Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Flagstaff?

A pileup on I-40 in a snow squall west of town, a semi that loses its brakes on I-17 coming up the hill from Munds Park, a red-light crash at Milton Road and Route 66 with NAU traffic backed up in every direction. If you were just in a crash in Flagstaff and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Flagstaff-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. Flagstaff Medical Center on North Beaver Street has a 24-hour emergency room and is a Level I trauma center, the only one in northern Arizona, so serious crash victims from hundreds of miles around are flown here. 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 Flagstaff

Inside city limits, the Flagstaff Police Department responds to crashes. On I-40, on I-17 south toward Phoenix, on US 89 north toward Page, and on US 180 toward the Snowbowl and the Grand Canyon, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated parts of Coconino County such as Doney Park, Kachina Village, Mountainaire and Bellemont, it is the Coconino 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. Flagstaff Police reports are requested through the department's online report request form, sheriff's reports from Coconino County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Flagstaff crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: I-40 through town and on both sides of it, where winter storms and cross-country trucks meet, the I-17 and I-40 interchange, I-17 south on the long grade toward Munds Park, Milton Road from the interstate to Route 66, Route 66 at Milton Road and along the east side past Fourth Street, Butler Avenue, and US 180 in ski season. Snow and ice change everything here. If the road was icy, photograph the surface, the lane markings and any missing sand or salt before the scene clears, because the other driver's insurer will say the weather did it, not their driver.

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.