InjuryCar accident
Car accident claims in Arizona
If another driver's carelessness injured you in Arizona, you may have a claim against that driver's liability insurer and, when their limits run out, against your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Arizona follows pure comparative fault (A.R.S. § 12-2505), so a claim survives even if you were partly to blame; your recovery is reduced by your share, not eliminated. Most claims must be filed within two years of the crash (A.R.S. § 12-542), and if a city, county, or state vehicle or road design is involved, a notice of claim is due within 180 days (A.R.S. § 12-821.01). The record you build in the first weeks, medical care, photos, the police report, is what the claim rests on.
What Blueshoe does
The groundwork, in order, before you decide anything.
- 01
Build the record
Photos, the crash report, witness details, the other driver's insurance, and your treatment history, organized into one file before the adjuster's version of events hardens.
- 02
Read every policy
The other driver's limits, your own UM/UIM coverage, and any household policy that could respond. The declarations pages are often where the real recovery is found.
- 03
Calendar the deadlines
Two years under A.R.S. § 12-542, 180 days if a public entity may be involved, and the practical deadlines for camera footage and vehicle data, which arrive much sooner.
- 04
An attorney can take it forward
A licensed Arizona attorney can review the file, handle the adjuster, send the demand, and file suit if the carrier will not pay fairly, on terms stated in writing first.
What the law says
What the law says about car accidents in Arizona
What should I do after a crash in Arizona?
Get medical care first, then preserve what you can: photos of the vehicles, the roadway, and your injuries; names and numbers for witnesses; the other driver's insurance details; and the police report number. You are not required to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement, and it is better to get advice before you do.
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 months later, after the diagnosis has changed.
Will the other 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, and $15,000 for property damage. A hospital stay can pass those figures quickly, which is why serious claims turn on uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which Arizona insurers must offer under A.R.S. § 20-259.01.
Whether you rejected UM/UIM in writing, what limits you carry, and whether more than one policy in your household can respond are questions worth answering before accepting any number.
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 the claim survives even if you were mostly to blame. Expect the adjuster to push your percentage upward, since every point assigned to you is a point off what the carrier pays.
How long do I have to bring an Arizona car accident claim?
Generally two years from the crash under A.R.S. § 12-542. If a public entity may share fault, a city bus, a government fleet vehicle, a dangerous road design, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 requires a notice of claim within 180 days and suit within one year. That shorter clock is the most missed deadline in Arizona injury law.
The notice must be served correctly and state a specific amount. A defective notice can end the public-entity claim entirely, so that analysis belongs in the first few months, not the second year.
What if I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver, or hurt as a passenger?
Rideshare coverage works in tiers: different insurance applies depending on whether the driver was off the app, waiting for a ride request, or 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 question in these cases.
What it costs
No fee unless you recover.
Asking costs nothing. If you engage Blueshoe on a contingency basis, the fee is a percentage of what is recovered, stated in a written engagement agreement, and nothing is owed if there is no recovery. Case costs, such as filing fees and records, are set out in the same agreement, including whether they come out before or after the fee is calculated.
- Free to ask
- Written assessment before any fee
- Engagement terms in writing
- No billable hours
Questions people ask
You can confirm basic facts, but you are not obligated to give the opposing insurer a recorded statement, and doing so before advice rarely helps. Adjusters ask questions designed to minimize the claim. Get your deadline and the claim's real scope assessed before you give them the narrative.
More under Injury
- Truck accidentsHit by a commercial truck on the I-10 or I-17? Federal safety rules, the evidence that disappears in weeks, several liability under A.R.S.Read more
- Motorcycle accidentsA driver turned left across you or drifted into your lane.Read more
- Wrongful deathArizona's wrongful death statutes (A.R.S.Read more
Legally reviewed by Catherine O’Grady, State Bar of Arizona No. 011647
Managing partner & chief compliance officer · 30+ years in practice · Reviewed 2026-10-08 · Full bio →