Accidents & Injuries in Arizona

Under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-542, you generally have two years from the date of injury. If your claim is against a government entity (city, county, or state), Arizona Revised Statutes Section 12-821.01 requires a notice of claim to be filed within 180 days of the incident. Missing the government notice deadline may permanently bar your claim even before the two-year period expires.

Arizona uses pure comparative fault under ARS 12-2505. This means even if you are mostly at fault for an accident, you may still recover a proportional share of damages. For example, if your damages are $50,000 and you are found 60% at fault, you could potentially recover $20,000. There is no threshold that bars recovery based on your percentage of fault.

Arizona generally does not cap compensatory damages for personal injury accident cases. Injured parties may seek recovery for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses without a statutory ceiling. However, different rules apply to medical malpractice and government entity cases.

No. Arizona is a fault-based auto insurance state. If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver, you typically pursue that driver's liability insurance for compensation. Arizona requires minimum liability coverage but does not mandate personal injury protection (PIP) insurance.