Find a truck accident lawyer in Phoenix: what to save and who investigates

Last checked November 8, 2026

A truck crash on I-10 or I-17 in Phoenix goes to Arizona DPS.1 On city streets it goes to Phoenix Police.2 Move fast on records: a trucking company has to keep driver hours logs for only 6 months.3 You generally have 2 years to file a lawsuit in Arizona.4

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Road map of Phoenix showing Grand Avenue and the Black Canyon Freeway, two through truck routes named in city code
Trucking companies must keep driver logs for only 6 months. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where are semi trucks allowed to drive in Phoenix?

More places than most people think. Phoenix does not limit big rigs to a few streets. The city's truck digest says it makes every arterial street a truck route.5 So a tractor-trailer on the busy main road near your home may be exactly where the law allows it.

City code also names through truck routes. They include Grand Avenue, the Black Canyon Freeway, the Maricopa Freeway, Buckeye Road west of 19th Avenue and Washington Street east of 16th Street.6 Under city rules, a truck means a vehicle with three or more axles that measures 36 feet or longer with its load. A bus does not count.7

Arizona numbers give a sense of the scale. In 2024, 3,245 truck tractors were involved in crashes across the state, and 106 were in fatal crashes.8

What proof can disappear after a truck crash in Phoenix?

RecordWhat the federal rule saysWhy it helps you
Driver hours logsKeep at least 6 months3Shows if the driver was over the limit
Driving limitsUp to 11 hours driving after 10 hours off, and no driving after 14 hours on the clock9The standard to compare the logs against
Company crash listKeep 3 years after each crash10Can show earlier crashes
Alcohol test after a deadly crashTest the surviving driver as soon as the company can11Can show if alcohol played a part

Nothing makes a company save everything forever. Someone needs to send it a written request to keep its records, soon after the crash. That is one of the first jobs a truck accident lawyer in Phoenix can do. Until then, write down the company name and the DOT number on the cab door, and take a photo if you can.

Who investigates a truck accident on I-10 in Phoenix?

State troopers handle interstates and state highways. Give DPS at least 14 days, then call (602) 223-2230 or (602) 223-2236 to see if the report is ready.12 It costs $9.00 for the first nine pages by mail, and long truck reports add 10 cents a page.13 On a city street, ask Phoenix Police through its online portal and choose Traffic Crash.14

Some Phoenix freeway miles are packed. ADOT's study of I-10 from the Deck Park Tunnel to the I-17 split found nearly six crashes a day from 2020 through 2024, mostly rear-end and sideswipe.15 A truck's size and weight make both kinds of crash worse. The Broadway Curve adds more than 300,000 vehicles on an average weekday.16

Trucks hauling hazardous materials are restricted from the Deck Park Tunnel, between 7th Avenue and 7th Street.17 If a hazmat truck was on that stretch, make sure the investigator knows.

Are there rush-hour limits for trucks in Phoenix?

Yes, in two zones on the city's truck map. Trucks may not enter Zone II from 7 to 9 a.m. or from 4 to 6 p.m., and may not enter Zone I from 4 to 6 p.m.18 Through truck routes are not subject to those limits.19

If your crash happened inside one of those zones at those hours, ask why the truck was there. A broken route rule does not prove fault by itself, and some trucks based in the zone have exceptions. It is still worth raising.

How much insurance do trucking companies need in Phoenix?

  • For-hire carriers hauling regular freight across state lines: at least $750,000.20
  • Certain hazardous materials in bulk: at least $5 million.21
  • For comparison, a regular Arizona car policy needs only $25,000 per person.22

Those federal numbers apply to the carriers the rule names. A truck that only runs inside Arizona may fall under different limits, so find out who owned the truck, who hired the driver and what it was hauling.

What if a City of Phoenix truck hit you?

A garbage truck or street crew vehicle changes your deadline. You get 180 days to file a claim with the City Clerk Department,23 at 200 W. Washington Street, 15th Floor.24 If the claim fails, you have one year to sue.25

What should you ask a truck accident lawyer in Phoenix?

