You were in a crash in Long Beach, maybe on the 710 behind a port truck, maybe on a surface street downtown. Your car is damaged, something hurts, and an adjuster is already calling. Here is what to do next, in the order it matters.
The short answer
Get medical care first, then get the report number from whoever responded: Long Beach Police for city streets, the California Highway Patrol for the freeways. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. In 2026 you generally have two years to file an injury lawsuit in California, but only six months to file a claim if a city vehicle or a Long Beach Transit bus was involved.
Who responds, and who writes the report
Where the crash happened decides which agency has your report.
- City streets such as Pacific Coast Highway, Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue, and Long Beach Boulevard: the Long Beach Police Department.
- Freeways including the 710, the 405, the 605, and the 91: the California Highway Patrol.
- Port roads and terminals: ask everyone who responds which agency is writing the report.
Before anyone leaves the scene, ask for the report number and the officer's name. That one number is the key to everything that follows.
How to get your accident report
For a city street crash, request yours through the Long Beach Police Department's records section. For a freeway crash, request it from the CHP area office that responded.
Read the report when it arrives. Officers make mistakes on names, directions of travel, and statements. A wrong detail left alone becomes the insurer's favorite fact.
The 710 and the port truck problem
The 710 carries a heavy share of the truck traffic moving containers in and out of the ports. A crash with a big rig is not an ordinary car accident. The trucking company, the driver, the owner of the trailer, and sometimes a broker can each carry separate insurance. Electronic logs and dash camera footage can be overwritten if nobody asks to preserve them.
If a commercial truck was involved, write down the company name on the door, the USDOT number, and the trailer number. Then read our page on truck accident lawyers and call early, because evidence in these cases has a short shelf life.
Where to get checked
If you are seriously hurt, call 911 and go by ambulance. If you drove home and now feel stiff, sore, or foggy, get seen today. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and St. Mary Medical Center both have emergency departments, and urgent care is an option for less serious injuries. Describe every symptom. Insurers treat a gap in treatment as proof you were not really hurt.
If a bus or a city vehicle hit you
Crashes with a Long Beach Transit bus, a city truck, a police car, or a vehicle owned by any public agency follow different rules. California Government Code section 911.2 requires a written claim to the public entity within six months of the injury. Miss it and you can lose the right to sue, even with a strong case. The same rule can apply when a dangerous road condition helped cause the crash. When a public agency might be involved, treat the six months as your real deadline.
The deadline for everyone else
For an ordinary crash between private drivers, California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. Treatment and negotiation eat that time fast, so start early.
What not to do this week
- Do not post about the crash on social media.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company.
- Do not sign a release or accept a quick check before a doctor has finished evaluating you.
- Do not assume the other driver has enough insurance. The California minimum is only 30/60/15: thirty thousand per person, sixty thousand per accident, fifteen thousand for property damage.
If you want someone to look at your situation before you talk to any adjuster, request a free case review. No fee unless we win. For the full step-by-step, see our guide on what to do after a car accident in California, and for help across the county visit our Los Angeles page.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines and rules change; talk to a lawyer about your situation.