Victorville is the principal city in the Victorville–Hesperia–Apple Valley urban area in San Bernardino County. It has a population of over 134,000 people and two school districts with a total of 28 educational institutions. There is also an airport in Victorville, Southern California Logistics Airport, which is the city’s largest employer.
With so many people living and/or working in the city, there are many tasks that the government is charged with on a daily basis. These include maintaining city parks, enforcing the law, issuing permits, and cleaning up the roads after an accident. Unfortunately, the city of Victorville can also be responsible for accidents where people are injured or end up with significant damage to their property.
If you are the victim of negligent conduct by a city of Victorville department or employee, you can demand compensation by filing an accident claim. Incidents that qualify for a claim against the city include:
- Fall accident injuries from a slip and fall or trip and fall
- Auto accident with firetrucks, police cars and other city owned vehicles
- Accidents due to falling objects
- Injured at the Victor Valley Transportation Center
- Assault and battery / sexual abuse
- Accident at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville
- Incidents due to negligence by the school district
Please keep reading to learn more about the process of filing a claim for injuries with the city of Victorville. Our legal team is also here for you day and night if you have questions or concerns.
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How to File an Accident Claim with the City of Victorville, CA
In order to seek compensation for negligence by the city of Victorville, you’ll need to fill out the claim forms, which can be downloaded here. The forms will have instructions on how to include additional pages for your answers and evidence to show how the city is responsible for the accident. You must also have proof of the monetary damages you are owed as a result of your injuries.
After completing the forms, you must drop them off or mail them to: City of Victorville ATTN: City Clerk, 14343 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392-2399. The City Clerk will forward the claim to the Risk Management Division, and this is the agency that reviews the information you provided and decides whether to deny payment or make a settlement offer. There are a set number of days that the city has to respond to an injury claim, which you can learn about in the section titled, “Waiting for a Response after Filing an Accident Claim.”
How to File a Public School District Accident Claim
Students in Victorville attend schools in one of two districts: Victor Elementary School District and Victor Valley Union High School District. These are government entities, but they are not part of the city or county government. Due to their separate status, Victorville school districts have their own claim forms and procedures if you wish to sue them for monetary damages.
A public school accident injury lawyer can assist you with filing a claim and negotiating the highest possible settlement if you or your loved one suffered was harmed at any of the schools listed below:
- Brentwood School of Environmental Studies
- Challenger School of Sports and Fitness
- Del Rey AVID Elementary
- Discovery School of the Arts
- Endeavour School of Exploration
- Galileo School of Gifted and Talented Education
- Green Tree East Leadership Academy
- Irwin Academy School of Performing Arts
- Liberty School of Innovation and Creativity
- Lomitas: A Community of Learners
- Mojave Vista School of Cultural Arts
- Mountain View Montessori
- Park View Preparatory School of 21st Century Learning
- Puesta del Sol School of College and Career Readiness
- Sixth Street Prep STREAM
- Village STEAM School
- West Palms Conservatory Visual and Performing Arts
- Adelanto High School
- Cobalt Institute of Math and Science (Grades 7-12)
- Goodwill Education Center
- Hook Junior High School (Grades 7-8)
- Lakeview Leadership Academy (Grades 7-12)
- Larrea Middle School (Grades 7-8)
- Silverado High School
- University Preparatory School (Grades 7-12)
- Victor Valley High School
- Victor Valley Adult School
- Victor Valley Virtual Academy
6 Month Deadline for City of Victorville Injury Claims
Please be aware that a claim for damages with any entity of the government (including school districts) must be filed within 6 months of the incident that caused your injuries. There is virtually no way to obtain an extension if you are past the deadline, as it’s a legal requirement under the California Tort Claims Act (CTCA). That’s why it’s imperative that you seek help from an attorney who can help you with the legal process. Our law firm is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, so call us right away if you believe the city of Victorville was negligent in their duty of care to you.
Waiting for a Response after Filing an Accident Claim
We mentioned how the CTCA imposes a 6-month deadline to submit a damages claim to the City of Victorville. But the city also has a deadline for how long they have to investigate your claim and decide whether or not to accept liability. This time period is 45 days from whenever the Risk Management Division receives your paperwork. However, some cases are exceptionally complex, and as a result, the Division may ask for more time before they make a decision. Either way, they must send you something in writing within 45 days.
Per the law, you have the right to file a lawsuit if the city rejects your claim with a formal notice. However, you must file the necessary paperwork with the court within 6 months of when the city rejected your claim. This is undeniably a tight deadline, so it’s in your best interest to hire a government claims injury lawyer if you plan on suing the city.
If at least 45 days have gone by and you have received nothing in writing from the city, you can move forward with a lawsuit as well. But in this case, your time limit to file a lawsuit is 2 years from when the accident occurred. As you can see, the statute of limitations to sue the city of Victorville is a complicated matter, so please talk to a member of our legal team to verify the deadline for a compensation claim.
How Much can I Expect to Receive from a Lawsuit?
For those with minor injuries, a payment of $5,000 to $10,000 may be sufficient from a lawsuit against the city of Victorville. If you have more serious injuries, payments can start at around $15,000 and go all the way up to $2,000,000. For the most extreme cases of bodily harm, like permanent brain damage and paralysis, settlements can fall between $1,500,000 and $5,000,000.
Our goal is to help you understand the payments you are owed based on the harm you’ve suffered. The city will try to get away with paying you only for immediate medical costs and property damage, but you may be entitled to other damages, like pain and suffering and lost wages from your job. For a consultation to figure out the amount you can receive from a City of Victorville liability claim, contact our law firm.
How Long is the Process to Settle a City Government Claim?
Though a city of Victorville accident case may be resolved in just a few months, the majority of cases take between 12 and 24 months. So, that’s at least 1 year that may be required to recover the damages you deserve. The amount of time to receive compensation may be longer – perhaps 3 to 4 years – if the case is taken to court. However, around 95% of city government claims are settled out of court, so we generally focus on how long it will take for both sides to agree on the numbers. Based on decades of experience with these cases, we would say between 1 and 2 years is the average length of time to reach a settlement.
Contact a Government Negligence Lawsuit Attorney
Normandie Law Firm is committed to the rights of accident victims who were injured by another party’s negligence. We know that finances are a big source of worry for you at this time, but rest assured that you won’t be charged a single penny to hire one of our attorneys. Under the Zero Fee Guarantee, the cost of legal representation is included in the settlement we obtain on your behalf. If we don’t succeed in winning your case, we eat the costs and you walk away with no responsibility for our expenses.
It all starts with a free case evaluation, which you can schedule by reaching out to us at your earliest convenience. Call us today and learn about the legal options that are available to you.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
How to File a Lawsuit against the City of Needles, CA
How to File an Accident Injury Claim against the City of Novato, CA
How to File a Claim for an Accident with the City of Bishop, CA
