Is California an At-Fault or No-Fault State?
Who pays after a crash depends on the fault system your state uses.
- Fault system
- At-fault (tort)
The driver responsible for a crash, and their liability insurer, pays. California requires liability coverage only — it is not a no-fault state and has no PIP.
- Comparative negligence rule
- Pure comparative
There is no cut-off. Your damages are reduced by your own percentage of responsibility, so a driver found 90% at fault still recovers the remaining 10%.