Day One: What To Do in the First 24 Hours After a Los Angeles Accident

The first 24 hours after an accident in Los Angeles are the most critical period of your entire claim — and almost certainly the period when you are least prepared to protect yourself. 

You are dealing with shock, pain, fear, and confusion. The other driver's insurance company is already aware of the accident. Their adjuster may call you before the day is over. Evidence at the scene is disappearing by the hour. And every decision you make right now — what you say, who you call, whether you see a doctor — will follow your claim all the way to resolution.

This guide tells you exactly what to do, in order, starting from the moment the accident happens. It is written from the perspective of someone who spent 12 years on the insurance defense side — which means it reflects what the other side is doing while you are still at the scene. 

What the Insurance Company Is Doing 

Before we get to your checklist, understand this: the moment an accident is reported, the insurance company for the at-fault driver begins building their case. In Los Angeles, where major carriers like State Farm, Farmers, Mercury, and AAA handle enormous claim volumes, adjusters are assigned quickly and trained to move fast. 

Here is what is happening on their end within hours of your accident: A claim file has been opened. The adjuster has been assigned and has begun reviewing the police report or CHP report if it is already available. 

They are attempting to contact you. The first call from the opposing insurer often comes the same day or the next morning. The goal is to get your recorded statement before you have spoken to an attorney and while your memory of events is unformed. 

They are preserving their insured's version of events. The at-fault driver has likely already given their account to their own insurer. That account is being documented and will be compared against everything you say. 

They may be investigating the scene. In serious accidents, insurers sometimes send investigators to document the scene, photograph skid marks, and gather evidence before it is altered or cleaned up. Knowing this is not meant to frighten you — it is meant to motivate you to move with equal urgency on your side of the claim.

Your Day One Checklist: Eight Steps in Order 

Step 1 — Check for Injuries and Call 911

Before anything else, check yourself and every passenger for injuries. Do not move anyone who may have a spinal or neck injury unless there is immediate danger such as fire. Call 911 immediately. In Los Angeles, you need both emergency medical services and a police or CHP report. 

Never leave the scene of an accident without a police report — it is one of the most important documents in your entire claim. Which agency responds depends on where the accident occurred: Los Angeles city streets: LAPD Unincorporated LA County areas: LA County Sheriff California freeways (405, 5, 10, 101, 110, 14, 210): California Highway Patrol Get the responding officer's name and badge number and ask how to obtain a copy of the report. LAPD reports are available through the LAPD online report portal. CHP reports are available through the CHP website, typically within 10 business days.

Step 2 — Document Everything at the Scene

If you are physically able to do so safely, document the scene thoroughly before vehicles are moved or evidence disappears. 

Use your phone camera and photograph: 

• All vehicles involved — every angle, every panel, showing the full extent of damage 

• The point of impact — skid marks, debris, fluid spills, gouges in the road surface 
• The surrounding environment — traffic signals, stop signs, speed limit signs, lane markings, road conditions, weather conditions, lighting 
• All license plates Any visible injuries on yourself or passengers — photograph bruising, lacerations, or swelling at the scene and continue photographing injury progression in the days that follow 
• The broader accident location — street names, intersection identifiers, landmarks, business names that establish exactly where the accident occurred 
• Exchange the following with every other driver: 
• Full legal name and date of birth 
• Driver's license number and state Vehicle registration information 
• Insurance company name and policy number 
• Phone number 
• Collect contact information from every witness who stops. 
• Freeway and intersection witnesses in Los Angeles disappear quickly — this is your only opportunity to get their information.

Step 3 — Get Medical Attention Right Away

This is non-negotiable — even if you feel fine. Adrenaline is a powerful masking agent. In the immediate aftermath of an accident, your body's stress response suppresses pain signals. Injuries that feel minor or nonexistent at the scene frequently become apparent hours or days later. 

This is particularly true of: 

• Concussions and traumatic brain injuries — symptoms including headache, confusion, memory problems, and personality changes often emerge gradually 

• Spinal and disc injuries — herniated discs and spinal compression injuries frequently produce delayed onset pain and neurological symptoms 
• Soft tissue injuries — whiplash and muscle injuries to the neck, back, and shoulders are notoriously slow to declare themselves Internal injuries — internal bleeding and organ damage can be present without immediate obvious symptoms 

From a legal standpoint, the gap between your accident and your first medical visit is one of the most powerful weapons in the insurance adjuster's arsenal. Their argument is simple: if you were truly injured, you would have gone to the doctor immediately. 

A same-day medical visit eliminates that argument entirely. Go to the nearest emergency room, urgent care facility, or your own physician — same day. Describe every symptom, every area of discomfort, and every part of your body that was involved in the impact, even if the pain seems minor. 

What gets documented in that first visit becomes the medical foundation of your claim. In the Los Angeles area, major emergency facilities include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in the Santa Clarita Valley, and Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, among many others.

Step 4 — Do Not Give a Recorded Statement

The opposing insurance company will call you. They will be friendly, sympathetic, and efficient. They will tell you they just need to get your side of the story to process the claim. They will ask if they can record the call. Do not agree to a recorded statement. You have no legal obligation to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company — ever. 

This is one of the most important things to understand about the claims process in California. 

Here is what adjusters are trained to listen for in recorded statements: 

Minimizing language. Statements like "I'm okay," "it wasn't that bad," or "I think I'm fine" are documented and used to contest injury claims later. 

Fault admissions. "I didn't see them coming," "I was in a hurry," or "I may have been distracted" are treated as admissions of comparative fault under California's comparative negligence rule. 

