What to Do After a Car Accident in Tempe

Step 1: Secure the Scene and Call 911

The first minutes after a car accident shape everything that follows. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries before anything else. If anyone is hurt or dazed, say so when you call 911 and keep them still unless the vehicle is in danger.

Move drivable cars out of travel lanes on busy corridors like Rural Road, McClintock Drive, or the US-60. Turn on your hazard lights. If a car cannot move, get everyone behind a barrier or well away from traffic before you do anything else.

Call 911 even when the crash looks minor. Tempe police document what they find, and that report becomes the backbone of your insurance claim. Arizona recorded 121,107 total crashes in 2024 per ADOT, and officers work scenes like yours every day.

Tempe crashes cluster at known problem intersections like Rural Road & University Drive and McClintock Drive & Apache Boulevard. Light rail crossings along Apache Boulevard and Mill Avenue add conflict points that catch drivers off guard. Our guide to the most dangerous intersections in Tempe maps where these crashes concentrate.

Step 2: Meet Your Duties Under A.R.S. § 28-663

Arizona law sets specific duties at a crash scene. A.R.S. § 28-663 requires every driver involved to stop, exchange identifying and insurance information, and give reasonable help to anyone who is injured. Follow it even if the other driver is hostile or wants to leave.

Leaving the scene is a crime, and fleeing an injury crash is a felony under A.R.S. §§ 28-661 and 28-662. If the other driver takes off, do not chase them. Note the plate, make, color, and direction of travel, then report it to the 911 operator.

You can still recover compensation when a driver flees. A Tempe hit-and-run lawyer can pursue an uninsured motorist claim on your own policy, even if police never find the driver.

Step 3: Document the Crash Before You Leave

Evidence at the scene disappears within hours. Skid marks fade, debris gets swept, and vehicles get towed. Your phone camera is the best claim tool you own, so use it before anything moves.

Photos and video to capture

Photograph the position of every vehicle before they move, if it is safe to do so. Then capture damage on all vehicles from several angles, both plates, and the full intersection or roadway. Include traffic signals, lane markings, skid marks, and debris.

Photograph your visible injuries and the interior of your car, including deployed airbags. Take a short video panning the whole scene. Note the weather, lighting, and time of day while details are fresh.

If the crash happened near a business, write down the name. Storefronts and gas stations often have exterior cameras, and a lawyer can request footage before it gets overwritten.

Witnesses and the other driver

Get the name and phone number of every witness before they drive away. Independent witnesses carry more weight with insurers than either driver. Ask what they saw and write it down word for word.

Collect the other driver's license, insurance card, and plate number. If you saw them holding a phone before impact, tell the officer. A Tempe distracted driving accident lawyer can later subpoena phone records to prove it.

Do not argue about fault and do not apologize. Statements at the scene get quoted back later. Stick to facts with the other driver and save your account for the officer.

Step 4: Get Your Tempe Police Crash Report

The responding officer opens a report with a general offense number, called a GO#. Ask for it before you leave the scene and write it down with the officer's name. You will need the GO# and the crash date to retrieve the report.

Tempe PD partners with BuyCrash for online copies of crash reports from November 2021 forward. Most reports become available within days. DUI and fatal-crash reports are excluded from BuyCrash and must be requested through the Records Bureau.

The Tempe Police Records Bureau is at 120 E. 5th Street, Tempe 85281, phone 480-350-8588. The report lists the officer's diagram, statements, citations, and insurance details. Read it closely and flag any errors early, because insurers treat it as the official account.

Step 5: See a Doctor Within 24 Hours

Get examined the same day, or within 24 hours at the latest. Adrenaline masks pain, and soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and internal bleeding often surface later. Some injuries show no symptoms for days, which is why we wrote a separate guide on delayed injuries after a car accident.

A same-day medical record ties your injuries to the crash. A gap in treatment gives the insurer an argument that something else caused them. Urgent care, an emergency room, or your own doctor all work for this first visit.

Follow the treatment plan once you have one. Missed appointments show up in records, and adjusters read them as proof you were not really hurt. Keep every bill, referral, and discharge sheet in one folder.

Tell each provider you were in a car accident, and describe every symptom, even minor ones. A symptom only helps your claim if it appears in the record. Headaches, dizziness, numbness, and stiffness all belong in the chart.

Step 6: Handle the Insurance Calls Carefully

Report the crash to your own insurer promptly. Your policy requires notice and cooperation, and late reporting can jeopardize coverage you paid for. Stick to the basic facts: date, time, location, vehicles involved.

The other driver's insurer will likely call within days. You have no legal duty to give them a statement, recorded or otherwise. Decline politely and let them work from the police report until you have advice.

Do not guess at speeds or distances, do not say you feel fine, and do not accept any share of fault on a call. Adjusters are trained to lock in damaging answers early. Our guide on dealing with insurance after a Tempe crash covers their tactics in detail.

If the other driver had no coverage, your own policy may still pay. A Tempe uninsured motorist accident lawyer can tell you whether a UM claim applies to your crash.

Keep a log of every insurance call. Write down the date, the adjuster's name, and what was said. That log becomes evidence if the insurer later handles your claim unfairly.

Your First 72 Hours Checklist

Print this list or save it to your phone. It compresses the steps above into the three windows that matter most after a Tempe car accident.

At the scene

Call 911 and report any injuries. Move to safety and set hazard lights. Exchange information as A.R.S. § 28-663 requires. Photograph vehicles, plates, the roadway, and your injuries.

Collect witness names and numbers. Get the officer's name and the GO#. Say nothing about fault to anyone at the scene.

The same day

See a doctor within 24 hours, even without obvious symptoms. Notify your own insurer with basic facts only. Write down everything you remember about the crash while it is fresh.

Save dashcam footage and back up your photos. Start one folder for bills, records, and correspondence.

Within 72 hours

Attend any follow-up medical appointments. Request your crash report through BuyCrash using the GO# and crash date. Decline recorded statements from the other driver's insurer.

Stay off social media about the crash. Talk to a lawyer before signing anything or accepting any offer.

Common Mistakes and When to Call a Lawyer

Most claim damage happens early, and most of it is avoidable. These are the errors adjusters count on.

Mistakes that weaken claims

Apologizing at the scene, skipping the first doctor visit, and posting crash photos on social media all cut claim value. So does giving the other insurer a recorded statement or signing a blanket medical release. Quick settlement checks are the biggest trap, because they arrive before you know the full extent of your injuries.

Blame-shifting happens even in clear cases. In a rear-end accident in Tempe, insurers still argue sudden stops or brake-light failures. Arizona's pure comparative fault rule, A.R.S. § 12-2505, reduces your recovery by any fault percentage they pin on you.

Deadlines end claims outright. A.R.S. § 12-542 gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government vehicle was involved, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 allows only 180 days to file a notice of claim.

When to make the call

Call a lawyer early if you were injured, if fault is disputed, or if any insurer pressures you to settle fast. Early involvement preserves camera footage, witness memories, and negotiating leverage.

We connect crash victims with a Tempe car accident lawyer for a free consultation. Lawyers in our network typically charge no fee unless they win. Call (623) 400-8417 between 9 AM and 9 PM, any day of the week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Tempe Police Department — Public Records Request (Crash Reports)
• Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 28
• ADOT Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts