Most Bakersfield motorists travel some busy roads each day, commuting, picking up the kids at school, or on a grocery run. Sharing the lanes with distracted drivers on popular routes like Highway 99 or Ming Avenue only adds to the accident risk.
If you are struck, you can’t trust that the driver at fault will accept blame or that their car insurance provider will easily turn over support for your recovery. You may need powerful evidence to force insurers to do what’s right.
That evidence may come in the form of a Bakersfield Police accident report, written up after your accident is cleared. We’ll show you how to get a copy of your report and use it to win a car accident claim.
Requesting a Collision Report from the Bakersfield Police Department
The first thing to know is that it’s a good idea to wait at least a week before requesting your traffic report. This gives the officer time to complete and submit the report. More complex cases and those involving a death may take longer to finish.
Then, accident victims can request a copy through the mail, online, or in person.
Online: Bakersfield Police make their reports available online through Lexis Nexis BuyCrash. You can visit their site here. You’ll enter details on the site to find your report. Having information like an incident number, the time and date of your accident, and the street names involved will make it easier to locate your report. You’ll pay around $10 to get a copy emailed to you.
In Person: Accident reports can be obtained in person at the Records Unit/Public Records Requests Unit office, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You’ll need to visit the office at 1601 Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield. There is a flat fee of $7 payable by check or money order.
By Mail: You can also mail in your request. The written request must contain the following information.
- Case number
- Date of the incident
- Names of the parties involved
- Your telephone number
You must also include a check or money order for $7 payable to the City of Bakersfield.
Send to:
Bakersfield Police Department Records Unit
1601 Truxtun Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93301
If you have any questions about the process, you can call 661-326-3883. You can also visit the police department’s website for more instructions.
A Few Other Important Pieces of Information
If your accident only involves damage to your vehicle, your car insurance company may decide to secure the traffic report for you.
If you have a car accident attorney handling your case for you, your lawyer will take care of this request for the accident report for you.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Kern County Accident?
If your accident only involves vehicle damage or very minor injuries, you might not need the help of an attorney.
But if the crash 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.
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.