Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in El Mirage?

A car blowing through the light at Dysart Road and Thunderbird Road, a left turn gone wrong at El Mirage Road and Cactus Road, a multi-car wreck on Grand Avenue where US 60 cuts diagonally across the grid. If you were just in a crash in El Mirage and you are not sure what comes next, this page is the short version, with the El Mirage 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. The closest Level I trauma center is Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, at Thunderbird Road and 55th Avenue. Abrazo Arrowhead Campus in Glendale has a 24-hour emergency room, and so does Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City, just across Grand Avenue. 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 El Mirage

Inside the city limits, the El Mirage Police Department responds to crashes. On Grand Avenue (US 60) and Loop 303 it is usually the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated county land around the city, it is the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, and across the line in Surprise it is the Surprise Police Department. 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. El Mirage Police reports are requested through the department's records unit, and DPS reports come from DPS records.

Roads where El Mirage crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Dysart Road from Thunderbird Road down to Sweetwater Avenue, Thunderbird Road between Dysart and El Mirage Road, El Mirage Road at Cactus Road and south toward Northern Avenue, and Grand Avenue (US 60) as it runs along the north edge of the city. Grand Avenue crashes tend to be high-speed. Photos of the intersection, the signals and the lane markings matter, because these crashes often turn into arguments about who had the light or who was speeding.

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.