Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Douglas?

A driver who blows the stop sign at 15th Street and A Avenue, a head-on on SR 80 in the open desert between Douglas and Bisbee, a fender bender in the line of cars on Pan American Avenue waiting to reach the Raul Hector Castro port of entry. If you were just in a crash in Douglas and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Douglas-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. In Douglas, the 24-hour emergency room is the Copper Queen Community Hospital Douglas Emergency Department on East Fifth Street, a freestanding ER. The nearest trauma centers are Copper Queen's main hospital in Bisbee, a Level IV, and Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, a Level III. The most serious injuries are flown to Banner University Medical Center Tucson, a Level I trauma center. 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 Douglas

Inside city limits, the Douglas Police Department responds to crashes. On SR 80 toward Bisbee and the New Mexico line, and on US 191 north toward Elfrida, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated parts of Cochise County around Douglas and Pirtleville, it is the Cochise 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. Douglas Police reports are requested from the department's records division, sheriff's reports from Cochise County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from DPS records.

Roads where Douglas crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: SR 80 between Douglas and Bisbee, where speed and long straightaways turn crashes into head-ons, SR 80 as it enters town on 16th Street and turns down G Avenue, Pan American Avenue where port traffic and commercial trucks stack up, 15th Street at A Avenue, and US 191 north of the old smelter site. On the highway, the scene is often gone by the time anyone thinks about evidence, so photos taken before the tow truck arrives carry a lot of weight.

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.