What should I do after a car accident in California?

Stop, exchange license and insurance information, and get medical care, then report the crash. California Vehicle Code section 16000 requires a report to the DMV on form SR-1 within 10 days when anyone is injured or property damage passes the statutory threshold, and Vehicle Code section 20008 requires reporting injury crashes to law enforcement within 24 hours.

California law imposes duties at the scene and shortly after. Drivers must stop and exchange identifying and insurance information; leaving the scene of an injury crash is a crime under Vehicle Code section 20001. Injury crashes must be reported to police or the CHP within 24 hours (Vehicle Code section 20008), and Vehicle Code section 16000 requires an SR-1 report to the DMV within 10 days when there is any injury or property damage above the statutory threshold; failing to file can itself suspend a license. For the claim, useful evidence disappears fast: photograph the vehicles, their positions, and the roadway, collect witness contact information, seek medical evaluation the same day, and notify your own insurer promptly as the policy requires. Preserve the vehicle before repairs and keep every bill and record. The injury lawsuit deadline is generally two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1); public-entity claims require action within six months.

Authority: Cal. Veh. Code § 16000