Jonesboro Car Accident Lawyers
Reviewed by Larry "Jimmy" Peters, Founder · Arkansas Bar No. 2020103 · Updated August 2026
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This page is for people hurt in a car, pickup or SUV collision in Jonesboro or Craighead County — a rear-end crash at Caraway and Highland, a left-turn collision on Red Wolf Boulevard, a T-bone at a Johnson Avenue signal, a sideswipe on I-555, a wreck with an uninsured driver on U.S. 49. It explains the Arkansas rules that decide these cases, what your own policy owes you before fault is ever decided, how to get the police report, and what a claim is realistically worth. Truck and motorcycle crashes have their own Jonesboro pages, linked at the bottom; the Jonesboro overview covers the courts and hospitals in more detail.
Southern Injury Attorneys does not have a Jonesboro office. Jonesboro car accident cases are handled by our Arkansas-licensed attorneys from the firm’s Memphis headquarters, about 70 miles down I-555 and I-55. Consultations are free by phone or video, documents are signed electronically, and we come to Jonesboro when an in-person meeting is needed.
Jonesboro car accident law at a glance
| Fecha límite para el traje de archivo | 3 years from the crash — Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105; wrongful death 3 years from the death — § 16-62-102 |
|---|---|
| Regla por defecto | Modified comparative fault, 50 percent bar — you recover only if your fault is less than the defendants’ — § 16-64-122 |
| Minimum liability insurance | 25/50/25 — § 27-22-104 |
| Your own policy pays first | $5,000 medical (24 months), 70% of lost income up to $140/week for 52 weeks, $5,000 accidental death — § 23-89-202, unless rejected in writing |
| Uninsured / underinsured motorist | Part of every policy unless rejected in writing — § 23-89-403, § 23-89-209; about 1 in 8 Arkansas drivers is uninsured |
| Informe policial | Jonesboro PD: online, 870-935-5562, or 1001 S. Caraway Rd., 1–3 business days. Arkansas State Police: crashreports.ark.org, $10 |
| Donde se presenta la demanda | Craighead County Circuit Court, Civil Division, 511 S. Main St. #200, Jonesboro 72401 |
| Trauma care | St. Bernards and NEA Baptist (both Level III); severe injuries often transferred to Regional One in Memphis or UAMS in Little Rock |
| Nuestra oficina | 5865 Ridgeway Center Pkwy, Suite 390, Memphis, TN 38120 · (901) 300-5001 |
Get a free Jonesboro car accident case review
Tell us what happened and a member of our Arkansas team will call you back — usually within minutes during business hours. Free, confidential, no fee unless we win. Prefer to talk now? Call (901) 300-5001.
How common are car accidents in Jonesboro?
Arkansas roads killed 603 people in 2024, a rate of 19.5 per 100,000 residents against a national rate of 11.5, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s analysis of federal crash data; 397 of those deaths were occupants of cars, pickups and SUVs. The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement ranked the state’s 2022 roadway death rate fourth-highest in the nation. Jonesboro, a city of roughly 82,000 that serves as the retail, medical and university center for all of Northeast Arkansas, generates a share of those crashes out of proportion to its size because so much of the region drives into it every day.
The pattern on the ground is familiar to anyone who lives here. Caraway Road y Highland Drive carry the hospital, retail and restaurant traffic, and the Caraway–Highland intersection appears in local crash coverage year after year. Red Wolf Boulevard runs past the Arkansas State University campus and the Mall at Turtle Creek area, mixing 17,000-plus students with through traffic. Johnson Avenue, Nettleton Avenue y Southwest Drive add signalized intersections every few blocks. On the edges, I-555 brings 70-mph traffic from Memphis into the city, and U.S. 49 y U.S. 63 run commuters in from Paragould, Brookland, Bono and Trumann. Rear-end collisions at signals, left-turn crashes across oncoming traffic and T-bone collisions at stop-controlled side streets account for most of the injury cases we see from Jonesboro.
What does your own insurance pay before fault is decided?
This is the part of Arkansas law most Jonesboro drivers do not know, and it changes the first month after a crash. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 23-89-202, every automobile liability policy issued in Arkansas must include first-party benefits unless the named insured rejected them in writing: up to $5,000 in medical and hospital expenses incurred within 24 months of the crash, 70 percent of lost income up to $140 a week for up to 52 weeks (or $70 a week for essential services if you were not employed), and a $5,000 accidental death benefit. These pay regardless of fault, usually within days of submitting bills, and they exist precisely so that an injured person is not choosing between an emergency room visit and a collections account while the liability insurer investigates.
