Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Cottonwood?

A rear-end crash on State Route 260 at Fir Street in front of the grocery store, a driver who misses the turn where SR 89A meets Main Street, a rollover on I-17 near the Camp Verde exits. If you were just in a crash in Cottonwood or Camp Verde and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Verde Valley 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. Verde Valley Medical Center on South Candy Lane in Cottonwood has a 24-hour emergency room and is a Level IV trauma center, which stabilizes serious crash victims and transfers the worst cases. The nearest Level I trauma center is Flagstaff Medical Center, about an hour north on I-17. 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 Cottonwood and Camp Verde

Inside Cottonwood city limits, the Cottonwood Police Department responds to crashes on the city streets. Inside Camp Verde town limits, it is the Camp Verde Marshal's Office. On I-17, State Route 260 and State Route 89A, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In Cornville, Verde Village and the other unincorporated parts of Yavapai County, it is the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. 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. Cottonwood Police crash reports are requested through the department's online crash report portal or from the records window at the police station at 199 South 6th Street, Camp Verde Marshal's Office reports from the Marshal's Office at 646 South 1st Street, sheriff's reports from Yavapai County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Cottonwood and Camp Verde crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: State Route 260 at Fir Street, which Cottonwood Police have ranked the worst intersection in the Verde Valley for rear-end and failure-to-yield crashes, State Route 89A at Main Street, the SR 89A and SR 260 junction, SR 89A over Mingus Mountain toward Jerome and Prescott, SR 260 between Cottonwood and Camp Verde, I-17 at the Camp Verde and Middle Verde interchanges, Cornville Road, and Finnie Flat Road in Camp Verde. These are two-lane highways with tourist traffic, so photograph the turn lanes, the sight lines and the speed signs, because a lot of these crashes turn into arguments about who was turning and who was going too fast.

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.