What to Do After a California Accident

YOUR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

Start with these six steps.

Do what you can safely. Missing records can be gathered later.

1. 1

   Stop and address safety

   Call for emergency help when needed.

2. 2

   Exchange information

   Collect driver, vehicle, insurance, and witness details when safe.

3. 3

   Document the scene

   Save photographs, video, and factual notes without entering traffic.

4. 4

   Get appropriate medical care

   Explain symptoms and follow the clinician’s instructions.

5. 5

   Complete required reports

   Law enforcement, DMV, and insurance serve different purposes.

6. 6

   Preserve evidence and check deadlines

   Keep originals and get advice about time-sensitive issues.

Once you are safe, request a free case evaluation or call (818) 539-7969. You can speak with MMG before every document is ready.

Stop at the scene. If anyone is hurt or there is an immediate danger, call 911 and give the location, travel direction, nearest cross street or exit, and known hazards. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

For a crash with no injuries, CHP recommends moving the vehicle out of traffic to a safe location. Move only when it is safe; do not remain in a dangerous lane merely to photograph vehicle positions. If the vehicle cannot be moved safely, explain that to the dispatcher. Stay available to exchange information and speak with responders.

Do not walk into traffic to retrieve debris, approach a leaking vehicle, or chase a driver who leaves. Your safety matters more than a photograph. CHP’s traffic-crash guidance explains the immediate response.

When it is safe, record each driver’s name, current address, contact details, driver’s license information, vehicle registration, license plate, and insurance company and policy information. Note the vehicle owner if different from the driver.

Ask witnesses for a name and a reliable way to contact them. Write down what you personally observed, including the time, location, direction of travel, lanes, weather, and traffic controls. Distinguish what you saw from what someone told you. Be truthful; avoid guessing about speed or arguing over fault. CHP explains what information to gather.

Useful photographs may include a wide view of the location, each vehicle and its damage, license plates, lane markings, traffic lights or signs, debris, road conditions, and obstructions to visibility. Record the location of possible cameras on nearby businesses or homes.

Save the officer’s name, agency, incident number, and towing destination if available. If you leave by ambulance or cannot take photographs, focus on care. A trusted person may help obtain information later without putting themselves at risk. Missing scene photographs do not prevent an initial legal consultation.

Seek medical advice about pain, symptoms, or a possible injury, and follow the treating professional’s instructions. Tell them how the crash happened, when symptoms started, and whether symptoms have changed. Keep discharge instructions, referrals, bills, and appointment records.

Some concussion symptoms appear hours or days after an injury. After a head injury, worsening headache, repeated vomiting, seizures, confusion, or difficulty waking can require immediate emergency care. This is not a complete symptom list; use the CDC’s concussion symptoms and danger-sign guidance and obtain appropriate medical help. Do not wait for a lawyer to arrange care.

A police report, a DMV SR-1, and an insurance claim are different. Completing one does not automatically complete the others.

Read the DMV handbook’s collision instructions and DMV’s SR-1 requirements. Reporting requirements can apply even if you did not cause the crash or it happened on private property.

For a report prepared by CHP, follow CHP’s crash-report request instructions. If another agency investigated, request the report from that agency. Do not wait for the report before completing other required actions.

Create a private accident folder and keep an unchanged backup. The following practical steps help organize materials for later review:

• Photos and video: retain original files, timestamps, and available metadata. Save dashcam footage before the device overwrites it; keep the original recording as well as any excerpt.
• Messages and documents: keep texts, emails, insurer letters, estimates, tow receipts, and claim communications. Avoid deleting accident-related material, including social posts, before obtaining advice about preservation duties.
• Vehicles and equipment: document where the vehicle, helmet, damaged clothing, or other items are stored. Before repairs, disposal, or a salvage transfer, ask whether an inspection is needed. Address storage charges promptly; preserving evidence should not mean ignoring accumulating bills.
• Nearby cameras: note the address, camera location, approximate time, and business contact. Ask promptly about preserving footage and seek legal help when necessary. A preservation request does not guarantee access or require every recipient to provide footage.
• Your losses: save bills and receipts and record missed work and changes in daily activities accurately. Keep dated notes without exaggeration.

California Courts identifies common evidence in injury cases, including photographs, medical records, witness statements, and police reports. Different evidence can answer different questions; there is no single document that proves every part of a claim.

Identify who is contacting you and which insurer they represent. Your own policy may require cooperation, including supplying information or a statement. Requests from another party’s insurer can raise different issues.

Be accurate, say when you do not know, and keep copies of what you send. Ask about the purpose and scope of a recorded statement, medical authorization, or release before agreeing. If you are unsure, seek advice promptly without ignoring your policy duties or deadlines.

Before accepting an injury settlement, understand what claims the release covers and whether it resolves future losses. A vehicle-damage payment may involve different terms from an injury settlement. The California Department of Insurance’s accident guide explains claim investigations and statements. Use the current DMV sources above for SR-1 thresholds.

After a commercial-truck crash: safely record the company name, USDOT number, truck and trailer plates, and any separate trailer identification. Driver-duty records, dispatch information, maintenance records, and vehicle data may require prompt preservation. FMCSA requires covered carriers to retain ELD duty-status data and backups for six months; other evidence may disappear sooner, and exceptions affect which vehicles must use ELDs. That retention period is not a deadline to bring your claim. Read FMCSA’s ELD guidance and MMG’s Truck Accident Lawyer page.

After a motorcycle crash: preserve the helmet, protective clothing, motorcycle, and original helmet-camera or action-camera files. Photograph damage without modifying the equipment. Ask about inspection before repair or disposal, and do not reuse equipment that may be unsafe. Visit MMG’s Motorcycle Accident Lawyer page.

For other vehicle collisions, see MMG’s Car Accident Lawyer page.

Many California personal-injury lawsuits generally must be filed within two years of the injury. Claims involving public entities can require a government claim within six months, followed by additional deadlines. Exceptions may change the timing.

If a public vehicle, public employee, or road condition may be involved, flag that issue when seeking advice. Do not calculate your deadline from this overview or wait for an insurer to finish investigating. An inquiry to MMG does not pause a deadline. See California Courts’ injury guidance and government-claim instructions.

Questions people ask after an accident

Talk with MMG about your next step

You do not need to know what your case is worth before you call. MMG can discuss the facts, available records, and whether the firm can help, subject to conflicts and case evaluation.

The initial evaluation is free, with no obligation to hire. For accepted contingency-fee accident cases, MMG advances case expenses. If there is no recovery, you owe MMG no attorney fees or case expenses. Medical bills, liens, and other third-party obligations are separate. Rates vary by case stage and are explained in the written agreement.

Phone and video consultations are available. Office visits are by appointment only at 100 W Broadway, Suite 540, Glendale, CA 91210. Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Pacific. English, Armenian, and Russian are available.

Meet Mihran M. Ghazaryan, California State Bar No. 311455. See the Glendale office page.

Attorney advertising. Attorney responsible: Mihran M. Ghazaryan at the address above. This guide provides general information, not advice about an individual case or medical diagnosis. Contacting the firm does not by itself establish representation or extend a deadline. No outcome is guaranteed. Website Legal Disclosures · Privacy Policy.