delaying any written response to a government claim for as long as the law allows. Clients sometimes assume that silence means the case is dead, when in fact the agency’s failure to respond can extend, not shorten, the time available to sue.
We track these deadlines closely for every claim we file at the San Bernardino Justice Center, because a missed date on either side of this rule can cost a client their entire case.
What to Do after a Work Zone Accident
The actions you take in the first 24 hours directly affect your case.
Call 911 and See a Doctor
Request police and an ambulance at the scene, then get a full medical evaluation. Injuries like traumatic brain injuries and soft tissue damage often take days to appear.
Photograph the Scene before It Changes
Crews can move cones and reset signage within hours. Capture the lane layout, missing barriers or signs, vehicle damage, and your injuries before anyone adjusts the work zone.
Decline to Give a Recorded Statement
The at-fault insurer will call quickly asking to record your account. Politely refuse. Their job is to collect information that limits your payout, not to help you.
Identify the Contractor on Site
Note company names on trucks, equipment, and permit signs near the job site. That information helps us identify every party we can hold accountable.
Call Krasney Law
The sooner we get involved, the sooner we can lock down evidence. Call (909) 380-7200.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Our goal is to recover every dollar you are owed, not the first number an insurer puts forward. You never pay a fee if we do not recover money for you.
Your claim can include:
- Medical expenses: From the ER visit through surgery, therapy, and future specialist care. We connect clients with local doctors who treat on a medical lien. They wait to be paid from your settlement, so you owe nothing upfront.
- Lost wages: Income already lost and future earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to return to work.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of daily enjoyment, available in personal injury claims, not through workers’ comp.
- Property damage: Full repair or replacement value for your vehicle, plus any reduction in resale value.
- Wrongful death: Funeral expenses, lost financial support, and compensation for loss of companionship if a family member was killed.
How We Secure Evidence and Fight the Insurers
Construction zone evidence disappears fast, cones are moved, footage is overwritten, and permits get buried. We immediately send investigators and issue spoliation letters, which are legal demands ordering all parties to preserve evidence.
We pull the traffic control plan, the blueprint the contractor was legally required to follow, to verify whether the work zone was set up correctly, and we retrieve event data recorder information from the vehicles involved, which captures speed, braking, and steering in the seconds before impact.
When an insurer’s offer falls short, we do not settle. We retain accident reconstruction engineers and construction safety experts, and we prepare every case for a San Bernardino County courtroom. Over 35 years of California litigation experience signals to every insurance company that we are prepared to go to trial, and that pressure consistently produces better results.
What we see across the construction zone claims we handle near the I-10 and CA-210 interchanges is that the medical picture often changes weeks after the crash, particularly for clients first treated at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center or St. Bernardine Medical Center for injuries that looked minor at the scene.
Adjusters routinely use that gap between the initial exam and a later diagnosis to argue the injury was not caused by the crash. That is one more reason we send our own investigators to the work zone immediately, so the physical evidence is locked down long before the medical picture is fully known.
Deadlines You Cannot Afford to Miss
- Two years from the accident date for most personal injury claims against a private party
- Six months to file a government tort claim when Caltrans, the county, or a city is involved
- 30 days to report a workplace injury to your employer, and one year to file the workers’ compensation DWC-1 form
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I File a Claim If the Work Zone Lacked Proper Warning Signs?
Yes. Failing to post adequate signage or set up a safe merge is negligence, and the contractor can be held financially responsible for every injury that results.
Can I Still Pursue a Claim Even If I Got a Traffic Ticket?
Yes. Civil fault is determined independently of a traffic citation, and we regularly demonstrate that a dangerous work zone condition, not your driving, was the primary cause of the crash.
What Happens to My Claim If I Was Partly Responsible for the Crash?
California’s pure comparative negligence rule means your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, but you can still collect compensation even if you were partly at fault.
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Apply to Work Zone Crashes?
Yes. If the at-fault driver had little or no insurance, your own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage can make up the difference.
How Much Does Hiring Krasney Law Cost If We Do Not Win?
Nothing. We work on contingency and advance all case costs, such as police reports, medical records, and expert witnesses, so you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Can You Come to My Home or Hospital in San Bernardino County?
Yes. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, we come to you, at home, at the hospital, or anywhere in San Bernardino County that works.
Skilled Injury & Accident Law Firm in San Bernardino, California
Do not let the insurance company set the value of your case before you speak with us. Your consultation is free, you owe nothing unless we win, and we are available same- or next-day. Expect Excellence & Get Results.
Contact our law firm today for a free case evaluation. We are available 24/7.
