The California Report People Miss: The SR-1 Within 10 Days

Quick answer: The SR-1 is a report you send to the California DMV after a crash. The DMV says you, or your insurance agent, broker or legal representative, “must complete an SR-1 report and send it to DMV within 10 days if someone is injured (no matter how minor the injury) or killed, or property damage is over $1000.” It is required “in addition to any other report made to the police, CHP, or your insurance company.” So if you were hurt in a crash in Sunnyvale and an officer took a report, that does not cover this one.

What is the SR-1?

Its full name is the Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California. It is the driver’s own report to the DMV. An officer does not file it for you, and neither does your insurance company unless you ask them to.

The DMV lets you start the form online. It also offers a printable PDF, in English and Spanish, though it warns that paper submissions are likely to take longer to process.

When do I have to file one?

The DMV lists three triggers, and any one of them is enough:

• Someone is injured, “no matter how minor the injury.”
• Someone is killed.
• Property damage is over $1000.

That first line is the one people miss. A sore neck is an injury, and so is a bruise from the seat belt. People walk away from a low-speed crash, exchange insurance and assume nothing else is required. If you are not sure whether your crash qualifies, ask your insurance agent or attorney right away, while there is still time on the clock.

Doesn’t the police report cover this?

No. This is the most common mix-up. The three reports go to different places:

Report	Who it goes to	Who prepares it	Does it replace the SR-1?
SR-1	California DMV	You, or your insurance agent, broker or legal representative	This is the SR-1
Police or CHP report	The agency that responded	The officer	No
Insurance claim	Your insurer or the other driver’s insurer	You, your agent or your attorney	No

The DMV’s wording is plain: the SR-1 is “in addition to” the other two.

Who takes the police report in my city?

It depends on where the crash happened, and that is worth knowing because each agency has its own process for getting a copy. In this part of the South Bay:

• Sunnyvale: the city’s Department of Public Safety.
• Mountain View: the Mountain View Police Department.
• Santa Clara: the Santa Clara Police Department.
• Cupertino: the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
• San Jose: the San Jose Police Department.
• Freeways: usually the California Highway Patrol.

Getting a copy of the police report can take much longer than the DMV gives you. Do not hold the SR-1 while you wait for it.

What do I need before I start the form?

The DMV says to gather these first:

• Your driver’s license or identification card.
• Your vehicle’s license plate number or vehicle identification number.
• Your vehicle’s insurance information.
• The other party’s vehicle and insurance information, if that applies.

Most of this is what you would have swapped at the scene. If you did not get the other driver’s details, tell your agent or attorney, and see what the police report has when it comes in.

Can someone else file it for me?

Yes. The DMV names your insurance agent, broker or legal representative as people who can complete and send it. That can be a relief if your hands, neck or head make paperwork hard in the first week. The job and the deadline still belong to you, so ask them directly: “Are you filing my SR-1, and when?” Then write down the answer.

Does the SR-1 decide who pays my medical bills?

Nothing on the DMV’s page says so. It describes a report, not a payment. For medical bills, read what MedPay is and when it pays. The office’s car accident care page explains how care after a crash is often billed. Coverage varies by policy and case.

What should the first 10 days look like?

A simple order that keeps the deadlines from colliding:

1. Day 0: emergencies first. Call 911 for a head injury with confusion, or a neck or spine injury with loss of feeling or inability to move.
2. Days 0 to 3: get examined. Most accident patients at this office are seen the same day. Your injuries get documented from the first visit.
3. Days 1 to 5: send the SR-1. Do it yourself online, or confirm who is doing it for you.
4. Days 1 to 10: call your insurer. Find your Declarations page and check for MedPay.
5. If you can’t work: read about State Disability Insurance and its 49-day window.

That order is our suggestion, not a rule from the DMV. The only deadline in it from the DMV is the 10 days.

Why choose Tropea Chiropractic after a crash in Sunnyvale?

Paperwork is part of a crash, and it helps when your chiropractor takes it seriously. Dr. Tony Tropea documents your injuries from your first visit, and the office coordinates with your insurance or attorney. No referral is needed, and the office serves patients in English and Spanish.

“I was in a rear end collision car accident, so I needed specific attention,” wrote Tom Vu in a Google review. “Dr.Tropea made sure to listen and note down all the details of your problem.”

The office is at 182 S Murphy Ave in downtown Sunnyvale. Call (408) 329-9604.