What should you do after a car accident in Arizona? At the scene: get to safety, call 911, and get medical attention. In the days after: see a doctor even if you feel fine, document everything, and be careful with insurance conversations. Legally: Arizona generally allows two years to file most injury claims — but only 180 days if a government vehicle or road condition is involved, and key evidence disappears much faster than any deadline.
At the Scene
Safety first. Move to a safe spot if vehicles are drivable, turn on hazards, and call 911. Arizona law requires stopping after a crash involving injury or damage, exchanging information, and rendering reasonable aid. Ask for medical evaluation at the scene if there is any chance of injury — adrenaline masks a great deal in the first hours.
If you are able, photograph the vehicles, their positions, the roadway, traffic signals, skid marks, and any visible injuries. Get names and contact information for witnesses — they leave quickly and can be very hard to find later. Exchange license, registration, and insurance information with the other driver, and note the responding officers' agency and report number.
The First Week
See a doctor promptly even if you feel fine. Some injuries — concussions, internal injuries, disc injuries — can take days to fully show themselves, and the medical record started in the first days becomes the foundation of any claim. Follow the treatment plan; gaps in care are one of the most common things insurers point to later.
Notify your own insurance company that a crash happened — most policies require prompt notice. Be more careful with the other driver's insurer. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other side's insurance company, and it is reasonable to understand your injuries fully before discussing anything. Early offers deserve the same caution: a settlement generally can't be reopened after it's signed, even if injuries turn out worse than they first appeared.
Start a file: photos, the crash report when it becomes available, medical records and bills, receipts, and notes about symptoms and missed work. Small details fade fast; a running record preserves them.
What to Do Legally
Arizona's core deadlines frame everything. Most injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash under A.R.S. § 12-542. But if a city, county, or state vehicle or a roadway condition played any role, a notice of claim must be served within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01 — one of the shortest deadlines in Arizona law, with technical requirements that have ended otherwise valid claims.
Evidence runs on shorter clocks than either deadline. Nearby camera footage is often overwritten within weeks. Vehicles get repaired or salvaged. Witnesses move. A claim doesn't have to be filed quickly — but the evidence that supports it usually has to be preserved quickly.
Arizona follows pure comparative negligence under A.R.S. § 12-2505: being partly at fault reduces a recovery by that percentage, and does not end it. And your own policy matters more than most people expect — uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which Arizona insurers are required to offer under A.R.S. § 20-259.01, can apply when the other driver has no insurance or not enough. If you were hit by an uninsured driver, that coverage may be the claim.
When a Lawyer Makes Sense
A consultation is most worth it when injuries required treatment, fault is disputed, more than one vehicle was involved, an insurer is pressing for a statement or presenting an early offer, or a government vehicle or road condition may be part of the story. At most personal injury firms, including ours, the consultation is free and cases are handled on contingency — no fee unless the case wins. The Arizona car accident guide covers the claim process in depth.