Clock one: the filing deadline
Arizona generally allows two years from the date of a crash to file most injury claims. That is the legal deadline, and it's generous compared with many states. If a government vehicle or roadway condition is involved, a separate notice of claim is due within 180 days — a much shorter window that's worth raising early if there's any chance it applies.
Clock two: the evidence window
The evidence that decides fault does not wait two years. Camera footage at intersections along Gilbert Road, Val Vista, Williams Field, and the 202 interchanges is commonly overwritten within weeks. Vehicles get repaired. Witnesses — including the parents in the next car at school pickup — move on. The first week after a crash is when preservation requests, photographs, and witness contact information get gathered, and a firm's first-week plan is a fair thing to ask about before hiring.
The coverage review most people skip
Arizona insurers are required to offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Many Gilbert households carry it without having read that part of the policy. After a crash with a driver who has no insurance or state-minimum limits, that coverage on your own policy can be central to the recovery — and it applies to everyone injured in your vehicle, including children. Your declarations page is worth having in hand for any consultation, and it's reasonable to ask a firm whether reviewing it is a standard step.
Three rules that come up in most Gilbert claims
Partial fault reduces an Arizona recovery by percentage and does not eliminate it. A pre-existing condition doesn't disqualify a claim — Arizona compensates the aggravation. And the property side of the claim — repair or total loss, a rental during repairs, and the diminished value of a repaired vehicle — runs alongside the injury claim and is worth handling with the same care.
Questions worth asking any firm
What specifically happens in the first seven days. Who your point of contact will be and how often you'll hear from them. How injuries to children in the vehicle are handled. And what the written fee agreement says about the percentage and case costs. Any firm should be glad to answer all four.
Where we fit
Saguaro Injury Law's Gilbert office handles car accident cases for families across the southeast Valley, and the two-clock approach above is how every Gilbert case starts. The details are on our Gilbert car accident lawyer page, the law is covered in our Arizona car accident guide, and our personal injury guide for Gilbert covers vetting for any injury case. A free consultation is available any hour — in English or Spanish. (602) 217-0000.