Car Accident Reporting in California: When and How to Report an Accident
January 6, 2025- Categories: Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents trigger a huge number of responsibilities. You need to report the accident to your insurance company and schedule repairs, and you may need to obtain a rental car. If you are injured in the crash, you’re probably facing medical treatment, physical therapy, and missed work. With all of the other responsibilities, it can be easy to lose sight of your legal obligations. It’s important to understand when to report a car accident in California and the possible consequences you will face if you fail to do so.
When to Report a Car Accident in California
Every state sets its own laws for when individuals are legally required to report a car accident after a crash. In California, you must report a car accident if:
- Someone is injured
- Someone dies
- The crash causes $1,000 or more in property damage.
Under California law, any type of injury, even a minor one, means the accident must be reported to law enforcement and the DMV. Failing to report a California car accident when you’re legally required to do so can lead to having your license revoked or suspended.
How to Report a Car Accident to Law Enforcement
If you are involved in a California car accident and injuries or property damage mean you’re legally required to report the accident, you must report it to both California law enforcement and the Division of Motor Vehicles. To report to law enforcement, notify either the local police department or, if the crash occurred on the highway, California Highway Patrol. When injuries are serious and you have to call 911 to report a crash, the operator should dispatch the appropriate officers. If no one was seriously injured, you should call the CHP for a highway accident, or call your local police department.
You can report a California car accident to either the California Highway Patrol or a local police department.
Once law enforcement arrives, they’ll take down personal information for both you and the other driver. Information the police will need while making a police report includes:
- Name
- Address
- Insurance provider
- Make and model of the vehicle
- License plate number.
While you’re giving an accident report, you’ll be asked to tell the police what happened when the crash occurred. It’s important to be careful about how you describe the crash. Ultimately, the officer will determine which driver was at fault for the accident.
Were you injured in a California car accident? Let us help fight for the injury compensation you need. Call 888-407-2955 to speak with a California car accident lawyer at Neale & Fhima APC.
How to Report a Car Accident to the DMV
If your California car accident meets the criteria for required reporting, you need to report the crash to both the police and the DMV. Reporting the crash to the DMV happens by filing form SR-1. You can submit this form via the California DMV website. Alternatively, you can print and mail a copy of this form, or you can visit your local DMV office to complete and turn in the form in person. Mailing a copy tends to be the slowest method of reporting your accident to the DMV, but both mailed and in-person delivery will take longer to process than an electronic submission.
If you’re wondering what to include in your accident report, you’ll be relieved to find that completing an SR-1 form is a fairly simple process. You’ll need to fill in personal information for both yourself and the other driver, including your names, addresses, license plate numbers, and insurance providers. You’ll need to specify whether the vehicles were moving, parked, or stopped in traffic at the time the accident occurred. Finally, you’ll have to provide details about the type and extent of property damage and injuries that occurred during the accident.
The Importance of Accuracy in Car Accident Reporting
Reporting accidents accurately is essential for protecting yourself. Individuals involved in a crash sometimes prefer not to report the accident, especially in crashes where property damage is minor. Sometimes, parties agree that it would be better to pay vehicle repair costs out of pocket rather than filing an insurance claim and facing the risk of an insurance rate increase. In other cases, the desire to not report an accident might be motivated by the wish to keep one’s driving record clear, especially if one of the parties has prior marks on their driver’s record or is on parole or probation.
Reporting a car accident protects you legally. It helps establish the facts of the case, like which driver was at fault. It also protects you in cases where the at-fault driver may later change their story and report you for causing the crash. While you should always answer questions about the crash honestly, it’s best to not go out of your way to offer additional details unless it helps your case (such as noting that the other driver was driving erratically or speeding before the accident happened). You also shouldn’t speculate about the accident, and you shouldn’t post anything about the crash on social media.
Consult Our California Car Accident Lawyers
It’s important to protect yourself after a California car accident, even if it seems like injuries were minor. You should always report an accident to both the police and the DMV, even if you’re not legally required to do so. If you’re injured, you should consult the California car accident lawyers at Neale & Fhima APC as soon as possible. We can review the crash, build a case against the other driver, and try to help you recover medical costs, lost wages, and other expenses related to the car accident.
Neale & Fhima APC is a California personal injury law firm with a reputation for obtaining results. We’ve recovered over $50 million for our clients, and we’re proud to hold a 99% success rate. We’re ready to review your case over a free consultation.
Don’t wait to get help with car accident injury costs. Call Neale & Fhima APC today at 888-407-2955 to schedule a free consultation with our experienced California car accident attorneys.
Attorney Aaron Fhima
Aaron Fhima is a trial attorney who has secured numerous settlements and verdicts against large corporations and some of the largest auto manufacturers in the world. Representing consumers and injury victims throughout the state of California, Aaron’s practice areas include personal injury, and lemon law litigation. Aaron has a long record of success taking on large defense firms; and he doesn’t hesitate to take cases to trial when necessary to enforce his clients’ rights. [ Attorney Bio ]
