Hit by a drunk driver in Glendale, Arizona: who pays and find a DUI crash lawyer
Glendale counted 224 alcohol-related crashes in 2024, with 7 people killed. The driver's insurer usually pays first, and Arizona's minimum is only $25,000 a person. A bar that served someone obviously drunk can also owe you. You generally have 2 years to sue, whatever happens in the criminal case.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (40)
How common are drunk driving crashes in Glendale?
In 2024, ADOT counted 224 alcohol-related crashes in Glendale. They killed 7 people and hurt 104. Glendale Police list 693 DUI arrests and 40,765 traffic stops for 2025. Nationally, about 32 people die each day in drunk driving crashes.
The legal limit is 0.08 in most states, but your injury claim does not rise or fall on one number. In a civil case, the question is whether the driver was careless and hurt you. A high test result helps. It is not the only way to prove it.
Who handles the DUI case after a crash in Glendale?
| What happened | Who prosecutes | How you take part |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor DUI in city limits | Glendale City Prosecutor, in Glendale City Court | The Prosecutor's office supports victims and witnesses of these cases. |
| Serious injury, death or felony DUI | Maricopa County Attorney's Vehicular Crimes Bureau | Call 602-506-3411 for the bureau. |
| Crash on Loop 101 or Loop 303 | State troopers investigate first | Wait 14 days before asking for the report. |
Victim Assistance at Glendale Police answers at (623) 930-3030. Staff there list Victim Compensation claims and civil options among the things they help with. Visit the Family Advocacy Center at 6830 N. 57th Drive. To reach the detective on your report, call (623) 930-3000, choose option 2 and have the report number ready.
Your civil claim does not wait for the criminal case. A plea deal or a dismissal does not stop you from filing. Do not let the 2-year deadline pass while you wait for a verdict.
Who pays my bills after a drunk driver hits me in Glendale?
- After a Glendale crash, the driver's liability insurance. The state minimum is $25,000 for one person.
- Your own policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Insurers must offer it, and it covers everyone insured on the policy.
- A liquor licensee, if the facts fit Arizona's law (see the next section).
- The driver personally. Debt from a DUI injury is not discharged in bankruptcy.
- Restitution in the criminal case, for your full economic loss. The county's crime victim program also helps with medical, mental health, funeral and wage loss costs.
- The crime victim fund, as a last resort. The county program helps with medical, mental health, funeral and wage loss costs. A board decides based on program rules and available funding.
Each person found at fault pays only their own share in Arizona. That matters if both a driver and a bar are involved, because the jury will split the percentages between them. Arizona's constitution bars any cap on injury damages. A court can also add punitive damages if there is clear and convincing proof of an evil mind. Ask a lawyer whether your facts come close.
Can I sue the bar that served the drunk driver in Glendale?
Sometimes. Arizona makes a liquor licensee liable when it sold to someone who was obviously drunk, or to a minor without checking ID, and that person's drinking caused your injury. Obviously drunk means the signs were plain to a reasonable person. Outside that law, sellers generally are not liable.
A private party is usually different. Arizona social hosts generally are not liable for serving adults. And an adult who was out with the drinker and knew they were drunk generally cannot sue the bar.
Proof fades fast. Ask for receipts, card statements, witness names and video within days. Glendale officers can be hired off duty for security at bars and entertainment venues, so an officer at the door may be a witness.
You can also complain to the state. DLLC investigates over-service and is at 800 W. Washington, 5th Floor, Phoenix, and its phone is (602) 542-5141. A complaint is not a lawsuit and does not pause your deadline.
Does a government claim matter in a Glendale DUI crash?
Usually not, since the driver is a private person. It does matter if a city or county employee was the drunk driver, or if a broken signal played a part. Glendale says a blacked-out signal works as a four-way stop. A claim against the City of Glendale goes to the City Clerk within 180 days. The lawsuit itself is then due in 1 year.
What should I ask a drunk driving accident lawyer in Glendale?
- Will you track the criminal case in Glendale or Maricopa County and ask for restitution for me?
- How fast can you ask the bar to save its video and receipts?
- How do you handle a case where the driver has only the minimum policy?
- Will I need to testify in the criminal case and the civil case?
