Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer in Arkansas
The deadline to sue after a crash in Arkansas, how fault is shared, when a crash must be reported, how lawyers usually charge (contingency fees), how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Arkansas: fee rules
| If a lawyer takes your money | Arkansas has a Client Security Fund overseen by the Arkansas Supreme Court's Client Security Fund Committee, whose members are appointed by the Court; the Administrative Office of the Courts (625 Marshall Street, Little Rock; 501-682-9400) is the listed contact. |
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Arkansas rules to know first
| Deadline to sue | Arkansas's general three-year statute of limitations covers actions "founded on any contract or liability, expressed or implied," and this is the period generally used for negligence-based personal injury claims. The statute itself does not use the words "personal injury." Read on a FindLaw mirror of the Arkansas Code (Arkansas's official code is published through a commercial vendor). Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-56-105 (secondary source: public copy of the state code; check the official code) |
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| Fault rule | Modified comparative fault (50% bar). An injured person whose fault is less than the fault of the defendant(s) can recover damages reduced by his or her share of fault. A person whose fault is equal to or greater than the defendants' fault recovers nothing. This applies to personal injury, wrongful death and property damage claims based on fault. Read on a FindLaw mirror of the Arkansas Code. Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122 (secondary source: public copy of the state code; check the official code) |
| When to report a crash to police | A driver in a crash causing injury, death, or apparent total property damage of $3,000 or more must notify the nearest law enforcement agency immediately, and everyone involved must make themselves available to the investigating officers. Drivers of taxis, buses and other vehicles carrying passengers for hire must also report injury or death crashes immediately. Failing or refusing to comply is punishable by a $100 to $1,000 fine, and willful refusal leads to license revocation. Mirror source (FindLaw, marked current as of March 28, 2024). The Arkansas State Police may require supplemental reports from drivers and reports from witnesses. Source: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-53-202, 27-53-201 (secondary source: public copy of the state code; check the official code) |
| Minimum car insurance | Drivers must carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage (25/50/25). Private passenger auto policies must also provide no-fault benefits paid regardless of fault: medical and hospital expenses up to $5,000 per person, 70% of lost income up to $140 a week for up to 52 weeks, and a $5,000 accidental death benefit. Read on a FindLaw mirror of the Arkansas Code. Source: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-22-104, 23-89-202 (secondary source: public copy of the state code; check the official code) |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Arkansas Bar Association runs ArkansasFindALawyer, an online directory you can search by name, firm, city, postal code (within a set distance) or area of practice. The bar's page does not describe it as a referral service and states no consultation fee. The bar's general line is 501-375-4606. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Arkansas Judiciary's online Attorney Search lets you look up lawyers by last name, first name, city, ZIP code or bar number; attorney rosters are also posted. The site says its information is not the official record kept by the Clerk of the Courts and directs users to the Clerk's Office at (501) 682-6849 to verify. Rosters: https://attorneyinfo.aoc.arkansas.gov/roster |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Arkansas lawyers are handled by the Office of Professional Conduct of the Arkansas Supreme Court (Administrative Office of the Courts), One Capitol Mall, Suite 3D-101, Little Rock, AR 72201-1049; phone 501-376-0313 or toll-free 800-506-6631. File using the office's grievance form (printable for mailing or fillable for emailing). Disciplinary decisions are posted online, and paper copies are available from the Clerk of the Courts at $0.50 per page. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Aid of Arkansas is the LSC-funded legal aid organization for Arkansas and provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income people. The Arkansas Bar Association also points people to Arkansas Access to Justice (arkansasjustice.org), Arkansas Free Legal Answers (ar.freelegalanswers.org) and Arkansas Law Help (arlawhelp.org) for free legal information and help. Bar legal assistance page: https://www.arkbar.com/?pg=LegalAssistance |
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All legal help in Arkansas · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.