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

Last checked November 8, 2026

A truck crash on I-10 or another Tempe freeway goes to Arizona DPS, and its report takes about 14 days.12 On city streets, Tempe Police investigate.3 Trucking companies must keep driver logs for only 6 months, so ask for them early.4 The usual deadline to sue is 2 years.5

See if you are owed money

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
Road map of Tempe showing I-10 through the Broadway Curve and the Baseline Road interchange, a stretch with heavy freight and commuter traffic
Trucking companies need to keep driver logs for just 6 months. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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

State troopers do. DPS covers interstates and state highways, including I-10 through Tempe.1 Give it at least 14 days, then call (602) 223-2230 or (602) 223-2236.2 The first nine pages cost $9.00 by mail, and each page after that adds 10 cents, which matters because truck reports run long.6

This is busy road. ADOT's Broadway Curve project lies within Phoenix, Tempe, Guadalupe and Chandler.7 ADOT says more than 300,000 vehicles move through that area on an average weekday.8 It also says this part of I-10 serves commercial, industrial, warehouse and distribution employers, so big trucks mix with commuters all day.9

The Baseline Road interchange with I-10 shows up on the region's list of risky intersections. It ranks 68th, with 257 crashes from 2018 to 2022.10

Are there truck routes on Tempe city streets?

We could not find a published list of Tempe truck routes, or a truck count in the city's safety plan. That plan also leaves out access-controlled freeways, so its numbers do not capture most semi-truck miles.11 What we did find are two local rules worth knowing.

Tempe ruleWhat it saysWhy it can help you
Night parkingTrucks of one ton or more, and smaller commercial trucks, may not park on any street from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.12If you hit a truck parked on the street at night, this rule may matter
Haul permitsHauling construction waste, fill or excavation in the city's right-of-way takes a permit. The application asks for a route map and a certificate of insurance.13After a dump truck crash, the permit may show the company, the route and the insurer

Local crash reports for a city street go through Tempe Police. Use BuyCrash with your GO number.1415 A fatal crash report is not on that site, so ask Records directly.1617

What proof can disappear after a truck wreck in Tempe?

Federal rules set short clocks for some of the most useful records. The company that owns the truck has no duty to tell you any of this.

RecordHow long or what it means
Driver hours logsAt least 6 months4
Company crash list3 years after each crash18
Daily driving limits11 hours driving after 10 off, and no driving after 14 hours on the clock19
Alcohol test after a fatal wreckThe company must test its surviving driver as soon as it can20

The fix is a written letter asking the company to keep its records and the truck's data. A truck accident attorney can send that letter soon after the crash. Until then, write down the DOT number from the cab door and the name on the trailer, because the carrier and the trailer owner can be different companies.

How much insurance do trucks in Tempe have to carry?

  • Regular freight hauled for hire across state lines: $750,000 or more.21
  • Bulk loads of certain hazardous materials: $5 million or more.22
  • A regular Arizona car policy: as little as $25,000 per person, for comparison.23

A local box truck, a landscaper's rig or a dump truck that never leaves Arizona may not fall under those federal numbers. The real question is who owned the truck, who hired the driver and what the load was.

What if a City of Tempe truck hit me?

A garbage truck, street sweeper or crew truck belonging to the city puts you on a much shorter clock. Your notice of claim goes to the City Clerk within 180 days.24 The office is at 31 E. 5th Street, 2nd Floor, and hand delivery is by appointment at 480-350-8242.25 Any lawsuit after that has to come within 1 year.26

A Valley Metro bus is its own case. Send a claim to Risk Management at 101 N. 1st Avenue in Phoenix, or to [email protected].27 Silence for 60 days counts as a denial, and each person needs a separate form.28

Where will I be treated after a serious truck crash near Tempe?

No trauma center on the state's list has a Tempe address. Banner Desert in Mesa is listed as a Level I center.29 HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center on Mill Avenue has an emergency department, so you may start there and then transfer.30 Ask for records from every stop, including the ambulance. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue takes those requests by JustFOIA or at 480-858-7262.31

What should I ask a truck accident lawyer in Tempe?

  • What experience do you have with the federal trucking rules?
  • Will you send a letter this week asking the carrier to keep its records?
  • Who else could share fault, such as whoever loaded or repaired the truck?
  • How does Arizona's shared fault rule change my claim?32
  • If my case stays under $50,000, what happens in arbitration?33

Questions

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

Generally 2 years.5 If the truck belonged to a public agency, a claim is due in 180 days.34

Who has the report for a crash on the Broadway Curve?

Arizona DPS, because I-10 is an interstate.1 Wait at least 14 days before calling.2

Can a truck park on my Tempe street overnight?

Tempe bars trucks of one ton or more, and smaller commercial trucks, from parking on any street from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.12

Do I need a lawyer for an 18-wheeler crash?

Not by law. Still, the short record clocks and multiple companies involved make these claims harder to handle alone.4

Find out if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Keep reading

Tempe

Truck accident

Arizona

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. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  3. 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.”
  4. 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.”
  5. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  6. 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”
  7. ADOT, I-10 Broadway Curve Draft Environmental Assessment, checked 2026-11-08. “The project is located within the City of Phoenix, the City of Tempe, the Town of Guadalupe, and the City of Chandler”
  8. ADOT, Broadway Curve project complete, checked 2026-11-08. “With more than 300,000 vehicles passing through the I-10 Broadway Curve area on an average weekday”
  9. ADOT, I-10 Broadway Curve Draft Environmental Assessment, checked 2026-11-08. “other commercial, industrial, warehouse, and distribution employers”
  10. 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 |”
  11. Tempe Safety Action Plan, checked 2026-11-08. “FSI crashes along all streets within the City's limits other than access-controlled freeways”
  12. Tempe City Code 19-140, checked 2026-11-08. “on any street between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.”
  13. City of Tempe, Transportation Permits, checked 2026-11-08. “emailing the form, map of the route, and current certificate of insurance”
  14. 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.”
  15. 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”
  16. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “accidents involving criminal reports such as DUIs and fatal traffic accident reports are not available”
  17. Tempe Police, Public Records Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Email to [email protected]”
  18. 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.”
  19. 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.”
  20. 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”
  21. 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”
  22. 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”
  23. 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.”
  24. 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”
  25. City of Tempe, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “City of Tempe City Clerk's Office 31 E. 5th Street, 2nd Floor Tempe, AZ 85281”
  26. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  27. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Valley Metro Attention: Risk Management 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300 Phoenix, AZ 85003”
  28. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “If you do not receive a response to your claim within sixty (60) days of your submission, you can assume that the claim has been denied.”
  29. Arizona Department of Health Services, Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
  30. HonorHealth Tempe Medical Center, checked 2026-11-08. “The emergency entrance is on the West side of Mill Avenue.”
  31. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue, Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Record requests by phone 480-858-7262”
  32. 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”
  33. Maricopa County Superior Court, Arbitration, checked 2026-11-08. “Compulsory Arbitration is a mandatory program for disputes valued under $50,000.”
  34. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money