Truck Accident Laws in Arizona (2026): Deadlines & Liability

A truck accident claim in Arizona runs on two tracks at once. State tort law sets the deadline to sue, decides how fault affects what you can recover, and governs auto insurance. Federal law, enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), regulates how commercial trucks and their drivers must operate, and those rules often supply the evidence of fault.

This page explains both. It is general legal information, not legal advice, and deadlines and outcomes turn on the specific facts, so confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Arizona attorney.

Statute of Limitations in Arizona

Under A.R.S. Section 12-542, an action for injuries done to the person of another must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward. The clock generally starts on the date of the crash. Filing late usually means the court will dismiss the case for good, regardless of how clear the trucking company's fault.

Limited exceptions exist. Under A.R.S. Section 12-502, the deadline is generally tolled until a minor turns 18, and a discovery rule may apply where an injury could not reasonably have been found right away. Different deadlines and notice rules apply if a government entity is involved. Confirm your exact deadline with a licensed attorney.

Wrongful Death in Arizona

When a truck crash causes death, the claim proceeds under Arizona's wrongful death statutes, A.R.S. Sections 12-611 and following. The same two-year period in A.R.S. Section 12-542 governs a claim for injuries when death ensues, accruing at the death of the injured party. The action is brought by a statutory beneficiary or the estate's personal representative, and recoverable losses can include the survivors' economic and noneconomic harm.

Negligence Rule: Pure Comparative Fault

Arizona follows pure comparative negligence. Under A.R.S. Section 12-2505, if a claimant is partly at fault, the claim is not barred; instead, the full damages are reduced in proportion to the claimant's relative degree of fault. In practice, if a jury finds you 30% responsible, your award is reduced by 30%. Even a plaintiff found mostly at fault can still recover the remaining share.

There is one limit: the statute denies comparative-fault recovery to a claimant who intentionally, willfully, or wantonly caused or contributed to the injury or death. Short of that, the rule reduces rather than eliminates a recovery, so the fault percentages still matter and the evidence of how the crash happened remains central.

No-Fault and PIP

Arizona is not a no-fault state. It uses a traditional fault-based (tort) system, so the party who caused the crash, and that party's insurer or employer, is responsible for the resulting harm. There is no personal-injury-protection (PIP) threshold you must clear before you can sue. You pursue the at-fault driver and the motor carrier directly.

Damage Caps and State Insurance

Arizona is unusual in that its Constitution forbids damage caps. Article 2, Section 31 provides that no law shall limit the amount of damages recoverable for causing death or injury, and Article 18, Section 6 protects the right of action to recover damages for injuries. As a result, neither economic nor noneconomic personal-injury damages are capped, and juries may award full compensation supported by proof.

For coverage context, Arizona's minimum auto-liability requirement is 25/50/15: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $15,000 for property damage. Commercial trucks are subject to far higher federal minimums, discussed below.

Federal FMCSA Rules That Shape Liability

Interstate trucking is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Violations are frequently the clearest proof of negligence in a truck case. Key areas include:

• Hours of service (49 CFR Part 395): a property-carrying driver may drive at most 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, cannot drive beyond the 14th hour on duty, and is capped at 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8. These limits target fatigue.
• Electronic logging devices (49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B): most drivers must use an ELD that connects to the engine and automatically records driving time, motion, and location, replacing easily falsified paper logs.
• Driver qualification and CDL (49 CFR Part 391): carriers must verify a driver's commercial license, medical certification, and record before putting that driver on the road.
• Drug and alcohol testing (49 CFR Part 382): pre-employment, random, and post-accident testing is mandatory.
• Inspection, repair, and maintenance (49 CFR Part 396): trucks must be systematically inspected and kept in safe operating condition, with records to prove it.

Who Can Be Liable

A truck crash usually involves more potential defendants than a car crash, and many are corporations. Depending on the facts, those who may share liability include:

• the truck driver, for negligent driving or hours-of-service violations;
• the motor carrier (trucking company), often vicariously for its driver and directly for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or maintenance;
• a broker or shipper that arranged or controlled the load;
• a cargo loader whose improper loading caused a shift or rollover; and
• a parts or truck manufacturer, if a defect contributed.

Identifying every responsible party matters because each may carry separate insurance, and because Arizona's pure comparative system apportions fault among everyone involved.

Federal Minimum Insurance: $750,000

Under 49 CFR 387.9, a for-hire carrier operating in interstate commerce with a vehicle rated over 10,001 pounds must maintain at least $750,000 in liability coverage for general (nonhazardous) freight. Carriers hauling certain hazardous materials must carry $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. These minimums dwarf the $25,000 bodily-injury minimum on a typical Arizona car policy, which is a major reason trucking cases are litigated differently.

Preserving Evidence

Much of the proof in a truck case lives on the truck and in company files, and it can disappear fast. ELD and logbook data, the engine control module or onboard "black box," dashcam footage, and maintenance and inspection records can be overwritten or routinely discarded. A timely written preservation (spoliation) letter to the carrier helps keep this evidence intact, and in Arizona it can also pin down the fault percentages that drive the recovery.

How to Evaluate a Potential Claim

Move quickly. Get the police crash report, photograph the scene and vehicles, keep all medical records and bills, and write down the date of the crash and of any later-discovered injury. Note any witness names and the truck and trailer company markings.

Most personal-injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency fee, meaning they are paid only out of a recovery. No attorney can promise an outcome or a dollar amount, and only a licensed Arizona attorney can assess whether your specific facts support a claim within the deadlines.