Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Mesa?

The US 60 backup at Country Club Drive, a left turn across Southern Avenue at Stapley, a fender bender in the Superstition Springs parking lots at Power Road. If you were just in a crash in Mesa and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Mesa-specific details, and links to the full guides.

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. Banner Desert Medical Center on Dobson Road is a Level I trauma center, Banner Baywood Medical Center covers east Mesa, and Mountain Vista Medical Center near Ellsworth Road has a 24-hour emergency room. 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 Mesa

Inside city limits, the Mesa Police Department responds to crashes. On US 60, Loop 101 and Loop 202, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In unincorporated county islands around the city, it is the Maricopa 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. Mesa Police reports are requested through the department's online records portal, and DPS reports come from DPS records.

Roads where Mesa crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: US 60 across the whole city, Loop 202 on the Red Mountain side, Southern Avenue at Stapley Drive, Power Road at Southern Avenue, Dobson Road at University Drive, and Country Club Drive at Baseline Road by the freeway ramps. Photos of the intersection, the signals, and the lane markings matter more here than anywhere, because many of these crashes turn into arguments about who had the light or who changed lanes.

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.