Hurt in a Highway 99 Crash? Talk to Colvin Accident Lawyers in Bakersfield

A Highway 99 car accident claim in Kern County is a request for money after another driver’s carelessness hurts you or someone you love. You may have a claim if a driver, or another responsible party, caused the crash. This guide covers who files these claims, what they can cover, the deadlines that apply and what usually happens next.

Who This Highway 99 Car Accident Claim Page Is For

This page is for people hurt in a Highway 99 crash and for families who lost someone in one. Highway 99 runs through Bakersfield and other Kern County communities. Crashes on its northbound and southbound lanes can raise the same claim questions, including crashes in the California Avenue area of Bakersfield.

Crashes can involve cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and bicycles. Drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians can all be hurt. Families of people killed may also bring claims.

Whether a claim exists turns on who caused the crash and what harm followed. If you are unsure, the crash facts, your injuries and the available evidence are the starting points. Reading this page creates no attorney-client relationship. It offers general information about California law.

Crash Types on Highway 99 That Lead to Claims

Crashes that lead to claims usually involve another driver’s carelessness, impairment or a dangerous road condition. Common examples include:

• Multi-vehicle collisions in heavy or slowed traffic, where fault can spread across several drivers.
• Wrong-way and head-on crashes, often caused by a driver who entered the highway against traffic.
• Rollovers and single-vehicle crashes, which can raise questions about speed, impairment or vehicle defects.
• Crashes involving a suspected impaired driver. California law makes it unlawful to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Vehicle Code § 23152).
• Crashes where a vehicle struck a pedestrian or cyclist on or near the highway.

Speed also matters. California law says no one may drive faster than is reasonable or prudent for weather, visibility, traffic and the road itself (Vehicle Code § 22350).

Proof matters too. Drivers must report crashes that cause injury, death or damage to any one person’s property over $1,000 to the state within 10 days (Vehicle Code § 16000). Witness names, photos and medical records also help show how the crash happened.

What a Highway 99 Car Accident Claim Can Cover

A claim can seek money for economic losses and non-economic losses caused by the crash. California defines economic damages to include medical expenses, loss of earnings, burial costs, loss of use of property and costs of repair or replacement (Civil Code § 1431.2). Non-economic damages cover pain, suffering, emotional distress and loss of companionship.

Common items in a claim include:

• Past and future medical care, including emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation and ongoing treatment.
• Lost income and reduced ability to earn when injuries keep you from work.
• Vehicle repair or replacement, rental costs and other property losses.
• For catastrophic injuries, long-term care needs and changes to a home or equipment that a doctor recommends.
• For a death, funeral and burial costs and lost support, pursued by eligible family members.

Each claim differs. Medical records, bills and proof of lost work shape how a claim is valued. No one can know a claim’s value before the facts and medical evidence are reviewed.

Deadlines That Affect a Highway 99 Claim

For most injury claims, California generally allows two years from the injury to file a lawsuit. Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 sets a two-year period for an action for injury to a person caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect. The California Courts self-help guide says these suits generally must be filed within two years of the injury, subject to exceptions and tolling.

Claims against public agencies work differently. If a public entity may share responsibility, such as for a dangerous road condition, a written claim generally must be presented within six months for injury or death (Government Code § 911.2). A lawsuit against a public entity generally waits until that claim is acted on or deemed rejected (Government Code § 945.4).

Because these timelines differ, acting early helps. Collision reports, vehicle data and video can be hard to recover later.

What to Expect When You Bring a Highway 99 Claim

A typical claim moves from medical care and evidence gathering to a demand to insurers and, in some cases, a lawsuit.

1. Get medical care and keep records. Save every bill, receipt and note about missed work. Waiting to see whether pain fades can leave gaps in the medical record. The California Department of Insurance guide covers documenting injuries and related expenses for an insurance claim.
2. Get the collision report. Note the lane, time, location and names of witnesses.
3. Review the facts. A lawyer reviews the injuries, crash facts and available evidence in a consultation.
4. Investigate. The firm gathers medical and vehicle evidence and identifies every party who may be responsible, including insurers and any public entity.
5. Present the demand. Claims go to insurers, who may negotiate. Many claims resolve this way. Others need a lawsuit and may go to trial.

Timelines vary with injury severity, the number of parties and whether a lawsuit is needed. No fixed schedule fits every case.

Why Work With Colvin Accident Lawyers

Colvin Accident Lawyers is a personal injury firm based in Bakersfield, California. The firm handles car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, premises liability, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. That range includes the Highway 99 crash types described above.

Donald Norman Colvin is the responsible lawyer for this site. Our team includes assistants and office staff. Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, California, and represents accident victims and families.

The firm offers a free first consultation. It is confidential, with no obligation to continue.

No lawyer can know how a case will end. Outcomes turn on the facts of each case, and results will differ if the facts differ.

Frequently Asked Questions About Highway 99 Car Accident Claims

Here are short answers to common questions about Highway 99 crash claims.

Colvin Accident Lawyers, Bakersfield, California — responsible for this site. Responsible lawyer: Donald Norman Colvin.