The Library

What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Glendale, CA? | Legal Guide

car-accident · By Payam Soliemanzadeh, Esq. · September 22, 2026

Written and reviewed by Payam Soliemanzadeh, Founder and President — Updated September 22, 2026

If you've been in a collision on the Ventura Freeway, Brand Boulevard, or any Glendale street, the actions you take in the first minutes and hours can determine whether you recover fair compensation. This guide walks you through every required step—from scene safety to filing deadlines—under California law.

After a car accident in Glendale, CA, first ensure safety and call 911 if anyone is injured. Exchange information with all drivers as required by Vehicle Code §16025. Document the scene with photos and witness contacts. Report the collision to police within 24 hours if there are injuries, file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days if damages exceed $1,000 or anyone is injured, notify your insurer promptly, and consult a local attorney before accepting any settlement.

Glendale sits at the intersection of three major freeways—State Route 134 (Ventura Freeway), Interstate 5 (Golden State Freeway), and State Route 2 (Glendale Freeway)—and experiences thousands of collisions every year. Whether your accident happened during rush hour on the Ventura Freeway, at a congested intersection on Brand Boulevard, or along Glenoaks Boulevard near a shopping district, what you do in the minutes and hours that follow can shape the outcome of any insurance claim or lawsuit.

California is an at-fault state, which means the driver responsible for the crash is liable for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. But proving fault and securing fair compensation require evidence, compliance with strict reporting deadlines, and an understanding of your rights under California law. This guide explains every step you must take immediately after a car accident in Glendale to protect your health, preserve your claim, and avoid costly mistakes.

Because Glendale is part of Los Angeles County, any personal injury lawsuit you file will be heard in the North Central District at the Glendale Courthouse, and you will face the same two-year statute of limitations that applies throughout California. If a government vehicle or employee is involved, a separate six-month claim deadline applies. The steps below are drawn from Vehicle Code requirements, court rules, and decades of experience handling Glendale collisions.

Stop, stay at the scene, and check for injuries

California Vehicle Code §20001 makes it a crime to leave the scene of an accident that causes injury or death. Even if the collision appears minor, you must stop your vehicle as close to the scene as safely possible. Turn on your hazard lights, set out flares or warning triangles if you have them, and move to a safe location—such as a sidewalk or shoulder—if remaining in traffic lanes poses a danger.

Check yourself, your passengers, and occupants of other vehicles for injuries. Adrenaline often masks pain, so even if you feel fine, be alert for signs of shock, dizziness, or disorientation. If anyone complains of pain, appears unconscious, or shows visible injury, call 911 immediately. Glendale is served by the Glendale Fire Department and Glendale Police Department, both of which dispatch to collision scenes. For life-threatening injuries, paramedics may transport victims to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena—a Level II trauma center located at 100 West California Boulevard—which is the nearest designated trauma facility.

Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger, such as a vehicle fire. Wait for professional medical help. Even if you decline transport at the scene, seek a medical evaluation within 24 hours; many soft-tissue injuries and concussions do not produce symptoms until hours or days later, and a gap in treatment can be used by insurance adjusters to argue that your injuries were not serious or not caused by the crash.

Call law enforcement and file a collision report

California Vehicle Code §20008 requires that if anyone is injured or killed in a collision, you must file a written report with the local police department or California Highway Patrol within 24 hours. Crashes on Interstate 5, State Route 134, and State Route 2 typically fall under CHP jurisdiction, while collisions on Brand Boulevard, Glenoaks Boulevard, San Fernando Road, and other city streets are handled by the Glendale Police Department.

Even when the law does not strictly require a police report—for example, in a low-speed parking-lot collision with no injuries—having an official report is invaluable. It creates a contemporaneous, neutral record of the scene, the parties, insurance information, and often an officer's preliminary assessment of fault. Insurance companies place significant weight on police reports, and judges and juries treat them as credible evidence.

When officers arrive, provide a clear, factual account of what happened. Do not speculate, admit fault, or editorialize. If you are unsure about a detail, say so. Request a copy of the report or ask for the report number and the agency's records bureau contact. You can typically obtain the full report within a few days by contacting the Glendale Police Department or the CHP office that responded.

Exchange information as required by law

California Vehicle Code §16025 mandates that all drivers involved in a collision must exchange names, addresses, driver license numbers, vehicle registration numbers, and insurance information. You must also show your driver license and vehicle registration to the other driver upon request. Failure to do so is a misdemeanor.

Collect the following from every driver and vehicle involved: full legal name, current address, telephone number, driver license number and state, license plate number and state, vehicle make and model, insurance company name, policy number, and the name of the registered owner if different from the driver. If the other driver is working—for example, driving a delivery truck, rideshare vehicle, or company car—ask for the employer's name and contact information. Photograph all licenses, registrations, and insurance cards if the other party permits.

