Arizona · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Winslow?

A semi and a passenger car on I-40 near the State Route 87 exit, a chain reaction in blowing snow or dust west of town, a crash at a stop sign on Second Street or Third Street where the old Route 66 traffic still comes through. If you were just in a crash in Winslow and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Winslow-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. Little Colorado Medical Center on North Williamson Avenue is the local hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency room, and it is a state-designated Level III trauma center, which is unusual for a town this size and means it can stabilize serious injuries before transfer. The nearest Level I trauma center is Flagstaff Medical Center, about an hour west on I-40, and the most seriously injured crash victims from Winslow and Holbrook are flown or driven 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 Winslow

Inside city limits, the Winslow Police Department responds to crashes on the city streets. On I-40 itself, and on State Route 87 and State Route 99 outside town, it is the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). In the unincorporated parts of Navajo County around Winslow it is the Navajo County Sheriff's Office, and inside Holbrook it is the Holbrook Police Department. 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. Winslow Police reports are requested through the city's online WPD Records Request form or at City Hall at 102 East Third Street. Navajo County Sheriff's reports come from the Sheriff's Office records section, and DPS reports from the DPS Records Unit portal.

Roads where Winslow crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: I-40 the whole way past Winslow, from the State Route 99 exit on the west side through North Park Drive and Transcon Lane to the State Route 87 exit, where trucks, cross-country travelers and high crosswinds combine, I-40 east toward Joseph City and Holbrook, State Route 87 north toward Second Mesa and south toward Heber, State Route 99 south of the interstate, and the Second Street and Third Street one-way pair through downtown. Winter ice, spring dust and summer monsoon storms all hit this part of I-40, and a lot of Winslow crashes involve an out-of-state driver or a commercial truck. Photograph the truck, its DOT number and its trailer, write down the carrier's name, and note the weather and the road surface, because a truck crash and a weather crash are both cases where the other side moves fast and the evidence disappears.

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.