The Inland Empire area is a region of Southern California directly adjacent to the East of Los Angeles and Orange Counties made up of two Counties: San Bernardino and Riverside. While there is debate on the "official" imaginary boundary lines of the Inland Empire, most local people generally consider the area to be the combination of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.

However, some would say the Inland Empire also includes Caremont, La Verne, San Dimas and even Pomona which are all in Los Angeles County. Others might contend that the Palm Springs, Victorville, and Temecula Valley areas are so far removed that they shouldn't be considered apart of the "Inland Empire". This region was originally referred to as the "Orange Empire" due to the vast amounts or orange and citrus fruit grown from Redlands to Pasadena.

Facts regarding the Inland Empire*:

• If the Inland Empire was a state, it would be the 41st largest by land mass in the United States (27,408 square miles), between South Carolina and West Virginia. Reference
• If the Inland Empire was a state, it would be the 25th largest by population in the United States (4.65M), between Kentucky and Oregon. Reference
  
• If the Inland Empire was a Country, it would be the 150th largest, (of 258), in the world between Haiti and Rwanda, ("countries" defined from Wikipedia). Reference
• San Bernardino County is the largest County in the United States at 20,105 square miles. Reference
• The Inland Empire has a population of 4,653,000 as of the 2020 US Census, which is the 12th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. Reference
• The Inland Empire is known as the "IE" or the "909" in reference to the predominant area code in San Bernardino County.
• Other area codes in the Inland Empire are: (951) for much of Riverside County and (760) for the "Low Desert" Palm Springs area and "High Desert" Victorville area.
• The Median household income for San Bernardino County was $70,287 and Riverside County was $76,066 based off the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau data. This is roughly the same as Los Angeles County at $76,367.
• More than 80% of California's imported goods are shipped through the Inland Empire corridor. However, since the "Great Recession", some local cities have seen industrial and warehouse vacancies over 22%. 
• Crime rates in Riverside and Ontario are only slightly higher than national average. However, the city of San Bernardino is consistently twice, (or more), than national average crime rates.

Although the Inland Empire has historically had a negative reputation as a bad place to live, (for a number of reasons), there are far more nice cities and neighborhoods than "bad". Most of the perceptions of the Inland Empire are based on outdated or biased opinion.

Cities like Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Redlands, Fontana, Loma Linda, Chino Hills, Riverside, Corona, Temecula, Murrieta, Eastvale, (and many others), all have a variety of incredibly nice neighborhoods ranging from middle to upper-middle class. However, there are some very rough neighborhoods in parts of San Bernardino, Riverside, Fontana, Ontario, Moreno Valley and others. Cities like these are so large, (larger than many counties throughout the U.S.), that they're bound to have very good and very bad areas.

*Defined as San Bernardino + Riverside County
Images used from Wikipedia Creative Commons

A personal injury claim should be filed in case the car accident resulted in great property damage, serious injuries or fatalities. Here are some tips that can help you to maximize your car accident compensation claim.

You should get immediate medical attention after getting injured in a car accident. Getting medical help is essential before filling a car accident compensation claim. Your doctor will evaluate the extent of the injuries and recommend proper treatment. Without a detailed medical record of your injuries, you'll have difficulty in proving your case in the court.

A proper medical record will help in determining the appropriate compensation amount. You may hurt your credibility --

You can't prove damages without paper evidence. You should have receipts and reports to back up your claim. Unless you provide hard evidence such as medical bills, doctor's report, and others, you may not be able to get an adequate compensation for the injuries suffered in a car accident.

Keep a detailed record of all the receipts and bills related to the accident. Make sure to save every paper document including therapy bills, pharmacy bills, doctor's instructions, and other documents that relate to the accident.

In case you have bought crutches, heating pads, over-the-counter medications, you should save the bills to recoup the expenses. An experienced personal injury attorney will help you sort, organize, and store all the documentary evidence related to the accident. This will help you to avoid missing out on any potential reimbursements.

Photos and videos of the accident scene are an excellent piece of evidence that can help support your claim in the court. You should ask someone to take photos and videos of the car that hit you, and also any injuries and property damages. These can serve as a solid evidence in the court proving the guilt of the person at fault.

Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer is important for a car accident case. An experienced personal injury attorney will help you in maximizing your car accident injury claim. The professional attorney will assist you in collecting the right evidence that can prove your case without any reasonable doubt.

For more information about how to maximize your car accident injury claim, our listed personal injury lawyers in Pomona and throughout all cities in the Inland Empire can help. We have a track record of successfully representing our clients in car accident cases.

A slip and fall accident can occur anytime. The consequences of the injuries can last for years resulting in deep physical, emotional, and financial pain. If a slip and fall injury occurred due to the negligence of another person, you have a right to legal recourse. Here we will discuss the key issue in any slip and fall accident claim: proving fault and liability.

A number of things need to be proved in the court for determining the fault or liability of the guilty party in case of a slip and fall accident. In order to get legal recourse due to a slip and fall injury, any one of the following must be applicable.

