Local office in Bakersfield, CA5100 California Ave, Suite 104Directions

Bus accident in Bakersfield?Talk to a lawyer for free.

If a GET, Kern Transit or school bus was involved, a written claim is usually due within six months. GET's cameras record inside and around every bus, so ask for the video early.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
  • Zero upfront costYour consultation is free, with no obligation.
  • Hablamos españolNative Spanish speakers. No confusion. No delays.
  • Available 24/7We'll meet you at your home or hospital.
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Call our Bakersfield office(661) 426-817924/7 line: (800) 985-9565

No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

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…actually took the time to hear my case from beginning to end. They really fought for me and my case.
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Results that speak.Millions won for injured clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $1.5MAuto accidentA win for a client injured in an auto accident.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Here to protect your interests, not the bus company's

Bus companies have a team.You should have one too.

Bus companies have insurers and lawyers, and public agencies like GET, Kern Transit and the school districts have their own claim rules and deadlines. GET also keeps dispatch and incident records, which a records request or a lawyer can ask for. After a crash on Chester Avenue, Ming Avenue or Highway 58, an adjuster may call within days, and what you say can shape the rest of your claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Was the bus run by GET, Kern Transit or a school district, or by a private line like Greyhound or FlixBus?
  2. If it was a GET bus, has anyone asked GET to keep the video from its cameras?
  3. Will the settlement cover your treatment and lost income months from now, not just today?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. Most people would have taken the offer. We won more than ten times as much.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

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Our office in Bakersfield

Local bus accident lawyers,right here in Bakersfield.

Not every firm that advertises in Bakersfield has an office here. We do.

Our office is on California Avenue, and we know who runs the buses here: GET in and around the city, Kern Transit out to Delano, Taft and Lake Isabella, and the school districts with buses of their own. Come in, or we'll come to you anywhere in Kern and Tulare Counties.

Nearby officesPalmdaleFresnoWoodland Hills

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every case,big and small.

Whether your case is worth $5,000 or $5 million, we bring the same skill, attention and determination to every client we represent.

So don't let the size of your case keep you from seeking justice: every injury deserves serious representation. Let us fight for the compensation you're owed while you focus on what matters most, your recovery.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

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Real reviews fromour clients.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
From my first consultation to the final settlement, the Valero Law Firm was exceptional. They genuinely cared about my well-being and worked tirelessly to get me the compensation I deserved.
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I was able to communicate with Valero Law Group after being in a car accident. They were able to settle my case and I received compensation thanks to the wonderful lawyers.
Eloina M.Google review
I didn't know what to do or if I even had a case, but I decided to contact Valero on the recommendation of a family member, and it was the best decision.
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What you can recover aftera bus accident in California.

Whoever caused the crash, whether a bus driver, GET, Kern County, a school district, a bus company or another driver, can be held responsible for what it cost you.

Economic damages

The costs you can add up

  • Emergency care, surgery and hospital bills
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Getting to medical appointments while you recover

Non-economic damages

The harm that has no receipt

  • Pain and physical suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of companionship
  • Lost enjoyment of life
  • 6 monthsTo file a claim against GET, the County or a school districtGET, Kern Transit and school districts like Kern High and Bakersfield City are public agencies, so a written claim is usually due within six months, before any lawsuit.
  • $5MThe insurance minimum for large private busesA California-licensed charter or tour company needs at least $5 million in coverage for each bus with 16 or more seats (CPUC General Order 115-G), as do interstate lines like Greyhound, which stops at the Bakersfield train station (49 CFR §387.33T). The rule doesn't reach GET, Kern Transit or school buses.
  • 80%What you keep if you were 20% at faultHit by a bus while driving, biking or walking, and partly to blame? Under California's pure comparative fault rule, your share of the fault comes off the award; it doesn't wipe it out.

After a bus crash in Bakersfield,what comes next.

Who has the report, who ran the bus, the video and the deadlines, explained.

