Make sure everyone is safe and call the police. Photograph the scene and damage, exchange driver, vehicle, and insurance details, then notify your insurer — even from the scene. You'll get a claim number and an assigned adjuster, choose the repair shop you want (your right in California), get a written estimate, and arrange a rental if your policy covers one. Stick to the facts with the adjuster and never guess at fault.
A crash is disorienting, and the claims process feels like a second problem stacked on the first. It doesn't have to be. Filing a car insurance claim is a predictable sequence of steps, and knowing them ahead of time lets you protect yourself, your vehicle, and your claim. Here's exactly how it works, in order.
Step 1: Make sure everyone is safe, then call the police
Before anything else, check yourself and everyone in your vehicle for injuries, then the other driver and any passengers. If it's safe and the cars are drivable, move them out of traffic and turn on your hazards. Call 911 for any injury, and call the police even for a minor collision — a police report creates a neutral record of what happened, which becomes valuable if fault is later disputed. Get the report number before you leave.
Step 2: Document everything at the scene
Your phone is your best tool here. Photograph the damage to both vehicles, the position of the cars, license plates, the other driver's insurance card, street signs, skid marks, and any visible injuries. Wide shots for context, close-ups for detail. If there are witnesses, get names and phone numbers. Memories fade and stories change; photos taken in the moment don't.
Step 3: Exchange information (and keep it factual)
Trade names, phone numbers, addresses, driver's license numbers, license plates, and insurance company names with policy numbers. What you should not trade is opinion. Don't apologize, don't say "I didn't see you," and don't discuss who was at fault. Those comments feel polite in the moment but can be read later as an admission. Stick to the exchange of facts.
Already in an accident in the Inland Empire?
Green Tech Collision Center works with every major insurer, documents the damage properly, and repairs your vehicle to manufacturer spec. We'll help you handle the claim.
Start My Free EstimateStep 4: Notify your insurer — even if you're not at fault
Call your insurance company as soon as you reasonably can, sometimes right from the scene. Most policies ask you to report "promptly," and prompt reporting keeps everything moving. Report it even when you believe the other driver caused the crash: your own insurer can advocate for you, and many policies require notice regardless of fault. Most major insurers — including State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, AAA, and Farmers — let you start a claim by phone or through their app, where you can upload photos and check status.
Step 5: Get your claim number and adjuster
Once the claim is opened, you'll receive a claim number — write it down and reference it on every call. The insurer assigns a claims adjuster who investigates the accident, reviews the damage, and determines what the policy covers. The adjuster may inspect the car in person, ask you to upload photos, or send you to a drive-in appraisal center. Keep a simple log of who you spoke with and when.
What to say — and what not to say — to the adjuster
Adjusters are professional and often helpful, but their job is to settle claims efficiently for the insurer. Give them the basic facts you clearly remember: date, time, location, weather, and the vehicles involved. Beyond that:
- Don't admit or guess at fault. If you're unsure of a detail, it's fine to say you don't remember rather than speculate.
- Don't downplay or overstate injuries. Some injuries surface days later; let a doctor characterize them.
- You are not required to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement. Be polite, but you can decline.
- Don't accept the first lowball offer as final if it doesn't cover a proper repair. You can ask questions and provide your own shop's estimate.
How long does the claims process take?
California has some of the clearest rules in the country. Under the state's Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, your insurer must acknowledge your claim within 15 days, and accept or deny it within 40 days of receiving proof of claim. They can take one 30-day extension only with a written explanation, and they must update you on the investigation every 30 days. Undisputed amounts are supposed to be paid promptly. A straightforward repair claim often moves in days; a disputed-fault or total-loss claim takes longer.
At-fault vs. not-at-fault: which insurer pays?
California is an at-fault ("tort") state, so the driver who caused the crash — through their insurance — is ultimately responsible for the damage. In practice you have two paths. You can file with the at-fault driver's insurer (a third-party claim), or file with your own insurer under your collision coverage and let them recover the money from the other side, refunding your deductible if they succeed. Filing with your own company is often faster, especially when fault is contested or the other driver is uninsured. Your consumer protections — the right to choose your shop, to a written estimate, and to rental information — apply either way.
Step 6: Choose YOUR shop and get a real estimate
This is where many drivers give up control they didn't know they had. California law protects your right to select the auto body shop, and an insurer cannot require the repair be done at a particular shop or penalize you for choosing your own. You are also entitled to an itemized written estimate up front and a detailed final invoice listing parts and labor. Take the car to a shop you trust, get that written estimate, and let it — not just the insurer's number — define the repair. For more on this, see whether you have to use the insurance company's body shop and our guide to insurance-approved collision repair.
Step 7: Repairs, rental, and closing the claim
Once the estimate is approved, repairs begin. A good shop repairs to the manufacturer's procedures, uses the correct parts, and recalibrates driver-assist (ADAS) systems the collision may have affected. If your policy includes rental coverage, the insurer must tell you the daily rate and number of days it will pay — arrange the rental before you drop the car off so you're not without transportation. When the work is done, review the final invoice against the estimate before you sign off, and keep every document with your claim number.
When it's smarter to pay out of pocket
Not every ding belongs on your insurance record. If the damage is minor — a small dent or scuffed bumper, no other driver, no injuries — and the repair is at or below your deductible, paying out of pocket can make sense. You avoid a claim on your history and any premium effect, and small cosmetic repairs are often surprisingly affordable. The smart move is simple: get a free written estimate first. Once you know the real number, you can weigh it against your deductible and decide with facts instead of guesswork.
This article is general information for California drivers, not legal advice. Company names are used only to describe common insurers; they do not imply any affiliation. For questions about your specific policy or claim, consult your insurer or an attorney.