Someone Ran a Red Light and Hit Me in California: What Now?
By Alexander D. Napolin, Esq. | Last reviewed November 8, 2026
Short answer: A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone must stop and stay stopped, except for a turn allowed after stopping (Veh. Code, § 21453). The time to sue for injury is generally two years (Code Civ. Proc., § 335.1); a claim against a public entity for death, for injury to a person or for damage to personal property must be presented not later than six months after the cause of action accrues (Gov. Code, § 911.2).
Someone ran a red light and hit me: what do I do?
- Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and get medical care even if you feel fine at first. A prompt visit also creates a record of your injuries.
- Stop at the scene. The driver of a vehicle in a crash that injures a person other than the driver, or kills a person, “shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident” (Veh. Code, § 20001, subd. (a)).
- Exchange information. In a crash that injures or kills any person, each driver must give “his or her name, current residence address, the names and current residence addresses of any occupant of the driver's vehicle injured in the accident, the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving, and the name and current residence address of the owner” to the person struck or the driver or occupants of any vehicle collided with, and to any traffic or police officer at the scene (Veh. Code, § 20003, subd. (a)). The driver must also give reasonable assistance to anyone injured, “including transporting, or making arrangements for transporting, any injured person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that treatment is necessary or if that transportation is requested by any injured person” (same subdivision). On request, a driver must show a driver's license, if available (Veh. Code, § 20003, subd. (b)).
- Photograph the intersection, the signals, all vehicles and the road, and get the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- Report the crash to the DMV if the law requires it. A driver in a crash on a street or highway that caused property damage to any one person over $1,000, or any injury or death, “shall report the accident, within 10 days after the accident,” on a form approved by the department (Veh. Code, § 16000, subd. (a)). Section 16000 is in Division 7 of the Vehicle Code, where “department” means the Department of Motor Vehicles (Veh. Code, § 290). A report “is not required under subdivision (a) if the motor vehicle involved in the accident was owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States, this state, another state, or a local agency” (Veh. Code, § 16000, subd. (b)). This article does not cover reportable off-highway accidents.
- Tell your insurance company about the crash.
If the crash damaged only property, the rules differ. The driver must immediately stop at the nearest place that will not impede traffic or endanger other drivers, and then immediately do one of two things: find the owner or the person in charge of the damaged property and give the name and address of the driver and of the vehicle's owner (showing a driver's license and vehicle registration on request), or leave a written notice on the damaged vehicle or property giving the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the vehicle and a statement of the circumstances and, if the driver takes that choice, “without unnecessary delay notify the police department of the city wherein the collision occurred or, if the collision occurred in unincorporated territory, the local headquarters of the Department of the California Highway Patrol” (Veh. Code, § 20002, subd. (a)).
What does a steady red light require of a driver?
A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone “shall stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subdivision (b)” (Veh. Code, § 21453, subd. (a)).
Subdivision (b) is the turn on red. Unless a sign prohibits the turn, a driver who has stopped may turn right, or turn left from a one-way street onto a one-way street, but “shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to any vehicle that has approached or is approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard to the driver, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to that vehicle until the driver can proceed with reasonable safety” (Veh. Code, § 21453, subd. (b)).
A steady red arrow has its own rule. A driver facing one “shall not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow” and, “unless entering the intersection to make a movement permitted by another signal,” must stop and remain stopped “until an indication permitting movement is shown” (Veh. Code, § 21453, subd. (c)).
A steady yellow light is a warning. A driver facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal “is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter” (Veh. Code, § 21452, subd. (a)).
Is the driver who ran the red light at fault?
Running a red light can make the law presume that the driver failed to exercise due care, if four conditions are met. “The failure of a person to exercise due care is presumed if: (1) He violated a statute, ordinance, or regulation of a public entity; (2) The violation proximately caused death or injury to person or property; (3) The death or injury resulted from an occurrence of the nature which the statute, ordinance, or regulation was designed to prevent; and (4) The person suffering the death or the injury to his person or property was one of the class of persons for whose protection the statute, ordinance, or regulation was adopted” (Evid. Code, § 669, subd. (a)).
The presumption can be rebutted. One way is proof that the driver who broke the statute “did what might reasonably be expected of a person of ordinary prudence, acting under similar circumstances, who desired to comply with the law” (Evid. Code, § 669, subd. (b)(1)).
The injured person's own conduct can matter too. California's general rule makes everyone responsible “for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself” (Civ. Code, § 1714, subd. (a)). How a court applies that exception comes from court decisions, which this article does not cover.
How do I prove the other driver ran the light?
Proving that the other driver ran the light depends on what witnesses, records and the scene show. Useful evidence includes:
1. Statements from witnesses, especially people who were not in either car.
2. The police or Highway Patrol report.
3. Video from nearby cameras, dashboard cameras or phones. Ask for it quickly, because footage may not be kept for long.
4. Photographs of the signals, the intersection and where the vehicles came to rest.
5. Your own notes, written as soon as you can, of what you saw and heard.
What if both drivers say the light was green?
