The moment after a crash on Mill Avenue or the Loop 202 is a blur of adrenaline, and the choices you make in those first minutes can shape your health and your claim for months. A wrong move at the scene, or a delayed trip to the doctor, can quietly weaken your right to compensation later. Arizona law also imposes specific duties on you the moment a collision occurs, and failing to meet them carries real consequences.
At Hartley Law Car Accident & Injury Lawyers, we help injured drivers in Tempe protect their health and their claims after a wreck. Below, we walk through the steps that matter most, from the roadside to your first call with an insurance adjuster.
Your safety comes before anything else after a crash. If you can move, get yourself and your vehicle out of active traffic to reduce the risk of a second collision. Turn on your hazard lights so other drivers can see you.
Next, check yourself and your passengers for injuries. Adrenaline can hide pain, so move slowly and pay attention to any numbness, dizziness, or discomfort. If anyone is hurt, call 911 right away and let the dispatcher know medical help is needed.
Do not try to move someone who is seriously injured unless a fire or another immediate danger forces it. Waiting for trained responders protects that person from further harm. Once everyone is stable, you can turn to the next steps.
Calling the police should be one of your first moves after any crash beyond a tiny fender bender. An officer creates an official record of what happened, and that report becomes a valuable piece of evidence when you file a claim. Waiting to sort things out privately with the other driver often backfires.
Under A.R.S. § 28-667, a law enforcement officer who investigates a crash must complete a written report when the accident involves injury, death, property damage over $2,000, or the issuance of a citation. The duty to write the report falls on the officer, but that only helps you if you call them to the scene. Report the crash even when the damage looks minor, because injuries and vehicle problems often surface later.
If no officer responds to a minor crash with no injuries, you may still be able to document it through a Citizen's Collision Report with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Getting the accident on record protects you if the other driver changes their story.
State law does more than encourage good behavior after a crash; it imposes legal duties on every driver involved. A.R.S. § 28-663 requires you to share information and help anyone who is hurt. Ignoring these duties can turn a straightforward accident into a criminal matter.
The penalties are serious and depend on which duty you skip. These obligations apply whether the crash happens on a public road or private property.
The law requires you to give certain details to the other people involved in the crash. Providing this information promptly keeps you on the right side of the statute and helps both drivers file their claims.
At a minimum, you must share the following:
Failing to give this information or show your license is charged as a misdemeanor. Exchanging details calmly at the scene avoids that risk entirely.
If someone is hurt in the crash, the law requires you to render reasonable assistance. That can mean calling 911, staying until help arrives, or arranging for the injured person to see a doctor or go to a hospital when treatment is clearly needed.
This duty carries the most weight of all. Leaving the scene when someone needs medical help is a class 6 felony under Arizona law, which can bring prison time. The duty to help applies even if the other person caused the crash, so never drive away from an injured person.
The evidence you collect at the scene is often stronger than anything gathered days later. Memories fade, skid marks wash away, and vehicles get repaired. Taking a few minutes to document everything gives your claim a solid foundation.
Use your phone to capture as much as you safely can while you wait for help. Try to preserve these details:
Ask nearby witnesses for their contact details before they leave, since they rarely stick around long. This record helps our team and the insurance companies sort out what actually happened.
Seeing a doctor promptly protects both your health and your claim, even when you feel okay. Many serious injuries do not show symptoms right away. Whiplash, concussions, and internal injuries can take hours or days to appear, and by then the damage may be worse.
A prompt medical visit creates a record that directly links your injuries to the crash. When you wait weeks to seek care, an insurance company may argue that something else caused your pain. That gap becomes an easy reason to reduce or deny what you are owed.
Follow through with the treatment your doctor recommends and keep all bills and records. These documents show the real cost of your injuries. Consistent care also demonstrates that you took your recovery seriously.
You will need to report the crash to your own insurance company, but how you handle that call matters. Adjusters are trained to limit what the company pays, and an offhand comment can be used against you. Stick to the basic facts of what happened.
For context, state law requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 in property damage coverage. Those limits are often too low to cover a serious injury, which is one reason careful handling of your claim matters so much.
When you speak with any insurer, keep these guidelines in mind:
Taking a measured approach here keeps your options open while your claim develops.
It is tempting to apologize or accept blame in the confusion after a crash, but resist that urge. The state follows a rule called pure comparative negligence under A.R.S. § 12-2505. Under this rule, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover even if you were mostly to blame.
Because fault is divided by percentage, every statement about the crash can shift how much you recover. An early admission gives the other side an easy way to push more blame onto you. Let the investigation and the evidence establish what really happened.
Stick to the facts when you describe the crash, and leave conclusions about fault to the professionals. Our team can help protect your account of events from being twisted later.
The law gives you a limited window to take legal action after a crash. Under A.R.S. § 12-542, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of the injury. The statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit, and missing it usually ends your case for good.
Two years can feel like plenty of time, but it disappears fast between medical treatment, insurance calls, and daily life. Acting early lets our team preserve evidence, interview witnesses while memories are fresh, and build a stronger case. The sooner you reach out to Hartley Law, the more we can do to protect your claim.
Arizona does not require you to file a report in person, but calling the police creates an official record. That report protects you if injuries or disputes surface later, so it is wise to call.
Do not leave the scene, admit fault, skip medical care, or give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer without advice. These missteps can weaken your claim.
Yes. The state uses pure comparative negligence, so you can recover even if you were mostly at fault. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.
You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Some exceptions apply, so it is best to act quickly.
Yes. Injuries like whiplash and concussions can take days to appear. A prompt visit protects your health and links any injuries directly to the accident.
That two-year filing deadline and the comparative negligence rule can quietly work against you the longer you wait to act. The steps you take at the scene and in the days after shape everything that follows. You do not have to sort through the accident laws and insurance tactics alone, and our team is ready to help you protect what you are owed.
At Hartley Law Car Accident & Injury Lawyers, attorney Matt Hartley and our team guide injured drivers in Tempe through each stage of the claim process with a clear, protective approach. For a free case evaluation, call our firm today at (602) 529-2222 to discuss what to do after your car accident in Tempe.
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