Arizona’s car accident laws dictate who pays, how fault is decided, and what insurance must cover. And with 121,107 crashes reported in 2024, anyone can find themselves dealing with the fallout of a car accident in Arizona.
When that happens, knowing your rights can make all the difference as you face injuries, vehicle damage, and insurance pressure. We’re here to help you understand what comes next.
Arizona is an At-Fault State
Arizona follows an at-fault system, meaning the driver who causes the accident is responsible for the harm they create. In most cases, that means the at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays for your medical bills, lost income, and property damage after a car accident in Arizona.
Other no-fault system means that injured drivers turn to their own mandatory Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage first, regardless of who caused the crash. Arizona doesn’t use that structure. Here, fault matters, and liability insurance is the primary source of compensation.
If the driver who hit you doesn’t carry enough insurance, or has none at all, you may still have options through your uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage or optional MedPay, depending on your policy. These coverages can make the difference between getting your medical bills paid and being left with expenses you didn’t cause.
Auto Insurance Requirements & Coverages in Arizona
In terms of auto insurance, Arizona requires every in-state driver to carry at least:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death to one person
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more people in one crash
- $15,000 for property damage per crash
These are often called 25/50/15 limits.
But in reality, those minimums are usually not enough in serious crashes involving hospital stays, surgery, or long-term rehab.
MedPay: Optional Medical Payments Coverage
Arizona doesn’t use a no-fault PIP system like some states. Instead, many insurance companies offer Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) as an add-on. MedPay helps pay for medical bills, regardless of who was at fault, and typically applies to you and your passengers. It might be coordinated with health insurance, and often comes in smaller limits (e.g., $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 and up).
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage
UM/UIM is your financial safety net when:
- The at-fault driver has no insurance (uninsured), or
- Their limits aren’t enough to cover your losses (underinsured).
Under state law, insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage; you can only decline it in writing. If you have it, we can often stack multiple UM/UIM policies, use UM/UIM when the other driver’s 25/50/15 policy is exhausted, and protect you in hit-and-run collisions where the at-fault driver disappears.
Who Pays First In a Car Accident in Arizona?
In a typical auto accident:
- At-fault driver’s liability insurance is the primary source for accident victims injury and property damage claims.
- If their insurance is missing or too low, the UM/UIM coverage may step in.
- MedPay, if the victim have it, can help cover medical bills early in the process, even before the liability claim resolves.
Part of our job is to find every available policy, not just the obvious one, and put the right coverage in the right order to maximize your recovery.
Arizona Pure Comparative Negligence
Arizona follows pure comparative negligence law system. That means:
- You can still recover money even if you were partially at fault for the crash.
- Your compensation is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.
This rule comes from A.R.S. § 12-2505. In plain English, it says your own share of blame doesn’t wipe out your claim, but just reduces what you get.
For example, your total damages are $50,000. A jury decides you were 20% at fault for the accident because of speeding, and the other driver was 80% at fault for running a red light.
- You can still recover 80% of $50,000 = $40,000.
Even if an insurance adjuster tells you, “You were partly to blame,” that does not automatically mean you have no case. Our job is to investigate, challenge their version of events, and push back on unfair fault percentages
Arizona Revised Statutes of Limitations
Arizona law gives you a limited window to bring a claim or file a lawsuit. Missing these deadlines can kill an otherwise strong case. For most car accident cases in Arizona, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit for Personal injuries and Property damage (damage to your vehicle and other property).
If you file after the two-year mark, the court can dismiss your case, even if liability is obvious. That’s why we typically recommend talking to an attorney well before that deadline.
If a government vehicle is involved
Different rules apply if your crash involves a city bus, police car, fire truck, ADOT or other state/county vehicle, school district vehicle, or other public-entity vehicle or employee.
In those cases, Arizona’s Notice of Claim rules kick in. You usually must serve a formal Notice of Claim within 180 days of the date of the crash (or of discovering the injury). You generally have one year to file a lawsuit against the public entity or employee.
These rules come from A.R.S. §§ 12-821 and 12-821.01. They are strict and technical. If you miss them, you may lose your right to recover from the government entirely.
If there’s any chance a government vehicle was involved, we treat deadlines as urgent and start preserving your claim right away.
Special Arizona Laws That Can Impact a Car Accident Claim
Certain traffic laws are especially important in car accident cases. When another driver breaks one of these rules, it can strongly support a negligence claim.
Hands-free law (cell phones and texting)
Arizona’s hands-free law generally prohibits:
- Holding or supporting a cell phone or device with your body while driving
- Writing or reading text messages while operating a vehicle
Drivers can usually use hands-free features (e.g., Bluetooth) and can use devices in emergencies.
If the other driver was texting, scrolling social media, holding their phone to their ear, filming while driving, that violation can be powerful evidence of distracted driving and negligence.
DUI laws and impaired driving
Arizona has some of the toughest DUI laws in the country, including:
- Standard DUI at 0.08% BAC or higher (lower for commercial drivers or under-21 drivers)
- Extreme DUI and Super Extreme DUI at higher BAC thresholds, with harsher penalties
- Drug-impaired driving (even without alcohol)
In a civil injury case, evidence of DUI can strongly support fault, and sometimes open the door to punitive damages, meant to punish especially reckless behavior.
Seatbelt laws and right-of-way
Arizona law generally requires:
- Front-seat occupants (and many rear-seat occupants) to wear seatbelts
- Drivers to obey right-of-way rules at intersections, crosswalks, and when turning
In a civil case, the defense may argue that not wearing a seatbelt or violating right-of-way rules contributed to your injuries or fault. That doesn’t automatically bar recovery, but it can become part of the comparative negligence analysis.
Our job is to push back hard on unfair blame and keep the focus on the choices that actually caused your injuries.
Reporting requirements, hit-and-run & quick-clearance
Many people aren’t sure what they must do legally after a crash. Arizona has several statutes that spell this out.
Generally, you should contact law enforcement if the crash involves injury or death, or іSignificant property damage (often treated as around $1,000 or more). A responding officer will usually prepare a police/accident report, which becomes important evidence later in the car accident insurance claim process.
Duty to stop, exchange information, and render aid
Arizona law requires drivers involved in a vehicle accident to:
- Stop and remain at the scene of an accident
- Give identifying and insurance information to the other parties
- Provide reasonable assistance, such as calling 911 if someone is hurt
Leaving the scene when you were involved in the accident with injury or death can lead to serious felony charges. A hit-and-run also becomes powerful evidence of fault and can impact how we pursue compensation.
Quick-clearance rule: can you move your car?
Arizona’s “quick-clearance” rules are designed to keep traffic moving and reduce secondary crashes. If your vehicle is drivable and there are no serious injuries, you’re generally encouraged to move it off the roadway to a safer area, such as the shoulder or a nearby parking lot, as soon as it’s safe to do so. You should still take photos of the accident scene and vehicle positions before moving your car if you can do so safely.
If you’re not sure what to do, prioritize safety first, then evidence, then traffic flow.
Summary
Arizona’s car accident laws set the ground rules for who pays, how fault is divided, and which deadlines apply after a crash. As an at-fault state, the driver who caused the collision is generally responsible for your losses, and you may still recover compensation even if you share some of the blame. Insurance requirements, reporting rules, and certain traffic laws all shape how your claim moves forward, and crashes involving government vehicles can trigger shorter, more complex deadlines.
If you’re unsure how these laws apply to your situation, our Arizona car accident attorneys are here to help. We offer a free consultation to explain your options, answer your questions, and guide you through your next steps after a car accident.