Hurt in a Crash on Highway 58? Talk With a Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer

A Highway 58 car accident lawyer represents people hurt in crashes on this route and the families of people killed in them. Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield and handles accident claims arising in Kern County, including Tehachapi.

Highway 58 runs through Bakersfield and Tehachapi, and it carries cars, trucks, and buses. A crash can change your health, your bills, and your work in a moment. This page explains what a claim involves in California, so you can decide your next step with clear facts.

What a Highway 58 Car Accident Lawyer Handles

A Highway 58 car accident lawyer handles injury claims from crashes on the route. The firm represents:

• Drivers and passengers hurt in car crashes
• Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians hit by vehicles
• Families of people killed in a crash, through wrongful death claims

Crashes involving commercial trucks or buses raise their own issues, and the firm also handles truck and bus accident claims. Caltrans, the state transportation agency, maintains Highway 58. If a road defect helped cause a crash, a claim against a public agency may apply, covered below.

Common Highway 58 Crash Types and Injuries

Crashes on Highway 58 can involve rear-end collisions in slowed traffic, merge and lane-change crashes, head-on and cross-median impacts, and multi-vehicle pileups. Each type brings different forces to the body and different questions about fault.

Injuries vary by crash. Common ones include:

• Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries
• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal injuries
• Internal injuries

Some symptoms take time to appear. Prompt medical evaluation creates records that tie your injuries to the crash. Those records help show how the crash affected your health and daily life.

What a Car Accident Claim Can Recover

A car accident claim can seek economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are objectively verifiable money losses, such as medical expenses, lost earnings, and costs to repair or replace your vehicle. Civil Code § 1431.2 defines these terms and covers non-economic harms like pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

Non-economic damages work differently. Under that same statute, each at-fault party pays only its own share, based on its percentage of fault.

If a loved one died, certain family members may bring the claim. Those include a surviving spouse, domestic partner, and children, under Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. Burial costs count as economic damages under the definitions above.

If Medicare paid for accident-related care, it may have paid on a conditional basis.

No lawyer can promise a dollar amount. Each claim turns on its own medical records, evidence, and facts.

How We Investigate a Highway 58 Crash

Evidence can disappear quickly, so early investigation matters most. Key evidence often includes:

• The collision report
• Photos of the scene and vehicles
• Traffic-camera or dashcam footage, where available
• Vehicle data and repair records
• Witness names and statements
• Medical records and bills

The California Department of Insurance guide on what to do after an accident explains how to report injuries and document expenses.

If a missing sign, road defect, or maintenance problem may have played a role, the investigation looks there too. Under Government Code § 835, except as provided by statute, a public entity is liable for injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property if the plaintiff establishes the conditions stated in that section.

Common mistakes can weaken a claim. Some people give recorded statements too early, delay medical care, or stop documenting costs. Keeping records from day one helps.

What to Expect: Steps and Timeline

The process moves from an initial review to investigation, insurance talks, and, if needed, a lawsuit.

1. Initial consultation. Our team reviews the crash, your injuries, and your questions.
2. Investigation. The firm gathers reports, records, and evidence like the list above.
3. Insurance contact. Our team handles communication with adjusters, so you don’t have to face them alone.
4. Demand and negotiation. Documented losses go to the insurer, and the firm negotiates on that basis.
5. Lawsuit, if needed. If talks don’t resolve the claim, the firm can file a lawsuit.

Timing depends on the facts of each case. Treatment length, the insurer’s response, and whether a lawsuit is needed all play a role.

Deadlines and Claims Against Public Agencies

California’s two-year deadline applies to actions for injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). A claim against a public agency has a much shorter first step.

• Personal injury and wrongful death: Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets a two-year period for an action for injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act.
• Public agencies: Government Code § 911.2 requires a claim for death or injury to be presented within six months after the claim accrues. Claims against a county or Caltrans follow this rule.

Missing the six-month step can affect the claim. Acting early gives time to preserve evidence and meet every deadline.

Why Colvin Accident Lawyers

Colvin Accident Lawyers is a Bakersfield personal injury firm. It handles car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases.

• Responsible attorney: Donald Norman Colvin is the responsible attorney for this site.
• Our team: Assistants and office staff help keep clients informed at each step.
• Plain explanations: We explain claim steps and deadlines in plain language during the consultation.

No lawyer can promise a result. The firm can, however, lay out your options, deadlines, and next steps clearly.

Your Questions Answered

Most questions about a Highway 58 claim come down to timing, insurance, and cost.

Talk to Colvin About Your Highway 58 Crash

If a crash on Highway 58 left you hurt, with a damaged vehicle or a family member lost, you don’t have to sort out bills, adjusters, and deadlines alone. Contact Colvin Accident Lawyers now through the contact page and tell us what happened.

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