Phoenix Car Accident Lawyer
A car accident can be an overwhelming experience. Working with insurance companies to get you or your loved ones’ hospital bills paid or vehicle covered can be a nightmare because insurance companies have the goal of paying out as little as possible. Due to these reasons, it is important that you contact a Phoenix car accident attorney that takes the time to understand your specific circumstances and handle every aspect of your Phoenix car accident claim.
If you or a loved one have been in a car accident, it is important that you consult with a Phoenix car accident lawyer at Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers. Our legal team works on a contingency fee. This means that you do not need to pay anything when you retain us unless we win your case. At that point, we would take a percentage of compensation as our attorney retainer fee. We offer a free case review to help you determine your next steps in your personal injury case. Contact our personal injury law firm today to discuss your legal situation with our Phoenix car accident lawyers.
The Importance of Hiring Phoenix Car Accident Lawyers
Car accident victims often endure many losses from painful injuries, mental impacts, and financial burdens. If you are a car accident victim, you may think you can handle your own car accident claim and deal with the insurance company yourself. However, personal injury claims can be much more complex than they seem.
Phoenix car accident lawyers will look out for your best interests and fight for the full and fair compensation you deserve. When a car crash is caused by a careless or negligent driver, there is no reason for you to be stuck with all the expenses.
An experienced car accident attorney from our team can help you avoid the most common pitfalls that arise after car accidents.
Fight the Insurance Company
Large auto insurance companies have a great deal of power and resources when dealing with car accident claims. They may try to offer a low settlement for your personal injury claim or even deny your car accident claim altogether. Our Phoenix car accident attorneys won’t back down when pursuing justice on your behalf.
Stop the Blame Game
After a car accident in Phoenix, it’s common for finger-pointing to occur during car accident claims. The other driver may make baseless claims and try to blame you for the auto accident. Phoenix personal injury lawyers won’t allow these allegations to unfairly impact your car accident case.
Strength in Resources
Car accident victims have the burden of proving negligence for a successful injury case. A Phoenix car accident lawyer will have access to greater resources to bring in expert witnesses such as medical experts or an accident reconstructionist to help prove the other party is liable for your car accident injuries.
The injuries you’ve sustained are likely painful and every day may feel like a challenge since your car crash. When you have our Phoenix car accident attorneys working for you, it can instantly reduce your stress, allowing you to heal while we recover compensation for you.
After a motor vehicle accident, let Wyatt Injury Law help you every step of the way in your Phoenix car accident claim. Schedule a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer from our legal team to discuss your car accident case.
What Causes Phoenix Car Accidents?
When motor vehicle accidents occur, they are most often due to driver error. Most car accident cases involve distracted driving where the driver of the other vehicle isn’t paying attention to the road ahead.
Others make reckless maneuvers or fail to obey traffic laws. There are also plenty of careless people who cause car accidents by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. No matter the cause of your car crash, our car accident lawyers will work tirelessly to hold the at-fault party accountable for their actions and seek compensation to cover your financial losses.
Understanding the Injury Claim Process After an Auto Accident
After car accidents occur, it is important to understand the claim process with the insurance company. Arizona is an at-fault state for insurance, which means that the driver who causes the car accident is the one who is responsible for paying the damages to the injured party.
When you’re in a car accident in Phoenix, you must contact your own insurance company to let them know about the crash, even if you were not at fault. The other driver will likely try to make a claim with your insurance company, and letting them know about your auto accident is required as part of your policy.
Each insurance company will begin an investigation into the claims made by their policyholders. They will look at the evidence and make a decision on who they believe to be at fault. In many auto accidents, the insurance companies will issue partial blame to lower the settlement amount.
You may be happy to be issued a settlement check so quickly, but don’t sign a release until you let a Phoenix car accident lawyer look it over to make sure it’s fair. It’s more likely that this amount will barely cover your medical expenses. From the moment you start your claim with the insurance company, let our Phoenix auto accident lawyers handle the process to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Common Auto Accident Injuries in Phoenix
In a major Phoenix car crash, you may have serious injuries that require immediate medical attention. When you file your car accident case, your car accident attorney can help you get the compensation you deserve for your damages, including your medical bills to treat the most common injuries that tend to occur in these events.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
In a car accident in Phoenix, the impact can cause you to hit your head or be shaken so violently that the brain is injured in the process. Mild injuries may result in a mild concussion while moderate to severe brain injuries may affect your mobility, cognitive capabilities, and personality. In some personal injury cases, victims may become comatose or die.
Spinal Cord Injuries
While it is more common in truck accidents, spinal cord injuries can occur in an auto collision. Depending on the location of the injury and the severity, it may cause limited mobility, nerve damage, or complete paralysis.
Broken Bones
At the accident scene, you may experience pain when you try to move one of your limbs. Broken bones or fractures can happen anywhere in your body, and while some may be a clean break and heal easily, other fractures may require multiple surgeries.
