Car accident in Tucson: what to do next and how to find a car accident lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a car accident in Tucson, call 911 if anyone is hurt, because Arizona requires drivers to report injury crashes right away.1 Tucson Police handles city streets,2 and DPS handles I-10 and I-19.3 You generally have 2 years to sue.4 A claim against the City is due in 180 days.5

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Road map of Tucson showing I-10 and I-19, where Arizona DPS investigates crashes, and the city streets handled by Tucson Police
City of Tucson car crash? You have only 180 days to file a claim. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What should you do after a car accident in Tucson?

  1. Get help first. A driver in an injury crash has to notify police, the sheriff or the highway patrol at once.1
  2. Write down who responded. A Tucson Police case goes one way, a DPS trooper another, and a Pima County deputy a third.236
  3. See a doctor, even for soreness. Banner UMC Tucson and Carondelet St. Joseph's are both state-listed Level I trauma centers.78 Banner UMC South and Northwest Medical Center are Level III.9
  4. Photograph both cars, the plates, the other driver's insurance card and the intersection.
  5. Tell your own insurer the basic facts. Do not guess about speed or fault on a recorded line.
  6. Find your vehicle if it was towed. The steps are below.

How do you get a car accident report in Tucson?

Crash locationReport comes fromKnow this
Tucson city streetTucson Police, sold online through Crashdocs10A copy straight from TPD is $5, plus 25 cents a page after 15 pages11
I-10, I-19, state highwayArizona DPS3Allow 14 days before calling (602) 223-223012
Sheriff patrol areaPima County Sheriff6$5, with 25 cents a page past twenty, at (520) 351-465013

Read the report closely when it arrives. Check the names, the insurer and the diagram. If something is wrong, ask the agency how to add a correction while memories are still fresh.

How many car wrecks happen in Tucson?

ADOT logged 5,977 crashes inside Tucson in 2024, and 3,644 people were hurt in them.14 Drunk driving is part of that picture: the same table lists 387 alcohol-related crashes in the city, with 23 people killed and 259 injured.15 City materials count 38 people in vehicles among the 95 traffic deaths in 2025.16

If police suspected the other driver of being drunk, ask for the case number and whether a blood or breath test was done. That record can matter to your claim as well as to the criminal case.

What if the driver who hit you in Tucson has little or no insurance?

Arizona's floor is low. Most policies must carry only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries, plus $15,000 for property.17 A trip to a trauma center can pass that quickly.

Look at your own policy today. Insurers have to offer uninsured motorist coverage in writing and add it if you ask.18 If you bought it, your own company may be the one that pays. Ask for a full copy of your policy, including any page that lists this coverage.

Who pays if you were rear-ended or partly at fault in Tucson?

Usually the at-fault driver's insurer pays, up to the policy limit. A rear-end crash often points to the driver behind, but an insurer may still argue you stopped short. Arizona does not end your claim for sharing the blame. It lowers your award by your percentage.19

A missing seat belt comes up often. Arizona requires front-seat riders to buckle up, but that statute does not say what skipping a belt does to an injury claim.20 If an adjuster raises it, do not agree to a number.

Where is your car after a crash in Tucson?

If Tucson Police impounded it, start at the Impound Lobby, 1310 West Miracle Mile, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The questions line is 520-791-4440.21 Budget for a $150 administrative fee and $25 for each day in storage. Towing and mileage go straight to the tow company.22

Storage adds up, so move fast. If a deputy had the car towed, the Sheriff's information line at (520) 351-6105 can tell you which company holds it.23

What if a City of Tucson vehicle hit your car?

A shorter clock applies. File the City's Notice of Claim within 180 days. Email to [email protected] is the preferred route.5 The form puts the burden on you to confirm the Clerk got it, and silence for 60 days counts as a denial. Questions go to Risk Management at (520) 791-4728.24 After that, a lawsuit against a public agency has to be filed within one year.25

Which court handles a Tucson car wreck case?

It depends on the amount. Pima justice courts take civil cases of $10,000 or less.26 Larger cases go to Superior Court at 110 West Congress Street,27 where civil cases valued from $1,000 to $50,000 go through its FASTAR program.28

When should you call a car accident lawyer in Tucson?

  • You went to the hospital, or you still hurt weeks later.
  • The other driver's limits look too small for your bills.
  • The insurer blames you for most of the crash.
  • A city, county or state vehicle or road may be involved.
  • Your two-year mark is coming up.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a car accident in Tucson?

Generally 2 years from the crash.4 Claims against the City of Tucson have a 180-day deadline first.5

Do I need a police report for a Tucson car accident?

It is not the only proof, but it helps. Tucson Police reports are sold through Crashdocs.10

How much does it cost to get my car out of a Tucson Police impound?

There is a $150 administrative fee and $25 a day for storage, plus what the tow company charges.22

What is the minimum car insurance in Arizona?

Most policies must carry $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property.17

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Tucson

Car accident

Arizona

Sources

  1. 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”
  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. 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”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542(1), checked 2026-11-08. “there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward, the following actions: 1. For injuries done to the person of another”
  5. City of Tucson, File a Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Claimants have 180 days from an accident or injury to file a claim against the City.”
  6. Pima County Sheriff, Patrol Area Map, checked 2026-11-08. “Patrol areas are determined by district jurisdictions.”
  7. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1625 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 11/11/24 11/11/27”
  8. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital 350 N. Wilmot Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718 01/14/25 01/14/28”
  9. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Northwest Medical Center 6200 North La Cholla Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85741 12/05/25 12/05/26”
  10. Tucson Police, Request Public Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Collision reports are stored electronically in a secure database and are available for purchase at Crashdocs.”
  11. Tucson Police, Records Request Form, checked 2026-11-08. “$5.00 per report plus $0.25 per page after 15 pages.”
  12. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  13. Pima County Sheriff, Obtain a Police Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Reports are $5.00 each (additional $.25/per page for reports over twenty pages)”
  14. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tucson | 5,977 | 93 | 2,571 | 3,313 | 96 | 3,644 | 387 | 23 | 259 |”
  15. ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, checked 2026-11-08. “| Tucson | 5,977 | 93 | 2,571 | 3,313 | 96 | 3,644 | 387 | 23 | 259 |”
  16. City of Tucson, Complete Streets Coordinating Council materials 04/22/2026, checked 2026-11-08. “last year there were 95 total fatalities (38 auto, 34 pedestrian, 21 motorcycle, 4 bicycles).”
  17. 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.”
  18. 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”
  19. 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”
  20. 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.”
  21. Tucson Police, Retrieve an Impounded Vehicle, checked 2026-11-08. “Come to the Impound Lobby at the Westside Police Service Center, 1310 West Miracle Mile, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.”
  22. Tucson Police, Retrieve an Impounded Vehicle, checked 2026-11-08. “Storage Fee $25 per day”
  23. Pima County Sheriff, How Do I, checked 2026-11-08. “You can call the Vehicle Impound Information Line at (520) 351-6105 to check the status or find out which towing company holds your vehicle.”
  24. beta.tucsonaz.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “It is your sole responsibility to confirm that the Clerk’s office has received your form.”
  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. jp.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “when the amount involved is $10,000.00 or less.”
  27. Pima County Superior Court, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “110 West Congress Street”
  28. sc.pima.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “cases valued between $1,000 and $50,000, excluding attorney’s fees and costs are subject to the FASTAR program.”

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