Find a drunk driving accident lawyer in Tempe: the report, the bar and who pays
Tempe does not post DUI crash reports on BuyCrash, so ask Tempe Police Records directly. You generally have 2 years to sue the driver. A bar can be liable too if it served someone who was obviously drunk. Misdemeanor DUIs go through the Tempe Prosecutor's Office.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (35)
When do drunk driving crashes happen in Tempe?
Mostly late, and often on the weekend. More than half of Tempe's fatal or serious crashes involving alcohol happened between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. Saturday evening is the worst stretch of the week for bad crashes overall.
Alcohol makes the outcome worse. About 20.4% of the crashes that killed or seriously hurt someone involved alcohol, compared with 6.0% of all crashes. In 2024 alone, state data shows 295 alcohol-related crashes in Tempe, with 5 people killed and 225 hurt.
Tempe has a Night Traffic Squad of four officers and a sergeant, and its Traffic Section leads DUI task forces. If a squad officer handled your crash, the Traffic Section number is 480-350-8376.
How do I get the police report for a DUI crash in Tempe?
- Skip BuyCrash. Tempe says accidents involving criminal reports such as DUIs are not available there.
- Write down the GO number the officer gave you.
- Ask Tempe Police Records through JustFOIA, by form, or at [email protected].
- Go in person if you need to. Records is at 120 E. 5th Street, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Expect some delay while the criminal case is open. Keep asking, and keep a copy of each request.
If the crash was on I-10, US-60 or Loop 101, troopers likely handled it, so wait at least 14 days and call DPS.
What happens in the criminal case, and do I have rights?
Yes. You are not just a witness. The Tempe Prosecutor's Office prosecutes misdemeanors charged in the city, DUI included, and serves the victims of those crimes. Those cases are heard at Tempe Municipal Court, 140 E. Fifth Street. A felony case, such as one involving a death or serious injury, is handled at the county level.
Your rights include notice of court dates, a chance to confer with the prosecutor, and prompt restitution. Restitution means the judge orders the driver to repay your losses. Arizona law calls for the full amount of the economic loss the court finds. It does not cover pain and suffering. A separate civil claim is how you ask for that.
The criminal case and your injury claim run on separate tracks. A guilty plea helps, but your 2-year clock keeps running while the criminal case moves.
Who pays when a drunk driver hits me in Tempe?
| Source | What to know |
|---|---|
| Driver's auto insurance | Arizona's minimum is $25,000 per person. Many serious injuries cost more. |
| Your own uninsured coverage | Insurers must offer it in writing. Check your policy for it. |
| The bar or store that sold the alcohol | Possible under Arizona's dram shop law. Details below. |
| The driver personally | A debt for injuring someone while driving drunk is not wiped out in bankruptcy. |
| Arizona Crime Victim Compensation | Does not need an arrest or conviction, but it pays only after other sources. |
Punishment money is hard to get here. Arizona requires clear and convincing proof of what courts call an evil mind. Ask a lawyer how that fits your facts. Do not count on it.
Can I sue a Tempe bar that overserved the driver?
Sometimes. Arizona allows a claim when a licensed seller served someone who was obviously intoxicated. The signs must have been obvious to a reasonable person, like slurred speech or trouble standing. A friend who hosted a party is generally not liable for an adult guest. An adult who drank with the driver and knew the driver was impaired may also be shut out.
Every Tempe seller needs both a state and a city liquor license. So the place has a paper trail. State liquor investigators look at over-service, and they review police reports and complaints from the public. You can reach the state department at (602) 542-5141.
Move fast on the bar's proof. Receipts, card slips and video can be gone in days. Ask the police report who was served where. If a bar shares the blame, each one pays only its own percentage.
Where can I get help in Tempe after a DUI crash?
Tempe's CARE 7 offers free, confidential support to crime victims, including students and visitors. The line is 480-350-8004. Compensation applications go through the county attorney's office. Tell them if you have a hospital bill you cannot pay.
What should I ask a drunk driving accident lawyer in Tempe?
- Will you work with the prosecutor on restitution while you handle my civil claim?
- How do we find out where the driver was drinking?
- Will you send a letter this week asking the bar to save its video and receipts?
- What is left if the driver only has the minimum policy?
Questions
How long do I have to sue a drunk driver in Tempe?
Generally 2 years. A criminal case does not stop that clock.
Can I get paid if the drunk driver has no insurance?
Your uninsured coverage may pay if you have it. Crime victim compensation may also help, and it pays last.
Who prosecutes a DUI in Tempe?
The Tempe Prosecutor's Office handles misdemeanor DUIs in the city.
Does Arizona limit what I can recover from a drunk driver?
Arizona's constitution bars laws that cap injury damages. Your award is still cut by any fault of yours.
Hit by a drunk driver in Tempe? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (35)
- Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “accidents involving criminal reports such as DUIs and fatal traffic accident reports are not available”
- Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Email to [email protected]”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- 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”
- City of Tempe, Prosecutor's Office, checked 2026-11-09. “Prosecuting traffic and criminal complaints, including DUI”
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, checked 2026-11-08. “does not require the apprehension or conviction of an offender”
- Maricopa County Attorney's Office, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “the defendant can be ordered to reimburse you as part of the sentence imposed by the Court”
- Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “More than half of FSI crashes involving alcohol occurred from 9 PM to 3 AM.”
- Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “The time of the week with the most FSI crashes was Saturday evening.”
- City of Tempe, Safety Action Plan (final, October 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “About 20.4 percent of FSI crashes during the study period”
- ADOT, 2024 Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tempe | 6,637 | 29 | 2,049 | 4,559 | 32 | 3,007 | 295 | 5 | 225 |”
- Tempe Police, Traffic Section, checked 2026-11-09. “The Night Traffic Squad, comprised of four Officers and one Sergeant, focuses on nighttime safety.”
- Tempe Police, Traffic Section, checked 2026-11-09. “14 Motor Officers and 3 Motor Sergeants specialize in handling traffic collisions”
- Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Tempe Police Department – Records 120 E. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281 Lobby Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.”
- 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”
- City of Tempe, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “provides services for victims of misdemeanor crimes committed and charged in the City of Tempe”
- Tempe Municipal Court, Contact Us, checked 2026-11-08. “140 E. Fifth Street Tempe, AZ 85281 Main Number - 480-350-8271”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 13-603, checked 2026-11-09. “in the full amount of the economic loss as determined by the court”
- 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.”
- 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”
- 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 2026-11-08. “the compensation program is always the payer of last resort”
- Swift Transportation v. Carman (Ariz. 2022), checked 2026-11-09. “To establish an evil mind requires clear and convincing evidence”
- 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”
- 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”
- City of Tempe, Liquor License, checked 2026-11-09. “to hold both a State of Arizona liquor license and a City of Tempe liquor license”
- Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, checked 2026-11-09. “investigating violations such as underage sales, over-service, unlicensed operations”
- Arizona DLLC, Investigations Division, checked 2026-11-09. “investigate complaints regarding liquor-licensed establishments received from community members and local law enforcement personnel”
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2506, checked 2026-11-09. “the liability of each defendant for damages is several only and is not joint”
- City of Tempe, CARE 7 Victim Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Call the CARE & HOPE line 480-350-8004”
- Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “resides locally in each of Arizona's 15 county attorney's offices”
- Arizona Constitution, art. 18, sec. 6, checked 2026-11-09. “the amount recovered shall not be subject to any statutory limitation”
- 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”