Inconsistencies. Your account of the accident given in the first 24 hours — before you have seen the police report, reviewed the scene, or consulted anyone — will be compared against every subsequent statement you make. 

Any variation, however minor, is used to challenge your credibility. 

When the adjuster calls, be polite. Take their name, phone number, and claim number. Tell them you will be in touch. Then stop. Do not discuss fault, your injuries, or the details of the accident until you have spoken with an attorney. 

Note: you are contractually obligated to cooperate with your own insurance company under your policy terms. This is different from the opposing insurer. Even with your own carrier, it is advisable to consult an attorney before giving a detailed recorded statement, particularly if there is any uninsured motorist coverage involved.

Step 5 — Write Everything Down

As soon as you are able — ideally the same evening — write a detailed personal account of exactly what happened. Try your best to include: 

- Where you were going and your route 

- The time of day and light conditions 

- Weather and road surface conditions 

- Traffic conditions and your speed 

- What you observed in the moments before impact 

- The sequence of events leading to the collision 

- The point of impact and how your vehicle moved 

- What you felt physically at and immediately after impact 

- What was said at the scene and by whom 

Everything you observed about the other driver and vehicle Write this account for yourself — it is not a statement to anyone. 

Date it and keep it with your claim documents. Memory degrades rapidly after traumatic events. The account you write today will be more accurate and detailed than anything you can reconstruct weeks or months later.

Step 6 — Notify Your Insurance Company

Your insurance policy requires you to notify your insurer promptly after an accident. Do this — but do it carefully. Provide the basic facts: the date, time, and location of the accident, that another vehicle was involved, and that you are seeking medical attention. That is sufficient for initial notification purposes. 

Do not provide a detailed recorded statement to your own insurer until you have consulted an attorney, particularly if: 

You have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage that may be implicated 

The facts of the accident are disputed 

You are uncertain about the extent of your injuries 

Your own insurer's interests are generally aligned with yours, but they are still an insurance company and their adjusters are trained accordingly. An attorney can help you navigate this relationship from the beginning.

Step 7 — Stay Away from Social Media

This step is consistently underestimated. Insurance companies in Los Angeles routinely monitor the social media accounts of accident claimants — including Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and others. 

Defense attorneys in litigation routinely request social media records in discovery. 

On the day of your accident and throughout your claim, do not post: 

Anything about the accident itself 

Any photographs of yourself engaging in physical activity 

Any statements about how you are feeling 

Any travel, event, or activity content that could be used to suggest your injuries are less serious than claimed 

Anything that puts you in a vehicle

Set all accounts to private immediately.  Understand that even private posts can be subject to discovery in litigation. The safest approach is to treat all social media as publicly visible for the duration of your claim.

Step 8 — Consult a Personal Injury Attorney

You do not need to hire an attorney on day one. But you should consult one. Every reputable personal injury attorney in Los Angeles offers free initial consultations — there is no cost and no obligation. A 15-to-30-minute call on day one can prevent the most expensive and irreversible mistakes of the entire claims process. 

Early attorney involvement accomplishes several critical things: 

Preservation of evidence. An attorney can send a spoliation letter to the at-fault party and their insurer immediately, requiring them to preserve all evidence related to the accident. Without this, critical evidence including vehicle data recorders, surveillance footage, and maintenance records can be destroyed — sometimes within days. 

Controlling communications. Once the other insurer knows you are represented, all communications go through your attorney. The flood of calls from adjusters stops. Protecting you from early settlement traps. 

Insurance companies sometimes make fast settlement offers in the first few days — before you know the extent of your injuries or your rights. An attorney ensures you do not sign away your claim for a fraction of its value. Free consultations are available at (661) 555-1212. 

Day One: Special Situations

If You Were Hit by an Uber or Lyft Driver

Rideshare accidents in Los Angeles involve multiple insurance layers that make day one documentation especially critical. You need to capture the rideshare app information — take a screenshot showing the driver's name, vehicle, and trip status at the time of the accident. This establishes which insurance policy applies: the driver's personal policy, Uber or Lyft's contingent liability coverage, or their full $1 million commercial policy depending on whether the driver had a passenger or was waiting for a ride request.

If a Government Vehicle was Involved

If your accident involved a vehicle owned or operated by the City of Los Angeles, LA County, Caltrans, a public transit agency such as LA Metro, or any other government entity, you face a critical deadline that does not apply to private party claims. California Government Code § 911.2 requires you to file a government tort claim within six months of the date of your injury. Missing this deadline almost always bars your claim entirely — regardless of how strong your case is on the merits. This six-month deadline begins running on day one. Consult an attorney immediately if any government entity may be involved. Again all rules can change so make sure you check with an attorney.

If the At-Fault Driver Fled the Scene

Hit and run accidents are unfortunately common in Los Angeles. If the at-fault driver fled: Call 911 immediately and report the hit and run Document everything you can about the fleeing vehicle — make, model, color, partial plate number, direction of travel Canvass for witnesses and surveillance cameras — businesses, residences, and traffic cameras in LA are often able to capture fleeing vehicles Report to your own insurer — your uninsured motorist coverage is your primary recovery mechanism in a hit and run Do not assume the driver cannot be found — LAPD and CHP investigate hit and runs and perpetrators are identified more frequently than most people expect

What Happens Next?

Day one is about immediate protection. Phase 2 — the first week — is about building the foundation of your claim before the insurance company gains the upper hand. The first week covers: following up on your medical treatment, obtaining the police report, understanding what the adjuster wants and why, and beginning the documentation process that will support your claim through to resolution. 

→ Continue to Phase 2: The First Week