The First 48 Hours After an Accident in Los Angeles

Nobody handles this well the first time. Adrenaline compresses your judgment, the other driver is talking, and there is traffic behind you on Wilshire. What follows is deliberately ordered, so you can work down it rather than try to remember it.

First, safety and injuries. Move out of live lanes if the vehicles are drivable and it is safe to do so. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, if a vehicle is blocking traffic, or if the other party is behaving erratically. In Los Angeles, police will not always respond to a minor non-injury collision; that is normal and does not mean you cannot document it properly yourself.

Second, exchange information. Driver's license, insurance carrier and policy number, plate, and a photo of each. Take a photograph of the other driver's license and insurance card rather than writing the numbers down — transcription errors are common and expensive. Get the names and phone numbers of any independent witnesses before they leave, because they will leave.

Third, photograph the scene before anything moves, if it is safe. Wide shots showing both vehicles and their position relative to lanes, signals, and signs. Then closer shots of damage on both cars, including the areas that look undamaged. Then the road surface, any skid marks or debris field, and the traffic controls. Then, importantly, a photograph that establishes the location — a street sign or a storefront. Timestamps come free with your phone.

Fourth, the reporting requirements. California requires you to file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days of any collision involving injury, death, or property damage over $1,000 — a threshold nearly any modern car exceeds with a scraped bumper. This is separate from any police report and separate from your insurance claim, and failing to file can affect your license.

Fifth, decide about towing carefully. If the car is not safely drivable, you get to choose where it goes. Tow operators who arrive uninvited at a scene sometimes take vehicles to storage yards that accrue substantial daily fees, and getting a car out of one of those is unpleasant. Have it towed to a shop you have chosen, or to your home. We arrange towing for clients and can direct a tow to us; the number is (310) 988-2848.

Sixth, open the claim. Call your insurer even if the other party was clearly at fault. Get a claim number. Ask specifically what your policy provides for rental coverage and for how long, because that answer determines a lot of your logistics for the next few weeks.

Seventh — and this is the one people get wrong — do not let anyone tell you where to have the car repaired. In California your insurer can recommend a shop but cannot require one. Choose the shop, then tell the carrier where the car is.

Eighth, be careful about early recorded statements to the other party's insurer, and be careful about signing anything described as a release. You are not obligated to give a recorded statement to another driver's carrier, and it is entirely reasonable to say you will follow up after you have had the vehicle assessed.

Finally, watch yourself for a few days. Soft tissue injuries frequently do not present for 24 to 72 hours, and a medical evaluation is easier to obtain and document early than late.

When you are ready to deal with the car, bring it to us or send us the photos and the claim number and we will take it from there. Most clients find the repair itself is the least stressful part once someone else is handling the adjuster.