How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Arizona?
If you were hurt in a crash in Arizona, the clock on your claim started the day you were injured. Miss the deadline and a court will almost certainly refuse to hear your case, no matter how clear the other driver's fault was. This guide explains the main Arizona filing deadlines for car accident injuries, the shorter deadline that applies when a government vehicle or road is involved, and the situations that can change the timeline.
This is general information, not legal advice. Deadlines depend on the facts of each case, so confirm yours with an Arizona attorney as soon as possible.
The short answer: two years for most injury claims
Arizona's general time limit for a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date the cause of action accrues. The statute, A.R.S. § 12-542, covers "injuries done to the person of another," which includes injuries from a car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian or bicycle collision. The same two-year limit applies to claims for damage to your vehicle and other property.
In most car accident cases, a claim accrues on the date of the crash. That means if you were injured on March 10, 2026, the lawsuit generally has to be filed by March 10, 2028. Courts count the deadline strictly: a lawsuit filed one day late can be dismissed.
Two details trip people up:
- Filing means filing in court. Reporting the crash, opening a claim with an insurance company, or exchanging emails with an adjuster does not stop the two-year clock. Only a lawsuit filed with the court (or a written agreement that extends the deadline) does that.
- Negotiations can run out the clock. Insurance companies may keep a claim "under review" for months. If talks fail late in the process, there may be too little time left to prepare and file a lawsuit.
Wrongful death: two years from the date of death
When a crash causes a death, A.R.S. § 12-542(2) treats the action as accruing at the death of the injured person, and the same two-year period applies. If someone is injured in a crash and dies months later from those injuries, the two years generally run from the date of death, not the date of the crash. Because who can bring the claim and how it is brought are specific to Arizona's wrongful death statutes, family members should speak with an attorney early.
The 180-day exception when a government entity is involved
The most important exception for car accident victims is the much shorter deadline for claims against public entities and public employees. This can come up when the other driver was driving a city bus, a police car, a county or state vehicle, or a government employee on the job, or when a road defect that the state or a city was responsible for helped cause the crash.
Two separate statutes apply:
- Notice of claim within 180 days. Under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, you must file a claim with the person authorized to accept service for the public entity or employee within 180 days after the cause of action accrues. The claim has to describe the facts that make the entity liable and must include a specific amount for which the claim can be settled, along with the facts that support that amount. A claim that is not filed within 180 days is barred.
- Lawsuit within one year. Under A.R.S. § 12-821, actions against a public entity or public employee must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.
The statute also explains when a government claim "accrues": when the injured person realizes they have been damaged and knows, or reasonably should know, what caused the damage. In a typical crash that is the date of the accident, but you should not count on a later date.
Arizona's government-claim deadline is roughly six months, so waiting "until the injuries settle down" can cost you the claim entirely. If a government vehicle, employee or road may have been involved, treat the 180-day date as your real deadline.
Quick reference
| Situation | Typical deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury from a car accident | 2 years from accrual (usually the crash date) | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Damage to your vehicle or other property | 2 years from accrual | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Wrongful death from a crash | 2 years from the date of death | A.R.S. § 12-542(2) |
| Notice of claim against a public entity or employee | 180 days from accrual | A.R.S. § 12-821.01 |
| Lawsuit against a public entity or employee | 1 year from accrual | A.R.S. § 12-821 |
Situations that can change the timeline
Arizona law recognizes limited circumstances in which a deadline may be paused, or "tolled." These are narrow, they depend on the facts, and they should never be treated as a plan.
- Injured minors. Under A.R.S. § 12-502, when the person entitled to sue is under 18 or of unsound mind when the claim accrues, the period of that disability is not counted. The person then has the same amount of time after the disability ends that other claimants have. For government claims, A.R.S. § 12-821.01(D) separately lets a minor or an incompetent person file a claim within 180 days after the disability ceases.
- A defendant who was out of state. A.R.S. § 12-501 provides that when the person you want to sue was outside Arizona when the claim accrued, or during the time the action could have been brought, the time of that absence is not counted. Whether this applies to a given crash depends on the details.
- Claims that must go through an administrative process. For government claims, A.R.S. § 12-821.01(C) says a claim that must go through an administrative or dispute-resolution process does not accrue until that process is exhausted.
Insurance policies can also set their own deadlines for giving notice of a claim or filing a particular type of coverage claim, such as uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Read your policy, and ask an attorney which deadlines apply, because these can differ from the lawsuit deadline.
Why waiting hurts even before the deadline
The legal deadline is only the last possible day. There are practical reasons to act much sooner:
- Evidence disappears. Traffic cameras overwrite footage, vehicles get repaired or scrapped, and witnesses move or forget details.
- Medical records tell the story. Prompt treatment documents how the crash affected you. Gaps in treatment give insurers room to argue that your injuries came from something else.
- Fault can be shared. Arizona follows pure comparative negligence under A.R.S. § 12-2505. If you are partly at fault, you can still recover, but the damages are reduced in proportion to your share of fault. Evidence gathered early helps establish who did what.
- Attorneys need time. Investigating the crash, collecting records, valuing the claim and negotiating takes months. Starting with only weeks left leaves little room.
What to do now
- Write down your key dates. Record the accident date and the date of death if applicable. Calculate the two-year date, and if any government vehicle, employee or road may be involved, calculate the 180-day date as well.
- Get medical care and keep records. Follow your providers' advice and keep every bill, report and note.
- Preserve evidence. Save photos, the police report number, insurance information, witness contacts and repair estimates.
- Be careful with insurance statements. You can speak with your own insurer as your policy requires, but think before giving a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer.
- Talk to an Arizona attorney early. Many Arizona personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee, meaning the fee is paid from any recovery, with terms set in a written agreement. An attorney can confirm which deadlines apply to your accident.
Request a free case evaluation
Case Closed MVA is a free intake and attorney referral service for Arizona motor vehicle accidents. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. If you were injured in an Arizona car, pedestrian or bicycle accident caused by another driver, you can use the form below. Your information is sent to Phillips Law Group, an Arizona personal injury law firm, which decides whether it can help. Submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Sources
- A.R.S. § 12-542: Injury to person; injury when death ensues; two year limitation, Arizona Legislature
- A.R.S. § 12-821: General limitation; public employee, Arizona Legislature
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01: Authorization of claim against public entity, public school or public employee, Arizona Legislature
- A.R.S. § 12-502: Effect of minority or insanity, Arizona Legislature
- A.R.S. § 12-501: Effect of absence from state, Arizona Legislature
- A.R.S. § 12-2505: Comparative negligence, Arizona Legislature