12 News reported that a large truck was left hanging off an overpass following a multi-vehicle crash near Interstate 10 and University Drive. According to the outlet, multiple large trucks and passenger vehicles appear to have been involved, and the westbound off-ramp was closed. No determination of cause or responsibility has been reported.
When a collision involves several large trucks and passenger vehicles at once, Arizona law does not require an injured person to identify a single party at fault before pursuing a claim. Under A.R.S. § 12-2505, Arizona applies pure comparative fault; a jury assigns each party, including the injured person, a percentage of responsibility, and a damages award is reduced by that percentage rather than barred outright. That matters in pileups, where fault is often divided among multiple drivers and, in the case of commercial vehicles, the companies that employed them, loaded them, or maintained them. Each potentially responsible party may carry separate insurance, and commercial policies are frequently far larger than personal auto coverage. Most Arizona injury claims must be filed within two years under A.R.S. § 12-542, and claims against a government entity require a written notice of claim within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, so the investigation should begin quickly.
Why Commercial Trucks Change the Analysis
A passenger vehicle claim usually involves one driver and one insurer. A claim involving a large truck often involves more. The driver may be an employee, in which case the motor carrier can be liable for what the driver did on the job. The carrier may also face its own claim for how it hired, trained, supervised, or scheduled the driver, or for how it maintained the equipment. Separate companies may have owned the tractor, owned the trailer, or loaded the cargo.
Commercial carriers also generate records that ordinary drivers do not: electronic logging data, maintenance and inspection files, dispatch records, driver qualification files, and in many cases onboard or dash camera footage. Those records are held by the carrier, not by you, and retention periods can be short. A written preservation demand sent early is often the difference between having that evidence and being told it was overwritten.
Practical Steps If You Were Involved or Injured
Get medical attention even if you feel functional. Adrenaline masks injury, and a gap between the crash and the first medical visit is the argument an insurer will make later about whether you were really hurt.
Beyond that:
- Request the crash report once it is available, and keep the report number.
- Photograph vehicle damage, the scene, and your injuries before repairs and before healing.
- Write down what you remember while it is fresh, including the position of each vehicle and what you heard or saw before impact.
- Collect the names of any company or trade markings on the trucks involved, along with USDOT numbers if visible in your photos.
- Keep every bill, explanation of benefits, and record of missed work.
- Report the crash to your own insurer, but decline to give a recorded statement to any other driver's insurer until you have advice.
In a crash involving multiple vehicles, adjusters often try to lock in a version of events early, while the sequence of impacts is still unclear. You are not obligated to speculate about what happened. Say what you know and nothing more.
The Deadlines That Actually Control Your Claim
Arizona gives most injury victims two years from the date of the crash to file suit under A.R.S. § 12-542. If a death results, a wrongful death action is governed by A.R.S. § 12-611 through A.R.S. § 12-613, which limit who may bring the claim, and claims that belonged to the person who died may survive under A.R.S. § 14-3110.
The shorter deadline is the one people miss. If any claim runs against a public entity or a public employee, including a city, county, or state agency, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 requires a written notice of claim served within 180 days of when the claim accrues, and that notice must state a specific settlement amount and the facts supporting it. Miss it and the claim is barred no matter how strong it is. Because the involvement of a public entity is not always obvious at the outset, treat 180 days as the working deadline until you know otherwise.
If you or a family member was hurt in this collision, our Arizona car accident attorneys can explain your options before you speak with any insurer.