Broken bone injury in Phoenix: where fractures happen and who pays

If you think a bone is broken, get care now. A suspected broken hip, pelvis or upper leg is a reason to call 911. Phoenix has several state-designated Level I trauma centers, including Valleywise and Banner University Medical Center. If you fell on a sidewalk, the owner of the lot beside it must keep it in repair. A suit over a broken bone against a private owner or driver generally has a 2-year limit.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (39)

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Map of Phoenix streets near Roosevelt and McDowell roads, where Valleywise Health and Banner University Medical Center sit
Phoenix sidewalk falls: the lot owner must keep it repaired. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should I do right after a broken bone in Phoenix?

  1. If you may have broken a hip, pelvis or upper leg, call 911.
  2. Get an exam and imaging. An x-ray or other test shows whether the bone is broken.
  3. If the bone breaks through the skin, that is an open fracture. Treat it as an emergency.
  4. Go back fast if pain is far higher than expected or the cast feels too tight. That can be compartment syndrome.
  5. Photograph the place where it happened, your injury and the cast as it changes.

Compartment syndrome is rare, but if pressure lasts long enough, muscles can die and the arm or leg will no longer work.

Where do broken bones happen in Phoenix, and who may pay?

WhereA local factWho may pay
Crossing a busy streetOver half of pedestrian deaths and severe injuries in a city study were on 40 mph streetsThe driver's insurer
City sidewalkThe owner or lessee of the lot next to it must keep it in repairThe property owner's insurer
Shared scooterThe city tells riders to use the Lime or Spin app, and the speed must be reasonable for conditionsDepends on who or what caused the fall
Job siteWorkers' comp is no-fault, and a written claim is due within one yearThe employer's comp insurer

Fractures and other severe injuries cluster after dark. The city's study found more pedestrian deaths and severe injuries in dark, dawn and dusk light, mostly in the evening.

What if I broke a bone on a Phoenix sidewalk?

Look at who owns the lot next to it. Phoenix code makes that owner or lessee responsible for keeping the sidewalk in repair. When a sidewalk turns defective, the Street Transportation Director notifies the owner, or the city fixes it and bills the owner.

Report a lifted or cracked sidewalk or a pothole by phone at 602-262-6441, a line watched around the clock. Take photos with a coin or shoe for scale before it is patched.

Where can I get treated for a serious fracture in Phoenix?

Valleywise Health at 2601 E. Roosevelt and Banner University Medical Center at 1111 E. McDowell Rd. are both state-designated Level I. So are St. Joseph's, HonorHealth John C. Lincoln and HonorHealth Deer Valley. For children, Phoenix Children's Hospital is a state-designated Level I pediatric trauma center.

Ask for your records early. Valleywise answers requests within 30 days at (602) 344-5266. Banner uses MRO Patient Central.

How long do I have to file a broken bone claim in Phoenix?

Against a private party the usual limit to sue is 2 years. A claim against the City of Phoenix goes to the City Clerk Department within 180 days. A suit against the public entity then has a one-year limit.

Healing can run past that. Surgery may add plates, pins or screws, and a joint fracture can raise arthritis risk more than 20-fold. Arizona lets a jury weigh future medical costs, lost earning power, pain and disfigurement.

You can claim the full amount charged for reasonable medical care. Hospitals and ambulances can claim a lien, and Medicare recovers what it paid. If you share blame, damages drop by your share.

Questions

Should I go to the ER for a small fracture?

Yes, get care right away if you think a bone is broken. Other broken bones still need prompt care even if they are not a 911 case.

Does my child's claim have the same deadline?

Time under 18 does not count toward the deadline in Arizona, but a public body claim has its own rules.

Can I sue if I was partly to blame?

Often yes. Arizona reduces your damages by your share of fault and does not bar the claim.

Will the city pay if its sidewalk was cracked?

Phoenix puts sidewalk repair on the adjoining owner, so the first question is who owned or leased that lot.

