Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Somerton?

A semi that does not slow down on Main Street where US 95 cuts through the middle of town, a T-bone at Somerton Avenue and County 14th Street, a rollover on Avenue D between the lettuce fields. If you were just in a crash in Somerton and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Somerton-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. Somerton 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 worst injuries are flown on 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 Somerton

Inside city limits, the Somerton Police Department responds to crashes. On US 95 outside town, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). On the county roads between Somerton, Gadsden and the Cocopah reservation, it is the Yuma County Sheriff's Office, and serious crashes near town often bring both agencies. 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. Somerton 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 Somerton crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Main Street, which is US 95, all the way through town, US 95 at County 15th Street where the highway bends north toward Yuma, Somerton Avenue at County 14th Street, Avenue D south of town, and the two-lane county roads that cross US 95 between Somerton and San Luis. A lot of these are farm trucks, buses and semis mixed with local traffic at speed, so photos of the stop signs and the sight lines at the corner will matter later, and so will the names of anyone who stopped to help.

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.