After a car accident, your safety and physical well-being will be the first priority. But at some point, the time will come to figure out who was at fault and who should be paying for things like emergency room bills and car repairs.
If your accident occurred on a road somewhere in Kern County, a Sheriff’s Deputy’s accident report may be an important piece of evidence for your insurance claim.
If you have an attorney handling your claim, your attorney will secure a copy of this report for you. If your accident only involves car damage, your insurer may retrieve the accident report. However, in some cases, you may have to track it down yourself. Here’s how…
Getting a Copy of a Kern County Sheriff’s Department Collision Report
Your accident report can provide important information about how your accident occurred. Your car accident attorney can also use it as a starting point for their own investigation and for contact information for witnesses.
The first step in requesting your report from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office is to fill out the Public Records Request Form found on the department’s website. It will help if you can include the incident number from the accident.
You can print it out or fill it out online and submit it. A printed copy can be mailed to the department or hand-delivered.
Sheriff’s Office County of Kern
1350 Norris Road
Bakersfield, CA 93308
For other questions or concerns, call the Sheriff’s Department at (661) 391-7500.
REMEMBER: The request form doesn’t ask for any contact information. For the Sheriff’s Department to respond to you, you’ll need to provide contact information along with your request.
Can I Get Copies of the Photos Taken at the Scene of My Accident?
Some accident investigations involve taking photographs at the scene. You may be able to obtain these for $5 a photo.
Not every accident investigation includes photographic evidence. If you are left strong enough at the scene of your accident and it’s safe to do so, use your cellphone to take your own photos. Show the damage to cars, any roadside damage, and any visible injuries.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Accident?
If your accident only involves car damage or very minor injuries, you might not need the help of an attorney.
But if your accident leaves you or a loved one with a serious injury, and a careless driver was to blame, it’s a good idea to speak to a Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer in a free case consultation. Our lawyers stand up for car accident victims in Bakersfield and across Kern County.
The cost of medical care can make car insurance companies fight harder to avoid having to accept the cost. A lawyer on your side can often get you much more for your injury claim than you could win for yourself.
Keep in mind, if you do need the help of Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay a lawyer. We don’t earn anything unless we win your case. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurer is forced to write.