12 News reported that three people were seriously injured in a crash on Buckeye Road by 51st Avenue in southwest Phoenix on Thursday morning, and that Buckeye Road was closed. No further details about the circumstances have been reported, and no determination of fault has been announced.
When a single crash seriously injures three or more people, Arizona law does not increase the at-fault driver's insurance to match the harm. The state minimum bodily injury policy is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash, so several badly hurt claimants may be dividing one limit that a single hospital stay could exhaust. That makes two things urgent. First, identify every available layer of coverage: the at-fault driver's policy, any employer or vehicle owner policy if the driver was working or borrowed the car, and the injured person's own underinsured motorist coverage, which pays when the other side's limits run out. Second, move early, because insurers may settle with whoever files first. Arizona uses pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505, so a claimant assigned partial responsibility still recovers, reduced by that percentage. Most injury claims must be filed within two years under A.R.S. § 12-542, and claims against a public entity require a notice of claim within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01.
Why Your Own Policy May Matter More Than Theirs
Underinsured motorist coverage, often written as UIM, is the part of your own auto policy that pays when the at-fault driver's limits are too small to cover your injuries. Uninsured motorist coverage, or UM, applies when the other driver has no insurance or cannot be identified. In a crash with three seriously injured people, UM and UIM are frequently the difference between partial payment and full recovery.
Practical steps:
- Pull your declarations page and look for UM and UIM limits, not just liability limits.
- Check whether a household member's policy also covers you; resident relatives are often insured under more than one policy.
- Notify your own insurer promptly, even if you believe the other driver was responsible. Delay can jeopardize coverage.
- Do not accept a settlement from the at-fault driver's insurer before your UIM carrier has consented, because settling without consent can void your UIM claim.
- Ask for the medical payments, or MedPay, portion of your policy. It pays treatment bills regardless of fault and does not have to be repaid out of a liability settlement in every situation.
Preserving the Record While the Investigation Is Open
A road closure usually means an on-scene investigation with measurements, photographs, and vehicle inspection. That work produces evidence you can later request, but only if you know to ask.
- Get the report number from the investigating agency and request the full report, including the diagram and any supplemental pages, once it is released.
- Ask whether the vehicles will be held or released. Once a vehicle is repaired, scrapped, or sold at auction, crash data stored in its electronic control module can be lost permanently.
- Look for nearby businesses with exterior cameras. Surveillance footage is often overwritten within days or weeks.
- Photograph visible injuries as they change over the first two weeks, and keep every discharge instruction, prescription, and bill.
- Write down what you remember now, including weather, lighting, and where each vehicle ended up. Memory fades faster than people expect.
If any party left the scene, Arizona imposes a duty to stop and provide information under A.R.S. § 28-661, and a hit and run does not close off recovery; it typically shifts the claim to uninsured motorist coverage.
What Injured People Recover Under Arizona Law
Arizona allows recovery of past and future medical expenses, lost income and lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. Because Arizona applies pure comparative fault under A.R.S. § 12-2505, being assigned some share of responsibility reduces a recovery but does not bar it. Insurers know this and often press early for a recorded statement that can be used to build a comparative fault argument. You are not required to give one to the other driver's insurer.
Two deadlines control everything else. A.R.S. § 12-542 gives most injured people two years from the date of injury to file suit. If a government entity or employee is involved in any way, A.R.S. § 12-821.01 requires a written notice of claim within 180 days, and missing that window can end an otherwise strong case. If a serious injury becomes a fatal one, Arizona's wrongful death statutes, A.R.S. § 12-611 through A.R.S. § 12-613, govern who may bring the claim, and A.R.S. § 14-3110 addresses claims that survive the injured person.
If you or a family member was hurt in this incident, our Phoenix car accident attorneys can explain your coverage options and the deadlines that apply to your claim.