Hurt in a Head-On Collision? Talk to Colvin Accident Lawyers

Looking for a head-on collision lawyer Kern County drivers can contact? This page explains how these claims work in California, which deadlines matter, and what evidence to keep. Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield and represents accident victims and families in car, truck, motorcycle, bus, and wrongful death cases.

What a Head-On Collision Lawyer Handles

A head-on collision lawyer helps people hurt when two vehicles strike front to front. The same help extends to families of people killed in these crashes. Often, one vehicle crossed into oncoming lanes before the impact.

This page is for drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, and relatives dealing with the aftermath. A crash can involve more than one vehicle, and each driver may have a different insurer. Truck and bus crashes can add more parties and more records to review.

Colvin Accident Lawyers handles car, truck, motorcycle, bus, bicycle, pedestrian, dog bite, premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death matters. Knowing which of these fits your facts is the first step.

Common Causes and Injuries in Head-On Crashes

Head-on crashes usually begin when a driver leaves his or her own lane. Common causes include:

• Crossing the center line or drifting into oncoming traffic
• Passing when it is not safe to pass
• Driving faster than conditions allow
• Driving while impaired, distracted, or drowsy

California law sets a clear speed rule. No one may drive faster than is reasonable or prudent for the weather, visibility, traffic, and road, and never at a speed that endangers the safety of persons or property (Vehicle Code § 22350).

That presumption applies only when several conditions are met, and the driver can try to rebut it (Evidence Code § 669).

Head-on impacts can cause serious harm. Car crashes can cause spinal cord injuries, which may lead to permanent loss of movement, function, or sensation, according to MedlinePlus spinal cord overview. Brain injuries can result from blows or jolts to the head, as the American Association of Neurological Surgeons explains.

Some injuries do not show up right away. See a doctor soon after the crash, both for your health and to record what happened.

What Compensation Can Cover in a Head-On Claim

A head-on claim can seek economic and non-economic damages. California defines economic damages as objectively verifiable monetary losses, such as medical expenses and lost earnings. Non-economic damages are subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress (Civil Code § 1431.2).

A claim may include:

• Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, rehabilitation, and future treatment supported by medical opinion
• Lost wages and lost ability to earn in the future
• Damage to the vehicle and personal belongings
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
• In a wrongful death case, funeral and burial costs and lost financial support

When more than one party shares fault, each defendant’s liability for non-economic damages is limited to its own percentage of fault (Civil Code § 1431.2).

The value of any claim depends on the facts, the injuries, and the evidence. Good records turn these losses into something an insurer or court can measure.

California Rules and Deadlines That Shape Your Claim

For most personal injury claims, the deadline to sue is two years from the injury. Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets that limit.

Claims against a public entity, such as a city or county, follow a shorter step. Government Code § 911.2 requires a claim for death or injury to be presented within six months after the claim accrues.

If the at-fault driver has no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply. Insurance Code § 11580.2

Talking with an insurer does not replace the court deadline. Wrongful death claims follow their own rules about who may sue.

Evidence to Preserve After a Head-On Crash

Keep records that show how the crash happened, who was involved, and how you were hurt. Start with these items:

• The crash report number and the name of the investigating agency
• Photos of vehicle damage, lane markings, skid marks, debris, and road and weather conditions
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses, and any nearby business that may have cameras
• Medical records, imaging, diagnoses, and a written log of symptoms and missed work
• Insurance and vehicle details for every driver involved

California also sets duties at the scene. A driver in a crash that injures another person or causes a death must immediately stop at the scene and fulfill the requirements of Sections 20003 and 20004 (Vehicle Code § 20001).

How the Claim Process Works, Step by Step

A head-on claim usually moves from a first consultation to investigation, medical documentation, an insurance claim, and, if needed, a lawsuit. Each step builds on the one before it.

1. Consultation. The first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue. You review the crash facts, your injuries, and the deadlines that may apply.
2. Investigation. The lawyer gathers crash reports, records, and insurance information, and checks who may be responsible.
3. Medical documentation. Treatment records and medical opinions about future care make the losses clear.
4. Insurance claim. The claim goes to the responsible insurer with documented losses, followed by negotiation.
5. Lawsuit, if needed. If a fair resolution is not reached, a lawsuit is filed before the deadline and moves through court.

Timelines vary with recovery, insurer response, and court schedules. No single timeline fits every case.

Why Work With Colvin Accident Lawyers

If you need a head-on collision lawyer Kern County families can reach in person, Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield. The practice represents people in Kern County and nearby communities.

• Donald Norman Colvin is the lawyer at the practice. Our team of assistants and office staff supports the work day to day.
• The practice handles car, truck, motorcycle, bus, bicycle, pedestrian, dog bite, premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases.
• Your first consultation lets you ask questions about your crash before you decide anything.

No lawyer can know how a claim will end. Each case turns on its own facts, so outcomes differ from case to case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Talk With Colvin About Your Kern County Head-On Crash

If a head-on crash left you hurt or a loved one gone, you don’t have to sort out the claim alone. Reach out to our team in Bakersfield today.

Donald Norman Colvin and our team can talk through your crash and your options. Send your details through the contact page.

Colvin Accident Lawyers, Bakersfield, California — responsible for this site.