Drivers heading home after hours in Bakersfield might find a different set of highway dangers than they face in the daylight. With an increased risk of impaired drivers, drowsy drivers, and just generally unfocused drivers, motorists are at more risk of being forced into collisions.
Those hurt in nighttime accidents can seek help in paying their medical bills and making up their lost income while they miss work. These benefits are important to explore, and victims can take advantage of a free case consultation with Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield. There’s never any obligation to us, and it’s a great way to find out what your injuries are worth.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting into a Nighttime Accident?
The level of severity of your injuries will often determine if you need a lawyer’s help. If you only come away with car damage or very minor bumps and bruises, you might not need an attorney’s help. But a more serious injury and higher doctor bills will prompt insurers to fight harder to avoid financial responsibility.
A skilled Bakersfield car accident lawyer can investigate your accident and protect you when insurers try to imply that you caused the crash or that your injuries aren’t all that serious. Your lawyer also boosts the value of your case and can often secure much more than you could by taking on a giant insurance company yourself.
Nighttime Accident Hazards in Bakersfield
A nighttime ride on Highway 99 or returning from dinner on a route like Niles Street can pose some different types of dangers than a daytime trip.
A drowsy driver can suddenly veer across a yellow line to cause a head-on collision. A drunk driver may try to get on Highway 99 in the wrong direction and create another type of head-on risk.
Drivers should be more alert at night, especially in parts of Bakersfield without proper street lights. Instead, some motorists pay less attention to the road. They can stare at the lighted screens of their cellphones, basically blinding themselves, when they finally do look up at the lanes ahead. They can also allow themselves to become impaired by beer or wine, or drug use, and put every other motorist on the road in danger.
These are frightening dangers that happen nearly every night in our city:
- In 2024, Bakersfield saw 540 serious accidents (involving injury) between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. That represents around 37% of all accidents in Bakersfield for the year. Those evening and overnight accidents led to at least 34 tragic deaths, representing a shocking 75% of fatalities for the city in 2024. That’s according to California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
- The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that although only around 25% of the nation’s driving occurs at night, 50% of roadway fatalities occur after the sun goes down. The NSC also points out that more fatal accidents occur on Saturday night than on any other night of the week.
Nighttime accidents can carry more force at times due to a lack of recognition by the driver. With the lower light, drivers can have less warning that they are heading for an impact and may not have the chance to slam on the brakes. This can mean higher speeds in collisions, more force, and more severe injuries.
Drivers might also be impaired by a night of drinking at a bar and fail to hit the brakes to avoid or lessen the effects of a crash. Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel at night might also fail to slow down to prevent a major impact.
Getting Paid After a Serious Nighttime Car Accident in Bakersfield
With the more severe injuries suffered in some after-hours accidents, victims may need support for weeks, months, or years.
A skilled car accident lawyer should be demanding support for the care that could be required in the future, and for as long as necessary. This can include follow-up surgeries when bones don’t heal correctly.
It can mean the cost of pain therapy when pain becomes chronic or develops into arthritis. The cost of additional physical therapy could be necessary. The price-tag for 24 hr a day home care might be required for those who come away with permanent physical disabilities.
But medical care isn’t the only thing that should be compensated in a car accident settlement:
- Final totals on the medical bills
- The totals on paychecks that the victim must forfeit while they can’t work
- Additional support included in a settlement check for the pain victims is asked to endure
- Additional support for the emotional trauma caused by a horrifying collision and the mental anguish involved in a difficult medical recovery
- Support for the loss of enjoyment of life, a victim with a traumatic injury may feel when they have to give up their favorite hobbies and activities
- Support for the costs of travel for patients to see doctors and out-of-town specialists
- Support to cover the cost of car repairs until victims have a vehicle in good working order again
We Back Your Case with Powerful Evidence and Fight to Earn You More
If you have a serious injury, and a careless driver caused your accident, contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield to schedule a free consultation. It’s a confidential, no-obligation review of your case with a real Bakersfield car accident attorney.
Your full recovery becomes our number one mission. We don’t stop fighting until you are 100% healed and have the money you need to get back to the life you had before the accident.
If you end up needing our help to prove a driver’s carelessness at night caused your accident and injuries, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll afford a great lawyer. We don’t charge anything up front, and we only get paid if we win your case for you. Then our attorney’s fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurance company writes for you.