Freeway Accidents Attorney in Taft, California
Accidentes en Autopistas en Taft — Abogados de Accidentes de California
Experienced freeway accidents representation for Taft and Kern County
Accidentes en Autopistas en Taft — Abogados de Accidentes de California
Experienced freeway accidents representation for Taft and Kern County
Free Consultation: Call 661-383-9387 today. No fee unless we win. Hablamos Español: 661-669-7362
California's freeways are among the busiest and most dangerous in the nation. High speeds, heavy traffic, distracted drivers, and aggressive driving create conditions for catastrophic multi-vehicle pileups, rollover accidents, and deadly collisions.
In Taft, an oil industry city in western Kern County, freeway accidents are a constant reality. With a population of approximately 9,500 and traffic on Highway 33, Highway 119, conditions are ripe for serious accidents that can change lives forever.
At Car Accident Lawyers of California, Attorney Paula J. Khehra, Esq. has over 10 years of experience handling freeway accidents cases in Taft and throughout Kern County. Our firm has recovered over $100 million for accident victims. With a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating and recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 10 consecutive years (2017–2026), your case is in the best hands.
Many freeway accidents involve collisions with car accidents, semi-truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents. We also handle tow truck accidents and pedestrian accidents cases in Taft.
Our attorneys know the roads, intersections, and traffic patterns in Taft. We know which stretches of Highway 33, Highway 119 are most dangerous, we're familiar with the oil fields along Highway 33, the Midway-Sunset oil production area, and the downtown Taft commercial district, and we understand the local factors that contribute to accidents. We also know the Kern County Superior Court — Taft Division and local legal procedures that give your case a strategic advantage that out-of-area firms cannot match.
Highway 119 and Highway 33 carry traffic at freeway speeds through the Taft area. These two-lane highways lack the safety features of modern freeways — no median barriers, limited shoulders, and minimal lighting — creating conditions where head-on collisions at combined speeds of 120+ mph are possible.
The most dangerous freeway stretches in and around Taft include Highway 119 between Taft and I-5 where heavy high-speed oil truck traffic on two-lane roads causes devastating head-on collisions, Highway 33 between Taft and Maricopa where curves and grades combined with tanker truck traffic generate serious accidents, the junction of Highway 33 with Highway 119 on the outskirts of Taft where inadequate intersection geometry and truck volume cause collisions, and Highway 119 at its connection with I-5 where drivers accelerating to merge onto the freeway encounter long-haul truck traffic. Hazardous material spills from tanker truck accidents on these roads require evacuations and extended closures.
Understanding the California laws that apply to your freeway accidents case is crucial to maximizing your compensation:
CVC §22348(b) — No person shall drive a vehicle on a California highway at a speed greater than 65 mph (or 70 mph where posted).
CVC §22350 — The Basic Speed Law prohibits driving faster than is safe for current conditions, including weather, visibility, and traffic.
CVC §21703 — Following too closely (tailgating) is illegal in California. The driver of a vehicle shall not follow another more closely than is reasonable and prudent.
CVC §21651(a) — Driving the wrong way on a divided highway is a misdemeanor that often results in devastating head-on collisions.
Government Code §835 — A public entity (Caltrans, city, county) may be liable for dangerous road conditions on freeways it maintains, including inadequate lighting, missing guardrails, or defective signage.
Victims of freeway accidents in Taft frequently suffer serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment. Common injuries include: Severe traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries with paralysis, multiple fractures from high-speed impacts, internal bleeding, organ damage, severe burns from vehicle fires, crush injuries in multi-vehicle pileups, amputation injuries, facial disfigurement, and wrongful death.
Seek medical attention immediately — visit nearest emergency care at Adventist Health Bakersfield (45 minutes east via Highway 119) right away, even if injuries seem minor. Delayed symptoms are common, especially traumatic brain injuries and soft tissue injuries that may not manifest until hours or days after the accident.
Document everything — photograph the scene, your injuries, road conditions, traffic signs, and any hazardous conditions. Get names and phone numbers from all witnesses.
Report the incident — call 911 to create an official record. A police report is crucial evidence for your claim.