Two cautions. Your insurer will want the money back: the Arkansas Supreme Court has confirmed that a med-pay carrier may recover what it paid out of your eventual settlement, so treat those payments as an advance. The reimbursement has to be negotiated at the end. And the 24-month window is real — a surgery scheduled 25 months out is not covered. We open the first-party claim on the first call and track the clock.
How does Arkansas’s 50 percent bar work in a Jonesboro crash?
Arkansas is a falla comparativa modificada state under § 16-64-122. A jury assigns each party a percentage of fault. If your fault is less than the combined fault of the parties you sue, you recover your damages reduced by your percentage. If your fault is equal to or greater than theirs, you recover nothing. Twenty percent at fault with $100,000 in damages means $80,000. Fifty percent means zero. Across the river in Mississippi a plaintiff 80 percent at fault still recovers 20 percent; in Arkansas the door closes at the halfway mark.
That rule shapes every insurer’s strategy. The adjuster is not only looking for a reason to deny the claim; a finding that you were 30 percent at fault cuts the check by 30 percent, and a finding of 50 percent eliminates it. So the recorded statement asks how fast you were going, when you first saw the other car, whether you were on the phone, whether you were wearing your seat belt. The answers, given in pain and without the crash report in hand, become the fault argument. The counter is evidence gathered early: the police report, intersection and business camera footage, vehicle data, witness statements, and where warranted a reconstruction. In an Arkansas car case the fault evidence usually decides more than the medical evidence does.
¿Y si el otro conductor no estaba asegurado o asegurado?
The Insurance Research Council estimates that roughly one Arkansas driver in eight carries no insurance at all, and many more carry only the 25/50/25 minimum, which a single night in St. Bernards can exhaust. Your protection is your own uninsured motorist (UM) y underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage under §§ 23-89-403 and 23-89-209. Both must be offered and are part of the policy unless rejected in writing, and UM coverage also applies to hit-and-run crashes where the other driver is never identified. A UIM claim pays the gap between the at-fault driver’s limits and your damages, up to your UIM limit. Because you are now claiming against your own insurer, the company that was friendly last week becomes the opposing party, with the same fault arguments and the same interest in a low number. Our uninsured motorist page covers stacking, rejection forms and the claim process in depth.
How do I get my Jonesboro car accident report?
If the crash was inside the city limits, the Jonesboro Police Department worked it. Reports can be purchased online with your last name, the report number and the date of loss; by phone at 870-935-5562; or in person at 1001 South Caraway Road. The department says reports are generally available one to three business days after the crash. If the crash was on I-555, U.S. 49 or U.S. 63 outside the city, or anywhere the Arkansas State Police responded, the report is ordered at crashreports.ark.org — $10 for a person involved in the crash, $25 for anyone else — and is usually available within about ten days of the trooper completing it. The Craighead County Sheriff’s Office handles reports for crashes its deputies worked in the unincorporated county. The report is not evidence of fault by itself, but it identifies the other driver, the insurer, the witnesses and the officer’s initial view, and it is the first thing every insurer asks for.
What is a Jonesboro car accident claim worth?
No honest lawyer quotes a number before reading the medical records. What we can tell you is how the number is built. Daños económicos are the bills and the paychecks: emergency care, imaging, surgery, physical therapy, future treatment, lost wages, lost earning capacity, mileage to appointments. Daños no económicos are what the injury did to your life: pain, the months of restricted activity, the anxiety of driving through the intersection again, a spouse’s loss of consortium. Arkansas does not cap either category in an ordinary injury case; article 5, section 32 of the Arkansas Constitution forbids the legislature from limiting the amount recoverable for personal injury. Punitive damages are reserved for conduct like drunk or deliberately reckless driving and require a higher standard of proof.
The number is then tested against the available money — the other driver’s limits, your UM/UIM limits, and any employer or vehicle-owner policy — and against the fault percentage a Craighead County jury would assign. Finally the liens come out: your health insurer, Medicare or Medicaid, the hospital, and your own med-pay carrier. A settlement that looks large on paper can leave surprisingly little if the liens are not negotiated, and negotiating them is a substantial part of what a personal injury lawyer does.
What injuries do Jonesboro car accidents cause?