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Sources (39)

  1. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “it's important to get medical care right away if you think you have a fracture”
  2. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “There is a suspected broken bone in the hip, pelvis, or upper leg.”
  3. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Valleywise Health 2601 E. Roosevelt, Phoenix, AZ 85008 12/19/24 12/19/27”
  4. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner - University Medical Center 1111 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006 11/18/25 11/18/27”
  5. Phoenix City Code 31-54, checked 2026-11-08. “It shall be the duty of the owner or the lessee of any lot or parcel abutting upon any sidewalk now or hereafter constructed in the City to keep and maintain such sidewalk in repair.”
  6. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  7. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “A cast or bandage that is too tight”
  8. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Pain that is much higher than expected with the injury”
  9. City of Phoenix, myPHX311 Street Maintenance, checked 2026-11-08. “please call 602-262-6441”
  10. PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “articular fractures can increase the risk more than 20-fold”
  11. A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  12. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “They will also likely order an x-ray or other imaging test to see if your bone is broken.”
  13. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Whether the bone breaks through the skin; if it does, it's called an open (or compound) fracture.”
  14. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “If the pressure lasts long enough, the muscles may die and the arm or leg will no longer work.”
  15. City of Phoenix, Pedestrian Risk Network Report (March 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “over half of all pedestrian KSIs and around 45% of all bicyclist KSIs studied occur on streets with 40 mph posted speed limit”
  16. City of Phoenix, Shared Micromobility Program, checked 2026-11-09. “Step 1 Download the Lime or Spin App”
  17. Phoenix City Code 36-300, checked 2026-11-09. “No person shall operate an electric scooter at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing.”
  18. Industrial Commission of Arizona, checked 2026-11-08. “you receive medical and compensation benefits no matter who caused the job-related accident.”
  19. Industrial Commission of Arizona, checked 2026-11-08. “An injured worker must file a claim in writing with the Commission within one year after the injury occurred.”
  20. City of Phoenix, Pedestrian Risk Network Report (March 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “Greater numbers of pedestrian KSI crashes occur during reduced lighting conditions (dark, dawn, and dusk), mostly during evening hours”
  21. Phoenix City Code 31-56, checked 2026-11-08. “the Street Transportation Director shall notify the owner of the abutting property of such defective condition”
  22. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center 350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013 11/20/24 11/20/26”
  23. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “250 E. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020 04/24/24 04/24/27”
  24. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center 19829 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027 05/17/25 06/13/28”
  25. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-09. “| Phoenix Children’s Hospital | 1919 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, | AZ 85016 08/31/25 | 08/31/28 |”
  26. valleywisehealth.org, checked 2026-11-08. “Contact our Release of Information office at (602) 344-5266.”
  27. Banner Health, Patient Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “you can request your medical records from any Banner Health hospital, provider office, or urgent care location.”
  28. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “Be filed with the City Clerk Department within 180 days after the cause of action accrues,”
  29. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-09. “All actions against any public entity or public employee shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward.”
  30. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “In some cases, you may need surgery to put in plates, pins, or screws to keep the bone in place.”
  31. Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Reasonable expenses for necessary medical care, treatment, and services already incurred and reasonably probable to be incurred in the future.”
  32. Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “Lost earnings to date, and any decrease in earning power or capacity in the future.”
  33. Revised Arizona Jury Instructions (Civil), Personal Injury Damages 1, checked 2026-11-09. “The pain, discomfort, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and anxiety already experienced, and reasonably probable to be experienced in the future.”
  34. Lopez v. Safeway Stores, Inc., 212 Ariz. 198 (App. 2006), checked 2026-11-09. “entitled to claim and recover the full amount of her reasonable medical expenses for which she was charged”
  35. A.R.S. § 33-931, checked 2026-11-09. “is entitled to a lien for the care and treatment or transportation of an injured person”
  36. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, checked 2026-11-09. “claims where the beneficiary must repay Medicare”
  37. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-09. “the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  38. MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Even though other broken bones may not be medical emergencies, they still deserve prompt medical attention.”
  39. A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”

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