Oakland Accident Guide

If you were hurt in a crash in Oakland, this guide shows where to get your police report, how to file a claim against the City of Oakland or Alameda County, which intersections and freeways see the most crashes, and the deadlines that matter. Each fact links to the official source.

How do I get a police accident report in Oakland?

It depends on who wrote the report. OPD handles crashes on city streets in Oakland, and CHP covers freeways. OPD collision reports are usually ready 60 to 90 days after the crash. They cost $30 online or $25 in person or by mail at the Eastmont Substation. CHP reports are online or by CHP 190 form.

If the report gets the facts wrong or blames you, read what to do when a California collision report blames you.

Who is allowed to get a copy of the crash report?

California limits crash reports to people with a proper interest. That includes drivers, injured people, passengers, vehicle or property owners, parents of injured minors, guardians, and their lawyers or insurance companies. You will usually need ID and the report number, date, and location. A lawyer can request it for you.

• The rule is in Vehicle Code §20012.
• Have the date, time, location, names, and report or case number if you have it.

How do I file a claim against the City of Oakland?

File the City’s standard claim form with the Oakland City Attorney’s Office within six months of an injury. You can email it to claims@oaklandcityattorney.org, mail it to 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, or file it in person at City Hall. An adjuster is then assigned to your claim.

Source: Oakland City Attorney: File a Claim. Tripped on a broken city sidewalk? See suing a California city or county over a broken sidewalk.

How do I file a claim against Alameda County?

Return the signed original Claim Against the County of Alameda to the Clerk, Board of Supervisors Office, Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Room 536, Oakland. Keep one copy and attach supporting records, such as estimates, bills, receipts, and the police report. Injury claims are generally due within six months.

• Form: Claim Against the County of Alameda (PDF), from the Clerk of the Board forms page.
• Phone: (510) 208-4949. The form lists George Hills Company, (855) 442-2357, for later questions about a filed claim.

Other public agencies

What is the timeline for a government claim in California?

For an injury, you generally have six months to file the claim. The agency then has 45 days to act, and silence counts as a denial. After a written denial you usually have six months to sue. If no proper written notice is sent, the lawsuit deadline is generally two years.

Exceptions can shorten or lengthen these dates. For the general two-year rule and other deadlines, read how long you have to file a personal injury claim in California.

What are the most dangerous intersections in Oakland?

In OPD collision records for 2022 through 2024 in the state’s crash database, the intersections with the most reported crashes were 85th Avenue and International Boulevard, High Street and International Boulevard, and International Boulevard and Seminary Avenue. Six of the top ten are on International Boulevard.

Method: Oakland Police Department (OPD) collision records in the CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS), January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024, counting crashes coded at the intersection itself (no distance from the cross street), combining both street orders and spelling variants, and leaving out freeway ramps. These are only the reports OPD submitted to the state database, not every crash, and ties are listed alphabetically. Data pulled October 27, 2026 from CCRS on the California Open Data Portal.

Many of these crashes involve people walking or riding. See your rights after being hit by a car as a pedestrian and who pays after a bicycle or e-bike crash. If the driver fled, read what happens after an uninsured or hit-and-run crash.

Which Oakland freeways have the most crashes?

In CHP crash records for 2024 within Oakland city limits, I-880 had the most freeway crashes, followed by I-580, I-80, SR-24, and SR-13. I-580 had the most deaths of any freeway in the city that year, and these five routes together carried nearly all of the freeway crashes CHP reported.

Method: CHP Crash Reporting System (CCRS) records for calendar year 2024 where the city is Oakland and the crash is marked as on a freeway, grouped by route (both directions). CCRS reflects CHP reports, and recent data can change as reports are reviewed. Data pulled October 27, 2026 from CCRS on the California Open Data Portal.

Freeway crashes often involve big rigs and rideshare drivers. See our pages on California truck accidents and rideshare accident claims.

Do I need to report the crash to the DMV?

Yes, if anyone was hurt or killed, even slightly, or property damage was over $1,000. Each driver must file form SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days, even if police made a report. Your insurance agent, broker, or lawyer can file it for you. Skipping it can lead to a license suspension.

• File online or on paper: DMV: Report of Traffic Accident (SR-1). Law: Vehicle Code §16000.
• If someone was hurt, a written report to CHP or the city police is also due within 24 hours: Vehicle Code §20008.

Where do I file an injury lawsuit in Oakland?

Oakland injury lawsuits are filed in Alameda County Superior Court. Civil filings are accepted at the René C. Davidson Courthouse, 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, and at the Hayward Hall of Justice. In-person civil service in Oakland runs 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and to 2 p.m. on Friday.

• René C. Davidson Courthouse: 1225 Fallon St., Oakland, CA 94612, 510-891-6000. Source: Alameda Superior Court: René C. Davidson Courthouse
• Civil filing and e-filing: Alameda Superior Court: Civil.

What should I do next after a Oakland crash?

Get medical care, keep every bill and record, request the crash report, and write down your deadlines. File a government claim within six months if a public agency may share blame. Tell your insurer promptly, but think before giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer about your injuries.

• Step by step: what to do after a car accident in California.
• How value is judged: what your California personal injury case may be worth.
• Low policy limits: how underinsured motorist coverage works in California.
• By crash type: car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, and rideshare accidents.
• Forms you may need: California injury forms, insurer claim lines, medical records, and liens.
• Other cities: see all California accident guides.

This page is general information about California law and Oakland procedures, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fees, forms, and agency procedures change; confirm with the linked official source. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney advertising. Geller Legal, a dba of The Geller Firm, Inc.