What to Do After a Car Accident: A Calm, Complete Guide

If you take one thing from this article: safety first, information second, decisions later. Nothing about the repair or the claim has to be decided at the roadside, and the best thing you can do in the first ten minutes is slow down and capture information.

The first ten minutes

Check on everyone in your vehicle, then others involved. If anyone might be injured, call 911 — let a dispatcher decide whether it's an emergency. If the vehicles are drivable and blocking traffic, move them to a safe spot; California law permits moving vehicles out of travel lanes after a minor collision, and being out of traffic protects everyone.

Then exchange information: names, phone numbers, driver's license numbers, insurance carrier and policy numbers, and license plates. Photograph the other driver's insurance card and license if they'll allow it — photos don't make transcription errors.

Document like an adjuster

Photograph all four corners of every vehicle involved, close-ups of each damaged area, and wide shots showing the whole scene: vehicle positions, street signs, signals, skid marks, debris. If there are witnesses, ask for a name and number — a thirty-second ask can matter months later.

One thing not to do: don't debate fault, and don't announce fault. 'I'm sorry, it was my fault' feels polite and can be wrong — fault is determined later with information no one has at the scene.

The first two days

Report the collision to your insurance company promptly — most policies require it, and delay complicates claims. In California, you must also file an SR-1 report with the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured (however slightly) or property damage exceeds the state's reporting threshold; your insurer or the DMV can confirm the current figure.

If a police report was taken, note the report number and the agency. You can request a copy later; insurers often will too.

Starting the repair

You don't need to wait for the claim to be resolved to start the repair process. Photos of the damage are enough to begin an estimate, and if the vehicle isn't drivable, arranging the tow early avoids daily storage fees at a tow yard. In California, the choice of repair shop is yours — an insurer may recommend shops, but cannot require one.

From there, a good shop takes over the coordination: written estimate, repair plan, insurance communication, and status updates until delivery. That's the point where the accident stops being your daily problem.