SettlementLift resources
After a car accident in California
Looking for a crash report, a local attorney or cash while your case is pending? Start with these California resources and choose the next step that fits your situation.
By SettlementLift. Published · Updated .
Explore California by city
Start with the investigating agency
For a CHP investigation, eligible parties can use the CHP crash portal or CHP 190 request process. The page explains party-of-interest requirements and directs uncertain requesters to a CHP Area office. If a city police department investigated, check that department’s records process instead.
CHP: Request a crash report ↗Know what coverage means
Insurance minimums, explained
Insurance language can feel like another problem to solve. Here is the starting point for a standard passenger-auto policy in California.
Bodily injury · one person
$30,000The injury liability limit for a single injured person.
Bodily injury · one accident
$60,000The injury liability limit shared across injured people in one crash.
Property damage · one accident
$15,000For damage to other people’s vehicles or property.
These are minimum coverage requirements, not an estimate of your settlement. A policy may have higher limits. Special programs, commercial vehicles and the policy’s effective date can change the requirements.
Standard minimums increased January 1, 2025. California’s Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program has different limits.
What about my medical bills?
Medical payments coverage may help with covered medical expenses regardless of fault if you purchased it.
If the other driver has too little insurance
Review your UM/UIM coverage and any signed waiver with your insurer.
How long do I have to file?
The general personal-injury filing period is 2 years. The claim type, accrual date and exceptions matter; government claims can require earlier notice. Have an attorney confirm your deadline.
California filing-period guidance ↗A little clarity helps
Questions you may have
Does the minimum limit tell me what my case is worth?
No. It describes a coverage requirement. Injuries, responsibility, available policies and other facts affect what may be recoverable. Multiple injured people may share an accident limit.
Do I have to wait for a settlement to ask about medical benefits?
Your own policy may have benefits available before a liability claim settles. Ask your insurer which coverage applies, what records it needs and when you must give notice.
Can I request cash while my case is pending?
You can tell us about your case and the amount you need. Pre-settlement funding is separate from an insurance payment. Review any written offer’s costs, repayment terms and effect on the money you keep from your case.
What should I have ready?
Your crash date, insurance information, any claim number and your attorney’s contact details are useful starting points. If you have an attorney, including their information can reduce follow-up during review.
Crash statistics
2024 · NHTSA FARS first annual release
3,583Fatal crashes
3,876People killed
358Fatal crashes involving a large truck
What these figures mean
Our derived NHTSA FARS baseline records 3,583 fatal crashes and 3,876 people killed in California during 2024. Of those crashes, 358 involved a large truck. The truck figure is a subset of fatal crashes, not an additional total. These figures use the first annual release dated April 1, 2026; they do not count all injury or property-damage crashes.
NHTSA: Original 2024 FARS national CSV archive ↗Useful state resources
Caltrans distinguishes several data tools. Its resource page says TIMS excludes property-damage-only crashes and identifies the California Crash Reporting System as the replacement for public iSWITRS access. A fatal/injury dataset cannot be labeled a count of every collision.
Caltrans: Road safety data resources ↗Find help near you
Choose your city for local records, law firm resources and truck accident guidance.
Los Angeles
Street-information truck restriction layers
Los Angeles’s official street-information resource separates truck-route height and weight restriction layers. These are different questions from whether a driver caused a collision. Keep an exact intersection, travel direction, vehicle height or load information if known, and existing sign photographs. A map reference is a starting point for checking records; it is not permission to travel or proof that a restriction applied on the crash date.
Los Angeles: Street-information truck restriction layers ↗San Diego
City streets and state highways need different records
San Diego’s transportation permit covers oversized or overweight movements on city-maintained streets; other jurisdictions issue their own permits. If the collision involved a large load, note whether it happened on a city street, a freeway ramp or another agency’s road. Ask your attorney which route approvals and load records to obtain.
San Diego: Transportation permits ↗Sacramento
Match the load to the actual permitted trip
Sacramento provides single-trip and annual transportation permits, a truck-route map and permit conditions. For an oversized-load crash, keep the date, direction and tractor/trailer descriptions together. A general route map is useful background; the permit for the specific movement may answer different questions about the load and approved route.
Sacramento: Transportation permits ↗San Jose
Construction hauling and ordinary deliveries are different
San José lists haul-route permits separately from annual or single-trip transportation permits and downtown lane-closure applications. If a dump truck or construction vehicle was involved, record the jobsite entrance and any contractor name visible in existing photos. Ask which haul-route, closure and vehicle records relate to that particular trip.
San José: Transportation permits ↗Get ready for your next conversation
Keep the report reference, insurance correspondence, expense records and questions together. Ask an attorney which filing periods and other deadlines apply to the particular parties and claim. A report request, insurance conversation or SettlementLift inquiry does not stop a deadline. For a truck crash, ask about the vehicle identifiers, carrier and any records that may need prompt preservation.
Need cash while your case is pending?
A pre-settlement cash advance may help with expenses while a case is pending. Start by telling us about your case and the amount you have in mind. Before accepting an offer, compare its written costs and repayment terms with your other options.