Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in San Luis?

A rear-end hit in the line of cars creeping up Urtuzuastegui Street toward the port of entry, a pickup that turns without looking at Juan Sanchez Boulevard and Avenue H, a farm truck that rolls on US 95 out by County 22nd Street. If you were just in a crash in San Luis and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the San Luis-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. San Luis has no hospital. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Onvida Health Yuma Medical Center, formerly Yuma Regional Medical Center, in Yuma, a Level III trauma center. The most serious injuries are flown to a Level I trauma center in Phoenix or Tucson. 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 San Luis

Inside city limits, the San Luis Police Department responds to crashes. On US 95 and SR 195 outside town, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). On the county roads north of the city it is the Yuma 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. San Luis Police reports are requested from the department's records division, sheriff's reports from Yuma County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from DPS records.

Roads where San Luis crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: US 95 north of town at County 22nd Street and the other county road crossings, the one-way pair of Urtuzuastegui Street and Archibald Street where port traffic backs up, Main Street through downtown, Juan Sanchez Boulevard at Avenue H, and Cesar Chavez Boulevard where it feeds SR 195. Many of these crashes are a slow line of cars and one driver who was not paying attention, so photos of where each car stopped and the lane it was in matter, and so does the name of every witness.

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.