The three clocks
The legal clock: Arizona generally allows two years to file most injury claims, and only 180 days to serve a notice of claim if a town, county, or state vehicle is involved. The federal clock: a carrier must keep a driver's electronic logs and supporting documents for six months, after which the rules no longer require them. The footage clock: video from intersections, businesses, and other vehicles is commonly overwritten within weeks. A written preservation request, sent early, asks the carrier to hold its records beyond the minimum and names the onboard data, dispatch records, inspection reports, and camera video that matter. It's a fair question to ask any firm when that request goes out.
The coverage check most people skip
Federal rules set a $750,000 liability floor for most interstate for-hire carriers, but that floor doesn't apply to lighter local commercial vehicles, and when several people are injured in one crash a single policy is shared among them. That's why the declarations page on your own policy matters in a truck case: uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can become part of the recovery, and Arizona insurers are required to offer it. It's worth asking any firm whether reviewing your own coverage is a standard first step.
Fault and who's on the other side
Arizona follows pure comparative negligence — partial fault reduces a claim by percentage and does not end it. A truck claim may involve the driver, the carrier, the trailer's owner, a shipper or loader, and a maintenance contractor, and Arizona allows a defendant to name other parties who may share fault, generally within 150 days of answering a complaint. A complete claim identifies everyone early, which is easier when the records were preserved in the first week.
Questions worth asking any firm
When the preservation request goes out and what it names. Whether the firm reviews your own policy for uninsured and underinsured coverage as a standard step. Who your point of contact will be, and how often you'll hear from them. Whether the firm prepares truck cases as if they may need to go the distance. And what the written fee agreement says. Any firm should be glad to put those answers in writing.
Where we fit
Saguaro Injury Law handles truck accident cases across the Southeast Valley from our Gilbert office, in English and Spanish, and the three clocks above are the first thing we look at in any truck case. The specifics are on our Phoenix truck accident lawyer page, the law is covered in our Arizona truck accident guide, and our car accident guide for Gilbert covers the evidence clock in any crash. A free consultation is available any hour — in English or Spanish. (602) 217-0000.