Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Florence?

A head-on on SR 79 south of town, a truck that pulled out onto SR 287 without looking, a rear-end on Hunt Highway with the sun in everyone's eyes. If you were just in a crash in Florence and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Florence-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. Florence does not have its own hospital. The closest 24-hour emergency rooms are Banner Casa Grande Medical Center on Florence Boulevard in Casa Grande, a Level IV trauma center, and Banner Ironwood Medical Center in San Tan Valley. The nearest Level I trauma center is Chandler Regional Medical Center, where the most serious crashes are usually flown. 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 Florence

Inside town limits, the Florence Police Department responds to crashes. On SR 79 and SR 287 it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Outside the town line, including most of Hunt Highway, Arizona Farms Road and the county roads toward San Tan Valley, it is the Pinal 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. Florence Police reports are requested through the department, Pinal County Sheriff's Office reports come from its records unit, and DPS reports come from DPS records.

Roads where Florence crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: SR 79 north toward Florence Junction and south toward Oracle Junction, SR 287 west toward Coolidge, Hunt Highway between Florence and San Tan Valley, Arizona Farms Road, and Attaway Road where it meets the highway. Most of these are undivided two-lane roads with long straight stretches, so the crashes are often head-on or left-turn collisions at highway speed. Skid marks fade and debris gets cleared quickly on a state highway, so photographs of the road, the shoulder and both vehicles taken at the scene matter a great deal.

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.