Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Nogales?

A rollover on I-19 near the Ruby Road exit, a semi that cut across Mariposa Road on its way from the Mariposa port of entry, a stop-and-go tap on Grand Avenue in the line of cars near the DeConcini crossing downtown. If you were just in a crash in Nogales and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Nogales-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. Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital on Target Range Road has a 24-hour emergency room. Nogales has no designated trauma center, so the most serious injuries go north to Banner University Medical Center Tucson or Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital, both Level I. 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 Nogales

Inside city limits, the Nogales Police Department responds to crashes. On I-19, State Route 189 and State Route 82, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In Rio Rico and the rest of unincorporated Santa Cruz County, it is the Santa Cruz 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. Nogales Police reports are requested through the department's records unit, and DPS reports come from DPS records.

Roads where Nogales crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: I-19 between the border and Rio Rico, where DPS has worked several fatal crashes, State Route 189 (Mariposa Road) between I-19 and the Mariposa port of entry, the truck route around downtown, the roundabout at Mariposa Road and Target Range Road, Grand Avenue (Business 19) through downtown toward the DeConcini crossing, and Mariposa Road at Grand Avenue. Truck traffic matters here, so photos of the trailer, the company name on the cab and the truck's plates matter too, because a crash with a commercial truck brings in the trucking company's insurer, not just the driver's.

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.