Car accident claims in Bakersfield, California

Of the 6,333 crashes officers reported in Bakersfield across 2023 and 2024, 5,835 did not involve a pedestrian or a cyclist — vehicle-on-vehicle and single-vehicle crashes, which is what most people mean by a car accident. This is general information, not legal advice.

What kind of crashes these were

The reports break down like this. A collision type is the officer's description of the geometry, and it matters because the geometry is usually the first argument about fault.

Broadside crashes lead the list here, which is an intersection pattern rather than a highway one — someone crossed a path they were meant to yield. Those cases turn on signal phase and right of way. Intersection accidents.

The sections officers cite in Bakersfield

• Veh. Code, § 22107 — Unsafe turn or lane change, on 1,367 reports. In plain terms, turning or changing lanes before it was safe to do so, or without signalling when another vehicle could be affected.
• Veh. Code, § 22350 — Basic speed law, on 1,197 reports. In plain terms, driving faster than was safe for the conditions — which is not the same as breaking the posted limit, and is why a driver can be at fault for speeding at 30 in a 35.
• Veh. Code, § 23152, subd. (a) — Driving under the influence, on 792 reports. In plain terms, driving under the influence of alcohol.

None of that decides anything. It is the officer's opinion at the roadside, and it is the opinion an adjuster will quote at you first. Dealing with the adjuster · recorded statements.

2,595 of the Bakersfield reports were hit-and-run, 190 of them classed as a felony. If the driver was never found, the claim usually runs through your own uninsured motorist coverage, and the notice deadlines there are short. Uninsured motorist claims.

Where they cluster

The junctions inside Bakersfield carrying the most reported crashes were Oak St & Truxtun Av (30), 4TH St & Union Av (29), Panama Ln & Wible Rd (26), California Av & Union Av (24) and Ming Av & Wible Rd (24). Each location was confirmed by two independent sources before publication. The full Bakersfield junction list.

Common questions

Does the officer's cited section decide who pays?

No. The primary collision factor is the section the officer thought was broken, recorded at the scene. It carries weight with an adjuster and it is often the first thing argued about, but fault is decided on the evidence, and reports get corrected.

The other driver had no insurance. Is that the end of it?

Not necessarily. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy exists for that, and in California it also covers a hit-and-run driver who is never identified. The notice requirements are strict, so it is worth checking your own declarations page early.

I think I was partly at fault. Do I still have a claim?

Probably. California reduces a recovery by your share of the fault rather than barring it, so being partly responsible changes the size of a claim and not whether you have one.

Sources: counts from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), California Highway Patrol, 2023 and 2024 exports, retrieved 2026-09-02. Counts are of reported crashes and are not adjusted for exposure; method and limitations. The cited sections above link to their current text on leginfo.