Arizona gives you 2 years to file most truck accident claims, and it follows pure comparative negligence. Federal FMCSA rules govern the trucking company; Arizona law governs your injury claim.
Arizona heat is hard on trucks, and it shows up in the crash reports. If you're looking for an Arizona truck accident lawyer, there's a good chance your case involves a blown tire, a dust storm or a long, straight stretch of I-10 that put a tired driver to sleep.
Sharing the blame in Arizona
Arizona is a pure comparative state — recovery is reduced by your share of fault but is not barred at any threshold.
Also see who can be held liable.
I-10 through the desert, I-17's climb and the Nogales produce trucks
I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson is straight, fast and full of trucks running between Los Angeles and Texas. Summer pavement gets hot enough to cook an underinflated tire, and monsoon dust storms can drop visibility to zero with almost no warning.
I-17 climbs from Phoenix up toward Flagstaff with long grades that heat up brakes and engines. Down south, I-19 brings produce trucks north from the Nogales border crossing, many in a hurry to get their loads into cold storage.
I-10 across Arizona is one of the busiest long-haul freight routes in the western United States, and I-19 carries produce and manufacturing freight north from the Nogales port of entry. Extreme summer heat contributes to tire failures on these corridors, and dust storms on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson have produced repeated multi-vehicle truck pileups.
- I-10 (Phoenix–Tucson and the California–Texas through route)
- I-17 (Phoenix–Flagstaff)
- I-40 across northern Arizona
- I-8 in the southwest
- I-19 (Tucson–Nogales)
If you were driving a rig in the Arizona heat
If a tire blew out on you, save it. Don't let the tow yard or the shop throw it away. The tire itself, along with your pre-trip inspection records, can show whether the blowout came from bad maintenance, a defect or road debris.
When a big rig hits your car in Phoenix or on I-10
In a dust storm pileup, lots of vehicles are involved and everyone's story is different. Take photos of every truck's DOT number that you can see. Get the crash report, and write down what you remember about visibility and when the dust hit.
What's different about Arizona claims
Before you talk to an adjuster
- The Arizona Constitution prohibits statutory caps on damages for death or personal injury, making Arizona one of the few states where compensatory damages cannot be legislatively limited.
- Claims against Arizona public entities require a notice of claim within 180 days and suit within one year.
- Heat-related tire failure is a recurring issue on Arizona interstates and points toward maintenance and inspection records under 49 CFR Part 396.
The federal layer
An interstate carrier in Arizona answers to the same federal floor as everywhere else: at least $750,000 in liability coverage, hours-of-service limits under 49 CFR Part 395, and a six-month retention floor on driver duty records. Read about preserving the truck's data and the federal safety regulations.
Finding a lawyer in Arizona
Ask whether the attorney has handled cases involving tire failures or multi-vehicle pileups. Those cases rely on inspection and maintenance records.
Network attorneys cover Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Flagstaff, and Yuma. Start a free case review.
Other states
See all states → or check filing deadlines for all 50 states.
Sources
- Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- SAFER Company Snapshot — carrier safety records — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Federal regulations and crash statistics are updated periodically. Figures cited on this page reflect the referenced publications at the time of writing; check the source for the current edition.