Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Bullhead City?

A head-on crash on Highway 95 near Laughlin Ranch Boulevard on a Saturday afternoon, a motorcycle that goes down on Bullhead Parkway, a rear-end collision in the casino traffic coming back across the river from Laughlin. If you were just in a crash in Bullhead City and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Bullhead City-specific details, and links to the full guides.

It costs nothing to find out

If you are reading this and thinking you cannot afford a lawyer, read this part first. Personal injury lawyers do not charge you to talk, do not charge by the hour, and do not charge anything unless they recover money for you. The fee comes out of the recovery at the end, never out of your pocket. The first conversation is free. Call Clyne is free too: we ask you a few questions and connect you with a licensed Arizona attorney who looks at your case at no cost. Nobody will ask you for money. Read How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost.

First, the two things that matter most in Arizona

See a doctor within a few days, even if you feel fine. Arizona has no 14-day rule and no PIP. It is an at-fault state, so the at-fault driver's insurer pays, and your own medical payments coverage, if you have it, can pay early bills. Every day between the crash and the first visit is a day the other driver's insurer will use against you. Western Arizona Regional Medical Center on Highway 95 has a 24-hour emergency room and is a Level IV trauma center. Serious injuries are often flown out, because the nearest Level I trauma center is University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, and the nearest higher-level center in Arizona is Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, a Level III. Urgent care or your own doctor counts too. Read What to Do After a Car Accident in Arizona.

Do not give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement. They will call fast and sound friendly. You are not required to talk to them. Read what to say when they call.

Getting your crash report in Bullhead City

Inside city limits, the Bullhead City Police Department responds to crashes, including on Highway 95 and Bullhead Parkway through town. On SR 95 south of the city and on SR 68 toward Kingman, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated parts of Mohave County in Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley, it is the Mohave County Sheriff's Office. If the crash happened on the Laughlin side of the river, it was a Nevada agency, and different rules apply, so tell the lawyer that right away. Ask the officer at the scene which agency wrote the report and get the report number.

Arizona crash reports come from the responding agency's records unit. Bullhead City Police reports are requested from the department's Records Division on Marina Boulevard, by phone, email or in person, sheriff's reports from Mohave County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from DPS records.

Roads where Bullhead City crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Highway 95 through the whole length of town, especially at Laughlin Ranch Boulevard, at Silver Creek Road and at Bullhead Parkway, where the cross traffic and the left turns are, Bullhead Parkway itself, which is fast and dark at night and sees a lot of motorcycle crashes, the Laughlin Bridge approaches where casino traffic backs up, and SR 95 south through Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley toward Needles. Many of the drivers here are visitors from Nevada or California, so the report number, the other driver's insurance card and the names of witnesses matter more than usual.

What to do in the first 48 hours

• Call 911 and get a report, even for a "small" crash.
• Photograph both cars, both licenses, both insurance cards, and the scene.
• See a doctor within a few days, even if you feel fine.
• Report the crash to your own insurer. Facts only.
• Do not accept a quick check or sign anything from the other driver's insurer.
• Keep every bill, receipt and visit summary.

The full step-by-step list is in What to Do After a Car Accident in Arizona.

Know the Arizona clock

For most car accident injury claims in Arizona you have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. If a city, county or state vehicle was involved, you must file a formal notice of claim within 180 days. Arizona uses pure comparative negligence, so being partly at fault reduces your recovery but does not erase it. Details in Partly at Fault in an Arizona Crash.

When to talk to a lawyer

Not every fender bender needs one. Talk to a lawyer when you were injured and are still treating after a week or two, when the other driver was uninsured or fled, when fault is being disputed, or when you missed work. Arizona personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means no fee unless they recover money for you, and the first conversation is free. More in Do I Need a Lawyer If It Wasn't My Fault and How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost.

More Arizona towns and the full set of guides: Car accidents in Arizona.

Call Clyne is a lawyer referral service, not a law firm. Stephen Clyne is not an attorney. This article is general information, not legal advice, and laws change. Talk to a licensed Arizona attorney about your situation.