A frightening crash on a rural Kern County road or on Highway 99, or Interstate 5 may leave you relying on help from the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The collision report the CHP officer prepares could serve as key evidence in your favor when you go to seek help from an insurance company to pay car repair and medical bills after an injury.
A Kern County Car Accident Lawyer can help you secure the evidence you need, including a California Highway Patrol accident report, to force an insurance provider to give you the support you need. Maison Law offers a free case consultation to all Kern County victims. Contact us for a no-risk opportunity to find out what your accident claim may be worth and how to hold a careless driver fully responsible.
Requesting a California Highway Patrol Accident Report After a Bakersfield Collision
If a CHP officer responds to your accident along Highway 99 in Bakersfield or along I-5 out in Kern County, you have a few paths to choose from to obtain a collision report.
You can request a copy online, or you can print out a request form and mail it off or bring it by in person.
To mail your request or drop it off at an office, you’ll be required to print out and fill out a CHP 190 document. Then you’ll need to determine the closest Highway Patrol Office to you. You don’t have to go to the CHP office where your accident occurred. If you fill out a CHP 190 form, you can make your request at any office.
You can also find the closest CHP office on their website. It will likely be one of three locations in Kern County:
(420) Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA 93313
(661) 396-6600
(426) Buttonwillow
Bakersfield, CA 93314
(661) 764-5580
(430) Fort Tejon
Lebec, CA 93243
(661) 248-6655
How Do I Get a CHP Accident Report Online
The California Highway Patrol website allows accident victims to obtain a copy of a collision report online.
Complete this collision report request form online.
Your eligibility to have access to the report will be checked. Have your driver’s license or identification information handy. Generally, you need to have been the driver, passenger, or victim involved in the crash to request a document. The owner of the car and the parent or legal guardian of a victim involved could also get the accident report.
In a property damage-only case, your insurance agent may also obtain this document. If you’ve hired an attorney, your Bakersfield car accident lawyer would handle requesting this report for you.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Accident in Kern County?
For minor accidents involving just vehicle damage or a very minor injury, like scratches or bruising, you shouldn’t need a lawyer to get fair treatment. Getting compensation to repair or replace a car has become pretty standardized.
However, when accidents involve serious injuries, like a broken bone or head trauma, to you or a loved one, it’s important to talk to an attorney about what happened.
Your injury could be worth more than you think. It may even require additional medical care in the future, which insurance companies will try to avoid accepting responsibility for. They can offer you only enough for the first visit to the emergency room and then close the book on your claim.
Don’t end up footing the bill for a major injury that you received through no fault of your own. Contact a Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer serving all victims in Kern County to find out how we can help you during recovery. Maison Law offers a free consultation, and if you need to hire us, we don’t charge anything unless we win your case for you.
