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What to Do After a Car Accident in Arizona: A Step by Step Guide
A car accident can happen in seconds. One moment you are driving through Mesa or heading down the 202 in Phoenix, and the next moment everything has changed. Your heart is racing, your hands are shaking, and you have no idea what to do next.
This guide walks you through exactly what to do after a car accident in Arizona, step by step. Following these steps protects your health, protects your legal rights, and puts you in the best possible position to recover the compensation you deserve.
If you have already been in an accident and need help right now, schedule a free consultation with Wood Injury Law and we will walk you through your options.
Step 1: Check for Injuries and Get to Safety
Your first priority is always safety. Before you do anything else, check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If anyone is hurt, do not try to move them unless there is an immediate danger like fire or oncoming traffic. Moving an injured person can make spinal or neck injuries significantly worse.
If you can safely do so, move your vehicle out of the lane of traffic. Turn on your hazard lights. If the vehicles cannot be moved, get yourself and anyone else to a safe location away from the roadway.
Step 2: Call 911
Always call 911 after a car accident in Arizona, even if the crash seems minor. There are two important reasons for this.
First, injuries are not always obvious right away. Adrenaline can mask pain. What feels like a sore neck at the scene might be a serious injury that shows up hours or days later. Emergency responders can check everyone involved.
Second, a police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence in any personal injury claim. The officer will document the scene, gather statements, and often note who appeared to be at fault. Insurance companies take police reports seriously. If you skip this step, you may find it much harder to prove what happened later.
When the officers arrive, tell them exactly what happened as clearly and calmly as you can. Stick to the facts. Do not speculate about fault, and do not say things like “I think it was partially my fault” even if you feel guilty in the moment.
Step 3: Exchange Information with the Other Driver
While you wait for police to arrive, exchange the following information with the other driver:
- Full name and contact information
- Driver’s license number
- License plate number
- Insurance company name and policy number
- Vehicle make, model, and year
Arizona requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage. That said, many drivers carry only the state minimum, and some drive without insurance at all. Getting their information right at the scene is critical.
Step 4: Document Everything at the Scene
Your smartphone is one of your most powerful tools after an accident. Use it to document as much as possible before the scene is cleared.
What to photograph and record
- All vehicles involved, from multiple angles
- Damage to your vehicle and the other vehicles
- The position of the vehicles on the road
- Skid marks, debris, and road conditions
- Street signs, traffic signals, and intersection markings
- Any visible injuries to yourself or passengers
- Weather and lighting conditions
Also look around for witnesses. If anyone saw the crash, ask for their name and contact information. Witness statements can be incredibly valuable if the other driver tries to dispute what happened later.
Step 5: See a Doctor, Even if You Feel Fine
This step is one of the most important, and one of the most commonly skipped. Many accident victims feel okay at the scene and decide not to seek medical attention. A few days later, they are in serious pain and wondering what happened.
Injuries like whiplash, soft tissue damage, concussions, and even traumatic brain injuries do not always show up immediately. The adrenaline and shock from the accident can hide pain for hours or even days.
Seeing a doctor right away does two things. It gets you the treatment you need. And it creates a medical record that directly connects your injuries to the accident. If you wait a week to see a doctor, the insurance company will argue that your injuries were caused by something else that happened in between. Do not give them that opening.
Step 6: Notify Your Insurance Company
You need to report the accident to your own insurance company, even if the other driver was clearly at fault. Most policies require prompt reporting, and failing to report can create problems with your coverage.
However, there is an important distinction here. Reporting the accident is different from giving a recorded statement. Be very careful about what you say to any insurance adjuster, including your own. Insurance adjusters are trained to gather information that reduces the amount the company has to pay. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and you should speak with a lawyer before you do.
Step 7: Keep Records of Everything
From the moment of the accident forward, start keeping a paper trail. Save every document related to the accident and your injuries. This includes:
- Medical bills and records
- Prescriptions and medical equipment receipts
- Repair estimates and invoices for your vehicle
- Records of missed work and lost wages
- Any correspondence with insurance companies
- A journal documenting your pain, symptoms, and how the injuries affect your daily life
That last one might seem unusual, but a personal injury journal can be very powerful. When you write down every day how your injuries are affecting you, it creates a real time record that is much more persuasive than trying to remember details months later during a settlement negotiation or trial.
Step 8: Understand Arizona’s Comparative Fault Rules
Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence system. This means that even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you can still recover compensation. Your award is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if you were 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000, you would recover $80,000. Even if you were 99% at fault, you could still technically recover 1% of your damages. This is more generous than many other states, but it also means the insurance company will work hard to assign as much fault to you as possible to reduce what they have to pay.
This is another reason why having an experienced car accident lawyer on your side matters. An attorney who understands how Arizona’s comparative fault laws work can push back against unfair fault assignments.
Step 9: Know Arizona’s Statute of Limitations
In Arizona, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under A.R.S. 12-542. Two years sounds like a long time, but it goes faster than you think. Evidence disappears. Witnesses become harder to find. Medical records have to be gathered and analyzed. Insurance negotiations can drag on.
There are also important exceptions. If the accident involved a government entity, like a city bus or a government vehicle, you may have as little as 180 days to file a Notice of Claim, with a lawsuit deadline of one year. Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your ability to recover anything.
Do not wait. If you were in an accident in Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, or anywhere else in Arizona, reach out to a lawyer sooner rather than later.
Contact Wood Injury Law today for a free consultation and find out how much time you have to act on your claim.
Step 10: Talk to an Arizona Car Accident Lawyer
The insurance company has attorneys and adjusters working for them from the moment the accident is reported. You should have someone in your corner too.
Josh Wood is a Mesa-based personal injury attorney and former insurance defense lawyer. That means he knows exactly how insurance companies think, what they look for, and how they try to minimize or deny claims. Now he uses that knowledge to fight for accident victims across Arizona, including in Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, and Tempe.
Wood Injury Law offers free consultations and works on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we win your case. There is no financial risk to calling.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accidents in Arizona
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Arizona?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident under A.R.S. 12-542. If your claim involves a government entity, the deadline is much shorter. You may have only 180 days to file a Notice of Claim and one year to file a lawsuit. Speak with an attorney as soon as possible to make sure you do not miss your deadline.
What if the other driver does not have insurance?
Arizona requires all drivers to carry liability insurance, but not all drivers follow the law. If you are hit by an uninsured driver, your options may include your own uninsured motorist coverage if you purchased it, or a lawsuit directly against the at-fault driver. An attorney can help you explore every available avenue for recovery.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
You can still recover compensation under Arizona’s pure comparative negligence law. Your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not automatically barred from recovering anything. The insurance company will likely try to assign you as much fault as possible to reduce their payout, which is why having legal representation matters.
Do I have to give a recorded statement to the insurance company?
You are required to cooperate with your own insurance company, but you are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. It is best to speak with a lawyer before giving any recorded statement. What you say can and will be used against your claim.
How much is my Arizona car accident claim worth?
Every case is different. The value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and the impact on your quality of life. Speak with an attorney about your specific situation to get a realistic picture of what your claim may be worth.
Ready to Talk to an Arizona Car Accident Attorney?
If you or someone you love has been in a car accident in Mesa, Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, or anywhere in Arizona, do not navigate this alone. The steps you take in the days and weeks after an accident can make or break your case.
Josh Wood and the team at Wood Injury Law are ready to help. Josh is a former insurance defense attorney who now fights exclusively for accident victims. He knows the playbook insurance companies use, and he knows how to counter it.
Your consultation is completely free, and you pay nothing unless we win. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward getting the compensation you deserve.
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