Legal Question in Insurance Law in California

I'm afraid that you, like the majority of people, misunderstand how insurance legally works. You have zero legal rights against any insurance company except under a policy of insurance that you buy. Because it is more efficient from a business and legal standpoint for the insurance company to deal directly with the injured party when someone they insure causes an accident, and because they have an obligation to THEIR insured to avoid unnecessary litigation, people think the insurance company for the at-fault driver owes them coverage, claim processing and payment obligations. Legally, however, that is not true. An auto insurance company only owes a duty to defend or indemnify their insured. Even the claims handling regulations, which is what the DOI enforces, are primarily for the benefit of the insured, not you. The insured has the right to have claims against them that are valid, adjusted and paid promptly. That right belongs to them, not you, which is why you aren't entitled to any information from the DOI.

The reason for those rights and regulations is to keep the insured from being sued by the claimant, which is what you should have done a long long time ago. Your only legal rights are against the person who caused the accident, and if his insurance company won't pay the loss, you have to sue him. You have no rights against the insurance company directly, only through forcing them to defend or indemnify him. If you blow the statute of limitations, even those rights are gone and they can tell you to buzz off without a dime. So you need to get a lawsuit on file against the other driver right away. If your losses are $10,000 or less, you can do it in small claims. If more than that, you'll have to figure out how to do it in Superior Court yourself or hire a lawyer.