Do not give recorded statements to insurance adjusters without first consulting an attorney. Insurance companies use your own words against you to minimize your compensation.
Contact Car Accident Lawyers of California at 661-383-9387 for a free consultation. We serve Taft and all surrounding communities. Hablamos Español: 661-669-7362.
Freeway and high-speed highway accidents in Taft involve unique compensation factors that go beyond a typical urban street crash, including the possibility of claims against government entities responsible for road design and maintenance.
Claims against Caltrans and government entities — If your accident was caused or worsened by dangerous road conditions — such as missing guardrails, inadequate signage, unrepaired potholes, lack of lighting, defective merge lane design, or poorly marked construction zones — you may have a claim against Caltrans or the local government entity under California Government Code §835 (dangerous condition of public property). CRITICAL WARNING: These claims have a deadline of only 6 months to file an administrative claim, significantly shorter than the standard 2-year statute of limitations. If you miss this window, you lose your right permanently.
Multi-vehicle pileup accidents — Freeways frequently produce chain-reaction collisions where liability must be apportioned among multiple drivers. Under California's pure comparative negligence system, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault but is not eliminated, even if you were partially responsible. Our attorney works with accident reconstruction experts to determine exactly which drivers contributed to the crash and in what proportion.
Medical expenses — High-speed freeway accidents produce more severe injuries than urban crashes: traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, spinal cord injuries, and burns. Lost wages and future earning capacity — including lost career opportunities when injuries prevent you from returning to your previous work. Construction zone contractor liability — If your accident occurred in a freeway construction zone, the contractor responsible for safety signage and traffic control can be sued directly.
Vehophobia and psychological trauma — Many freeway accident victims develop severe driving fear (vehophobia) or PTSD that prevents them from using freeways or even driving at all. This psychological condition is compensable under California law as part of your pain and suffering damages. Punitive damages — available in cases of extreme reckless driving such as freeway street racing, high-speed DUI, or wrong-way driving.
Your safety is the priority. If you can, move your vehicle to the right shoulder and turn on your hazard lights. Never stand in the traffic lanes. Call 911 immediately — on California freeways, CHP will respond. If you cannot move your vehicle, stay buckled in until help arrives. Place reflective triangles if you have them. Secondary crashes — caused by other drivers hitting the original scene — are extremely dangerous on high-speed freeways.
High speeds dramatically increase impact force and injury severity. A crash at 65 mph generates roughly four times more energy than one at 35 mph. This generally results in more severe injuries — traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, spinal cord damage — requiring extensive medical treatment and generating greater compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Yes. If debris, blown tires, fallen cargo, or other objects on the freeway caused your accident, multiple parties may be liable: the driver who dropped the object, the trucking company, or even Caltrans if it failed to clear reported debris in a reasonable time. Under Government Code §835, public entities are liable for dangerous conditions they knew or should have known about.
Yes, but with important limitations. Under Government Code §835, a public entity can be liable for a dangerous condition of public property. However, you must file a government tort claim within 6 months of the accident — not the standard 2-year statute of limitations. Dangerous conditions can include inadequate lighting, missing or defective guardrails, improper drainage causing hydroplaning, lack of warning signs, and poorly designed merge lanes.
In multi-vehicle freeway pileups, determining fault is complex. Multiple drivers may share liability. Under California's pure comparative negligence system, each driver's percentage of fault is determined separately, and you can recover from each at-fault driver in proportion to their share of blame. Our firm works with accident reconstruction experts to analyze the sequence of the pileup and identify all liable parties.
Move your vehicle to the shoulder if possible, turn on hazard lights, and stay inside your vehicle with your seatbelt on if traffic is heavy. Call 911 or CHP for assistance. If you are struck by another vehicle while stopped on the shoulder, the other driver is almost certainly at fault. Under CVC §21718, stopping on the freeway is prohibited except in emergencies, but the law protects those who must stop due to vehicle malfunction.
Yes. The higher speeds involved in freeway accidents (55-75+ mph) result in significantly more force on impact compared to city street collisions (25-45 mph). The physics of kinetic energy means that doubling your speed quadruples the force of impact. This is why freeway accidents disproportionately involve catastrophic injuries including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and fatalities.