What to Do After a Car Accident in Inglewood

By Payam Soliemanzadeh, Founder and President

Key takeaways

• Call 911 for injuries; Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is the nearest Level I trauma center at 1000 West Carson Street, Torrance.
• Exchange driver information under Vehicle Code §16025 and photograph damage, injuries, and conditions on the corridor involved.
• File a written police report within 24 hours if injuries occurred and an SR-1 to the DMV within 10 days.
• You have two years under CCP §335.1 to file a personal injury claim, or six months under Gov. Code §911.2 if a government entity is involved.

Inglewood sits at the convergence of Interstate 405, Interstate 105, and State Route 90, making it a high-traffic junction in Los Angeles County. Collisions on Century Boulevard, Manchester Boulevard, and La Brea Avenue often involve multiple lanes, commercial vehicles, and congested intersections. The minutes after impact are critical for preserving evidence and establishing the facts that will support your claim.

What you do—or fail to do—at the scene and in the days that follow shapes the outcome of any car accident case. California law imposes strict reporting obligations, and missing a deadline can foreclose recovery entirely. This guide outlines every required step, the statutes that govern them, and the local agencies and facilities you will interact with in Inglewood.

Ensure safety and summon help

Your first duty is to stop and render reasonable assistance. If anyone complains of pain, shows visible injury, or appears disoriented, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to diagnose severity; emergency responders will triage at the scene. For serious trauma, patients are often transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the nearest Level I trauma center, located at 1000 West Carson Street in Torrance, which provides comprehensive surgical and critical-care capabilities around the clock.

Move vehicles out of traffic only if it is safe to do so and all parties are uninjured. On high-speed corridors like the San Diego Freeway or the Century Freeway, leaving disabled cars in travel lanes creates secondary collision risk. Activate hazard lights, set flares if you have them, and stand well clear of moving traffic while waiting for police or the California Highway Patrol to arrive and secure the scene.

Exchange information and document the scene

Vehicle Code §16025 requires every driver involved in a collision to exchange name, address, driver license number, vehicle registration, and insurance information. Write down the other party's policy number and carrier, and photograph both insurance cards and all license plates. If the other driver is uncooperative or flees, note the vehicle description, direction of travel, and any partial plate characters you observed.

Use your phone to photograph all vehicle damage from multiple angles, skid marks, debris, traffic-control devices, weather conditions, and any visible injuries. Capture street signs that identify the intersection or corridor—La Brea Avenue, Century Boulevard, or Manchester Boulevard—because location details matter when reconstructing fault. Collect names and phone numbers from witnesses who saw the impact; independent statements often prove decisive when the other party later changes their story or disputes liability.

Comply with reporting deadlines

If anyone is injured or killed, Vehicle Code §20008 requires you to file a written report with the law-enforcement agency that investigated—or, if none responded, with the California Highway Patrol—within 24 hours. Separately, Vehicle Code §16000 mandates an SR-1 report to the California Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days if the collision caused injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,000. Failure to file the SR-1 can result in suspension of your driver license, even if you were not at fault.

These administrative obligations run parallel to any civil claim. You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure §335.1. If a city vehicle, county bus, or other government entity was involved, Government Code §911.2 shortens your window to six months to present a formal claim to the public agency. Missing either deadline extinguishes your right to recover, regardless of how clear liability may be.

Local details

Inglewood lies within the Southwest District of the Los Angeles Superior Court. If your case proceeds to litigation, it will be heard at the Inglewood Courthouse, located at One Regent Street, Inglewood, CA 90301. The courthouse handles all civil filings for this area of Los Angeles County, including personal injury and property damage actions arising from collisions on the San Diego Freeway (I-405), the Century Freeway (I-105), the Marina Freeway (SR-90), and surface streets such as La Brea, Century, and Manchester.

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, the designated Level I trauma center serving the South Bay and southwest Los Angeles County, is approximately six miles south at 1000 West Carson Street in Torrance. Emergency medical records generated there become critical evidence of injury causation and extent. Keep copies of all intake forms, imaging reports, and discharge summaries; your attorney will subpoena the full chart during discovery, but having your own set expedites early case evaluation and settlement demand preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to call the police for a minor fender-bender in Inglewood?

California law does not require a police response if no one is injured and all vehicles are drivable, but having an official report strengthens your claim. If the other driver disputes fault later or their insurer denies coverage, a contemporaneous police narrative and diagram carry significant weight. You remain obligated to file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days if damage exceeds $1,000.

What if the other driver has no insurance?

California requires minimum liability coverage under Vehicle Code §16056, but many drivers remain uninsured. If you carry uninsured motorist coverage—which insurers must offer under state law—you may recover from your own policy. Document the scene thoroughly, obtain the police report, and notify your carrier promptly. Your attorney will evaluate whether the at-fault party has attachable assets or whether UM coverage is your sole remedy.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after an Inglewood collision?

Two years from the accident date under Code of Civil Procedure §335.1 for personal injury, or three years under CCP §338 for property damage alone. If a government vehicle or employee was involved, Government Code §911.2 requires a written claim within six months. These are hard statutory deadlines; courts rarely grant extensions, so consult counsel well before time expires.

Should I accept a settlement offer from the insurance company right away?

Early offers typically appear before the full extent of your injuries is known and are designed to close the file cheaply. Soft-tissue pain, headaches, and psychological symptoms often worsen in the weeks after impact. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim. Have an attorney review any offer against your medical records, lost earnings, and the two-year deadline that governs your case under CCP §335.1.

Related reading

• Car Accident Practice Area
• Inglewood Car Accident Page
• What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Culver City, CA? - Essential Steps
• What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Pasadena, CA?
• What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in La Mirada, CA? | Legal Guide

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.