What to do after a car accident

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Accepted Answer

Under Arizona law, here's what a driver must do after a car accident:

1. Stop and stay at the scene. If the accident involves injury or death, the driver must immediately stop at the scene (or as close as possible and immediately return) and remain there until the information-and-assistance duties described below are fulfilled . The same stop-and-remain duty applies if the accident causes only damage to an attended vehicle, and the stop must be made without obstructing traffic more than necessary .

2. Clear the roadway if possible. For accidents on controlled-access or multi-lane divided highways where serious injury or death is not apparent, drivers (or a licensed occupant) must move the vehicles out of the traveled portion of the roadway if it can be done safely and the vehicles are drivable . Moving the vehicle under this rule does not, by itself, make the person who moved it liable or at fault for the accident .

3. Exchange information. The driver must give their name, address, and vehicle registration number, and on request show their driver license to the other driver, occupants, or a person attending the other vehicle .

4. Help injured persons. The driver must render reasonable assistance to anyone injured, including arranging transportation to a physician, surgeon, or hospital if treatment is apparently necessary or the injured person requests it .

5. Report the accident. If the accident caused injury or death, the driver must immediately notify, by the quickest means of communication, the local police (in a municipality), the county sheriff, or the nearest highway patrol office . Separately, a law enforcement officer who investigates an accident involving injury, death, property damage over $2,000, or the issuance of a citation must complete a written accident report within twenty-four hours after completing the investigation .

Penalties for failing to comply. Failing to stop or comply in an injury/death accident is a felony (class 2, 3, or 5 depending on severity and fault), with mandatory license revocation of three, five, or ten years depending on the outcome . Failing to stop in a vehicle-damage-only accident is a class 1 misdemeanor, with possible license suspension . Failing to give information or show a license is a class 1 misdemeanor, and failing to render assistance is a class 6 felony .

Note: The provided sources do not address civil insurance claims, deadlines for filing a lawsuit, or fault determinations after an accident. For guidance on those issues, consult a licensed Arizona attorney.