Then the evidence above matters most. Do not argue at the scene, and do not guess about what you did not see. Give officers and your insurer the facts you know, and keep copies of everything. A lawyer can help gather the evidence.
How long do I have to sue or present a government claim?
For an injury, the general time to sue is two years: “Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another” (Code Civ. Proc., § 335.1). The period for “[a]n action for taking, detaining, or injuring goods or chattels” is three years (Code Civ. Proc., § 338, subd. (c)(1)); damage to a vehicle or other personal property may fall within that language. Civil actions can be commenced only within these periods “after the cause of action shall have accrued, unless where, in special cases, a different limitation is prescribed by statute” (Code Civ. Proc., § 312). This article does not address when a cause of action accrues, so do not assume a start date.
If the injured person was a minor when the cause of action accrued, the time of minority “is not part of the time limited for the commencement of the action” (Code Civ. Proc., § 352, subd. (a)). That rule “shall not apply to an action against a public entity or public employee upon a cause of action for which a claim is required to be presented” under the Government Code (Code Civ. Proc., § 352, subd. (b)). This article does not address how a person's age affects a late claim.
If a city, county or state vehicle hit you, shorter deadlines can apply to a claim against the public entity. This article does not define which bodies are public entities, and it does not cover claims against the federal government. A claim “relating to a cause of action for death or for injury to person or to personal property” must be presented “not later than six months after the accrual of the cause of action” (Gov. Code, § 911.2, subd. (a)), and, with exceptions the section names, no suit for money or damages may be brought against the public entity on a cause of action for which a claim is required to be presented “until a written claim therefor has been presented to the public entity and has been acted upon by the board, or has been deemed to have been rejected by the board, in accordance with Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 3 of [that] division” (Gov. Code, § 945.4). If the claim is rejected or is deemed rejected, the time to sue turns on notice. “If written notice is given in accordance with Section 913,” the suit must be commenced “not later than six months after the date such notice is personally delivered or deposited in the mail” (Gov. Code, § 945.6, subd. (a)(1)). “If written notice is not given in accordance with Section 913,” it must be commenced “within two years from the accrual of the cause of action” (Gov. Code, § 945.6, subd. (a)(2)). Each period applies except as Government Code sections 946.4 and 946.6 provide, and subject to subdivision (b) of section 945.6. Under subdivision (a)(2), “[i]f the period within which the public entity is required to act is extended pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 912.4, the period of such extension is not part of the time limited for the commencement of the action under this paragraph” (Gov. Code, § 945.6, subd. (a)(2)). This article does not address when that period may be extended.
If the six months to present a claim pass, a written application may be made to the public entity “for leave to present that claim” (Gov. Code, § 911.4, subd. (a)). The application “shall be presented to the public entity … within a reasonable time not to exceed one year after the accrual of the cause of action and shall state the reason for the delay in presenting the claim”; the proposed claim must be attached to it (Gov. Code, § 911.4, subd. (b)). Subdivision (c) of that section states how the one year is counted in some cases, and this article does not address it. This article also does not address whether the public entity must grant the application, or what can follow if it denies it. Talk to a lawyer right away in that case.
Frequently asked questions
Does a yellow light mean I have to stop?
The Vehicle Code describes a steady yellow light as a warning: the driver “is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter” (Veh. Code, § 21452, subd. (a)). Once the driver faces a steady circular red signal alone, section 21453 requires the driver to stop and remain stopped, except that subdivision (b) allows certain turns after stopping. This article does not address any other rule on entering an intersection on a yellow light.
Do I have to report the crash to the DMV?
Yes, if you were a driver and the crash on a street or highway caused property damage to any one person over $1,000, or any injury or death. The report is due “within 10 days after the accident” (Veh. Code, § 16000, subd. (a)). Subdivision (b) says a report is not required under subdivision (a) if the motor vehicle involved in the accident was owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States, this state, another state, or a local agency. This article does not address a driver who hit such a vehicle.
What if a city, county or state vehicle hit me?
With exceptions the section names, a suit for money or damages may not be brought against a public entity on a cause of action for which a claim is required until the claim has been acted upon or is deemed rejected (Gov. Code, § 945.4). A claim for death, for injury to a person, or for injury to personal property must be presented “not later than six months after the accrual of the cause of action” (Gov. Code, § 911.2, subd. (a)). This article does not define public entities or cover federal claims. Talk to a lawyer quickly.
Sources
- Veh. Code, §§ 290, 16000, 20001, 20002, 20003, 21452, 21453; Evid. Code, § 669; Civ. Code, § 1714; Code Civ. Proc., §§ 312, 335.1, 338, 352; Gov. Code, §§ 911.2, 911.4, 945.4, 945.6, 946.4, 946.6; read November 8, 2026, in the firm's code store built from the Legislature's bulk database (archive pubinfo_2025.20261102T052609Z.zip, dated November 2, 2026, 5:26 AM UTC).
ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT. This article is for general information purposes only and describes California law as of the “Last reviewed” date above. Nothing in it should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation; every situation turns on its own facts. This article is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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NAPOLIN APC | Accident & Injury Lawyer, Alexander D. Napolin, Esq., 269 West Bonita Avenue, Claremont, California 91711
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