Everything to do in the first three days after a collision, a symptom log you fill in yourself, and the two deadlines most people in Oakland miss. Read it all here. Print it. Give it to a friend. We ask for nothing to see it. There is also a post-accident symptom checklist if you only want the symptom part.
Before anything else. Chest pain, loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion, a severe headache that keeps getting worse, or numbness that will not go away are emergency-room problems, not chiropractic problems. Call 911 or go to Highland Hospital at 1411 E 31st Street. Nothing on this page comes before that.
Most people photograph the dented bumper and stop. Also get: both license plates, the other driver's insurance card and license, the position of the cars before anyone moves them, the intersection and any signals or signs, skid marks, debris on the road, and the weather and light. Take a photo of your own odometer. Photograph any visible marks on your own body, even small ones.
Speed, direction, which way your head was turned at the moment of impact, whether you saw it coming, whether your foot was on the brake, where your hands were on the wheel. These details fade within a day and they matter clinically, because how your body was positioned changes what got injured. Nobody will ask you this at the scene. Write it in your phone's notes app.
Ask the responding officer for the report number, their name and badge number, and which agency they are with. If your collision was on I-880, I-580, I-980 or Highway 24, that is the CHP and not Oakland Police, and you will request the report from a different place — see how to get your Oakland collision report.
Adrenaline masks pain. You get out of the car, talk to the other driver, feel fine, and go to work the next morning. A few days later it hurts to turn your head. If you didn't write it down, you can end up with an injury nobody has a record of.
One line a day. It takes thirty seconds. This log is yours, it stays in your possession, and it is the only contemporaneous record of how your body changed in the days after the crash that will exist unless you make it.
The other driver's insurer will call fast and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one immediately. Ordinary polite phrases like "I'm fine" or "it was nothing" get quoted back later. It is completely acceptable to say you are still being evaluated and will follow up.
Get examined as soon as you can. An early, dated exam starts your record from the beginning and sets a baseline: what your range of motion actually was, what the orthopedic and neurological tests showed, what hurt and what did not. Without a baseline there is nothing to compare anything to later. In California you can see a chiropractor directly, with no referral needed. We check your policy before your first visit.
Print this page and keep this table somewhere you will see it. One line per day for the first two weeks. Rate pain 0 to 10, and note anything you could not do that day: turning to check a blind spot, lifting a child, sleeping through the night, sitting through a shift.
| Date | Where it hurts | 0–10 | What I couldn't do today |
|---|---|---|---|
Why this matters more than it looks: "my neck hurt for weeks" is an opinion. "On the fourth day I could not turn far enough to change lanes, and I wrote it down that day" is a record. You are the only person who can create it, and only right now.
DMV form SR-1, within 10 days. California requires you to file a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California with the DMV within 10 days of any collision involving injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage. It is separate from the police report and separate from your insurance claim, and you file it no matter who was at fault. Missing it can put your driving privilege at risk. File it through the DMV Virtual Office at dmv.ca.gov.
Your collision report. Oakland Police reports are requested from the City of Oakland at oaklandca.gov under Police, then Request a Police Report. CHP reports, for anything on the 880, 580, 980 or 24, come from chp.ca.gov. Reports take several days to appear. Request it early so you are not chasing it later.
One more thing worth knowing, because it saves people real money: you are not required to use the body shop your insurer recommends. You may take your vehicle to any licensed repair shop you choose. There is a list of established Oakland shops on our full after-a-crash guide, along with urgent care, rental and auto glass options. We receive nothing from any of them.
Same-day appointments, seven days a week, in downtown Oakland. You see one of our two doctors yourself: Dr. Ben Glass in English or Spanish, Dr. Irina Velichko in English or Russian. We verify your coverage first and tell you in writing what you'll owe.
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(510) 606-0007 · oaklandaccidentcare@gmail.com
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This site is general information, not medical or legal advice. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.