ABC15 reported that a stretch of Loop 303 northbound was closed Tuesday night because of a vehicle crash at Milepost 117, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. No information about injuries, the number of vehicles involved, or the cause has been reported, and no one has been found responsible for anything.
When a freeway crash closes lanes and no official account of fault has been released, Arizona law still starts running deadlines. A person injured by another driver's negligence generally has two years from the date of injury to file suit under A.R.S. § 12-542, and a wrongful death claim under A.R.S. § 12-611 through A.R.S. § 12-613 carries the same two-year window. If a government entity or employee may share responsibility, a written notice of claim must be served within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, which is far shorter than most people expect. Fault does not have to be all on one side; A.R.S. § 12-2505 applies pure comparative fault, so damages are reduced by a plaintiff's own percentage of fault rather than barred. Because a police investigation can take weeks or months and a crash report is not the final word on liability, evidence gathering should begin before any conclusion is announced.
Comparative Fault and Why an Early Blame Assignment Is Not Final
Arizona follows pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505. If you are assigned 30 percent of the fault, you recover 70 percent of your damages. There is no cutoff percentage that wipes out a claim, which matters on high-speed roadways where insurers often argue that a following driver was too close or that someone reacted late.
An insurance adjuster's early fault decision is not binding on a court, and neither is the narrative in a crash report. Reports are written quickly, sometimes before vehicle data, scene measurements, or independent witness accounts are reviewed. If you disagree with how a report describes what happened, the correct response is to preserve evidence, not to accept the conclusion.
If a driver left the scene, Arizona imposes a duty to stop and provide information under A.R.S. § 28-661. If investigators say impairment is suspected, the criminal side proceeds separately under A.R.S. § 28-1381; a civil claim does not wait for a conviction and uses a lower standard of proof.
Practical Steps in the First Weeks
Request the crash report once it is available, and note the report number. Get medical attention even if you feel functional; adrenaline masks soft tissue and head injuries, and a gap in treatment becomes the central argument against a claim later. Photograph vehicle damage before any repair or salvage, because a totaled vehicle can be sold and crushed within weeks.
Write down what you remember while it is fresh: lane position, traffic conditions, what you saw before impact. Collect names and numbers of anyone who stopped. Check your own policy for medical payments coverage and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, which can apply regardless of who was at fault and is often the only real source of recovery when the other driver has minimum limits or none.
Give no recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before you understand the extent of your injuries. You are not required to provide one.
If Someone Died in the Crash
Arizona separates two claims. A wrongful death action under A.R.S. § 12-611 through A.R.S. § 12-613 belongs to the surviving spouse, children, parents, or the estate, and compensates their losses. A survival action under A.R.S. § 14-3110 is brought by the personal representative for claims the person held before death, such as medical expenses incurred before dying. Both require someone to be appointed as personal representative in probate, which takes time; families should start that process early rather than waiting for the investigation to conclude.
If you or a family member was hurt on Loop 303 or anywhere in the West Valley, our Arizona car accident attorneys can explain what your claim looks like before you talk to an insurer.