The cases that reach us cluster around a familiar set of injuries. Whiplash and cervical strain from rear-end collisions at signals, which insurers routinely minimize and which can involve disc injury visible only on MRI. Herniated and bulging discs in the neck and low back, often diagnosed weeks after the crash. Concussion and traumatic brain injury, including injuries with no loss of consciousness that surface as headaches, memory problems and mood change. Fractures of the wrist, arm, ribs, pelvis and lower leg, particularly in T-bone and left-turn collisions where the side of the car takes the impact. Knee and shoulder injuries from bracing against the dash and wheel. Lesiones internas that show up hours later. And in the worst crashes, the spinal cord and catastrophic head injuries that are stabilized in Jonesboro and flown to Memphis or Little Rock. Each requires its own medical proof, and the proof has to be gathered while the treatment is happening, not reconstructed a year later.
What types of car accidents happen most in Jonesboro?
Collisions rear-end at signalized intersections on Caraway, Highland, Johnson and Red Wolf, and in the stop-and-go where I-555 ends at Highway 91. Left-turn crashes where a driver turns across oncoming traffic at an unprotected green. T-bone collisions at two-way stops on the residential and county roads that feed the main corridors. Sideswipes and lane-change crashes on I-555 and the multilane sections of U.S. 49 and U.S. 63. Parking-lot collisions around the Caraway Road and Turtle Creek retail areas, which are low-speed but still produce real neck and back injuries. Hit-and-run crashes, which turn into UM claims. Distracted-driving y drunk-driving crashes, which in Arkansas can support punitive damages and, for a bar or restaurant that over-served, a separate claim. And monovehículo crashes caused by road defects or another driver who never made contact, which are harder but not impossible cases.
How does a Jonesboro car accident claim actually proceed?
- Intake and preservation (week 1). Free consultation, signed representation agreement, letters to every insurer, requests for the JPD or ASP report, requests to businesses to preserve camera footage, first-party med-pay claim opened.
- Treatment and documentation (months 1–6). You treat; we collect records and bills as they are generated, track wage loss, and manage the med-pay and health-insurance interplay so bills do not go to collections.
- Investigation. Witness statements, photographs, vehicle data where warranted, and identification of every potentially liable party and policy, including employers and vehicle owners.
- Demand (after maximum medical improvement). A written demand package with the medical proof, wage documentation, fault evidence and a damages analysis goes to each liability and UM/UIM carrier.
- Negotiation. Most Jonesboro car cases resolve here. Offers are evaluated against the fault risk, the policy limits and the liens.
- Suit if needed (within 3 years). Filed in Craighead County Circuit Court. Discovery, depositions, mediation and, if necessary, trial. Filing suit is often what produces the fair offer.
- Resolution and disbursement. Liens negotiated and paid, fee and costs deducted per the written agreement, net proceeds to you with a full accounting.
Why hire a Memphis-based firm for a Jonesboro car accident?
Because the case is decided by Arkansas law and a Craighead County jury, and what matters is whether the firm handles serious motor-vehicle cases every week, knows the § 16-64-122 fault fight and the first-party and UM/UIM rules cold, and is willing to file suit at 511 South Main rather than accept the first offer. Southern Injury Attorneys handles car crash cases across Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi from Memphis; our attorneys are licensed in Arkansas and five other states; and Jonesboro is a shorter drive from our office than Little Rock. You get the same team, free consultations by phone or video, electronic signing, and in-person meetings in Jonesboro whenever they are needed.
What should you do after a car accident in Jonesboro?
- Get medical care and keep going. Gaps in treatment are the most common argument used to devalue a genuine injury. Use your $5,000 med-pay benefit.
- Get the crash report from JPD (online, 870-935-5562, or 1001 S. Caraway Rd.) or the Arkansas State Police (crashreports.ark.org).
- Photograph everything while it exists — vehicles, scene, skid marks, signals, your injuries.
- Notificar su propio asegurador to open med-pay and UM/UIM, but do not give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement before you have advice. Our Arkansas guide to what not to say explains why.
- Preserve evidence. Ask nearby businesses to hold footage; do not repair the vehicle until it is photographed.
- Keep your own record of missed work, medications, and what you cannot do now that you could do before.
Abogados de Lesiones del Sur
5865 Ridgeway Center Pkwy, Suite 390, Memphis, TN 38120 — about 70 miles from Jonesboro via I-555 and I-55
(901) 300-5001 · Open 24 hours · Free phone and video consultations for Craighead County clients; we meet clients in Jonesboro when it is needed
Obtener direcciones · About our Memphis office
What clients say about Southern Injury Attorneys
Real Google reviews from our clients. Individual results vary.
“Jimmy was prompt and truly listened. I never felt like just another payday. My case was resolved in my favor. 10/10.”
“Our lawyer was always available and went above and beyond. They made me feel important through the whole process.”
“I felt reassured from the first consultation. Tough negotiators who got results.”
“Amazing experience. They really care about their clients.”