  • Have you handled crashes under federal trucking rules?
  • Will you send a letter this week asking the company to save its logs and truck data?
  • Who else may share the blame, such as the company that loaded or repaired the truck?
  • How will Arizona's shared fault rule affect my claim?26

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a truck accident in Phoenix?

Generally 2 years.4 If a public agency's truck was involved, a claim is due within 180 days.27

Who pays if a semi hits me in Phoenix?

Often the driver's employer or its insurer, but it depends on who owned the truck and who was at fault. Arizona reduces your award by your share of the blame.26

Can a semi drive on my street in Phoenix?

Phoenix treats every arterial street as a truck route.5 Side streets are different, and a truck there may need a reason to be there, such as a delivery.

Where do I get the report for a truck crash on I-17?

From Arizona DPS, which investigates interstate crashes.1 Wait at least 14 days before you call.12

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Sources

  1. 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”
  2. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “If the report you are requesting was the result of a collision that occurred on a town, city or county road, contact the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction.”
  3. 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “A motor carrier shall retain records of duty status and supporting documents required under this part for each of its drivers for a period of not less than 6 months from the date of receipt.”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  5. City of Phoenix, Digest of Truck Route Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “Phoenix designates every arterial street as a truck route”
  6. Phoenix City Code 36-160, checked 2026-11-08. “Grand Avenue from the west City limits to the Black Canyon Freeway.”
  7. City of Phoenix, Digest of Truck Route Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “TRUCKS are defined as vehicles with three or more axles and measuring 36 feet or longer including load”
  8. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts (copy on phoenix.gov), checked 2026-11-08. “Truck Tractor (with or without Semi-Trailer) 3,245 1.374% 106 679 2,460”
  9. 49 C.F.R. § 395.3(a)(2)-(3), checked 2026-11-08. “(2) 14-hour period. A driver may not drive after a period of 14 consecutive hours after coming on-duty following 10 consecutive hours off-duty. (3) Driving time and interruptions of driving periods — (i) Driving time. A driver may drive a total of 11 hours during the period specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.”
  10. 49 C.F.R. § 390.15(b), checked 2026-11-08. “Motor carriers must maintain an accident register for 3 years after the date of each accident.”
  11. 49 C.F.R. § 382.303(a)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “As soon as practicable following an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a public road in commerce, each employer shall test for alcohol for each of its surviving drivers: (1) Who was performing safety-sensitive functions with respect to the vehicle, if the accident involved the loss of human life”
  12. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  13. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Paper report via U.S. Mail - $9.00 for the first nine pages; $0.10 for each additional page”
  14. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “The following 10 options are available on the portal to submit Public Record requests:”
  15. azdot.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “from 2020 through 2024, there were nearly six crashes a day in the study area, with most being rear-end and sideswipe crashes.”
  16. azdot.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “With more than 300,000 vehicles passing through the I-10 Broadway Curve area on an average weekday”
  17. City of Phoenix, Digest of Truck Route Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “Trucks transporting hazardous materials are restricted from using I-10 between 7th Ave. and 7th St. (Deck Park Tunnel).”
  18. City of Phoenix, Digest of Truck Route Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “Trucks shall not enter Zone II between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.”
  19. City of Phoenix, Digest of Truck Route Ordinances, checked 2026-11-08. “THROUGH TRUCK ROUTES are truck routes not subject to peak period restrictions.”
  20. 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, checked 2026-11-08. “(1) For-hire (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Property (nonhazardous) $750,000”
  21. 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, checked 2026-11-08. “(2) For-hire and Private (In interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Hazardous substances, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, transported in bulk in cargo tanks, portable tanks, or hopper-type vehicles [...] 5,000,000”
  22. 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.”
  23. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “Be filed with the City Clerk Department within 180 days after the cause of action accrues,”
  24. phoenix.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “a copy of the claim form to: City of Phoenix City Clerk Department 200 W. Washington Street, 15th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003”
  25. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  26. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  27. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”

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