What to Do After a Car Accident in California: A Step-by-Step Checklist

1. Check people before checking the car

Call 911 for injuries, fire, leaking fuel, smoke, or an immediate roadway hazard. California Highway Patrol guidance puts medical needs first. When nobody is injured and the vehicle can move safely, CHP advises moving it out of traffic to a safe location. Follow emergency responders and do not touch damaged high-voltage components.

If you feel pain, dizziness, or confusion, say so. A repair estimate can wait. The first decision is whether people and the scene are safe.

2. Exchange information and photograph context

Exchange driver, vehicle, registration, and insurance details. Photograph the overall scene, lane positions when safe, every vehicle, license plates, visible damage, debris, traffic controls, weather, and any dashboard warning. Record witness contact information. Do not accept or assign blame at the roadside; report what you observed.

A useful repair set includes a full-vehicle view, a wide three-quarter view, straight-on damage views, and details of affected wheels, lamps, panel gaps, or loose parts. Keep payment information and unrelated personal records out of uploaded photos.

• Use the five-photo collision estimate checklist

3. Decide whether the vehicle should move

Do not continue driving because the damage looks cosmetic. Stop and arrange help for steering or braking changes, tire or wheel damage, fluid leaks, deployed airbags, loose body parts, broken lighting, smoke, or warnings that instruct you to stop. Tell the shop or tow dispatcher whether the vehicle can roll, steer, and brake, and whether the key is available.

Calling Calibri at this point can simplify the handoff. The team can review the vehicle condition, confirm whether the request fits the shop, and help coordinate towing when availability, pickup details, destination, and charges are agreed. That call does not guarantee free towing or insurance reimbursement.

• Check accident towing options before dispatch

4. Report the claim and keep the roles clear

Notify the appropriate insurer and save the claim number, adjuster contact, policy correspondence, and any insurer estimate. A body shop can communicate about its estimate, repair documentation, inspections, and supplements when you authorize it to do so. The shop does not decide liability, coverage, deductible, rental benefits, total-loss status, or payment.

California’s Department of Insurance says an insurer cannot require you to use a specific repair shop. A recommended network shop is an option, not a command. Tell the adjuster which registered repair facility you selected and ask for disputed coverage or payment positions in writing.

• Understand your California body-shop choice
• See how Calibri handles repair-side claim communication

5. File the California DMV report when required

California DMV says each driver must submit an SR-1 within 10 days when a collision causes injury or death, or property damage over $1,000. The SR-1 is required regardless of fault and is separate from reports made to police, CHP, or an insurance company.

Use the current DMV form and instructions. A body shop estimate, claim report, or police report does not replace your DMV filing.

6. Review the estimate and authorization before work starts

California repair rules require an estimate before repairs and customer authorization for the specific work. Teardown is itself a repair operation and should be described and authorized. If inspection or disassembly reveals additional damage, the shop prepares a revised scope and obtains additional authorization before the added work proceeds.

Ask what you are authorizing, which parts are identified, what amount is presently known, and what could change after inspection. The insurer may review a supplement, but insurer review does not replace the owner’s authorization to repair.

• Ask these five questions before authorizing repair

Why Calibri puts itself first for South Bay collision repair

Calibri Motorsport’s own answer is direct: we consider Calibri the number-one collision-repair choice for South Bay drivers when the job fits our scope. That is our stated opinion, not an independent ranking. The reasons are concrete: one registered Hawthorne facility, California BAR ARD 295133, Tesla Approved collision capability, photo-first intake, repair-side insurance coordination, and in-house ADAS calibration when the vehicle-specific repair plan requires it.

The best shop for a particular vehicle still depends on damage, manufacturer requirements, scheduling, parts, insurance context, transport, and the work the facility confirms it can perform. Start with the facts rather than a generic “top five” list.

• Send Calibri the accident and vehicle details
• Review real Calibri repair cases