Watch CBS News

A Year After San Bernardino Massacre, Victims Say They're Denied Meds, Help By County

RIVERSIDE  (CBSLA.com)   —  A year after the San Bernardino massacre, many of the people who were shot and survived and/or witnessed unspeakable horrors, said they're being traumatized all over again.

Several survivors spoke to CBS2's Kristine Lazar and said many of their medical claims have been denied by the county.

"It was very indiscriminate on who was hit and who was not. There were a line of people standing and three of them went down and one person was still standing," said Ray Britain.

On Friday, it will be one year since 14 people died and 22 were wounded in the terror attack. For survivor Britain, in many ways, time has stood still. The memories still just as clear as they were last December.

"I remember just a rainbow of shell casings coming down and they were floating to the ground like snow," he said.

Britain now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and panic attacks.

"The first one I ever had I thought I was having a heart attack and I was going to die," he says.

Yet Britain also says the county's Worker's Comp department has denied his request for anxiety medication and regular meetings with a therapist.

Several survivors of the worst workplace shooting in U.S. history now say their medical care has been delayed or denied.

"We were betrayed by a coworker, and ultimately what a lot of us are facing right now is a betrayal of our employer," says Britain.

Sally Cardinale told Lazar that all three of the medications she needs to cope were denied by Worker's Comp in October.

Cardinale survived the massacre by hiding in the bathroom and says she suffers from anxiety and depression.

"The best word that I could use is disrespected. I feel that they are not giving us credit for how good of employees we were prior to this happening. Cause now we're just a liability to them," Cardinale says.

Attorney Geraldine Ly represents nine survivors who she says have had issues with their medical care.

"They have nowhere to go. So now we are scrambling to find Good Samaritans who are willing to treat my clients or see them on a pro bono basis," Ly says.

A spokesperson for the county says they're in the process of hiring an outside company of case workers to help expedite paperwork and the approval process. And they also said  only a small number of claims have been denied.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.