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

Uber or Lyft crash in Bakersfield?Talk to a lawyer for free.

Riding in an Uber or Lyft? Once your driver accepts the ride, California requires $1 million in coverage, and if an uninsured driver hits you, Uber or Lyft must cover you up to $60,000.

  • 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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…The Valero Law Group was a lifesaver in every sense of the word.
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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 Uber's or Lyft's

Uber and Lyft have a team.You should have one too.

One rideshare crash can bring in the driver's personal insurer, Uber's or Lyft's commercial policy and another driver's insurance company, each with its own adjusters. Whether it happened on Ming Avenue, on Stockdale Highway or on Airport Drive to Meadows Field, one of them may call within days and ask to record your account.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Did you save the trip in the app, with the driver, the plate and the time?
  2. Do you have both of the driver's insurance cards, personal and rideshare?
  3. Was it on Highway 99 or 58, usually a CHP report, or on a city street, usually Bakersfield Police?

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 Uber and Lyft 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 the roads in and around Bakersfield, from Highway 58 to Airport Drive and Meadows Field, where Uber and Lyft are the only rideshare companies allowed to operate. Visit us, 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

400+five-star Google reviews

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
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
Read all 400+ of our reviews
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.
LexiGoogle review
I was referred to Valero Law by a friend. I appreciated that they didn't rush me out the door and actually took the time to hear my case from beginning to end. They really fought for me and my case. Great law firm to work with.
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What you can recover afteran Uber or Lyft accident in California.

Your Uber or Lyft driver, the other driver or both can be held responsible for your losses. What the driver's app showed at that moment decides whether rideshare insurance applies, and how much.

Economic damages

The costs you can add up

  • ER visits, surgery and hospital stays
  • Follow-up care, therapy and prescriptions
  • Pay you lose now, and earnings you lose later
  • Your car's repair or replacement, if you were driving

Non-economic damages

The harm that has no receipt

  • Physical pain
  • Emotional distress
  • Scars and disfigurement
  • Lost enjoyment of daily life
  • $1MOnce your driver accepts the rideCalifornia requires $1 million in primary coverage for injuries, death and property damage from the moment a rideshare driver accepts a request until the ride is complete (Public Utilities Code §5433). It covers the driver's liability to riders and to other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians the driver injures.
  • $60,000Per passenger, if the at-fault driver is uninsuredSince SB 371 took effect on January 1, 2026, the coverage Uber or Lyft must carry for passengers hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, from the moment they get in until they get out. Before 2026, the figure was $1 million.
  • 1 in 5California drivers uninsured in 2023An estimated 20.4%, against 15.4% nationwide, according to the Insurance Research Council. If one of them hits the Uber or Lyft you're riding in, the passenger coverage applies.

After an Uber or Lyft crash in Bakersfield,what comes next.

Who has the report, what to save from the app, where to get care and which deadlines apply, explained.

Valero Law Group attorneys meeting around a conference table
  • Ordering the police report
    On city streets it's usually Bakersfield Police, whose reports cost a flat $7: at headquarters, 1601 Truxtun Avenue, on weekdays, by mail, or online through LexisNexis, which adds its own fee. Most take five to seven business days; injury investigations can take weeks. On Highway 99 or 58 and in Rosedale, Oildale or Lamont, it's usually the CHP's Bakersfield office, which releases its reports to passengers as well as drivers.
  • Screenshot the ride, photograph both policies
    Your app keeps the trip, but it slides down your history. Capture who drove, the car and plate, when the ride began and the route. Then photograph the driver's insurance: CPUC rules require Uber and Lyft drivers to show proof of their personal policy and their commercial one after an accident.
  • Rides to and from Meadows Field
    Uber and Lyft are the only rideshare companies allowed to operate at Meadows Field; arriving passengers collect their bags, then meet the car at the arrivals curb. The airport is north of the city near Oildale, which is unincorporated Kern County, so a crash on the way may not be a Bakersfield Police case. Not sure who responded? Bakersfield Police or the CHP can tell you.
  • See a doctor, and keep your records
    Neck and back injuries don't always make themselves felt the same day, so see a doctor even if you walked away from the car. Kern Medical, at 1700 Mount Vernon Avenue, is the only Level II trauma center in Kern County. Wherever you're treated, you have a right to copies of your medical and billing records, even with a bill unpaid.
  • Drivers report to the DMV; riders don't
    Every driver in a crash that injured anyone, even slightly, or did more than $1,000 in damage must send the DMV form SR-1 within 10 days, whoever was at fault. That means your Uber or Lyft driver, and you too if you were driving the other car. Passengers don't file one.
  • GET, the City, the County or Caltrans
    Injury lawsuits generally have to be filed within two years. When a GET bus, a City or Kern County vehicle or road, or a state highway is involved, a written claim comes first, usually within six months. City claims go to the City Clerk at 1600 Truxtun Avenue, County claims to the Clerk of the Board at 1115 Truxtun Avenue.
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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 Uber or Lyft accident.

I was riding in an Uber or Lyft when it crashed. Who covers my injuries?
That depends on which driver caused it. If it was your own driver, a claim can be made against them, backed by the $1 million in primary coverage that applies once a ride is accepted. If it was the other car's driver, the claim is against that driver, and against both if they share the blame. The rideshare insurer doesn't get to wait until the driver's personal insurer has turned the claim down.
The driver who hit us had no insurance, or not enough. Am I covered?
As a passenger, you fall under the uninsured and underinsured motorist policy Uber or Lyft has to carry, set by law at $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident for as long as you're in the car. That limit took effect on January 1, 2026; through 2025 it was $1 million. It comes first, ahead of any uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy, and only the company is responsible for providing it (Public Utilities Code §5433).
Does it matter if the driver was between rides?
Yes. With the app on and no ride accepted yet, the law asks for less: for injuries, $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident; $30,000 for property damage; and $200,000 in excess coverage (CPUC). If the app was off, the rideshare rules generally don't reach the trip, and the driver's personal auto policy, if there is one, is what's left. Once a request is accepted, the $1 million applies. If a rideshare driver hit you while you were driving, biking or walking, ask for both insurance cards so the right policy can be found.
I drive for Uber or Lyft. What changes if I'm the one injured?
When someone else caused it, the claim is against that driver, the same as for anyone else on the road, and under California's pure comparative fault rule sharing some of the blame reduces an award rather than ending it. Uber and Lyft are required to tell drivers their personal auto insurance won't provide coverage while they're using the app, and you'll need to show proof of both policies after a crash. Each driver's coverage is different, so call us to go through yours.
Is Uber or Lyft limited to the insurance amounts?
The amounts in the rideshare law are minimums, and the statute doesn't limit a company's liability beyond what it requires. And when a driver's own rideshare policy has lapsed, Uber or Lyft must cover the claim starting from the first dollar. Whether Uber or Lyft is itself responsible for more turns on what happened in your case, so it's worth a conversation with us.
How long do I have after a rideshare crash in Bakersfield?
Generally two years from the crash to file an injury lawsuit (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). If GET, the City, Kern County or Caltrans may be responsible, a written claim usually has to be filed within six months, and if it's rejected in writing, a lawsuit must follow within six months of the notice. Don't leave it to the last month: call us early.
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 an Uber or Lyft 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 Uber and Lyft 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

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