Hit by a drunk driver in Chandler: find a DUI accident lawyer and know who pays

You generally have 2 years to sue a drunk driver who hit you in Chandler. Chandler Police's Vehicular Crimes Unit investigates serious crashes. Money can come from the driver's insurer, your uninsured motorist coverage, and sometimes the bar that served an obviously drunk customer.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (37)

Hit by a drunk driver in Chandler? See if you are owed money.

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

Free to send, no obligation. A law firm that handles this type of case in your state reviews it. How this works
Road map of downtown Chandler around Arizona Avenue and Chicago Street, where the city's police records office and municipal court are located
A bar can owe you if it served someone obviously drunk. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How many drunk driving crashes happen in Chandler?

ADOT's 2024 numbers for Chandler list 181 alcohol-related crashes. Those crashes killed 8 people and injured 98. That is one year of data, so it can't tell you the trend. It does show this is not rare here.

Police have pushed back. Their 2024 annual report credits directed enforcement at major intersections and roads with a 26% drop in injury collisions from the year before. The police motorcycle unit handles DUI investigations as well as crash work, so an officer who knows both may be the one who writes your report.

Who pays when a drunk driver hits you in Chandler?

Who may payWhenThe catch
The drunk driver's insuranceThe driver had a policyArizona's minimum is $25,000 per person
Your uninsured motorist coverageNo policy, or a small oneInsurers must offer it in writing
A bar, restaurant or storeIt sold to someone obviously drunk, or to a minor with no ID checkThe impairment had to be obvious to a reasonable person
The driver personallyA judgment after a suitThis debt is not wiped out in bankruptcy
Crime Victim CompensationOut-of-pocket crime lossesPays after other sources, but no conviction is needed
City of ChandlerA city employee driving drunk on the job180-day notice to the City Clerk

Arizona's constitution bars any law capping injury damages. Extra punishment money is possible but hard: it takes clear and convincing proof of an evil mind. Public bodies do not pay punitive damages at all.

Can I sue the bar that served the drunk driver in Chandler?

Sometimes, and only inside a narrow lane. Arizona law protects sellers except under the liquor liability statute. A host at a house party is generally not liable for serving an adult. An adult who was drinking with the driver and knew the driver was impaired can't usually sue the bar.

  1. Write down where the driver had been. Receipts, a tab, or what the driver said at the scene all help.
  2. Find the license on the state's search page, which can search by zip code or by date and city.
  3. Check the state's list of adjudicated violations, which can be searched by city or business name.
  4. Ask a lawyer to send the bar a letter asking it to save video and sales records.
  5. You may also report a suspected violation to the state. That report is a public record.

Chandler reviews liquor license applications, but the state makes the final decision, so ask the state department for those records. If a jury finds both the driver and the bar at fault, each one pays only its own share.

What happens with the DUI case in Chandler Municipal Court?

Your injury claim and the criminal case run separately. Chandler Municipal Court lists DUI among its criminal cases. It is at 200 East Chicago Street, 480-782-4700. A criminal conviction can bring an order to pay your full economic loss. That order does not stop your 2-year clock.

You do not have to go through this alone. Chandler Police Victim Advocates work Monday to Friday at 480-782-4535. They help with court steps and Crime Victim Compensation, but they can't give legal advice. The Victim Information Portal shows case status and can tell you automatically when the offender is arrested.

How do I get the crash report after a DUI crash in Chandler?

Start with Crashdocs or BuyCrash. Reports held by Chandler Police Records cost $5. Be patient on this one. The city says records can't be released until the officer completes the case, and it gives no fixed wait. A DUI investigation can take longer than an ordinary fender bender.

On the Loop 101, Loop 202 or I-10, Arizona DPS troopers investigate. Give them at least 14 days before you call.

Questions

How long do I have to file a claim after a drunk driver hits me in Chandler?

Generally 2 years for a lawsuit. If a public employee was the driver, a claim is due in 180 days.

Do I need the driver to be convicted before I can sue?

No. The civil claim is separate from the DUI case, and Crime Victim Compensation does not need a conviction either.

Can my family claim if a drunk driver killed someone we love in Chandler?

Yes, Arizona allows a wrongful death claim, generally within two years. Chandler Police Victim Advocates can also help your family at 480-782-4535.

What if the drunk driver has no insurance?

Your uninsured motorist coverage may pay. Crime Victim Compensation may help with bills that nothing else covers.

