What to do after a car accident in Tempe, and how to find a car accident lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a Tempe car accident, call 911 if anyone is hurt, or Tempe Police at 480-350-8311.12 City street reports are on BuyCrash.3 Freeway reports come from Arizona DPS after about 14 days.45 You generally have 2 years to file a lawsuit.6

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Road map of Tempe showing Broadway Road and Rural Road, two streets studied in the city's safety plan for repeat crashes
Tempe's most common crash is rear-end: 30.4% of all crashes. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should I do right after a car wreck in Tempe?

  1. Call for help. A driver in a crash that hurts or kills someone must report it right away to police.2 For a crash with no emergency, Tempe's non-emergency line is 480-350-8311.1
  2. Get the driver's name, plate and insurance company. Photograph all the cars before they move, plus skid marks and signals.
  3. Ask the officer for your GO number. You will need it to buy the report.7
  4. See a doctor, even for pain that seems small. Keep your records and bills together.
  5. Tell your own insurer the basic facts. You do not have to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement on the first call.

How do I get a car accident report in Tempe?

It depends on the road. Tempe Police keep reports for city streets and sell those from November 2021 forward on BuyCrash.3 Crashes with a fatality or a criminal charge such as DUI stay off that site, so go to Records directly.89 State troopers write the reports for I-10, Loop 101, Loop 202 and US-60.

RoadAgencyWhat to expect
Rural, University, Baseline or another city streetTempe Police10BuyCrash, with your GO number and a card.7 Tempe adds 25 cents a page after 20.11
Interstate or state highwayArizona DPS4Wait 14 days, then call. The first nine pages cost $9.512
County landMaricopa County Sheriff13BuyCrash after about seven business days14

What kinds of car accidents happen most in Tempe?

Being rear-ended tops the list. Rear-end crashes were 30.4% of all crashes in Tempe's five-year study.15 They seldom cause the worst injuries, though. Left turns were 23.7% of crashes that killed or seriously hurt someone.16 So a turn across traffic at a big signal is the crash to take most seriously.

Red lights and stop signs loom large at intersections. Police cited a traffic control violation in 31.3% of the worst intersection crashes.17 Speed adds to it: 70.4% of the worst crashes were on streets posted at 40 mph or more.18

Timing matters when you look for witnesses. The worst hours were 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday evening was the worst stretch of the week.1920 If drinking may have been involved, tell the officer. More than half of the worst alcohol crashes came between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.21

Which Tempe streets have the most car crashes?

Two case studies in the city's plan give a sense of it. Rural Road between University Drive and Alameda Drive had 230 crashes in five years, on a stretch carrying about 33,000 vehicles a day.22 Broadway Road from Rural Road to Country Club Way had 198.23

Regional rankings point to some of the same roads. Broadway and Price ranks 31st of the 100 riskiest intersections, and Baseline at I-10 ranks 68th with 257 crashes.2425 If your wreck happened at one of these spots, the history may help show the place is known to be dangerous. It does not prove who was at fault in your crash.

Remember that the city's plan leaves out access-controlled freeways, so a crash on the freeway is not in those numbers.26 ADOT's total for Tempe in 2024 was 6,637 crashes, with 3,007 people injured.27

How much insurance does the other driver need in Tempe?

Most Arizona policies must provide at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries.28 That is the floor, and a hospital stay can pass it quickly. Check your own policy for uninsured motorist coverage. Insurers must offer it in writing.29

Fault is shared in Arizona. If you were 20% at fault, your recovery drops by 20%.30 The state's seat belt law does not say how skipping a belt affects a claim,31 but an insurer may still bring it up.

How do I get my car back after a crash in Tempe?

Call the Impound Unit at 480-350-8465 before you go to the tow yard.32 You will need an appointment, and specialists work weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.33 A 20-day impound carries a $150 administrative fee on top of tow and storage costs, and those costs keep growing while you wait.34 Ask the insurer to pay storage or move the car quickly.

How long do I have after a car accident in Tempe?

Claim againstTime limit
Another driverGenerally 2 years to sue6
City of Tempe driver or road defectNotice of claim to the City Clerk in 180 days,35 then 1 year to sue36
Someone under 18 was hurtThe clock usually waits until adulthood37

Most car accident cases never reach a jury, but the court limits still shape them. Maricopa justice courts hear civil suits up to $10,000,38 and Superior Court sends disputes under $50,000 to arbitration.39 A car accident lawyer in Tempe can tell you which fits your case, and many offer a first talk at no cost. Ask how they charge before you sign.

Questions

I was rear-ended in Tempe. Is it automatically the other driver's fault?

