How To Find Out If Someone Has Car Insurance in Los Angeles

Exchange Driver Information At the Accident Scene

One of the most straightforward ways to determine car insurance information after a crash is to ask the driver directly at the scene.

Per the California Vehicle Code, all drivers involved in a crash are legally required to pull over and exchange information. Common practice will generally involve parties trading their names, contact information, policy number, and other relevant details. 

Contact Law Enforcement

Whenever any of the following elements are true after a car crash in California, drivers are legally required to stay on the scene and call law enforcement:

• Bodily injury
• Fatalities
• Property damage above $1,000
• Hit-and-run 

As such, whenever the police are called to the scene of an accident, they’ll conduct an initial investigation and submit a police report. As part of the initial investigation, officers will talk to each party involved and collect relevant details, including insurance information.

Police reports can be an excellent resource for protecting your rights and strengthening your claim. 

Most reports will include the following information:

• Contact details for parties involved
• Insurance policy number
• Details about how the accident occurred
• Witness statements
• Law enforcement conclusions about fault
• Citations issued as part of the accident

Even if an accident was minimal and didn’t result in injuries, contacting law enforcement can help protect you if you suspect an at-fault driver lacks insurance.

Go Through the DMV 

In cases where you could not obtain car insurance information at the scene of the accident, you may have to file a financial responsibility information request with the DMV.

Depending on the circumstances of your crash, the DMV may be able to track down the other party’s insurance details, should they be insured. As part of the records request process, you’ll have to provide as much information as possible about the driver in question and have a valid reason to file the request. 

An insurance information request costs $20 to submit and may take up to 30 days to process. 

Call the Insurance Company Directly

Sometimes, you may have partial information about the at-fault party, such as their license plate number, name, and insurance provider. 

Even with limited contact information, you may be able to contact their insurer to ask for assistance. Often, companies can provide a policy number and additional details. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to file a claim directly with the insurance provider even if the responsible party disappears or refuses to contact you.

What Happens If the At-Fault Driver Is Uninsured?

Unfortunately, California ranks in the top ten states with the highest percentage of uninsured drivers. In 2019, figures reported that roughly 16.6% of drivers statewide were uninsured. 

Whenever you crash with an uninsured driver, you’ll have to contact your own insurance company and determine what relief they can provide under your policy.

In some cases, your insurance company can help compensate for bodily injuries. However, if you suffered property damage and other major losses, you may have to look for compensation through alternative means. Filing an injury lawsuit against an uninsured driver may be your best option for recovering losses.