Internal Bleeding
A car accident is also most likely to leave an injured victim with internal bleeding. This injury is incredibly serious because it doesn’t have any initial symptoms. This is why a Phoenix car accident lawyer will always tell you to seek medical treatment immediately after you are in a car accident. Left untreated, internal bleeding can be fatal.
Wrongful Death
If a Phoenix car accident results in the death of a loved one either right at the time of the crash or later in the hospital, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death can occur at any point from extensive injuries sustained in a car accident. When you’ve lost your spouse, parent, or another immediate family member, a Phoenix car accident attorney from Wyatt Injury Law will help you through the legal process with the utmost of compassion to allow you to properly grieve.
Compensation for a Phoenix Car Accident
You may file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company for your damages, however, you may quickly find that the amount they offer will not be adequate for covering all the expenses you’ve incurred. They may also choose to deny the claim, especially if they side with their policyholder and blame you for the accident.
A Phoenix car accident attorney can help you negotiate with the insurance company and fight for all the financial losses you have experienced. At our injury law firm, our personal injury lawyers will work to recover compensation for economic and non-economic damages, including some of the more common ones listed below.
Medical Bills
Your medical costs will include any bill related to the treatment you receive for your injuries and recovery. These can include hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medication, and hiring in-home care.
Lost Wages
A serious car wreck can leave you with injuries that make it impossible for you to go to work. Whether you only need a few weeks to recover or many months, you can recover lost income. If you are unable to work again in your profession or become paralyzed and can’t work at all, our Phoenix auto accident attorneys will fight for your loss of future earnings and loss of income potential.
Property Damage
Most car accidents will cause property damage that requires the vehicle to undergo repairs. If it is beyond repair, it will need to be replaced.
Pain and Suffering
Our Phoenix injury lawyers know how traumatic a car accident can be. When you file your personal injury lawsuit, we will work tirelessly to get compensation for your pain and suffering. Along with other non-economic damages in car accident cases such as mental anguish, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life, our personal injury lawyers know how to prove these intangible losses.
Why an Auto Accident Attorney Is Essential When You’re Being Blamed
Comparative negligence laws can cause an injured party to be blamed for their own injuries. Whether the at-fault driver says that you are completely at fault or the insurance company claims that your actions make you partially at fault, you can count on a personal injury attorney to protect you in this situation.
Even though pure comparative negligence still allows you to collect compensation for your injuries when you share fault, it can dramatically reduce your settlement. For example, if you were stopped at a red light and another vehicle crashed into your rear end, it would be difficult for the other driver to argue that you had any fault. Even the insurers would struggle to dream up a reason why you could be blamed.
However, when you have the green light and are traveling through an intersection going slightly above the speed limit and the at-fault party runs a red light and T-bones your vehicle, it is a bit more complex. Many car accident cases are like this where there is a possible shred of fault that can be pinned on the victim, and the insurers will run with it to reduce their payout.
It may be only 10% of the blame while the at-fault party is assigned 90% for their actions. If you were given a $200,000 award in compensation, that would mean you’d only receive $180,000. You may think that this amount is still a lot of money, but once you start paying all these added bills for your medical care, you may wind up paying the rest out of your own pocket.
Every car accident lawyer from our law firm is prepared to fight these ridiculous methods to prevent you from losing out on the money you deserve for your injuries and losses. If you are starting the claim process now and realizing that you are being blamed, contact a car accident lawyer at Wyatt Injury Law to set up a free consultation.
Proving Negligence in a Phoenix Car Accident
In this type of case, you will need to prove that the other driver was negligent in order to hold them liable for your damages. An accident attorney will rely on investigations, evidence, and their resources to help strengthen your case.
There are 4 elements of negligence that all must be established in order to hold someone liable for the injuries they have caused you. It starts with a duty of care, which is perhaps the easiest element to show in a car accident. Every driver must drive responsibly and obey traffic laws, as it is their duty to all other drivers.
After that, it becomes more complicated as you need to prove that the other driver breached this duty in some way. They may have been texting while driving, which can be shown through obtaining phone records. If they were drinking and driving, they will likely have a citation and DUI arrest on record that can serve as proof.
The breach of duty then needs to be linked to causing the accident, and the accident in question must be proven as the event that caused you to suffer your painful injuries, emotional distress, and financial losses. It requires a deep understanding of the law to satisfy these requirements and prove that the other party was negligent to hold them accountable. With your injuries, you do not need the added stress and scrutiny when attempting to recover the money you deserve. Contact Wyatt Injury Law today to discuss the intricacies of your car accident with an attorney.
Protect Your Rights After a Phoenix Car Accident
Every car accident victim should know what to do in the moments after an accident occurs to protect their legal rights. By following the right steps, you will make the process flow more smoothly for maximum compensation.
Call 911
According to Arizona law, the police must file police reports rather than the drivers. The law states that you need to call the police for any accident that results in damages of $2,000 or greater, or if there are injuries or fatalities. Even minor damage to a vehicle may result in over $2,000 of body work, making it a smart move to call law enforcement after any accident.