Do not rely on verbal assurances that "everything is fine" or that "my insurance will handle it." Even if the other driver is apologetic and cooperative, politely insist on exchanging written information. If the other driver refuses or flees the scene, note the vehicle's license plate, make, model, color, and direction of travel, and report the hit-and-run to police immediately. Your own uninsured-motorist coverage may apply in hit-and-run cases.

Document the scene with photos and witness information

Modern smartphones make it easy to preserve critical evidence before vehicles are moved and debris is swept away. Take photographs and video of vehicle damage from multiple angles, the final resting positions of all vehicles, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, street signs, road conditions, weather, and anything else that helps tell the story of how the collision occurred. Capture the license plates of all involved vehicles and any nearby surveillance cameras—on buildings, traffic poles, or businesses—that may have recorded the crash.

If there are witnesses—pedestrians, other motorists, or nearby business employees—ask for their names and telephone numbers. Write down or record their account of what they saw while the event is still fresh in their memory. Witnesses often disappear or become hard to locate once they leave the scene, and their statements can be decisive in disputed-liability cases. California's pure comparative negligence rule means that even if you were partially at fault, you may still recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault, so any evidence that shifts liability away from you has real financial value.

Do not post photos or descriptions of the collision on social media. Insurance defense attorneys routinely scour Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for posts that can be used to undermine your claim. A photo of you smiling at a family gathering two days after the crash, for example, may be mischaracterized as proof that you were not seriously injured. Keep all evidence private and share it only with your attorney and, when appropriate, your insurer.

File an SR-1 report with the DMV within ten days

California Vehicle Code §16000 and §16056 require that any driver involved in a collision resulting in more than $1,000 in property damage or any injury or death must file a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (form SR-1) with the Department of Motor Vehicles within ten days of the crash. This is a separate requirement from the police report and applies even if an officer came to the scene.

You can download the SR-1 form from the California DMV website or obtain a paper copy at a DMV field office. The form requires basic information about the collision, the parties, and insurance coverage. If you fail to file the SR-1 on time, the DMV may suspend your driver license and vehicle registration until you comply and provide proof of financial responsibility under Vehicle Code §16056.

Filing the SR-1 is a legal obligation, not an admission of fault. The form itself is not admissible as evidence in a civil lawsuit, but failing to file it can have serious consequences for your driving privileges. If you have questions about how to complete the form or what information to provide, consult an attorney before the ten-day window closes.

Notify your insurance company promptly

Your auto insurance policy almost certainly contains a cooperation clause that requires you to report any accident promptly, even if you believe the other driver was entirely at fault. Failure to provide timely notice can give your insurer grounds to deny coverage for your own property damage, medical payments, or uninsured-motorist benefits. Call your insurance company or file a claim online within 24 to 48 hours of the collision.

When you report the claim, provide the basic facts: the date, time, and location of the crash; the other driver's information; and a brief description of how it happened. You are not required to give a recorded statement immediately, and in many cases it is wiser to consult an attorney first. Do not admit fault, guess about injuries, or agree that the damage is minor. Your initial report sets the tone for the entire claim, and any inconsistencies between what you say on day one and what you say weeks later can be exploited by adjusters.

California is an at-fault state, so you will typically pursue compensation from the other driver's liability insurer if that driver was negligent. However, if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured—a common problem in Los Angeles County—you may turn to your own uninsured-motorist (UM) or underinsured-motorist (UIM) coverage. Insurers are required to offer UM/UIM coverage in amounts equal to your liability limits, and it can only be rejected in writing. If you carry UM/UIM coverage, notify your insurer of that possibility early so that your claim is not delayed.

Understand California deadlines and your right to compensation

California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in court. If you were injured and the statute of limitations expires before you file, you lose your right to sue, and the at-fault driver and insurer owe you nothing. This two-year deadline is strict and applies regardless of whether you have been negotiating with an insurance company.

If the collision involved a government vehicle or employee—such as a Glendale city bus, a public-works truck, or a police car—you must file an administrative claim with the relevant government entity within six months under California Government Code §911.2. Only after that claim is denied or deemed denied can you file a lawsuit, and the denial itself triggers additional deadlines. Missing the six-month window is almost always fatal to your claim, so if there is any possibility of government liability, consult an attorney immediately.

Property damage claims are governed by a separate three-year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure §338. Because your vehicle and other property are often repaired or totaled within weeks of the crash, most property claims are resolved long before the deadline. However, if you discover hidden damage months later—such as frame damage that was not apparent in the initial inspection—the three-year window gives you time to pursue additional compensation.

California's pure comparative negligence rule, established by the Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co., means that you can recover even if you were partly at fault. If a jury finds you 30 percent responsible for the crash, your damages will be reduced by 30 percent, but you can still collect the remaining 70 percent from the other driver. This is why thorough documentation and witness statements are so important: every percentage point of liability you can shift to the other side increases your net recovery.

