After a California car accident, know what comes next.
Understand your injuries and treatment, how insurance and fault usually work, what evidence matters, which deadlines apply, and what your options are, including asking to be connected with an independent attorney.
What usually happens after a California accident
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1
The accident
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2
Safety
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3
Medical care
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4
Evidence
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5
Insurance
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6
Your options
Transparency instead of testimonials
We do not publish case results, star ratings or reviews. What we publish instead is where every statement came from and when it was last checked.
Sources on every claim
Legal and statistical statements cite the statute, agency or dataset they come from, with the date we checked it.
Reviewed and dated
Every guide shows when it was last reviewed, so you can judge how current it is.
Clear about what we are not
We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and we say so wherever it matters rather than in the small print.
No pressure, no obligation
Nothing here requires an account, a phone call, or a decision. You can read and leave.
Different accidents, different questions
The rules that matter, the evidence that helps and the deadlines that apply all shift depending on the kind of accident. Start with the one that matches yours.
Car Accidents
The most common claim type, and the baseline for how fault and insurance work.
Truck Accidents
Commercial vehicles bring extra rules, extra records and more than one possible defendant.
Motorcycle Accidents
Serious injuries are common, and riders often face assumptions about how the crash happened.
Rideshare Accidents
Which policy applies depends entirely on what the driver was doing at that moment.
Pedestrian Accidents
Right of way, crosswalks and visibility usually decide how these claims are assessed.
Bicycle Accidents
Road position, lighting and driver awareness are usually central to what happened.
Wrongful Death
Who may bring a claim, and what it can cover, is set by California statute.
The order things usually need to happen in
Immediately after an accident it is hard to know what matters. This is the sequence most people need to work through, starting with safety.
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Get to safety
Move out of traffic if you can do so safely, and switch on hazard lights.
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Check for injuries
Check yourself and others. Injuries are not always obvious straight away.
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Contact emergency services where appropriate
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or the road is blocked. Ask for a police report where one is warranted.
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Document the scene
Photograph vehicles, positions, damage, road conditions, signage and anything that will not still be there tomorrow.
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Exchange information
Names, contact details, licence, registration and insurance for everyone involved, plus witnesses.
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Seek medical attention
Being examined creates a record that ties any injury to the collision. Delay makes that link harder to show.
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Notify the appropriate insurer
Most policies require prompt notice. Reporting a claim is not the same as accepting fault.
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Preserve evidence
Keep photographs, receipts, medical records, repair estimates and a note of what you remember while it is fresh.
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Understand the deadlines
Time limits apply, and claims involving a public entity can have much shorter ones.
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Consider professional legal guidance
You can ask to be connected with an independent attorney at any point, or simply use the guides here.
Four steps, and you control every one
Nothing happens automatically. You decide whether to ask for attorney assistance, and you can stop at any point.
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Step 1
Tell us what happened
A short set of questions about the accident, injuries, insurance and timing. One decision per screen, and you can stop at any point.
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Step 2
Review the relevant next steps
We show you the guidance that matches your answers, including the deadlines and documentation that usually matter in California.
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Step 3
Request attorney assistance, if you want it
Entirely optional. You can take the information and stop there, or ask to be connected with an independent attorney.
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Step 4
Independent attorney review
Where a participating attorney is available and the matter is appropriate, they decide independently whether to review or accept it. No attorney is obliged to do either.
The rules that actually apply here
California has its own approach to fault, its own deadlines and its own rules for claims against public bodies. These are the ones that come up most.
How fault works
Negligence, evidence and how insurers decide who was responsible.
Comparative negligence
Being partly at fault does not end a claim in California. It changes what it is worth.
Filing deadlines
The time limits that decide whether a claim can be brought at all.
Insurance claims
Notice, adjusters, recorded statements and what usually happens in what order.
Injuries and treatment
Why the medical record matters, and what gaps in treatment tend to mean.
Government claims
Accidents involving a public entity carry much shorter deadlines.
Things you can actually use today
Checklists and organisers you can work through at your own pace, plus the guides behind them.
Accident checklist
What to capture at the scene and in the days afterwards.
Information organiser
One place to keep names, policies, records and receipts.
California deadline guide
Which time limits apply to your situation, and when they start.
Resource library
Plain-language guides on insurance, injuries, fault and evidence.
Accident statistics
Published data, with its source, date and methodology attached.
How it works
What happens at each stage, and what we do with your information.
Questions people ask first
No. Reading the guides and using the Case Check is free, and there is no account to create. If you later choose to work with an attorney, any fee arrangement is between you and that attorney.
No. CalAccidentHelp is an informational resource and an attorney-connection service. We do not provide legal advice or legal representation, and using this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Your information may be shared with an independent participating attorney where one is available and the matter is appropriate. That attorney decides independently whether to review or accept it. No attorney is obliged to do either, and no outcome is promised.
No. You can read the guides, use the checklists and never submit anything. The Case Check only sends information if you complete it and choose to.
Yes. California uses comparative negligence, which means being partly responsible reduces what a claim is worth rather than ending it. Our guide on comparative negligence explains how that works.
Every guide carries the date it was last reviewed and cites the statute, agency or dataset it relies on, so you can check the source yourself. Where something is genuinely uncertain we say so rather than presenting it as settled.
See what applies to your situation
A few questions about what happened, and you get the guidance that matches it. Free, no obligation, and you can stop at any point.
CalAccidentHelp is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Submitting information does not create an attorney-client relationship.