The Inland Empire keeps Southern California moving. Its warehouses, rail yards, hospitals and highways run on hard work, and a lot of people get hurt doing it. If you were injured on the job, the insurance company already has people working to limit what it pays. As a San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer, Rodich Law works for you, so you get the medical care and benefits California law says you’re owed.
We represent injured workers in San Bernardino and across the Inland Empire, from Fontana and Rialto to Redlands and Victorville. We handle your claim from the first report to your employer through hearings at the San Bernardino WCAB. Your first case review is free and can happen by phone, and you never pay anything upfront.
Years of experience in the field
Recovered for our clients
Success rate in cases
On paper, workers’ comp is simple: you get hurt, you report it, and the insurer pays for your care and lost wages. In real life, it rarely works that smoothly. Adjusters delay treatment requests, send you to doctors who downplay your injury, question whether it happened at work, or push you to settle before you know what your case is worth.
A San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyer closes that gap. We:
In California, every employer with even one employee must carry workers’ comp insurance, so small businesses aren’t off the hook. Your injury or illness generally needs to be caused by your job. You can qualify if you’re:
Workers’ comp is no-fault, so you can get benefits even if the accident was partly your mistake. Not sure where you stand? Read do I qualify for workers’ comp or call us.
The Inland Empire has more than 200,000 transportation and warehouse jobs, according to the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board. Around San Bernardino, that means giant distribution centers in San Bernardino, Fontana, Rialto and Redlands, the cargo hub at San Bernardino International Airport, and the BNSF rail yard. The pace is fast, and productivity quotas push workers hard. We help warehouse and delivery workers with:
California’s indoor heat rule, in effect since July 2024, requires employers to provide water, cool-down areas and breaks once an indoor workplace hits 82 degrees, and to cool the building or take other steps when it gets hotter. If you got sick from the heat at work, tell us whether those protections were in place.
With the 10, 215, 210 and 15 freeways meeting near San Bernardino, and trucks climbing the Cajon Pass every day, driving is one of the area’s biggest jobs and one of its most dangerous. We help truck drivers, delivery drivers and yard workers hurt in work-related crashes, loading and unloading, and falls from trailers and cabs.
Many trucking companies classify drivers as independent contractors to avoid paying workers’ comp. California’s ABC test makes that hard to justify for many drivers. If your company calls you a contractor, call us before you assume you’re not covered.
San Bernardino is a county seat and a medical hub, with major hospitals in San Bernardino, Loma Linda and Colton. We help:
Many public safety workers get their full salary, tax-free, for up to a year after a work injury under Labor Code 4850. For many firefighters and peace officers, California also presumes that conditions like heart trouble and certain cancers are job-related. These rules have their own paperwork and deadlines, and we make sure you get every benefit the law allows.
California workers’ comp covers almost any injury or illness caused by your job, whether it happened in a second or built up over years. That includes:
Many San Bernardino County workers’ comp disputes go to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board district office at 464 West Fourth Street, Suite 239, in downtown San Bernardino. Riverside County cases usually go to the Riverside office at 3737 Main Street. Where your case is filed depends on where you live, where you were hurt and other venue rules.
At the San Bernardino WCAB, a workers’ comp judge can hold settlement conferences, hear trials, order expedited hearings when you urgently need treatment or disability pay, and approve your settlement so it’s final. We handle the filings, prepare you for every hearing and appear with you in front of the judge.
You generally have one year from the date of injury to file with the WCAB. Waiting can cost you, so talk to a San Bernardino workers’ comp attorney early.
California workers’ comp benefits include:
Usually not. In California, workers’ comp is generally your only remedy against your employer, even if the employer was careless. But if someone outside your company caused your injury, you may have a separate claim against them. That could be another driver on the 10, the maker of a faulty forklift or conveyor, or the owner of a property where you were working. Those claims usually have a two-year deadline.
A third-party claim affects your workers’ comp case, because the insurer can seek repayment from what you recover. We protect your comp benefits and help you understand whether an outside claim makes sense.