• The owner of the property must have known about the slippery condition that resulted in a slip and fall accident, but took no action to reduce the risk of an injury.
• The owner of the property had deliberately created the slippery condition to harm the injured person.
• The owner of the property did not take 'reasonable care' of the property resulting in a slip and fall accident.

Proving reasonable care is not that clear cut. The following questions can help you to prove the fault of the property owner in case of a slip and fall accident.

• Did the dangerous surface condition persist for sufficiently long time for the owner to reasonably know about it?
• Could the property owner have placed a barrier or warning sign to alert the visitors?
• Did the property owner verbally warn of the danger?

Keep in mind that majority of the states in the US also follow the rule of comparative negligence when determining fault in case of a slip and fall accident. Comparative negligence means that the injured person was partly responsible for the accident in which case the jury awards significantly less compensation for the injuries.

In case you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, you are advised to contact a professional personal injury attorney. Due to the statute of limitation, you have only a certain time before you should file an injury compensation claim in the court. That's why you should contact a San Bernardino slip & fall attorney as soon as possible after an injury.

With the help of a professional personal attorney, you can increase the chances of receiving the maximum possible compensation amount. Our listed injury attorneys assist clients throughout the Inland Empire and will help you in proving the fault in case of a slip and fall injury so that you can focus on getting back on your feet.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that there were 4,311 fatal large truck & bus accidents in 2015, an 8% increase from 2014. Most of the truck accidents result in serious injuries including permanent disability. In majority of cases, a truck accident is caused by some sort of human error. You are legally entitled to receive compensation for your pain and emotional suffering due to injuries sustained in a truck accident for which another party is to blame.

Truck accident claims can cover medical bills, damage to the property, wages lost, and other many other losses. In this article, you will know how the personal injury claim is calculated for injuries sustained in a truck accident.

Calculating a reasonable compensation amount is necessary when negotiating  a truck accident claim. Most personal injury attorneys and insurance providers use a formula to calculate the compensation amount for personal injury cases.

Here are two common formulas that are normally used in personal injury compensation cases:

The Daily Rate Method:
The daily rate method can be used to determine the truck injury compensation amount. Also known as the 'per diem' method, the calculation involves assigning a daily value based on the expenses incurred after sustaining an injury.

An example will help you understand how this method is used. Suppose, your annual income is $75,000. Dividing your annual income by total working days (250) results in $300 per day. Now, suppose that you were not able to resume normal activities for three months after the truck accident injury. Under the daily rate method, your compensation amount will be $27,000 — $300 x 90 days.

The Multiplier Method:
Another method that is commonly used to calculate the compensation amount is the multiplier method. This method involves multiplying the actual financial losses by a specific multiplier. Generally, the expenses are multiplied by three to get an idea of a reasonable compensation amount.

Suppose your medical expenses were $10,000 and your lost wages during a period amounted to $15,000. You will multiply the total amount of $25,000 by 3 to arrive at the compensation amount of $75,000.

Most people who are involved in a truck accident get confused about whether to sue the driver or the employer. In most of the cases, the employers and their insurance policy holding companies are responsible for a truck accident. However, an exception is when the driver was working as an independent employee without being associated with any company.

A professional truck accident attorney will guide you in establishing guilt in case of a truck accident. You should engage an attorney with the right experience and proven history in truck accident cases. Hiring the right auto accident attorney can influence the case outcome positively.

Have you been injured in a truck collision? Has your loved one died in a truck accident? If so, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. Our personal injury lawyers in Inland Empire will help you get compensation for the injuries sustained in a truck accident.

A dog bite can be a traumatic experience for anyone. Injuries caused by dog bites generally involve broken bones, nerve damage, blood loss, or worse. Statistics state that family dogs inflicted about 45 percent of all fatalities in 2016 — most of which occurred in California.

If you or your loved one has been bitten by a dog in California, you should note that the 'strict liability' rules apply in the state. This means that dog owners are liable for the harm even if their dog did not have any previous record of acting aggressively.

However, the strict liability does not guarantee recovery in all cases. Here, you will learn about the situations when you can file a personal injury case in the court for a dog bite.

California dog bite law is encapsulated in section 3342 of the Civil Code. According to the law, a dog owner is liable for damages in case the following three conditions are met:

• The owner's dog caused the injury
  
• The injury was not due to any behavior of the individual
  
• The injured person was lawfully present in a public or private place
  

Let's suppose that a person was walking on a sidewalk when he or she gets viciously attacked by a dog. In this case, the dog bite statute will apply as the dog owner did not take reasonable steps to secure the pet.

Now suppose that a person gets injured due to falling on a pavement as he or she tried to run away from the dog. In this situation, the California dog bite statute does not apply and the dog owner is not liable for injuries.

Again, suppose that a person was bitten by the dog while 'illegally' trespassing on another's property. In this situation as well, the California dog bite statute does not apply.

Keep in mind that you must act fast after you have been injured by a dog. Every state has imposed a limit during which a person can file a personal injury lawsuit. In the state of California, a person can file a personal injury case within two years of an injury. After the period has passed, you cannot file a claim in the court for dog bite injuries.

