The first 48 hours after a crash shape the entire claim. Here is exactly what to do, in order.
At the scene
- Check for injuries and call 911. Ask for police and, if anyone is hurt, paramedics. California law requires reporting a crash with injuries or over $1,000 in damage to the DMV within 10 days (form SR-1); a police report makes that easy.
- Move to safety if you can. Turn on hazards. Do not leave the scene.
- Exchange information. Name, phone, address, driver's license, plate, insurer, and policy number. Photograph their license and insurance card.
- Photograph everything. All four sides of each vehicle, the resting positions, skid marks, debris, traffic signs and signals, weather, road conditions, and your visible injuries. Take a short video walking around the scene.
- Get witnesses. Names and phone numbers. Ask if anyone has dashcam footage.
- Say as little as possible. Do not apologize or say "I'm fine." Stick to facts with police.
Within 24 hours
- See a doctor. Urgent care or ER. Tell them every symptom, even minor ones. Adrenaline masks injuries, and insurers use any gap in treatment against you.
- Report the crash to your own insurer. You must cooperate with your own company. You do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.
- Write down your account of what happened while it is fresh.
- Start a file. Photos, report number, receipts, medical paperwork, mileage to appointments, missed work.
Before you talk to any adjuster
The other driver's insurer will call quickly and sound friendly. Their job is to close your claim cheaply. Do not give a recorded statement, do not sign a medical authorization, and do not accept a quick check. Give them our number.
Deadlines
Two years to file a lawsuit for most injuries (CCP § 335.1). Six months to file a claim against a government entity (Gov. Code § 911.2). Three years for property damage. These are outer limits; evidence is best collected in the first days.
What a lawyer changes
Represented claimants typically recover more, even after fees, because a lawyer documents the full value of the claim, prevents mistakes, and creates real trial risk for the insurer. The case review is free. Call the Boss.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules change; talk to a lawyer about your situation.