Los Angeles traffic is dense, fast, and unforgiving. A crash on the 101, surface streets in Hollywood, or a parking-lot exit in the Valley can scramble the next year of your life if you skip the basics: safety, documentation, medical care, insurance notice, and calendar control. This guide is a practical checklist for what to do after a car accident in Los Angeles under California law. For local practice context, see our Los Angeles car accident lawyer page and statewide car accident overview.
At the scene: protect people and proof
Check for injuries. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, vehicles are blocking a freeway lane, or there is a fire or fuel hazard. If you can move your car safely out of live traffic, do so—especially on freeways where secondary collisions are a real risk—then turn on hazard lights.
California law requires drivers involved in accidents to stop and fulfill information and aid duties that vary with injury and property damage. See Vehicle Code sections 20001 and 20002. Exchange names, contact information, driver license numbers, plate numbers, and insurance details. Get the other driver’s insurer and policy number if shown on an insurance card.
Photograph:
- All vehicles and damage close-ups and wider context shots
- License plates and VINs if accessible
- Skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and roadway defects
- Weather and lighting conditions
- Visible injuries
Collect witness names and phone numbers before people leave. Ask responding officers for the agency name and report number (LAPD, LASD, CHP, or another department depending on location).
Do not apologize in a way that sounds like an admission of fault. Be courteous. Stick to facts.
Medical care comes next—even when you feel fine
Many collision injuries—whiplash, concussions, internal bleeding, and disc injuries—announce themselves hours or days later. Go to an ER, urgent care, or your physician promptly. Tell providers exactly how the crash happened and what hurts. Follow referral recommendations for imaging and specialists.
Keep a simple file:
- Discharge papers and work notes
- Prescriptions and mileage to appointments
- Photos of bruising and swelling as they develop
- A short daily symptom log for the first two weeks
Insurers look for treatment gaps. So do defense lawyers. Consistent care protects both your health and the credibility of your claim.
Notify insurers—without giving away the case
Report the crash to your own insurer as your policy requires. California policies often demand prompt notice. Provide the who/when/where basics. You can decline to speculate about speed, distraction, or fault.
Be cautious with the other driver’s insurer. Adjusters are trained to take recorded statements early, sometimes before you know the full extent of your injuries. You are not required to give them a casual roadside narrative dressed up as a formal interview. If you speak with them, keep it short and accurate, or wait until you have spoken with counsel.
If you have Med-Pay, uninsured/underinsured motorist, or collision coverage, ask how those benefits interact with the liability claim. Do not assume the first settlement offer includes everything you will need for future care.
DMV SR-1: a deadline people miss
Under Vehicle Code section 16000, drivers involved in a crash on a California public street or highway that causes injury, death, or property damage above the statutory dollar threshold must generally file a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) with the DMV within 10 days. Filing a police report does not automatically file your SR-1. Missing the DMV filing can lead to license consequences separate from your civil claim.
Confirm current threshold and form instructions on the DMV’s site when you file; use the facts of your crash date.
Who is liable? Ordinary care still rules
Most Los Angeles car accident claims are negligence cases. Civil Code section 1714 states that everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a want of ordinary care in managing person or property, subject to comparative fault. Speeding, unsafe lane changes, following too closely, running signals, impaired driving, and phone distraction are common fact patterns—not magic categories with automatic payouts.
Liability can involve more than “the other driver”: employers (when someone was on the job), vehicle owners, rideshare companies in certain periods, or public entities responsible for dangerous roadway conditions. Each path has its own proof and deadline rules.
CCP § 335.1: the two-year lawsuit clock
For most personal injury and wrongful death actions against private parties, California gives two years from accrual to file suit. Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 provides: “Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.”
Waiting for an insurer to “finish investigating” does not stop that clock. Settlement talks can continue after a lawsuit is filed. What you generally cannot do is discover—years later—that goodwill negotiations never paused the statute.
Public entities are different. If a city, county, transit agency, or other government defendant may be responsible (for example, a dangerous intersection design or a public employee driving in the course of duties), the Government Claims Act typically requires presenting a claim within a short period—commonly six months for personal injury under Government Code section 911.2—before you can sue. Miss that administrative step and the later lawsuit may be barred even if CCP § 335.1 would still be open against a private defendant.
Los Angeles–specific practical notes
- Multi-agency scenes. Freeway crashes often involve CHP; city streets may be LAPD or another local department. Get the correct report number for the agency that actually responded.
- Hit-and-run. Note direction of travel, partial plates, rideshare stickers, and camera locations (businesses, transit, doorbell cams). File a police report promptly and notify your UM carrier.
- Rideshare or commercial vehicles. Preserve app receipts, USDOT numbers, and trailer info. Coverage layers can differ from ordinary private auto claims.
- Uninsured drivers. California UM/UIM coverage, when purchased, can become the main recovery path—handle those claims carefully and in writing.
- Spanish-language households. Ask insurers and providers for language access you need so statements and medical histories stay accurate. (This article is in English; the same legal deadlines apply.)
A simple post-crash checklist
- Safety, 911, and information exchange
- Photos, witnesses, report number
- Medical evaluation and follow-up
- Notice to your insurer; caution with opposing adjusters
- SR-1 to the DMV if section 16000 applies
- Track bills, lost wages, and symptoms
- Calendar CCP § 335.1 and any government-claim deadline
- Avoid broad releases until you understand the full injury picture
Advo Law, APC represents injured people in Los Angeles and throughout California on a contingency fee basis. Our offices are in Glendale (111 E. Broadway, Suite 210, Glendale, CA 91205) and La Cañada Flintridge (1433 Foothill Blvd., Suite 207, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011)—convenient for many LA County clients. See also our Glendale personal injury page.
Contact Advo Law
If you were hurt in a Los Angeles car accident, get advice before deadlines and recorded statements box you in.
Advo Law, APC
Glendale: 111 E. Broadway, Suite 210, Glendale, CA 91205
La Cañada Flintridge: 1433 Foothill Blvd., Suite 207, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Phone: (800) 808-4613
Contact us · LA car accident lawyer · Car accident lawyer
Contingency fee representation. Serving clients throughout California.
Attorney advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and reporting thresholds can depend on your facts; consult counsel about your specific situation.