What you do in the first few weeks after an injury can make or break your case:
If English isn’t your first language, you have the right to a free interpreter at medical appointments, QME exams and WCAB hearings, paid for by the insurance company. Don’t sign or agree to anything you don’t fully understand.
You don’t need money to get help. There’s no retainer, no hourly bill and no charge for your first case review. In California, workers’ comp attorney fees are a percentage of your final award or settlement, and a WCAB judge must approve the fee before it’s paid. Judges often approve fees in the 12% to 15% range, depending on how complex the case is. If you don’t recover anything, you don’t owe an attorney fee.
The fee doesn’t come out of your medical care or your ongoing temporary disability checks. Medical-legal costs like QME exams are generally paid by the insurance company. The fee usually comes out of your permanent disability award or settlement at the end of the case.
We help injured workers throughout San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire, including:
Not sure we can help with your case? Call and ask. It costs nothing to find out.
Rodich Law focuses exclusively on workers' compensation, helping injured workers protect their rights and pursue the benefits they deserve. We represent workers across a wide range of industries and workplace injuries.
You don't have to hire one, but a lawyer helps most when your claim is denied, your treatment is delayed or your injury is serious. A San Bernardino workers' compensation lawyer handles deadlines, QME exams and the insurance company, so you don't lose benefits to avoidable mistakes.
Nothing upfront. California workers' comp attorneys are paid a percentage of your award or settlement, and a WCAB judge must approve the fee. If you don't recover anything, you don't owe an attorney fee. Your first case review with Rodich Law is free.
The San Bernardino Workers' Compensation Appeals Board district office is at 464 West Fourth Street, Suite 239, San Bernardino, CA 92401. It handles many San Bernardino County cases, including settlement conferences, trials and expedited hearings.
Almost any injury or illness caused by your job qualifies. That includes sudden accidents like falls and forklift crashes, injuries that build up over time like carpal tunnel and back strain, heat illness, chemical exposure, and some stress and psychiatric injuries.
Report your injury to your employer within 30 days. You generally have one year from the date of injury to file with the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Injuries and illnesses that develop over time can follow different rules, so act early.
Usually up to 104 weeks within five years of your injury, while your doctor says you can't work. Some serious injuries, like severe burns, amputations and certain lung diseases, can qualify for up to 240 weeks. Payments are about two-thirds of your average weekly pay, up to a state limit.
Sometimes. If you told your employer in writing about a personal doctor before you got hurt, you may be able to see that doctor. Otherwise, you usually start in your employer's medical provider network and can switch to another doctor in the network after the first visit.
Yes. Every California employer with at least one employee must carry workers' comp insurance. If your employer doesn't have it, you may still get benefits through a state fund for injured workers of uninsured employers, and the employer can face penalties.
Usually the staffing agency's workers' comp insurance pays. The warehouse company may also share responsibility. Report the injury to both your on-site supervisor and the agency, and keep your pay stubs and assignment paperwork.
No. California Labor Code Section 132a makes it illegal to fire, demote or punish a worker for filing a workers' comp claim. If it happens, you may be owed extra compensation, lost wages and your job back.
Don't give up. You can challenge a denial at the WCAB and ask a judge to decide. A workers' comp attorney can gather medical evidence, request a QME exam and take your case to a hearing.
Usually not. Workers' comp is generally your only remedy against your employer. If someone outside your company caused the injury, like another driver or an equipment maker, you may have a separate claim against them, usually with a two-year deadline.
Yes. California law gives injured workers the right to workers' comp benefits regardless of immigration status. Filing a claim is your legal right, and we keep your information confidential.
No. You can start with a free case review by phone. We can go over what happened, look at your paperwork and explain your options without you leaving the Inland Empire.
You keep the Inland Empire running. If your job hurt you, the law says your employer and its insurer owe you care and benefits while you heal. You don’t have to figure it out alone, and you don’t have to decide anything today. One free call gets you clear answers about your claim, your benefits and your deadlines, from people who handle workers’ comp cases every day. There’s no cost to talk to us, no fee unless you recover benefits, and no pressure to sign anything. The insurance company already has its team working on your claim. Make sure you have yours.
Call (818) 888-3000 or request your free case review today.
Workers' Compensation