“Attorney Williamson and Ayah walked me through everything. Very pleased with the outcome.”
“Attorney Williamson and Ayah were amazing and patient with me. I truly appreciate them.”
Related Jonesboro and Arkansas pages
Jonesboro: personal injury overview, accidentes de camiones y accidentes de motocicletas. Elsewhere in Arkansas: West Memphis car accidents y Little Rock car accidents. Statewide: Arkansas accidente de coche abogados, Arkansas personal injury, uninsured motorist claims y what not to say after an Arkansas crash.
Jonesboro car accident FAQs
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Jonesboro, Arkansas?
Three years from the date of the crash under Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105. Wrongful death claims run three years from the date of death under § 16-62-102. Insurance claims should be opened much sooner; your own policy’s medical benefit covers only expenses within 24 months.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault for a car accident in Jonesboro?
Yes, if your fault is less than the fault of the parties you sue; your recovery is reduced by your percentage. If your fault is equal to or greater than theirs you recover nothing (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122).
What does my own car insurance pay after a Jonesboro crash that was not my fault?
Unless you rejected it in writing, your Arkansas policy includes first-party benefits under § 23-89-202: up to $5,000 in medical expenses incurred within 24 months, 70 percent of lost income up to $140 a week for up to 52 weeks, and a $5,000 accidental death benefit, all paid regardless of fault.
How do I get a Jonesboro Police Department accident report?
Online using your last name, report number and date of loss; by phone at 870-935-5562; or in person at 1001 South Caraway Road. Reports are generally available one to three business days after the crash. Arkansas State Police reports are ordered at crashreports.ark.org for $10.
What is the minimum car insurance in Arkansas?
25/50/25 under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-22-104: $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is part of every policy unless rejected in writing.
What if the driver who hit me in Jonesboro had no insurance?
Your own uninsured motorist coverage under § 23-89-403 pays, up to your UM limit, and it also covers hit-and-run crashes. About one Arkansas driver in eight is uninsured. If the driver had only minimum limits, your underinsured motorist coverage under § 23-89-209 pays the gap.
Should I give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company?
No. You are not required to, and statements given early are used to build the fault percentage that decides your case under Arkansas’s 50 percent bar. Notify your own insurer, which your policy requires, and get advice before speaking to the other side.
Where would a Jonesboro car accident lawsuit be filed?
In the Craighead County Circuit Court, Civil Division, at 511 South Main Street, Suite 200, Jonesboro. A case against an out-of-state defendant may be removed to the Eastern District of Arkansas, Northern Division, at 615 South Main Street.
What is the average car accident settlement in Jonesboro?
There is no reliable average. Value depends on the injuries and medical proof, lost income, the fault percentage a jury might assign, the insurance available, and the liens against the recovery. Any figure quoted before a lawyer reviews your records is a guess.
Does Southern Injury Attorneys have an office in Jonesboro?
No. Jonesboro cases are handled by our Arkansas-licensed attorneys from our Memphis headquarters at 5865 Ridgeway Center Parkway, Suite 390, about 70 miles away. Consultations are free by phone or video, and we meet clients in Jonesboro when needed.
Can I claim if I was a passenger in a Jonesboro car accident?
Yes. A passenger is rarely assigned fault and may claim against the at-fault driver’s liability policy, whether that driver was in your car or the other one, and against applicable uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
What does it cost to hire a Jonesboro car accident lawyer?
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee: no attorney fee unless there is a recovery. Consultations are free and available 24/7 at (901) 300-5001, and the fee agreement is provided in writing before you sign.
Iniciar su revisión de caso gratis
Tell us what happened and we will call you back — usually within minutes during business hours. Free consultation, no fee unless we win. Phone and video consultations are available for Jonesboro and Craighead County clients; we also meet clients in Jonesboro when an in-person meeting is needed.
Arkansas Bar No. 2020103. Jimmy leads a personal injury firm with attorneys licensed in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Kentucky and Georgia. Jonesboro car accident cases are handled by the firm’s Arkansas-licensed attorneys from its Memphis headquarters, about 70 miles down I-555.
This page is legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes, regulations and case law change; every case turns on its own facts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Reviewed by Larry “Jimmy” Peters, Founder, Southern Injury Attorneys, Arkansas Bar No. 2020103. Jonesboro and Craighead County matters are handled by our Arkansas-licensed attorneys from the firm’s Memphis, Tennessee headquarters at 5865 Ridgeway Center Parkway, Suite 390, Memphis, TN 38120, about 70 miles from Jonesboro. Southern Injury Attorneys does not maintain an office in Jonesboro.
