Scottsdale Car Accident Lawyer

Hurt in a car crash on Scottsdale Road, Shea Boulevard, Hayden Road or the Loop 101? Doctor visits, time off work and insurance calls can take over your week. Kent Law can take the fight to the insurance company while you heal. We focus on personal injury, and most of our cases are car crashes. Our Phoenix office is about 18 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. Call (480) 359-KENT today. No fee unless we win.

Car crashes in Scottsdale by the numbers

In 2024, Scottsdale had 4,219 crashes. 15 were fatal crashes and 1,421 were injury crashes. 15 people were killed and 2,113 were injured, and 226 crashes were alcohol-related (ADOT, 2024 Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, Table 2-5). See how Scottsdale compares with other Valley cities in our Phoenix-area crash statistics.

The city keeps its own count, too. Scottsdale Police recorded 3,629 collisions in 2024, about 15 for every 1,000 residents. Twenty-two people died in Scottsdale traffic crashes in 2023 and 2024 (City of Scottsdale, 2024 Traffic Volume and Collision Report, February 2026).

Scottsdale stretches a long way from south to north. Most city-street crashes happen on the main roads and at their signals: Scottsdale Road, Hayden Road, Pima Road, Shea Boulevard, Indian School Road, Camelback Road and McDowell Road. The Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) runs through the city, and freeway crashes are usually handled by Arizona DPS. Most of the crashes we handle happen on city streets and at intersections.

Where crashes happen in Scottsdale

Every two years, Scottsdale's traffic engineers count the collisions at the city's major intersections. In the latest report, covering 2023 and 2024, these intersections had the most:

1. Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard: 106 collisions
2. Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101: 73 collisions
3. Hayden Road and Northsight Boulevard: 61 collisions
4. Hayden Road and Thomas Road: 58 collisions
5. Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard: 57 collisions
6. 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard: 52 collisions

Three intersections tied for the most crashes that killed or seriously hurt someone: Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale Road and Lone Mountain Road, and the Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard (3 each). The stretch of road with the most collisions was Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard between the Greenway-Hayden Loop and Hayden Road (60).

Timing matters, too. Each hour from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. had at least 8% of the city's collisions, and rear-end crashes were the most common type. Of the 7,341 collisions at the intersections and roads in the study, 150 involved a person on a bike and 141 involved a person on foot.

If you were hurt at one of these spots, the other driver's insurance company may still argue about who had the light or who stopped short. Traffic cameras, business video and witnesses can settle that, but video doesn't last. Call us early so we can look for it.

What to do after a car accident in Scottsdale

1. Call 911. Report the crash and any injuries. If you can move safely, get out of traffic.
2. Get medical care the same day. Some injuries, like whiplash and concussions, show up hours later. A same-day visit also links your injuries to the crash.
3. Take photos. Get both cars, the plates, the damage, the signals, the lane markings and your injuries.
4. Get the other driver's information. Name, phone number, license, plate, insurance company and policy number. A photo of their insurance card works.
5. Talk to witnesses. Get names and phone numbers. On Old Town and nightlife nights, witnesses leave fast.
6. Look for cameras. Businesses along Scottsdale Road, Hayden Road and Shea Boulevard may have video. So may doorbell cameras on neighborhood streets. Write down where you see them and tell us. Footage doesn't last forever.
7. Get the report number. Scottsdale Police usually investigate crashes on city streets. Arizona DPS usually handles Loop 101.
8. Call us before any recorded statement. Call Kent Law at (480) 359-KENT before you talk to any insurance adjuster on the record.

Common car crashes in Scottsdale

Left-turn and angle crashes

Wide arterials mean long left turns across several lanes. Four of the six intersections with the most collisions are on Shea Boulevard or at the Loop 101. Angle crashes, often called T-bone crashes, were also the most common crash type for people on bikes in Scottsdale (City of Scottsdale collision report). Signal timing, video and damage patterns help show who had the right of way.

Rear-end crashes

Stop-and-go traffic on Scottsdale Road, backups at Loop 101 ramps and sudden stops near Old Town and the Fashion Square area all set up rear-end crashes. Rear-end crashes were the most common type of collision in Scottsdale in 2023 and 2024, and the average Scottsdale collision happened between 4 and 5 p.m. (City of Scottsdale collision report). See rear-end collisions.

Drunk driving crashes

Scottsdale had 226 alcohol-related crashes in 2024 (ADOT, Table 2-5). If a drunk driver hit you, see drunk driving accident claims.

Uber, Lyft, hit-and-run and uninsured drivers

About 10.6% of Arizona drivers were uninsured in 2023, according to the Insurance Research Council (via the Insurance Information Institute). If the driver who hit you had no insurance or drove away, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may pay for your injuries. See hit-and-run accidents, Uber and Lyft accidents and uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.

Arizona rules that affect your claim

Arizona generally requires most auto policies to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries (A.R.S. § 28-4009), and a hospital stay can go far past that. We look for every policy that may cover you.

If you were partly at fault, you may still have a claim. Under Arizona's pure comparative fault law, your damages are generally reduced by your share of fault, not wiped out (A.R.S. § 12-2505). Read more about Arizona comparative fault.

Deadlines matter. In Arizona, most injury lawsuits must generally be filed within 2 years (A.R.S. § 12-542). Claims against the government move faster. If a public entity or public employee caused your crash, such as a city vehicle, you generally must file a notice of claim within 180 days (A.R.S. § 12-821.01). The lawsuit itself generally must be filed within 1 year (A.R.S. § 12-821). Call us early so we can protect your claim.

If you're in the hospital

HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, at 7400 E. Osborn Road, is a state-designated Level I trauma center on the Arizona Department of Health Services trauma center list (December 2025 edition). You don't have to leave your bed to talk to us. We can come to you at the hospital or at home, or talk by phone or video.

How we handle Scottsdale car accident cases

We move from day one. We get the crash report, look for video before it's erased, talk to witnesses, and hire crash reconstructionists and other outside professionals when a case needs them. We deal with the insurance company, so you don't have to take their calls.

Here's our track record. Kent Law recovers millions of dollars for injured clients every year, and we have handled thousands of injury cases. We handle negotiated settlements, mediation, arbitration and trial. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Getting your Scottsdale crash report

Scottsdale Police usually investigate crashes on city streets. The department offers collision reports online through CARFAX CRASHDOCS.org; you need the last name of an involved party, the collision date, the departmental report (DR) number and a credit card. You can also request the report directly from Scottsdale Police Records, which takes longer. For a DPS crash report, use the DPS Public Services Portal (psp.azdps.gov). Once you hire us, we request the report for you. Scottsdale injury lawsuits are usually filed in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Meeting with us

Our office is at 4001 E. Mountain Sky Ave., Ste. 105, Phoenix, AZ 85044, about 18 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. We usually meet at our office, but if you can't get here, we can come to you at the hospital or at home, or meet by phone or video.

For other injury cases, see our Scottsdale personal injury page. We also serve Tempe, Mesa, central Phoenix and all of Phoenix. See all the areas we serve.

Hurt in a Scottsdale car crash? Call Kent Law at (480) 359-KENT. No fee unless we win.

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This page is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different.