Hurt in a Commercial Truck Crash in Kern County?

A Kern County commercial truck accident case is an injury or wrongful death claim involving a large commercial vehicle. That includes tractor-trailers, semi trucks, delivery trucks, and dump trucks.

Colvin Accident Lawyers is a personal injury law firm based in Bakersfield, California. The firm represents accident victims and families in Kern County and nearby communities.

Highway 58 links the Bakersfield area with Tehachapi and the Mojave area. Trucks travel this route, and long downhill grades put heavy demands on brakes. A crash here can involve more than one vehicle and more than one company.

This page is for injured drivers and passengers, pedestrians, and families of people killed in a truck crash. Truck cases differ from ordinary car crashes. The vehicle is bigger, more parties may be involved, and the records are more detailed.

Can You Sue a Trucking Company If Their Truck Hits You?

Often, yes. A claim may name the trucking company, the driver, or other parties, depending on the facts of the crash.

California law makes a person responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care (Civil Code § 1714). In a truck case, that duty can reach beyond the driver.

Parties that may be involved include:

• The driver
• The motor carrier that employed or dispatched the driver
• The owner of the truck, if it’s a different company
• Companies that maintained or repaired the truck
• Companies that loaded or secured the cargo

Which parties apply depends on who employed the driver, who owned the truck, who maintained it, and who loaded it. Those details usually come from the crash report, the driver’s paperwork, and the carrier’s records.

What Causes Truck Crashes on Highway 58, and What Evidence Matters

Most truck crashes trace back to driver fatigue, vehicle condition, cargo problems, or unsafe driving. Each cause leaves its own kind of proof.

• Hours of service: Under 49 C.F.R. § 395.3, a driver of a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle may not drive without first taking 10 consecutive hours off duty. A driver may not drive after 14 consecutive hours on duty that follow 10 hours off.
• Maintenance: Under 49 C.F.R. § 396.3, carriers must keep parts such as wheels, suspension, and steering systems in safe condition.
• Cargo: Under 49 C.F.R. § 393.100, each commercial motor vehicle must, when transporting cargo on public roads, be loaded and equipped, and the cargo secured, to prevent the cargo from leaking, spilling, blowing or falling from the motor vehicle. Cargo must also be contained, immobilized or secured to prevent shifting upon or within the vehicle to such an extent that the vehicle’s stability or maneuverability is adversely affected.
• Following distance: Under Vehicle Code § 21703, a driver may not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent.

Evidence to preserve early includes the police report, photos, witness names, dashcam and vehicle data, driver logs, and maintenance records. Carriers must keep maintenance records for a set period, but a crash file can grow stale fast. Federal rules also require post-accident alcohol and drug testing after a qualifying crash.

Injuries and Compensation in Commercial Truck Cases

Compensation usually covers medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. The amount depends on the facts of each case.

Economic damages include medical bills, future care, lost wages, and reduced ability to earn. Non-economic damages include pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Large trucks often cause serious injuries, including spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, and multiple fractures. These injuries can need long treatment, which affects the claim.

When a crash causes a death, Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60 lists who may bring the wrongful death claim. That includes a surviving spouse, domestic partner, children, and certain dependents.

Insurance policy limits and multiple insurers can also shape how a claim gets resolved.

What to Expect: Steps and Timeline After a Truck Crash

A truck case usually moves through a consultation, an investigation, negotiation, and a lawsuit if needed. Each stage builds on the one before.

1. Free first consultation: We review the crash, your injuries, and any insurance contacts.
2. Investigation: We work to preserve evidence and gather the crash report, photos, and carrier records.
3. Building the case: We gather medical records and liability evidence and arrange professional reviews where needed.
4. Negotiation: We present the claim to insurers and discuss a resolution.
5. Filing suit: If a fair resolution isn’t reached, a lawsuit may be filed.

Deadlines matter. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, an action for injury to or death of a person caused by another’s wrongful act generally has a two-year limit.

If a public entity, such as a county or city road agency, may be responsible, the deadline is shorter. Government Code § 911.2 generally requires a claim for death or injury to be presented within six months.

The timeline depends on the injuries, the number of parties, and whether the case goes to trial.

How Colvin Accident Lawyers Handles Fees and Costs

Your written fee agreement will state whether you may still be responsible for costs advanced by the firm if there is no recovery.

Under Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147, a contingency fee contract must be in writing. It must state the fee rate and explain how costs affect the fee and your recovery. Unless the claim is subject to the provisions of Section 6146, it must also say the fee is not set by law but is negotiable between attorney and client.

Costs can include records, filing fees, and professional review fees. Ask us to walk through the written agreement before you sign anything.

The firm offers a free first consultation. It is confidential and carries no obligation to continue.

Why Colvin Accident Lawyers for a Highway 58 Truck Crash

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

Donald Norman Colvin is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our team includes support staff who help with intake and case records.

This page focuses on the first questions truck crash victims face. Who is responsible? What evidence could disappear? Which deadlines apply? Those are the questions we answer for every reader.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kern County Commercial Truck Accident Lawyers

Talk With Donald Norman Colvin About Your Highway 58 Crash

If a commercial truck crash on Highway 58 left you hurt, or took a family member, and an insurer is already calling, you don’t have to sort it out alone. Contact Colvin Accident Lawyers now for your free first consultation at colvinaccidentlawyers.com/contact.

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