Not automatically, although rear-end crashes usually point at the driver behind. Arizona assigns each person a share of fault.30

Do I need a lawyer for a minor car wreck in Tempe?

Often not, if you healed fast and the offer pays your bills. Consider one if you are still treating, if fault is disputed, or if a city vehicle hit you, because that deadline is 180 days.35

Why can't I find my Tempe report on BuyCrash?

It may be before November 2021, or it may be a fatal or criminal case.38 Try Records at 480-350-8598 or 480-350-8588.4041

Where is the Tempe municipal court?

It is at 140 E. Fifth Street, 480-350-8271.42 A traffic ticket there is separate from your injury claim.

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Tempe

Car accident

Arizona

Sources

  1. City of Tempe, Tempe 311, checked 2026-11-08. “For a police non-emergency, please call 480-350-8311.”
  2. A.R.S. § 28-666(A), checked 2026-11-08. “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of a person shall give notice of the accident immediately by the quickest means of communication”
  3. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Accident reports approved for public release are available online from November 1, 2021 to the present.”
  4. 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”
  5. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  6. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  7. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “You will need the Tempe Police Department report number (GO#), date of accident, and a valid credit card”
  8. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “accidents involving criminal reports such as DUIs and fatal traffic accident reports are not available”
  9. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Email to [email protected]”
  10. 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.”
  11. Tempe Police, Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Requester will be notified if additional fee applies. ($0.25 per each page over 20)”
  12. 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”
  13. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Unincorporated areas of Maricopa County (jurisdiction of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)”
  14. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Allow seven (7) business days after the accident for the report to be uploaded.”
  15. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Rear End 30.4%”
  16. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Left Turn 23.7%”
  17. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “Traffic Control Violation 31.3%”
  18. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “70.4 percent of FSI crashes took place on streets with speed limits of 40 MPH or higher”
  19. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “the highest share of FSI crashes took place from 6 to 9 PM”
  20. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “The time of the week with the most FSI crashes was Saturday evening.”
  21. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “More than half of FSI crashes involving alcohol occurred from 9 PM to 3 AM.”
  22. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “this segment of Rural Road experienced 230 crashes”
  23. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “segment of Broadway Road experienced 198 total crashes”
  24. Maricopa Association of Governments, Top 100 Intersections 2018-2022, checked 2026-11-08. “| 31 Tempe | Tempe | BROADWAY RD & PRICE RD | 144 | 0.336 | 0.619 | 0.387 | 0.490 |”
  25. Maricopa Association of Governments, Top 100 Intersections 2018-2022, checked 2026-11-08. “| 68 Tempe | Tempe | BASELINE RD & I 010155 | 257 | 0.599 | 0.216 | 0.581 | 0.403 |”
  26. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “FSI crashes along all streets within the City's limits other than access-controlled freeways”
  27. ADOT, 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tempe | 6,637 | 29 | 2,049 | 4,559 | 32 | 3,007 | 295 | 5 | 225 |”
  28. 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.”
  29. 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”
  30. A.R.S. § 12-2505(A), 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”
  31. A.R.S. § 28-909(A), checked 2026-11-08. “Each front seat occupant of a motor vehicle that is designed for carrying ten or fewer passengers [...] shall either: 1. Have the lap and shoulder belt properly adjusted and fastened while the vehicle is in motion.”
  32. Tempe Police, Tow Company Information, checked 2026-11-08. “please contact the Tempe PD Vehicle Impound Unit at 480-350-8465”
  33. Tempe Police, Vehicle Impound Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “Our Vehicle Impound Hearing Specialists are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, by appointment only.”
  34. Tempe Police, Vehicle Impound Unit, checked 2026-11-08. “A $150.00 Administrative Fee is required for all vehicles lawfully impounded under the 20-Day Tow Law (A.R.S. 28-3511).”
  35. City of Tempe, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “claims must be filed with the City Clerk's Office within 180 days after the cause of action accrues”
  36. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  37. 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”
  38. Maricopa County Justice Courts, checked 2026-11-08. “small claims up to $5,000, and civil lawsuits for amounts up to $10,000”
  39. Maricopa County Superior Court, Arbitration, checked 2026-11-08. “Compulsory Arbitration is a mandatory program for disputes valued under $50,000.”
  40. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “480-350-8588 (7 days a week, 5 a.m.–midnight)”
  41. Tempe Police, Department Directory, checked 2026-11-08. “Records Section: 480-350-8598”
  42. Tempe Municipal Court, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “140 E. Fifth Street Tempe, AZ 85281 Main Number - 480-350-8271”

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