Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Lake Havasu City?

A truck towing a boat that runs the light at SR-95 and Kiowa Avenue, a rear-end on McCulloch Boulevard in the middle of a spring break weekend, a head-on on SR-95 out toward I-40 at night. If you were just in a crash in Lake Havasu City and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Lake Havasu City-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. Havasu Regional Medical Center on Civic Center Lane has a 24-hour emergency room and is a Level III trauma center, the highest in this corner of the state. The most serious injuries are flown to a Level I trauma center in Las Vegas or Phoenix. 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 Lake Havasu City

Inside city limits, the Lake Havasu City Police Department responds to crashes. On SR-95 north toward I-40 and south toward Parker, and on I-40 itself, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated parts of Mohave County such as Desert Hills and the areas along the river outside town, it is the Mohave 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. Lake Havasu City Police reports are requested through the department's online public records portal or in person at the police station on McCulloch Boulevard North, sheriff's reports from Mohave County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Lake Havasu City crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: SR-95 through town at Kiowa Avenue, at London Bridge Road and at the busy retail intersections, McCulloch Boulevard from the bridge to the east side, Lake Havasu Avenue, Mesquite Avenue near the hospital, and SR-95 outside town on the two-lane runs north to I-40 and south toward Parker. This is a boating town with a lot of visitors, so crashes often involve trailers, out-of-state plates, and drivers who are only here for the weekend. Get the other driver's home address and phone, photograph the trailer plate too, and get witness names before everyone heads back to California or Nevada.

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.