Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Surprise?

A rear-end crash on Bell Road at Dysart Road in the shopping traffic, a driver who runs the angled intersection at Grand Avenue, a wrong-way collision on Loop 303 near Bell Road. If you were just in a crash in Surprise and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Surprise-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. Abrazo Surprise Hospital on West Bell Road has a 24-hour emergency room inside the city, and Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in neighboring Sun City West has a 24-hour emergency room and is a Level III trauma center. The nearest Level I trauma center is Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, so the most serious crash victims from Surprise are usually taken there. 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 Surprise

Inside city limits, the Surprise Police Department responds to crashes on the city streets. On Grand Avenue (US 60) and on Loop 303, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In Sun City West, Sun City and the other unincorporated pockets of Maricopa County around the city, it is the Maricopa 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. Surprise Police reports are requested from the department's Records Unit at police headquarters on West Statler Plaza, or through the city's online public records portal, sheriff's reports from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office records, and DPS reports from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Surprise crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Bell Road from Dysart Road west through Litchfield Road, Bullard Avenue and Reems Road, where the shopping centers, the stadium traffic and the turning vehicles pile up, Grand Avenue (US 60) at Dysart Road and at Bell Road with its angled crossings and rail line, Loop 303 between Bell Road and Waddell Road, Waddell Road, Greenway Road and Cactus Road across the newer neighborhoods on the west side. Surprise keeps adding subdivisions and the roads out past Loop 303 are still being widened, so photograph the cones, the lane shifts and any missing signs, because a work zone changes the argument about who was supposed to yield.

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.