Meet Kirk Bernard
Kirk Bernard has been a civil litigator in Washington & California for over 30 years, specializing in personal injury cases representing accident victims. For the past 39 years, Kirk has not stopped giving everything he has in the pursuit of justice.
Kirk Bernard received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Following graduation from Law School in 1981, Kirk quickly became a licensed personal injury attorney. Since then, he has dedicated himself to serving his community by giving victims a chance to fight back.
Kirk Bernard’s Outstanding & Inspiring Success Stories
Kirk has helped countless injury and accident victims obtain the justice they deserve. The following are some of his most notable settlements and verdicts.
Record Setting Personal Injury Cases
- Record $18.5 Million Settlement. A case involving a motorcycle rider, Scott Bliss, who collided with a dump truck making an illegal U-turn.
- Record $27 Million Jury Award. A City of San Francisco Municipal Railway truck crash that killed a 4-year-old girl and injured others.
Kirk Bernard
Kirk has represented accident victims on his own as well as partnering with other notable attorneys to fight major corporations. As a result of his relentless pursuit of justice, he has helped his clients recover millions of dollars. Kirk is a successful personal injury lawyer with a distinguished career who subsequently believes in community support. Due to his legal success, Kirk is able to give back to his community in a proactive and caring way.
His record shows that difficult fights don’t scare him because he is willing to fight for what is right. As long as you have someone like Kirk standing by your side, justice will be served.
Licenses, Associations & Awards
Licensed in California since 1981 and Washington since 1997.
Kirk is a member of the following professional associations:
- Brain Injury Association of Washington
- American Bar Association
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Washington State Association For Justice
- Washington State Bar Association
- Better Business Bureau
- Consumer Attorneys Association
- State Bar of California
Awards For Outstanding Work
- Consumer Attorneys Association; Outstanding Member
- American Bar Association; Outstanding Member
- Washington Association of Trial Lawyers; Eagle Member
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum; Million Dollar Advocate
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles; Distinguished Member
- Avvo: Avvo 9.4 Superb Rating
During his career, Kirk has won several awards for his outstanding work in the field of personal injury law. The following are some of the most notable examples:
Notable Verdicts & Settlements
$20.5 Million Verdict. A case involving a 47-year-old man diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The disease occured because of the ingestion of welding rod fumes.
$5,500,000 Settlement. A motorcycle accident case wherein the rider lost control. The accident happened because of a construction defect left in the roadway.
$1,600,000 Birth Injury Settlement. A case involving a mother whose child suffered brain damage. Injuries resulted because the hospital and doctor were negligent when delivering the baby.
$1,004,000 Settlement. Odell v. Wooden Boat Foundation. Explosion case involving liquid nails. Settled at mediation.
Kirk Bernard was on the legal teams for the following high-profile cases:
- Meisner v. State of Washington, et al. A motorcycle accident case involving inadequate signs in a highway construction zone with catastrophic injuries. Parties agreed to a $5.5 million settlement two weeks before the scheduled trial date.
- Nelli and Wages v. Wah Kue Café. A commercial establishment alcohol liability case with drinking in both cars, $1.5 million settlement.
- Bargas v. Houlihan’s. Another commercial establishment alcohol liability case. A bartender served the driver as the plaintiff. The case settled for $725,000.
- $7,900,000 Settlement. Auto vs. auto accident. The defendant driver fell asleep at the wheel and hit Plaintiff, causing quadriplegia.
- $4,400,000 Settlement. A confidential case, including lifetime annuity. The automobile accident involved a defective seat belt. The plaintiff, a minor, was a passenger in his parents’ automobile. As a result of a head-on collision involving the vehicle, the plantiff suffered traumatic brain injury.
- $3,000,000 Settlement. A pedestrian accident involving 74-year-old woman struck by a company truck. Plaintiff sustained injuries to her legs because of the collision. This included below-the-knee amputation of one leg in addition to several injuries to her other leg. The other leg required multiple surgeries because of the accident.
- $950,000 Settlement with lifetime annuity for minors in excess of $5 million. Salguero v. City of Los Angeles. Products liability case involving a defective part. A helicopter to crashed onto the plaintiff because of the faulty part. The deceased, a Hispanic immigrant, worked as a janitor. He left behind a putative spouse in addition to two surviving children.
- $166,000 Jury Verdict. Basye v. Sorathia. Twenty-two-year-old woman rear-ended in an automobile accident. Plaintiff suffered two small bulging discs as a result. Defendant refused all offers to settle. Compensation awarded following a three-day jury trial.
Community Oriented
As the owner of Bernard Law Group, Kirk has encouraged Seattle’s youth to put safety first. Bicycle safety is very close to Kirk’s heart because he is a health enthusiast and safety advocate.
Kirk and his team have sponsoredand participated in a children’s bicycle helmet giveaway. As a result, they purchased and donated hundreds of children’s bicycle helmets. Bernard Law Group also funded and produced a number of public service announcements. These helpful ads teach the local community about the importance of wearing safety gear while riding a bicycle.
Kirk and his law firm also take part in the Northwest Harvest Food Drive. The drive helps Washington’s statewide hunger relief agency provide only the best, most nutritious food available to those in need. Northwest Harvest Food Drive is a massive success as a result of selfless volunteer work and generous contributions.
Dedicated & Generous
Kirk is a supporting member of the Brain Injury Association of Washington. In doing so, he helps raise awareness about the struggles of brain injury victims. In addition, this vital association brings hope and crucial support to the victims.
Each year, Kirk encourages his fellow attorneys and firm staff to take part in charitable causes of their choosing. As a result, they donate countless hours and dollars to the community every year.
Bernard Law Group is proud to have Kirk as the leader of our team. Everyone benefits due to his intense determination and learns from his impressive legal abilities. He is the main reason we have the reputation as Seattle’s best personal injury law firm. When accidents happen, people need a talented personal injury lawyer like Kirk Bernard on their side. Contact us today to request his services!
