You were hit in Tulare, on Highway 99, on Highway 137, or on a city street like Blackstone or Prosperity. Your car is damaged, your neck or back hurts, and an adjuster is already asking for a quick phone call. This guide covers what to do next after a crash in Tulare in 2026.
The short answer
Get medical care, get the report number, and do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. The California Highway Patrol handles crashes on Highway 99 and on county roads outside town. The Tulare Police Department handles most crashes on city streets. You generally have two years to sue the at-fault driver, but only six months to file a claim if the city, the county, or the state played a part.
Who takes the report in Tulare?
The agency depends on the road, not on the address on your license.
- Highway 99: the CHP. It is a state freeway, so the CHP takes the report even where it cuts through the middle of Tulare.
- County roads outside city limits, including the dairy roads west and south of town: the CHP.
- City streets in Tulare, such as Blackstone Street, Prosperity Avenue, J Street, and Bardsley Avenue: the Tulare Police Department.
- Highway 137 through town: a state highway, so the agency can vary. Ask the officer which agency is writing the report.
Ask for the officer's name and the report number before you leave. If no officer came and anyone was hurt, you still must report the crash to the DMV within 10 days on form SR-1.
Highway 99 through the middle of town
Highway 99 splits Tulare down the middle and carries traffic between Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield. Big rigs hauling milk, feed, hay, and produce share the lanes with commuters heading north to Visalia and south toward Delano.
The worst moments come at the ramps, where loaded trucks merge slowly and cars try to slip around them. If a commercial truck was involved, the company may share the blame with its driver, and its logs and onboard data can disappear fast. Our truck accident guide explains what to preserve first.
Dairy country and slow farm equipment
Tulare sits in the heart of California dairy country. On the roads around town, you share the pavement with milk tankers, feed trucks, tractors, and other slow-moving equipment that can pull out of a field or a dairy gate with little warning.
These crashes raise their own questions. Was the equipment properly lit and marked? Did the operator check for traffic before turning? The answers decide who pays. Get the name of the farm, the dairy, or the company on the truck door if you can, and take photos of the vehicle and any warning signs or lights.
World Ag Expo week
Every February, the World Ag Expo brings huge crowds to the International Agri-Center on the south side of Tulare. Out-of-town drivers who do not know the area pack Highway 99 and the exits near the show grounds, with sudden stops and long backups. Rear-end crashes are common. In a rear-end crash, the driver behind is usually at fault, because California law requires every driver to leave enough room to stop. Get a photo of the other driver's license and insurance card.
Where people get treated
Many people hurt in Tulare go to Adventist Health Tulare in town or to Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia. Paramedics choose the hospital based on your injuries, so go where they take you. If you skipped the ambulance, see a doctor or urgent care within a day or two. A gap in treatment is the first thing an adjuster points to.
Your deadlines
Under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
The deadline is much shorter when a public agency is involved. A crash with a city vehicle, a county truck, a transit bus, or a dangerous road condition usually requires a written government claim within six months. A lawsuit over a Tulare crash would generally be filed in Tulare County Superior Court.
How we help Tulare drivers
We handle cases in Tulare by phone, text, and video, and we come to you when it matters. Our car accident lawyers help injured people across Fresno and the Central Valley, from Tulare to Porterville, and we work in Spanish from the first call. Want to know where you stand before you decide anything? Ask for a free case review. No fee unless we win.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules change; talk to a lawyer about your situation.
Keep reading
- Car Accidents: how we handle these cases
- Injury lawyers serving Fresno & Central Valley
- Wrongful Death in California: Who Can Sue and the Deadlines (2026)
- Hit and Run in California: What to Do in the First 24 Hours (2026)
- Car Accident in Merced: What to Do, Who Takes the Report (2026)
- Start your free case review