Car accident claims in San Rafael, California

Of the 1,702 crashes officers reported in San Rafael across 2023 and 2024, 1,556 did not involve a pedestrian or a cyclist — vehicle-on-vehicle and single-vehicle crashes, which is what most people mean by a car accident. This is general information, not legal advice.

What kind of crashes these were

The reports break down like this. A collision type is the officer's description of the geometry, and it matters because the geometry is usually the first argument about fault.

Sideswipes lead the list here, which is a lane-change pattern. They are argued about more than most, because both drivers usually say the other one moved over. How fault is decided.

The sections officers cite in San Rafael

• Veh. Code, § 22350 — Basic speed law, on 356 reports. In plain terms, driving faster than was safe for the conditions — which is not the same as breaking the posted limit, and is why a driver can be at fault for speeding at 30 in a 35.
• Veh. Code, § 22107 — Unsafe turn or lane change, on 239 reports. In plain terms, turning or changing lanes before it was safe to do so, or without signalling when another vehicle could be affected.
• Veh. Code, § 21658, subd. (a) — Failing to stay in one lane, on 82 reports. In plain terms, not staying as nearly as practical within a single marked lane, or leaving the lane before it was safe.

None of that decides anything. It is the officer's opinion at the roadside, and it is the opinion an adjuster will quote at you first. Dealing with the adjuster · recorded statements.

314 of the San Rafael reports were hit-and-run, 39 of them classed as a felony. If the driver was never found, the claim usually runs through your own uninsured motorist coverage, and the notice deadlines there are short. Uninsured motorist claims.

Common questions

Does the officer's cited section decide who pays?

No. The primary collision factor is the section the officer thought was broken, recorded at the scene. It carries weight with an adjuster and it is often the first thing argued about, but fault is decided on the evidence, and reports get corrected.

The other driver had no insurance. Is that the end of it?

Not necessarily. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy exists for that, and in California it also covers a hit-and-run driver who is never identified. The notice requirements are strict, so it is worth checking your own declarations page early.

I think I was partly at fault. Do I still have a claim?

Probably. California reduces a recovery by your share of the fault rather than barring it, so being partly responsible changes the size of a claim and not whether you have one.

Sources: counts from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), California Highway Patrol, 2023 and 2024 exports, retrieved 2026-09-02. Counts are of reported crashes and are not adjusted for exposure; method and limitations. The cited sections above link to their current text on leginfo.