Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Williams?

A rear-end crash on I-40 at the Grand Canyon Boulevard exit, a tourist in a rental car pulling out across Route 66, a pickup on black ice heading up State Route 64 toward the Grand Canyon. If you were just in a crash in Williams and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Williams-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. Williams does not have its own hospital. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Flagstaff Medical Center, 1200 North Beaver Street in Flagstaff, about 30 miles east on I-40, and it is a state-designated Level I trauma center, so the most seriously injured crash victims from Williams and the I-40 corridor 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 Williams

Inside city limits, the Williams Police Department responds to crashes on Route 66, Railroad Avenue, Grand Canyon Boulevard and the downtown streets. On I-40 itself, including the ramps at exits 161, 163 and 165, and on State Route 64 north toward the Grand Canyon, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Outside city limits on the county roads and in the forest, it is the Coconino 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. Williams Police reports are requested from the department at 501 West Route 66, and the department does not charge crash victims for their own report. Coconino County Sheriff reports come from the sheriff's records section in Flagstaff. DPS reports come from the DPS Public Services Portal, where you select "Request a Report or Records."

Roads where Williams crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: I-40 on both sides of town, where cross-country trucks, Grand Canyon tourists and winter weather mix at 75 miles per hour, State Route 64 from the I-40 interchange north to the Grand Canyon, a two-lane highway with slow RVs, impatient passing and elk at dusk, Route 66 and Railroad Avenue through the historic downtown, with pedestrians crossing between shops and cars backing out of angled parking, and Grand Canyon Boulevard between the interstate and downtown. Snow and ice crashes are common from late fall through spring, and going too fast for conditions is still fault even under the speed limit. Photograph the road surface, the weather, the signs and the lane markings, because many of these crashes turn into arguments about who had the right of way.

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 visitor who has already flown home adds 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.