So, you should get immediate legal help for a dog bite injury case. Our Inland Empire personal injury lawyers will assist you to preserve evidence, identify defendants, and locate witnesses. Do not delay in getting help of a personal injury attorney if you have been a victim of a dog bite attack, or your loved one has.

A serious injury entails thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical treatment. That's why you should do everything you can to enhance the chances of getting a maximum possible personal injury settlement. This involves seeking professional help of a personal injury attorney. It also requires that you avoid the pitfalls that can damage your case.

Here are some important tips that can maximize your chances of getting a maximum possible personal injury claim settlement:

1. Keep a Detailed Record
   You should keep a paper trail relating to the personal injury. Remember that proving the fault of a person in the court will not be an easy walk in the park. Most people who are at fault will try to twist the facts and even turn it back on you. In this respect, keeping a detailed record of the scene of the injury is vital.
   Consider having a well-documented collection of evidence. If possible, you should get contact info of people at the scene of the injury. Also, you should take pictures of the injury that can be presented at the court.
2. Track the Medical Bills
   Apart from the documentary evidence of the scene of the injury, you should also keep a record of all the medical bills. Keep receipts of all the medications and treatment expenses.  Also, you should consider saving the medication bottles and other items purchased for treatment of the injury such as crutches, neck braces, canes, bandages, and splints. These items can be presented during the trial as the proof of the extent of medical expenses borne by the victim due to a personal injury.
3. Always Follow the Doctor's Recommendations
   Following the doctor's recommended treatment plan is vital if you want to maximize the personal injury settlement. If the doctor recommends that you rest for a week, you should take a week off from the job to rest at home.
   Not following the advice of the doctor will reflect badly on your case. The defendant's attorney can contend in the court that the injuries were not as serious as you claim. This will, in turn, result in lower compensation for the personal injury.
4. Never Prematurely Settle the Claim
   You should avoid settling the claim prematurely. Settling the claim early is not in the best interest of the victim as sometimes the extent of the injuries take time to become evident. Remember that a typical personal injury case takes months to settle. Some take even a year to settle due to the complexities surrounding the case. If you try to settle the case earlier, you will not be able to receive the compensation amount that will cover the cost of medical bills.

The above four tips can help in maximizing the claim settlement. Also, you should consider hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call one of our highly experienced injury attorneys to learn more about your legal options regarding an injury claim.

Personal injury claims relating dog bites are one of the most common in California. If you or your child has been bitten by a dog, you can file a claim in the court to get compensation from the dog owner. The compensation amount can help cover the medical costs of treating dog bite injuries.

Before filing a personal injury claim, here are four important things that you should know regarding dog bite personal injuries law in California.

1. Liability for the Attack
   The owner of a dog is held liable for any injuries due to a dog bite. In California, the dog owner will be responsible regardless of whether the canine pet acted aggressively in the past. A victim will not have to present any proof about the fault of the owner as is the case in some state. A dog bite injury is proof enough of the negligence of the pet owner.
2. Actual Harm  
   Another important element of dog bite personal injury law is the extent of the injury. If the injury was minimal, the compensation claim settlement will also be small. You should consider filing a claim only in case of serious harm done due to the dog attack. Otherwise, battling a personal injury case in the court will not be worth the cost.
3. Cause of the Attack
   A dog owner generally can defend the case only if he or she can prove in the court that the victim instigated the attack. This liability statute applies both to attack on private property and public places in California.
   
   In case a victim provoked an attack, the dog owner will not be held responsible for the attack. The provocation can be either intentional or unintentional. Also, if the victim had trespassed the property at the time that the dog attacked, the owner will not be held responsible.
4. Place of the Attack
   The personal injury case can be filed in the county where the attack occurred or where the owner resides. Generally, a claim settlement in rural areas is more conservative as compared to urban areas. Getting the help of an experienced personal injury attorney will help in getting the maximum possible compensation for the injuries.

In case you have been injured due to a dog attack, it's vital that you report the incidence to the police at earliest. This will serve as an official record of the incident. Also, you should consider hiring a dog bite attorney before making a claim.

Call one of our experienced listed attorneys today to know more about how you can build your case to get the maximum possible personal injury claim settlement.

If you've been in a car accident and you're negotiating with an insurance company regarding an injury claim, the adjuster has two figures in mind: what they think you'll accept and what they're authorized to offer you. No matter what they claim, they're really not on your side, nor do they have your best interest in mind. Their job is to minimize the payment from their employer, (the insurance company), and to delay the process as long as possible. The longer the insurance company holds the money, the more interest they can generate from the bank.

The first offer you receive is often a lowball offer from the adjuster to see if you'll quickly accept the claim so they can close the claim and move on. Essentially they're testing you to see if you'll reveal your targeted settlement amount. From this standpoint, it helps move the process along because now you can formerly reject the offer and move into the next stage.

Only you can determine if the offered amount is worth taking or pursuing further. If you've received what you believe may be a fair offer, you can have our personal injury lawyers in the Inland Empire assess your case, offer and see if we can do better for you.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.