Additionally, when you call authorities to the accident scene, you will get the accident report needed for evidence and be able to request paramedics for injuries.
Seek Medical Attention
Don’t make the mistake of turning down medical attention after your accident. Adrenaline can easily mask your injury symptoms. In the next few hours or even days, you may notice something is wrong and by then, it could be too late. Injuries can worsen and become permanent or life-threatening, which is why it is always best to go to the emergency room, urgent care, or even your own doctor if you don’t have urgent injuries.
Getting the care you need establishes medical records that can prove that the accident and your injuries happened on the same date. It makes it more difficult for insurers to attempt to argue that your injuries were caused by something else.
Exchange Information
Every driver also has a duty to exchange information at the scene of the accident. Contact information and insurance information should be obtained. You should also get the information for any witnesses and have them issue a statement as soon as possible while the events are fresh in their minds.
Find Evidence
Try to take photos and videos of the accident if you are able to get out of your vehicle and move around. You will want to capture the accident from every angle, making sure to get a full perspective of the damage the other driver caused.
Call Your Insurer
Even though Arizona follows an at-fault insurance model, you must call your own insurance company to report the accident. It is best to do this within the first 24 to 48 hours to avoid having any issues.
Talk to an Attorney About Your Car Accident
When injuries are severe or catastrophic, victims in all kinds of accidents, whether it’s a car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident may wake up in the hospital. If you could not exchange information, speak to witnesses, gather evidence, or call your insurer, you can talk to a Phoenix car accident lawyer.
We will quickly dive right into an investigation, gather evidence, and help you pick up the pieces of your shattered world to help put everything back together again. Contact Wyatt Injury Law today for a free consultation to learn more.
What to Know About the Arizona Car Accident Statute of Limitations
In Arizona car accidents, you will be limited by the statute of limitations. This time limit applies to your lawsuit and is different from the ones imposed for filing a claim with insurance companies. Generally, insurance companies will require you to put your accident claim in as quickly as possible. This allows them time to conduct their investigations and sift through the evidence to make a determination.
When they decide to either blame you, offer you a lowball settlement, or deny the claim entirely, you will want to move forward with your lawsuit. The statute of limitations affects the time you have, which sets a 2-year limit to file for compensation.
At this point, you have probably spent some of that time dealing with the insurers and chasing your tail trying to figure out what to do next. You will now have less than 2 years remaining to take action.
The sooner you file a lawsuit, the less likely it will be for crucial evidence to fade away. Witnesses may move away or forget the details of everything they saw. It really is in your best interest to pursue your case immediately.
In the event that you lost a loved one from a car accident, you will also have a time limit of 2 years, though it will start from the date of death. There are exceptions to the statute of limitations that could apply in your situation, which is why you should consult a Phoenix car accident attorney to fully understand your legal options.
Factors That Can Impact the Timeline of Your Phoenix Accident Case
Once you set your lawsuit into motion, it is important that you realize that this could take a while. Some cases can settle within a few months while others that are more complex may take years. Certain factors can impact how long it may take to see a resolution in the form of a settlement or verdict.
How Long to Reach Maximum Medical Improvement
One of the biggest considerations for your case is how long it will take for you to heal. It requires fully understanding the extent of injuries and the prognosis to make a determination for a proper settlement. Settling before this is considered is foolish because if your full healthcare needs have yet to be established, you may not receive enough compensation to cover your physical therapy or rehabilitation.
The Process of Obtaining Evidence
The accident report, photos and videos you took at the scene, and your medical charts are all good pieces of evidence. However, we always look for additional avenues of evidence to fully prepare a case. A black box, surveillance footage, and getting testimony from expert witnesses can take time to establish. It will be worth it when this additional evidence helps you get the most compensation for your claim.
Negotiation Processes
Some cases will conclude quickly because the other party will agree to settle for a fair amount. In other scenarios, they may argue about the settlement amount and go through round after round of negotiations. If neither side can agree, then your case will need to go to trial which can take much longer.
Other factors may also arise depending on the unique factors in your accident case. Talk to an auto accident attorney at Wyatt Injury Law to get started.
Get Personalized Legal Solutions for Your Accident Case
Car accidents may happen every day in Phoenix, and when they happen to you, you quickly realize the toll it can take on your physical, mental, emotional, and financial health. With the laws in the state, you may be assigned some blame for your role in the accident or face difficulties trying to get your money from the insurer.
When these issues arise and your injuries are serious, you shouldn’t try to take these legal matters into your own hands. You can count on Wyatt Injury Law to build a strong case on your behalf and advocate for your legal rights. Our team is compassionate towards the plight of victims in auto accidents and works to secure maximum compensation by cultivating personalized solutions.
If you have endured injuries or lost a loved one in an auto accident, schedule a free initial consultation with our attorneys to learn more about how we can help you move forward.