PhoenixCar accident attorney
Phoenix car accident attorney
A Valley collision drops you into a system built for the insurer: an adjuster with a script, a recorded-statement request, and a settlement number picked before your treatment is finished. If another driver's carelessness injured you, you may have a claim — and the record you build in the first weeks is what it will rest on.
THE FIRST WEEKS
Report, adjuster, record
What happens between the crash and your first legal conversation shapes everything after it. Three things deserve your attention before any settlement talk starts.
The police report
Phoenix PD or DPS will file a crash report with diagrams, witness names, and any citations issued. It isn't the last word on fault, but it anchors every later negotiation — request it, read it, and flag errors early.
The adjuster's first call
The other driver's insurer often calls within days, friendly and fast. That speed serves the carrier's file, not your recovery. Nothing requires you to give a recorded statement to the opposing insurer before you've had legal advice.
Your own medical record
Gaps in treatment become arguments that you weren't really hurt. Getting evaluated promptly, following through on care, and keeping every bill and referral turns your recovery into documentation the insurer can't wave away.
WHAT WE HANDLE
Phoenix crash claims, question by question
Arizona's rules cut both ways: pure comparative fault keeps claims alive even when you share blame, but minimum policy limits and a short public-entity clock can quietly close doors. Here's how the pieces fit.
What should I do after a crash in Phoenix?
Get medical care first, then preserve what you can: photos of vehicles, the roadway, and your injuries; names and numbers for witnesses; the other driver's insurance details; and the police report number. Decline to give the other insurer a recorded statement until you've had advice — Arizona law doesn't require one.
Adjusters are trained to lock in your words while adrenaline is still masking symptoms. A statement given on day two about how you feel can be quoted back on day two hundred, after the diagnosis has changed.
Will the at-fault driver's insurance actually cover my injuries?
Often not fully. Arizona requires only 25/50/15 minimum liability limits — $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash, $15,000 property damage — and a hospital stay can pass those figures quickly. That's why serious cases turn on uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which Arizona insurers must offer you under A.R.S. § 20-259.01.
Whether you rejected UM/UIM in writing, what limits you carry, and whether multiple policies in your household can respond are questions worth answering before accepting any number. Reading the declarations pages is frequently where the real recovery is found.
The insurer says the crash was partly my fault. Does that end my claim?
No. Arizona follows pure comparative negligence under A.R.S. § 12-2505: your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but a claim survives even if you were mostly to blame. Expect the adjuster to push your percentage upward — every point they assign you is a point off what the carrier pays.
Fault percentages aren't handed down by the police report; they're argued from physical evidence, witness accounts, and reconstruction. Treating the insurer's fault split as an opening position, not a verdict, is often the whole ballgame.
How long do I have to bring an Arizona car accident claim?
Generally two years from the crash under A.R.S. § 12-542. But if a public entity may share fault — a city bus, a government fleet vehicle, a dangerous intersection or road design — A.R.S. § 12-821.01 requires a formal notice of claim within 180 days. That shorter clock catches people constantly.
The 180-day notice must be served correctly and state a specific amount, and a defective notice can end the public-entity claim entirely. If there's any chance a city, county, or state actor is involved, that analysis needs to happen in the first few months, not the second year.
What kinds of crashes do you see most in Phoenix?
The I-10, I-17, and Loop 101 corridors generate high-speed rear-end and multi-vehicle collisions; surface streets produce red-light T-bones at wide, fast intersections; and monsoon season brings sudden dust storms and slick pavement that turn ordinary commutes dangerous. Each pattern shapes what evidence matters and who may share responsibility.
A freeway pileup raises questions about following distance and speed for several drivers at once; an intersection T-bone often comes down to signal timing and independent witnesses. The investigation should fit the crash, not a template.
What if I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver — or injured as a passenger?
Rideshare coverage works in tiers: different insurance can apply depending on whether the driver was off the app, waiting for a ride request, or actively carrying or en route to a passenger. Sorting out which tier applied at the moment of impact — and which policy responds — is usually the first fight in these cases.
Asked by Phoenix drivers
You can confirm basic facts, but you are not obligated to give the opposing insurer a recorded statement, and doing so before legal advice rarely helps you. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize the claim. Let counsel handle those communications while you focus on treatment.
Legally reviewed by Catherine O’Grady, State Bar of Arizona No. 011647
Managing partner & chief compliance officer · 30+ years in practice · Reviewed August 2026 · Full bio →