After an auto accident, you should first take inventory of those involved, including yourself, your passengers, other drivers, their passengers, and pedestrians. If anyone is injured, you must contact law enforcement. Safety is your first priority. Nothing is more important than that. You can move your vehicle only if necessary to obtain assistance or to remove yourself or others from danger. If you leave the area for one of these reasons, you must return within a reasonable period of time. If assistance is necessary or requested, you must render it if you are capable of doing so. This includes calling for medical assistance. No person who renders emergency assistance at the scene of an accident is responsible for any damages caused by their efforts to help.
If someone is injured or if the property damage appears to exceed $1,000, you must report the accident to law enforcement. They must then report it to the Department of Motor Vehicles. If no one is injured and property damage appears to be less than $1,000, law enforcement recommends that you report it, but you are not required to do so. Reporting the accident is important because law enforcement officers are capable of performing a thorough investigation and recording their findings in a reliable format.
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