Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Scottsdale?

A rear-end crash in the backup at Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, a sideswipe on the Loop 101 near Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, a late-night collision on Indian School Road coming out of Old Town. If you were just in a crash in Scottsdale and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Scottsdale-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. HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, on East Osborn Road near Old Town, is a state-designated Level I trauma center with a 24-hour emergency room, so the most seriously injured crash victims in Scottsdale are usually taken there. HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center and HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak Medical Center also have 24-hour emergency rooms for the north side of the city. 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 Scottsdale

Inside city limits, the Scottsdale Police Department responds to crashes on Scottsdale Road, Shea Boulevard, Hayden Road, Indian School Road and the neighborhood streets. On the Loop 101, the Pima Freeway, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Along the east side of the city, where the Loop 101 and Pima Road run beside the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, a crash on community land may be handled by the community's own 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. Scottsdale Police crash reports can be downloaded online through the department's crash report vendor, or requested through the city's online police records request form, or in person from Police Records at the Lou Witzeman Public Safety Building, 8401 East Indian School Road. DPS reports come from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Scottsdale crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Scottsdale Road from Old Town north through Shea Boulevard and up to Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, where the traffic is heavy all day, the Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Pima Road and its on-ramps and off-ramps, Shea Boulevard from the 101 east toward Fountain Hills, Hayden Road at Indian School Road and McDowell Road, and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard near the 101 and the airpark. Old Town Scottsdale adds its own pattern: a busy bar and restaurant district with pedestrians, rideshare pickups and late-night driving on Scottsdale Road, Indian School Road and Camelback Road. Photograph the intersection, the signal heads and the lane markings, 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.