Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Maricopa?

A head-on crash on the two-lane stretch of SR 347 through the Gila River Indian Community at 6 a.m., a red-light runner at John Wayne Parkway and Smith-Enke Road, a rear-end chain reaction in the evening backup at Riggs Road. If you were just in a crash in Maricopa and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Maricopa-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. Exceptional Community Hospital on John Wayne Parkway has a 24-hour emergency room in town. It is not a designated trauma center, so serious injuries usually go north to Chandler Regional Medical Center, the nearest Level I trauma center, or to Banner Casa Grande Medical Center, a Level IV trauma center in Casa Grande. 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 Maricopa

Inside city limits, the Maricopa Police Department responds to crashes, including on John Wayne Parkway through town. On SR 347 north of the city and on SR 238 toward Gila Bend, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), and on the stretch of SR 347 that crosses the Gila River Indian Community, the Gila River Police Department often responds as well. In the unincorporated parts of Pinal County around Hidden Valley, Thunderbird Farms and Stanfield, 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. Maricopa Police reports are requested through the city's online public records portal or at the records window at City Hall on Civic Center Plaza, sheriff's reports from Pinal County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from DPS records.

Roads where Maricopa crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: SR 347 between the city and I-10, the one road almost everyone takes to work in the Valley, especially the undivided miles through the Gila River Indian Community and the intersection at Riggs Road, John Wayne Parkway at Smith-Enke Road and at Honeycutt Road, the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway heading east, and SR 238 west toward Mobile. Crashes on SR 347 are often high-speed and head-on, with drivers from several different places, so the report number, the responding agency and the names of witnesses matter more than usual.

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.