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  • Getting the crash report
    On Highway 99 or 58, and in Oildale, Lamont and other unincorporated areas, the CHP's Bakersfield office usually takes the report, and you can request it online. On Bakersfield's streets it's usually Bakersfield Police, whose reports cost $7 (ordering online adds a fee). Not sure which agency came? Bakersfield Police or the CHP can tell you.
  • Who ran the bus sets the deadline
    Golden Empire Transit (GET) runs Bakersfield's city buses and GET-A-LIFT paratransit, Kern Transit is the County's, and the Kern High and Bakersfield City school districts run their own school buses. Each is a public agency, so a claim against it is usually due within six months. Private lines are different: for Greyhound and FlixBus, which stop at the train station on Truxtun Avenue and the McKee Road Park & Ride, and for charter and tour buses, the usual two-year limit applies.
  • Note the route and the bus number
    GET's routes are numbered from 21 to 84, and Kern Transit's from 100 to 150. The route, the bus number, the stop, the time and the direction of travel help identify the driver and the right video. Ask other passengers for their names and phone numbers.
  • Ask GET for the video right away
    Every GET bus has cameras that record inside the bus and around the outside, and the sound in the driver's area. GET doesn't publish how long it keeps the footage, so send a written request as soon as you can to its administration office at 1830 Golden State Avenue, or we can send it for you. Once a claim is filed, video that's evidence in it must be kept until the claim is resolved.
  • Get checked, and get your records
    If something feels off in the days after a hard stop or a fall in the aisle, get checked. Wherever you were treated, from Kern Medical, the county's only Level II trauma center, to Adventist Health, Memorial or Mercy, you have a right to copies of your medical and billing records, even with a bill unpaid.
  • Students ride GET free
    Students at participating Bakersfield-area schools, from kindergarten through college, ride GET free with a student pass, and from 7th grade up they show a school ID. If a student is injured on a GET bus, GET runs that bus, not the school, so the claim usually goes to GET.
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Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsafter a Bakersfield bus accident.

How long do I have after a bus accident in Bakersfield?
If the bus belonged to GET, Kern Transit or a school district, a written claim is usually due within six months. The agency then has 45 days to act on it, and after a written rejection, a lawsuit is usually due within six months of the notice. Against a private company like Greyhound, FlixBus or a charter line, you generally have two years to sue. Call us early so no deadline slips by.
Can I file a claim against GET?
Yes. GET is a public transit district created by state law, so a written claim has to come first, usually within six months of the injury. GET doesn't post a claim form online. Under the claims law, a claim can be delivered to GET's Clerk of the Board or mailed to the board at GET's administration office, 1830 Golden State Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. A complaint to GET's customer service isn't a claim. We can prepare and file it for you.
My child was injured on a school bus. What should I do?
Have a doctor check your child, even if the injury seems minor, and keep anything the school sends home about what happened. A school district is a public agency, so a claim to the district is usually due within six months. Kern High's district office is at 5801 Sundale Avenue and Bakersfield City's is at 1300 Baker Street; ask the district for its claim form, or we can prepare the claim for you. If six months have passed, call us anyway: when the injured person was a child for those whole six months, the district generally must allow a late claim if you ask within a year of the injury.
Do school buses in California have seat belts?
Newer ones do. School buses bought or leased in California must have lap-and-shoulder belts at every seat if they were made after mid-2004 (smaller buses) or mid-2005 (larger buses), and by July 1, 2035 every school bus in use must have them.
I fell when the bus braked or pulled away. Do I have a case?
Maybe. California holds bus lines that carry paying passengers, GET included, to “the utmost care and diligence” for their safety, so a fall from a sudden stop, or from the bus pulling away before you were seated, can be the operator's responsibility. If it was a GET bus, its inside cameras may show what happened. It depends on the facts, so talk to us.
What if a GET bus hit me while I was driving, biking or walking?
A claim can be made against GET, the same as against anyone else who caused a crash, and its outside cameras may have recorded what happened. GET is a public agency, so the six-month claim rule applies: call us early. Our Bakersfield car accident and bicycle accident pages cover those crashes in more detail.
Do you have an office in Bakersfield?
Yes. Our office is at 5100 California Ave, Suite 104, Bakersfield, CA 93309. Come in if you like, or we'll come to you, at home or in the hospital. Call (800) 985-9565 any time, 24/7.
What does a bus accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for you. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a Bakersfield bus accident lawyer today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

(661) 426-8179

24/7 line: (800) 985-9565

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