Find a car defect lawyer in Tucson: keep the car and its data

If an airbag or seat belt failed in your Tucson crash, keep the car as it is. A Tucson police tow yard charges $25 a day for storage, but the car holds the proof. The deadline for a defect suit is 2 years.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (33)

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Road map of Tucson showing I-10 and I-19, interstates where Arizona DPS troopers write the crash reports
Tucson impound storage runs $25 a day, so move fast on the car. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where does my car go after a crash in Tucson?

If Tucson Police had it towed, release starts at the TPD Impound Lobby, 1310 West Miracle Mile. You pay a $150 administrative fee, and storage adds $25 for each calendar day.

If the Pima County Sheriff handled the crash, call the impound line at (520) 351-6105. It tells you which tow company holds the car.

Do not let a body shop, a salvage buyer or an insurer sell, crush or fix the car until an expert has looked at it. Say so in writing. A failed airbag or belt is hard to prove without the part.

What inside my car can show an airbag or seat belt defect?

Part of the carWhat to knowWhat to do
Event data recorder, the car's black boxIt records a short stretch, typically 30 seconds or less. The data belongs to the owner or lessee.Do not let anyone download it without a plan. Others generally need consent or court authority.
Airbag and inflatorAirbags deploy in moderate to severe crashes. Some recalled Takata inflators may explode.Keep the module and any torn pieces. Photograph the dash and steering wheel.
Seat belt and buckleArizona requires front-seat riders to wear a belt, so expect questions about whether you wore yours.Keep the belt as it is. Do not cut it out. Photograph how it was fastened.

A car can be repaired in a day. The parts do not come back.

How do I check for a recall on my car in Tucson?

Type your VIN into the federal recall search on NHTSA's site. The result tells you if that car has a recall repair waiting. A recall that was already repaired will not appear. Prefer a person? The Vehicle Safety Hotline is 888-327-4236.

The maker must fix a recalled defect for free. A recall repair does not replace your other legal remedies, so you can still sue.

Who can I sue in Arizona if a car part fails?

Arizona product claims can go against the maker or the seller. When a seller is sued, the maker must cover the seller in many cases.

Expect two defenses. The maker may say the design met the state of the art when first sold, or that someone changed the part after the sale in a way nobody could foresee.

Age alone does not end a claim. The Arizona Supreme Court declared the 12-year cutoff unconstitutional. A product defect claim over a Tucson crash has no damages cap in Arizona.

How do I get the crash report for a Tucson airbag crash?

ADOT counted 5,977 reported crashes in Tucson in 2024, with 3,644 people hurt. Which agency wrote your report depends on the road.

  1. On an interstate or state highway, Arizona DPS wrote it. Wait at least 14 days, then call (602) 223-2230 or (602) 223-2236. It costs $9.00 by mail.
  2. On a city street, Tucson Police wrote it. Order it through Crashdocs, or direct from TPD for $5.00 plus $0.25 a page after 15 pages.
  3. In a county patrol area, the Pima County Sheriff charges $5.00 a report.
  4. Write down the VIN, the tow yard and your insurer's claim number on the day you get it.

What if a City of Tucson vehicle was part of the crash?

You have 180 days to file a claim with the City Clerk. Email to [email protected] is preferred. No answer in 60 days counts as a denial. From a denial you have one year to file suit.

Questions

Can someone read my car's event data recorder?

Only with the owner's or lessee's consent, or with court authority. Ask a lawyer to arrange a joint download so both sides see the same data.

Does a recall mean I cannot sue?

No. A free recall repair sits beside a lawsuit, not in place of one.

How long do I have to sue over a defective airbag in Tucson?

Generally 2 years. If a government vehicle was involved, the claim is due in 180 days.

What if I was partly at fault?

Arizona cuts your award by your share of fault instead of barring the claim. If two companies share the blame, each pays only its own percentage.

Airbag, seat belt or car defect in Tucson? See if you are owed money.

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Sources (33)

  1. Tucson Police, Retrieve an Impounded Vehicle, checked 2026-11-08. “Storage Fee $25 per day”
  2. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  3. Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “is the property of the owner, or, in the case of a leased vehicle, the lessee”
  4. Driver Privacy Act of 2015, checked 2026-11-09. “may not be accessed by a person other than an owner or a lessee”
  5. NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “you'll learn if a specific vehicle needs to be repaired as part of a recall”
  6. NHTSA, Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls, checked 2026-11-09. “Call 888-327-4236”
  7. NHTSA, Motor Vehicle Safety Defects and Recalls, checked 2026-11-09. “the recall remedies are in addition to other available legal remedies”
  8. Arizona Supreme Court, Cronin v. Sheldon (1999), checked 2026-11-09. “Hazine declared unconstitutional the same statute of repose that Bryant upheld”
  9. 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.”
  10. 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.”
  11. 49 CFR 563.11, checked 2026-11-09. “typically 30 seconds or less”
  12. NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “generally designed to deploy in moderate to severe crashes and may deploy in even a minor crash”
  13. NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “subject to recall due to a safety defect that may cause them to explode and result in serious injury or death”
  14. 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.”
  15. NHTSA, checked 2026-11-09. “A safety recall that has already been repaired.”
  16. 49 U.S.C. § 30120, checked 2026-11-09. “shall remedy the defect or noncompliance without charge when the vehicle or equipment is presented for remedy”
  17. A.R.S. 12-681, checked 2026-11-09. “means any action brought against a manufacturer or seller of a product for damages for bodily injury, death or property damage”
  18. A.R.S. 12-684, checked 2026-11-09. “the manufacturer shall indemnify the seller for any judgment rendered against the seller”
  19. A.R.S. 12-683, checked 2026-11-09. “conformed with the state of the art at the time the product was first sold”
  20. A.R.S. 12-683, checked 2026-11-09. “an alteration or modification of the product that was not reasonably foreseeable”
  21. Arizona Constitution, article 2, section 31, checked 2026-11-09. “No law shall be enacted in this state limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person”
  22. 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 |”
  23. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Please wait at least 14 days to check on report availability”
  24. 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”
  25. 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.”
  26. Tucson Police, Records Request Form, checked 2026-11-08. “$5.00 per report plus $0.25 per page after 15 pages.”
  27. 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)”
  28. 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.”
  29. beta.tucsonaz.gov, checked 2026-11-08. “It is your sole responsibility to confirm that the Clerk’s office has received your form.”
  30. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  31. A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  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. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2506, checked 2026-11-09. “the liability of each defendant for damages is several only and is not joint”

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