Local details

Glendale is located in Los Angeles County, and any personal injury lawsuit arising from a collision here will be filed in the North Central District of the Los Angeles Superior Court. The courthouse serving Glendale is the Glendale Courthouse, located at 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206. If your case proceeds to trial, it will be heard in that building by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge and jury drawn from the county's jury pool.

The city's geography and traffic patterns matter. State Route 134, known locally as the Ventura Freeway, runs east-west through the center of Glendale and connects to Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) on the west and State Route 2 (the Glendale Freeway) on the east. Collisions on these freeways are investigated by the California Highway Patrol, and data from those crashes are compiled in the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), which is maintained by the CHP and accessible through the UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System at https://tims.berkeley.edu. Your attorney may use SWITRS data to identify patterns of dangerous conditions at specific interchanges or intersections.

On surface streets, Brand Boulevard runs north-south through downtown Glendale and is heavily trafficked by shoppers and commuters. Glenoaks Boulevard parallels Brand to the west and carries significant commercial traffic. San Fernando Road runs along the western edge of the city near the Los Angeles River and is used by trucks and industrial vehicles. Collisions on these corridors are handled by the Glendale Police Department, and reports are filed with the Glendale PD Records Bureau.

Huntington Hospital, located at 100 West California Boulevard in Pasadena, is the nearest Level II trauma center and serves Glendale and surrounding communities. If you or a passenger suffered serious injuries—such as traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding, or fractures—you may have been transported there by ambulance. Trauma center records, imaging studies, and physicians' notes from Huntington Hospital will be critical evidence of the nature and extent of your injuries, and your attorney will obtain them through a HIPAA-compliant medical authorization as part of building your case.

Consult an attorney before accepting a settlement

Insurance adjusters often contact accident victims within days of a crash, sometimes offering a quick settlement in exchange for a release of all claims. These early offers are almost always far below the true value of your claim, because the adjuster does not yet know the full extent of your injuries, the cost of future medical treatment, or the amount of wages you will lose due to time off work.

Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen your claim, even if you later discover that your injuries are more severe than you initially thought. Soft-tissue injuries, herniated discs, and post-concussion syndrome often worsen over time, and the true cost of an injury may not be apparent for weeks or months. Before you accept any money or sign any document, speak with an attorney who handles car accident cases in Los Angeles County and understands how to value a claim under California law.

An experienced attorney will investigate the collision, obtain the police report and any available video footage, interview witnesses, review your medical records, calculate your economic and non-economic damages, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. If the insurer refuses to offer fair compensation, your attorney can file a lawsuit in the Glendale Courthouse and take your case to trial. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no fee unless you recover compensation, and the initial consultation is usually free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to call the police if the accident was minor?

California law requires a written report to police or CHP within 24 hours if anyone is injured or killed, under Vehicle Code §20008. Even if no one appears hurt, it is wise to call law enforcement so that an official collision report is created. Insurance companies and courts give significant weight to police reports, and having one can prevent disputes about how the crash occurred and who was at fault. If the collision happened on a Glendale city street, contact the Glendale Police Department. If it occurred on Interstate 5, State Route 134, or State Route 2, the California Highway Patrol has jurisdiction.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a car accident in Glendale?

Under California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1, you have two years from the date of the collision to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government entity or employee was involved, you must first file an administrative claim within six months under Government Code §911.2. Missing these deadlines can bar your claim entirely, so it is critical to consult an attorney early. Cases filed in Glendale are heard at the Glendale Courthouse, 600 East Broadway, in the North Central District of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

What if the other driver does not have insurance?

If the at-fault driver is uninsured, you may be able to recover compensation through your own uninsured-motorist (UM) coverage. California law requires insurers to offer UM coverage, and it can only be waived in writing. If you carry UM coverage, notify your insurer promptly and provide all documentation of the collision and your injuries. If you do not have UM coverage, you may still sue the at-fault driver personally, but collecting a judgment from an uninsured defendant can be difficult.

Should I give a recorded statement to the insurance company?

You are generally required to cooperate with your own insurer under the terms of your policy, but you are not obligated to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company. Anything you say can be used to minimize or deny your claim, and adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to elicit statements that hurt your case. Before giving any recorded statement, consult an attorney who can advise you on what to say and what to avoid.

What is the SR-1 form and when do I need to file it?

The SR-1 is a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California, required by Vehicle Code §16000. You must file it with the DMV within ten days if the crash caused more than $1,000 in damage or any injury or death. Failure to file can result in suspension of your license and registration. The form is available at www.dmv.ca.gov. Filing the SR-1 is not an admission of fault and is separate from any police report or insurance claim.

Sources

Talk to a Glendale car accident attorney

Our California personal injury attorneys offer a free, confidential case review. Call (800) 800-8910 any time, day or night, or request a free case review.

Attorney advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.