Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Parker?

A rear-end crash on the Parker Strip along State Route 95 when a boat trailer stops short, a sideswipe on California Avenue downtown, a head-on on State Route 72 coming back from Bouse at night. If you were just in a crash in Parker and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Parker-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. La Paz Regional Hospital, 1200 West Mohave Road in Parker, has a 24-hour emergency room and is a state-designated Level IV trauma center, which stabilizes serious injuries and transfers them. The most seriously injured crash victims from Parker are usually taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, a Level III trauma center, or to a Level I trauma center in 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 Parker

Inside town limits, the Parker Police Department responds to crashes on California Avenue, Riverside Drive, Agency Road and the neighborhood streets. On State Route 95, including the Parker Strip north toward Parker Dam and the highway south toward Quartzsite, and on State Route 72 toward Bouse and I-10, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Outside town limits on county roads it is the La Paz County Sheriff's Office. A crash on Colorado River Indian Tribes land may be handled by the tribal police, so 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. Parker Police reports are requested from the department at 1314 West 11th Street. La Paz County Sheriff reports come from the sheriff's records office in Parker. DPS reports come from the DPS Public Services Portal, where you select "Request a Report or Records."

Roads where Parker crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: State Route 95 along the Parker Strip, where Riverside Drive winds past the resorts, campgrounds and launch ramps between town and Parker Dam, with boat trailers, side-by-sides and drivers who have been on the water all day, State Route 95 south of town toward Quartzsite, State Route 72 from Parker southeast to Bouse and I-10, a long straight rural highway where fatigue and passing cause head-on crashes, and California Avenue and Riverside Drive downtown near the Blue Water Resort and Casino. The Colorado River bridge into Earp and the Lake Havasu side bring a steady flow of California drivers who do not know the roads. Summer holiday weekends are the worst, and alcohol is a factor in many river crashes. Photograph the road, the trailer if there was one, the signs and the lane markings, because many of these crashes turn into arguments about who was over the line or who stopped short.

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. A crash with a California driver or a vehicle towing a boat adds insurance questions that are hard to sort out alone. 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.