You were driving in Bakersfield, on the 99, Rosedale Highway, or a city street, and someone hit you. Now you have a sore neck, a damaged car, and an adjuster calling. This guide walks you through what to do next in Bakersfield in 2026, step by step.
The short answer
Get medical care, get the report number, and do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. CHP usually handles crashes on the freeways and on county roads outside city limits. Bakersfield Police handles crashes on city streets. You generally have two years to bring an injury claim against a driver, but if a city, county, or Caltrans road played a part, the deadline can be six months.
Who takes the report in Bakersfield?
It depends on where the crash happened.
- Highway 99, Highway 58, Highway 178, the Westside Parkway, and Interstate 5: the California Highway Patrol, Bakersfield Area office.
- Unincorporated Kern County roads, such as stretches outside the city in Oildale, Lamont, or the rural areas off Highway 43: usually CHP as well.
- City streets inside Bakersfield, like Ming Avenue, Stockdale Highway, White Lane, or Panama Lane: the Bakersfield Police Department.
Ask the officer for the report number before you leave the scene. If no officer came, you still must report a crash with any injury to the DMV within 10 days using form SR-1.
Why Bakersfield crashes are different
Bakersfield sits where the 99, Highway 58, and Highway 178 meet. That means big rigs, produce haulers, oil field service trucks, and farm equipment sharing the road with commuters.
When a commercial truck is involved, there may be a trucking company, a separate equipment owner, and a larger policy than a personal car carries. Driver logs, dashcam footage, and electronic data can be overwritten. If a truck hit you, our truck accident lawyers can send a preservation letter right away.
Tule fog adds another layer in winter. A driver is still required to slow down for the conditions, so fog is not a free pass for a chain-reaction crash.
What to do in the first week
- Get checked out. Kern Medical, Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital, and Adventist Health Bakersfield all see crash patients. Whiplash, back injuries, and concussions often feel worse two or three days later.
- Follow up with your doctor. Gaps in treatment are the first thing an adjuster points to.
- Photograph everything. Both cars, the road, skid marks, debris, any truck's company name and DOT number, and your injuries as they change.
- Find the cameras. Gas stations, shopping centers on Rosedale and Ming, and homes with doorbell cameras may have the crash on video. Many systems record over themselves within days.
- Report it to your own insurer. You have a duty to cooperate with your own company.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. Our guide on recorded statements to the adjuster explains why that call can hurt you.
How much insurance does the other driver have?
California's minimum liability limits are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage as of 2025. Many drivers carry only the minimum, and some carry none. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can step in when the other driver's policy runs out or does not exist.
If you were partly at fault, you can usually still recover a reduced amount. California splits fault by percentage.
Your deadlines
Under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who hurt you. Property damage claims have a longer window, but do not wait on either.
If a public agency is involved, the clock is much shorter. A crash caused by a dangerous road, a broken signal, or a city or county vehicle usually requires a written government claim within six months. That includes Caltrans on the 99, 58, and 178, the City of Bakersfield, Kern County, and GET buses.
Help in Spanish
Many Bakersfield families are more comfortable in Spanish, and that is fine. We handle cases in Spanish from the first call. Read our Spanish guide, qué hacer después de un accidente de carro en California, and call us. Your immigration status does not matter to your right to recover for an injury, and it is generally not allowed to come up in the case.
Our car accident lawyers help people across Fresno and the Central Valley, including Bakersfield and Kern County. No fee unless we win.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules change; talk to a lawyer about your situation.
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