What to Do After a Car Accident in California

Check yourself and others for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Move vehicles out of traffic if it is safe to do so, and turn on hazard lights. Your health and safety come before anything else.

California law requires you to stop and exchange information after an accident. Do not leave the scene of a crash involving injury or significant damage.

Exchange names, contact details, driver’s license numbers, license plates, and insurance information with the other driver. Get contact details for any witnesses.

Photograph the vehicles, the damage, the road, traffic signs, and the overall scene. If you are able, note the time, weather, and how the crash happened while it is fresh. Documentation is far easier to gather now than to reconstruct later.

Stick to the facts when speaking with the other driver and the police. Avoid apologizing or admitting fault at the scene, even reflexively, because those statements can be used later. Fault is a legal determination based on all the evidence.

Some injuries, including whiplash and concussions, do not show symptoms for hours or days. Getting checked promptly protects your health and creates a medical record connecting any injuries to the crash.

Follow through on recommended treatment. Gaps in care can undermine both your recovery and any future claim.

Notify your insurance company promptly, as most policies require timely reporting. In California, accidents involving injury, death, or property damage over the state threshold must also be reported to the DMV within ten days.

Keep copies of everything: the police report number, medical records and bills, repair estimates, and any correspondence with insurers.

California has deadlines, called statutes of limitations, for filing injury claims, and claims against government entities have much shorter notice periods. Waiting too long can bar a claim entirely.

Because deadlines and case values are easy to misjudge, many people consult a personal injury attorney before accepting an insurance settlement. Most offer a free consultation, and contingency fees mean you typically pay only if you recover.