What to Do in Case of An Accident

Report it, and get a claim number

Call your own insurer and open a claim, even if the other driver was at fault and even if you're not sure yet whether you'll use your own coverage. Opening a claim isn't a commitment to anything; it starts a file and gives you a claim number, which is the reference every later conversation depends on.

Write the claim number down somewhere that isn't the phone you might have just broken.

Find out where your car actually is

If it went on a truck, it's somewhere — and vehicles sitting at a tow yard or impound generally accrue storage charges for every day they stay there. Those add up quietly while everyone waits for someone else to make a decision, and they're the most avoidable cost of the whole process.

You don't have to leave it there. Once you've decided where the repair is going, the car can be collected — we do this around the clock, including from tow yards.

Decide where the car goes — it's your decision

Your insurer will very likely suggest a shop from its network. That's a suggestion, and there's nothing improper about it. But in California the choice is yours: under California Insurance Code § 758.5, an insurer generally may not require you to use a specific repair facility, and must tell you about that right if it recommends one.

You also don't have to decide at the scene, or when a tow driver asks, or on the first phone call. Take the hour you need. Once you've decided, tell your insurer the name of the shop and let the two of us handle the rest between us.

The first estimate — and why it's rarely the final one

An initial estimate is written from what can be seen with the car assembled. Modern vehicles hide a great deal behind a bumper cover: brackets, absorbers, sensors, mounting points that only reveal themselves once panels come off.

So the number usually moves once the car is apart. That's not a shop changing its mind — it's called a supplement, it's a normal part of every insurance repair, and any estimate written without disassembly is a starting figure rather than a final one. A shop that tells you the first number is definitely the last one is either very lucky or not looking hard enough.

Check whether California needs a report from you

Separately from telling your insurer, and separately from any police report, California may require the driver to file a report with the DMV within a limited period after certain accidents — generally where there's injury, death, or property damage above a set amount.

The threshold and the deadline are set by the state and can change, so check the DMV's own guidance rather than taking anyone's word for it. Most drivers don't know this obligation exists at all, which is precisely why it's worth two minutes of your time.

Sort out how you're getting around

Rental coverage varies by policy, and if you have it, it usually has a daily limit and a total cap. Ask your adjuster what yours allows before you book anything, because the gap between what a policy pays and what a rental costs is a common and unwelcome surprise.