The Worst Decision Available After a Collision

People leave crash scenes for understandable reasons: panic, no visible damage, an appointment, no license, no insurance, a belief that nobody saw. Every one of those reasons turns a civil problem into a criminal one, and it is the single most consequential mistake available in the minutes after a collision.

What the law requires

Under Vehicle Code section 20002, a driver involved in an accident resulting only in damage to property must stop immediately at the nearest safe location and either locate and notify the owner or person in charge of the damaged property, giving name and address, or leave a written note in a conspicuous place with that information and a statement of the circumstances, and then notify law enforcement.

Where someone is injured or killed, Vehicle Code section 20003 adds further duties: stopping, providing your name, address and vehicle details, showing your driver's license on request, and rendering reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including arranging transport for medical treatment where it appears necessary or is requested.

The parked-car case

This is where most ordinary people get caught. You clip a mirror in a parking lot, no one is around, the damage looks like nothing. Leaving is a hit-and-run under section 20002. Writing a note with your name, address and what happened, and leaving it where the owner will find it, is what the law asks of you, and it takes ninety seconds.

Photograph the note in place before you go. It is the only proof you left one.

Why it is worse than the thing you were avoiding

• A criminal charge sits alongside the civil liability you already had.
• Consequences can reach your license, and convictions of this kind attract serious underwriting attention.
• Vehicles are identified more easily than people expect: cameras, witnesses, paint transfer and part numbers from broken trim.
• You lose every advantage that comes from cooperating early.

If it has already happened

Speak to a criminal defense attorney before you speak to anyone else, including insurers. That is not our field, and we would rather say so plainly than guess at it. What we can tell you is that returning voluntarily and promptly is generally viewed very differently from being found.

If you are the one who was hit

Get whatever you can: plate, make, color, direction, time. Report it to law enforcement, and see our page on hit-and-run claims for how the coverage side works.

Uninsured drivers leave scenes because they are uninsured. If that is the reason, fixing the insurance is cheaper than the alternative.