Nobody thinks clearly after a collision. Adrenaline masks pain, the sequence of events blurs, and people say things they would never say an hour later. The decisions made in that first hour tend to shape everything that follows, which is why it helps to know the sequence before you need it.
Stop and Check for Injuries
Arizona law requires you to stop. Leaving the scene of a collision involving injury, death, or property damage is a criminal offense under Title 28 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, and the consequences are severe.
Check yourself and your passengers first, then others if you are able. Move vehicles out of the travel lanes only if they are drivable and it is safe to do so. On Interstate 8 or Highway 95, leaving a disabled vehicle in a lane creates a second crash. If a vehicle cannot be moved, get people away from the roadway rather than standing beside it.
Call 911
Call even when the damage looks minor. An officer creates an official record, and that record follows the claim from beginning to end.
Arizona also requires immediate notice to law enforcement for collisions involving injury, death, or apparent property damage above the statutory threshold. When in doubt, call. A crash with no report is a crash the other driver can later describe however they choose.
Request medical attention if anyone is hurt. Declining an ambulance at the scene is a decision that gets quoted back to you later.
What Arizona Requires You to Exchange
Drivers involved in a collision must give their name, address, and vehicle registration to the other parties, show a driver license on request, and render reasonable assistance to anyone injured. That obligation applies regardless of who caused the crash.
Exchange information directly rather than relying on the other driver to relay it. Photograph their license, registration, and insurance card instead of writing details down, because handwriting errors on a policy number cause real delays.
Get Medical Care Even If You Feel Fine
This is the step people skip, and it costs them more than any other.
Adrenaline suppresses pain for hours. Inflammation from soft tissue and neck injuries builds over the following one to three days, which is why whiplash symptoms so often appear two mornings later. Head injuries are worse in this respect, because the warning signs of a brain injury can take days to surface and are frequently noticed first by family rather than the injured person.
Serious trauma in Yuma County goes to Onvida Health, formerly Yuma Regional Medical Center, which operates the region’s state designated trauma center. Patients with the most severe injuries are stabilized there and flown to Phoenix or Tucson when a higher level of care is needed. Our overview of local trauma facilities covers how that system works.
Whatever you do, get evaluated within a day or two. A gap between the crash and the first medical visit is the most common argument an insurer makes against a claim.
Document Everything You Can
If you are physically able, photograph more than seems necessary.
Every vehicle from multiple angles, including the undamaged sides. Wide shots showing vehicle positions, lane markings, signals, signage, and skid marks. The roadway surface, the weather, the lighting, and anything that blocked a line of sight. Visible injuries the same day, and again as bruising develops.
Get names and phone numbers for witnesses before they leave. Independent witnesses are the most valuable evidence at any scene and the easiest to lose permanently. Our guide to building the record explains what else matters and what disappears within weeks.
What Not to Say
- Do not apologize. It is instinctive, it is human, and it gets reported as an admission.
- Do not speculate about speed, distance, or what you were doing. If you are unsure, say you are unsure. Guesses become testimony.
- Do not tell anyone you are fine before you have been examined. You do not yet know.
Because Arizona reduces recovery by your own share of fault, statements at the scene carry direct financial weight.
Report It to Your Own Insurer
Notify your carrier promptly. Most policies require it, and delayed notice can jeopardize your own coverage, including the underinsured and uninsured motorist benefits you may end up needing.
Reporting the claim is not the same as giving a detailed recorded statement. Provide the basic facts and nothing more until you know the extent of your injuries.
Be Careful With the Other Driver’s Adjuster
Expect a call within days. Expect it to be friendly. Expect a request for a recorded statement and a broad medical authorization, and expect a settlement offer before you have finished treating.
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and you should not sign an authorization that opens your entire medical history rather than the relevant records. Our guide to handling adjuster calls covers these requests in detail.
Get the Crash Report
Which agency has it depends on where the collision happened. Crashes inside city limits go through the Yuma Police records bureau. Crashes in unincorporated areas go through the Yuma County Sheriff. Minor collisions on state highways where no officer responded can be submitted through the DPS reporting tool, which issues a report number insurers commonly require.
Read it as soon as it arrives. Diagrams and narratives contain errors, and corrections are much easier to pursue while the officer still remembers the call.
Watch the Calendar
Arizona gives you two years for most injury lawsuits. If a government vehicle, a public employee, or a dangerous roadway condition is involved, the deadline is far shorter and begins running within six months of the crash.
Talk to an Arizona Injury Attorney
The first week determines what evidence still exists when someone finally looks for it. Citrine Law represents injured people across Yuma County and southwestern Arizona and never insurance companies. We handle injury claims of every kind, including car accident claims. The consultation is free and we are paid only if we recover for you, so reach out today.