What to Do After a Car Accident in California

The decisions made in the first hours and days after a crash shape everything that follows: your health, your insurance claim and any injury claim. This checklist covers what California law requires, what protects you, and what commonly goes wrong. It applies anywhere in the state, with notes specific to California.

At the scene

1. Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt.

   Say where you are (freeway number and direction, nearest exit or cross street) and whether anyone is trapped or unconscious.

2. Move to safety if you can.

   On a freeway, California’s “Move It” guidance and CHP practice favor moving drivable vehicles to the shoulder or off the next exit. Stay behind a barrier if possible; secondary collisions on the shoulder are common.

3. Exchange the information the law requires.

   Vehicle Code § 16025 requires drivers to exchange name, current address, driver’s license number, vehicle identification number, insurance company and policy number, and the vehicle owner’s name and address. Photograph the other driver’s license, registration and insurance card rather than copying by hand.

4. Photograph everything.

   All vehicles from multiple angles, the damage close up, license plates, the roadway, skid marks, debris, traffic signals and signs, weather and lighting, and any visible injuries.

5. Identify witnesses.

   Get names and phone numbers from anyone who saw the crash. Witnesses leave quickly and are difficult to find later.

6. Say only what is necessary.

   Exchange information and describe injuries to paramedics. Do not apologize, speculate about fault or say you are “fine”—adrenaline masks injury.

7. Note the responding agency and report number.

   CHP handles freeways and unincorporated areas; city police handle surface streets within city limits. Ask the officer how to obtain the report.

If the other driver leaves

Do not chase. Note the plate, vehicle description and direction of travel, and call 911 immediately. Look for cameras at nearby businesses, intersections and homes. See hit-and-run accidents.

In the first 24–72 hours

1. Get medically evaluated even if you feel okay.

   Soft tissue and brain injuries often appear a day or more later. An early visit documents your condition and starts treatment. See when to see a doctor.

2. Notify your own insurer.

   Most policies require prompt notice. Report the facts briefly and accurately; you can decline to give a recorded statement until you are ready.

3. Write down what happened while it is fresh.

   Time, location, lane, speed, signals, what each vehicle did, what was said, how you felt.

4. Preserve evidence.

   Do not repair the vehicle until it is photographed and, ideally, inspected. Keep damaged items (car seat, helmet, glasses). Save dash-cam footage.

5. Request camera footage promptly.

   Businesses and transit agencies often overwrite video within days.

Within 10 days: the DMV SR-1

California requires every driver involved in a crash with injury, death or property damage over $1,000 to file form SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days (Vehicle Code § 16000), regardless of fault and regardless of whether police responded. Failure can result in license suspension. Your insurer or attorney can file it, but the obligation is yours. The DMV offers the form online.

In the first two weeks

• Obtain the police report when available (typically 7–14 days). See how to get a police report.
• Expect contact from the other driver’s insurer. You are not required to give them a recorded statement or sign medical authorizations, and early settlement offers are made before injuries are fully known.
• Keep a folder: medical records and bills, receipts, mileage to appointments, missed work documentation, repair estimates and photos.
• Understand the deadlines: generally two years for injury claims, three for property damage, six months if a government entity is involved. See claim deadlines.
• Decide whether you need legal help. Claims involving significant injury, disputed fault, uninsured drivers, commercial vehicles or public entities generally benefit from an attorney. Tell us about your accident for the firm’s free case evaluation.

Common mistakes

• Not calling police for a “minor” crash that later turns out to involve injury.
• Agreeing to handle it privately with a driver who then disappears or denies the crash.
• Posting about the crash or injuries on social media.
• Signing a release or accepting a check before treatment is complete.
• Letting the vehicle be totaled and salvaged before it is inspected in a serious case.
• Missing the 10-day SR-1 or the six-month government claim deadline.

Common questions

Do I have to call the police for a minor accident?

California law does not require a police report for minor property-damage crashes, and in many cities officers will not respond to non-injury collisions. You must still exchange information and file the SR-1 if damage exceeds $1,000. If anyone may be injured, call.

Should I see a doctor if I feel fine?

Yes, within a day or two. Delayed symptoms are common, and early documentation prevents insurers from arguing that a later-reported injury came from something else.

The other driver asked to settle without insurance. Should I agree?

It is risky. Injuries may appear later, repair costs are often higher than they look, and you have no recourse if the driver changes their mind. Exchange the legally required information regardless.

Sources and official resources

• Vehicle Code § 16000 (SR-1 report to DMV within 10 days)
• Vehicle Code § 20001 (hit-and-run involving injury or death)
• Vehicle Code § 20002 (hit-and-run involving property damage)
• California DMV — Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)
• California Highway Patrol — collision report requests (CHP 190)
• Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 (two-year limit for injury claims)

Links go to official government, court and public-health sources. Laws change; verify current text before relying on it.