Short answer: There is no dependable average. Arizona car accident settlements are driven by medical costs, permanence, lost income and — most decisively — the available insurance. Arizona’s minimum liability coverage is low, so the at-fault driver’s policy is usually the practical ceiling, not the severity of your injuries.

Insurance limits set the ceiling, not your injuries

This is the part most people do not expect. If the at-fault driver carries minimum liability coverage, that policy is frequently the most that is realistically recoverable from them — regardless of how badly you were hurt. Two identical injuries produce very different outcomes depending on who hit you.

Which is why your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often matters more than the other driver’s policy. See uninsured and hit-and-run claims.

What moves the number

• Documented medical treatment, past and future — gaps in treatment cost more value than people realise
• Permanence — a lasting impairment changes the calculation entirely
• Lost income and lost earning capacity
• Available coverage across every applicable policy, including your own
• Comparative fault — Arizona uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault but never barred
• Property damage and diminished value — see diminished value claims

Why we will not quote you a figure

A number given before anyone has reviewed your medical records and the available coverage is a guess. A guess that runs high does real damage — it can push you to reject a reasonable offer and chase something that was never available.

The deadline caps everything

Arizona generally allows two years from the crash under A.R.S. § 12-542, and only 180 days to file a notice of claim against a government entity. Past the deadline the value is zero. See how long you have to sue.

Questions people ask

Do settlement calculators work for Arizona car accidents?

No. They multiply medical bills by an arbitrary number and ignore insurance limits, comparative fault and permanence — the three factors that most determine the outcome.

What if the other driver had no insurance?

Your own uninsured motorist coverage becomes the primary source of recovery. This is why declining UM/UIM coverage is one of the costliest decisions Arizona drivers make.

Does a police report determine fault?

It is evidence, not a verdict. Insurers and courts weigh it alongside physical evidence, witness accounts and the vehicles themselves.

Should I accept the first offer?

Rarely, and never before your medical picture is stable. Accepting releases the claim permanently — you cannot reopen it if the injury turns out worse than it looked.

Free case review

Jack Hirsch is board-certified by the State Bar of Arizona in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation. No fee unless you recover: 602-535-1900.