Hit by a drunk driver in Chandler? See if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Sources (37)

  1. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  2. Chandler Police, Traffic Section, checked 2026-11-08. “The Vehicular Crimes Unit investigates all fatal, serious injury, and high-profile traffic collisions.”
  3. Arizona Revised Statutes 4-311, checked 2026-11-08. “A licensee is liable for property damage and personal injuries”
  4. Chandler Police, Request a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Records are not releasable until the case is completed by the officer.”
  5. Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “Perform a Search by: - Search for a single Zip Code - Issued Licenses by Date Range & City”
  6. Maricopa County Attorney, Victim Related Information, checked 2026-11-08. “to assist crime victims and their families with crime-related expenses such as medical, mental health, funeral, crime scene clean up, and wage loss”
  7. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “the compensation program is always the payer of last resort”
  8. 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(9), checked 2026-11-09. “for death or personal injury caused by the debtor's operation of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft if such operation was unlawful because the debtor was intoxicated”
  9. ADOT, 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Chandler | 4,267 | 14 | 1,263 | 2,990 | 15 | 1,856 | 181 | 8 | 98 |”
  10. ADOT, 2024 Crash Facts Table 2-5 (copy on phoenix.gov), checked 2026-11-08. “No. of Persons Alcohol Related”
  11. Chandler Police, 2024 Annual Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Traffic directed enforcement at major intersections and roadways resulted in 26% reduction in injury collisions from the prior year.”
  12. Chandler Police, Traffic Section, checked 2026-11-08. “Most of the officers are trained in advanced crash reconstruction.”
  13. A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b), checked 2026-11-08. “(i) $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. (ii) Subject to the limit for one person, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident. (iii) $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.”
  14. A.R.S. § 20-259.01(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Every insurer writing automobile liability or motor vehicle liability policies shall make available to the named insured thereunder and by written notice offer the named insured and at the request of the named insured shall include within the policy uninsured motorist coverage”
  15. Arizona Revised Statutes 4-311, checked 2026-11-09. “significantly uncoordinated physical action or significant physical dysfunction that would have been obvious to a reasonable person”
  16. City of Chandler, Law Department, checked 2026-11-08. “you must serve a notice of claim on the Chandler City Clerk”
  17. Arizona Constitution, article 2, section 31, checked 2026-11-09. “No law shall be enacted in this state limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person”
  18. Swift Transportation v. Carman (Ariz. 2022), checked 2026-11-09. “To establish an evil mind requires clear and convincing evidence”
  19. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-820.04, checked 2026-11-09. “Neither a public entity nor a public employee acting within the scope of his employment is liable for punitive or exemplary damages.”
  20. Arizona Revised Statutes 4-312, checked 2026-11-09. “except as provided in section 4-311, a person, firm, corporation or licensee is not liable in damages to any person who is injured”
  21. Arizona Revised Statutes 4-301, checked 2026-11-09. “A person other than a licensee or an employee of a licensee”
  22. Arizona Revised Statutes 4-312, checked 2026-11-09. “who was present with the person who consumed the spirituous liquor at the time the spirituous liquor was consumed and who knew of the impaired condition”
  23. Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “Violations by City 3. Violation Code 4. Business Name 5. License Number”
  24. Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “NOTE: This Liquor Violation report is considered PUBLIC RECORD.”
  25. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “The Department of Liquor License and Control makes the final determination on the state-issued liquor license.”
  26. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2506, checked 2026-11-09. “the liability of each defendant for damages is several only and is not joint”
  27. City of Chandler, checked 2026-11-09. “In certain types of cases, Shoplifting, DUI, or cases involving Sexual Misconduct, you may qualify for a court-appointed attorney”
  28. Chandler Municipal Court, checked 2026-11-08. “200 E. Chicago St.”
  29. Arizona Revised Statutes 13-603, checked 2026-11-09. “in the full amount of the economic loss as determined by the court”
  30. Chandler Police, Victim Services Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “For more information, call 480-782-4535 or email [email protected]”
  31. Chandler Police, Victim Services Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “You will be able to view your case status and register a phone number and/or email address where you want to be notified automatically when the offender in your case is arrested.”
  32. Chandler Police, Request a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “The Chandler Police Department has partnered with crashdocs.org and BuyCrash.com to provide accident reports online.”
  33. Chandler Police, Request a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Additional pages at $0.15/page”
  34. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “maintains records for collisions (accidents) that were investigated by DPS Troopers occurring on an Interstate or State Highway”
  35. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  36. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  37. A.R.S. § 12-542(2), checked 2026-11-08. “2. For injuries done to the person of another when death ensues from such injuries, which action shall be considered as accruing at the death of the party injured.”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money