Questions
Do I have to wait for a DUI conviction to file a claim in Glendale?
No. The injury claim is separate. You generally have 2 years.
Can a Glendale drunk driver get out of paying through bankruptcy?
Debts for injuries from drunk driving are not discharged in bankruptcy. Getting paid can still take a long time.
Where do I get the police report?
Use Glendale's online records form or BuyCrash. Records can also be reached at (623) 930-3100.
Can I sue a friend who let the driver drink at a party?
Usually not. Arizona social hosts generally are not liable for serving adults.
Hit by a drunk driver in Glendale? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (40)
- ADOT, 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Glendale | 5,218 | 27 | 1,456 | 3,735 | 29 | 2,064 | 224 | 7 | 104 |”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-4009, checked 2026-11-09. “$25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 4-311, checked 2026-11-09. “The licensee sold spirituous liquor either to a purchaser who was obviously intoxicated, or to a purchaser under the legal drinking age without requesting identification”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- 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”
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “the compensation program is always the payer of last resort”
- Maricopa County Attorney, Vehicular Crimes Bureau, checked 2026-11-09. “prosecutes crimes involving motor vehicle collisions and incidents in which drivers are found to be driving recklessly or driving under the influence”
- Maricopa County Attorney, Vehicular Crimes Bureau, checked 2026-11-09. “Phone: 602-506-3411”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 13-603, checked 2026-11-09. “in the full amount of the economic loss as determined by the court”
- 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”
- Glendale Police Department, checked 2026-11-08. “693 DUI Arrests”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “In 2024, 11,904 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths.”
- NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “it's illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah where the BAC limit is .05.”
- Glendale City Court, About Us, checked 2026-11-08. “The Glendale City Court adjudicates criminal misdemeanors, City Code violations, and certain juvenile offenses committed in the City of Glendale.”
- Glendale City Prosecutor, Victims' Services Program, checked 2026-11-08. “Victims and witnesses of misdemeanor crimes that occur within Glendale city limits are provided support through the City Prosecutor's Office Victims' Services program.”
- 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”
- Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
- Glendale Police, Phone Directory, checked 2026-11-08. “Victim Assistance | (623) 930-3030”
- Glendale Family Advocacy Center, Victim Assistance, checked 2026-11-08. “Superior Court resources and civil options”
- Glendale Family Advocacy Center, Victim Assistance, checked 2026-11-08. “call or visit the Glendale Family Advocacy Center at (623) 930-3720 ~ 6830 North 57th Drive, Glendale, AZ 85301”
- Glendale Police, File an Online Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “To speak with the Detective assigned to your report, please call (623) 930-3000, listen to the options, and select option #2.”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 20-259.01, checked 2026-11-09. “uninsured motorist coverage that extends to and covers all persons insured under the policy”
- Maricopa County Attorney, Victim Related Information, checked 2026-11-08. “serves to assist crime victims and their families with crime-related expenses such as medical, mental health, funeral, crime scene clean up, and wage loss.”
- Maricopa County Attorney, Victim Related Information, checked 2026-11-08. “All decisions are based on program rules and the availability of funding.”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2506, checked 2026-11-09. “the liability of each defendant for damages is several only and is not joint”
- 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”
- Swift Transportation v. Carman (Ariz. 2022), checked 2026-11-09. “To establish an evil mind requires clear and convincing evidence”
- 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”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 4-301, checked 2026-11-09. “A person other than a licensee or an employee of a licensee”
- 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”
- Glendale Police, Hire an Off Duty Police Officer, checked 2026-11-09. “Security for bars and entertainment venues”
- Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “investigating violations such as underage sales, over-service, unlicensed operations”
- Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “800 W. Washington, 5th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 542-5141”
- City of Glendale, Transportation Services, checked 2026-11-08. “A blacked-out intersection works the same as a four-way stop.”
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- City of Glendale, City Clerk, checked 2026-11-08. “623-930-2252, Option 1”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- Glendale Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “To obtain a copy of a Traffic Accident or Incident Report fill out an online records request form”
- Glendale Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “if requesting a Traffic Accident you may also obtain a copy online at www.buycrash.com”
- Glendale Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Glendale Police Department Main Station 6835 N. 57th Drive Glendale, AZ 85301 (623) 930-3100”