Car Accident Lawyer Tempe, AZ
Insurance companies in Arizona are not in the business of making sure you receive full compensation. They are in the business of closing claims for as little as possible. Our Tempe, AZ car accident lawyer at Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers has seen this dynamic play out for over a decade, and we know how to counter it. We take cases on contingency so you pay nothing unless we win. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Why Choose Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers for Car Accident Cases in Tempe, AZ?
More Than a Decade of Injury Practice in Arizona
Justin L. Wyatt has been representing car accident victims and other injured people in Arizona since he opened his practice. He graduated from Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and is licensed in all Arizona courts, as well as the U.S. District Court for Arizona and the U.S. District Court for Ohio.
Justin is a member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, the Maricopa County Bar Association, and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. He received a Top 10 Jury Verdict in 2021, which matters because insurance companies pay closer attention when they know an attorney is willing to go to trial.
Tempe's roads around ASU, the Mill Avenue corridor, and the US-60 carry heavy traffic at nearly all hours. Between student drivers, commuters, and commercial traffic, conditions for car accidents in Tempe are present year-round. As a personal injury lawyer in Tempe, AZ, Justin handles collisions on every type of Tempe road, from neighborhood streets to the freeway.
A Car Accident Attorney in Tempe With Results That Matter
Our firm has helped injured clients recover millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Car accident results include a $400,000 recovery, along with rear-end collision recoveries of $950,000, $854,500, and $525,000. We also secured a $700,000 result in a stop sign T-bone crash. Different facts, different injuries, different outcomes. But each one reflects the work we put in.
No Financial Barrier to Hiring a Lawyer
Our entire practice operates on contingency. We cover the upfront costs. You pay a percentage of the recovery only after we win. If we don't win, you owe us nothing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "5 stars, hands down. Justin was an excellent attorney for my diminished value and loss of use case after I was in a car accident. I didn't know what to expect going into this after I was hit by a distracted driver." – Vincent Bassani
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle in Tempe
Tempe's traffic patterns create specific accident risks. Here's what we see and what we handle.
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Rear-end crashes. Stop-and-go traffic on Broadway Road, Rural Road, and the US-60 leads to rear-end collisions that cause whiplash, back injuries, and head trauma. Many of these injuries appear days later.
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T-bone crashes at intersections. Drivers running red lights or misjudging left turns at busy Tempe intersections cause side-impact collisions with serious injury potential.
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Pedestrian accidents. Tempe's college-town foot traffic means cars and pedestrians share space in ways that lead to preventable collisions, particularly near campus and Mill Avenue.
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Truck accidents. Commercial vehicles on the US-60, I-10, and Loop 101 cause crashes with devastating outcomes due to the size and weight of the trucks involved.
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Bicycle accidents. Tempe is one of the most bike-friendly cities in Arizona, but that doesn't make cyclists safe from negligent drivers who violate Arizona's three-foot law.
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Uber accidents. Rideshare vehicles are everywhere in Tempe, especially around the university and entertainment districts. These accidents involve distinct insurance questions.
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Hit-and-run accidents. When a driver leaves the scene, we help clients recover through uninsured motorist coverage and every other available channel.
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Multi-vehicle freeway crashes. Chain-reaction collisions on the US-60 and Loop 202 involve multiple at-fault parties, multiple insurers, and complex liability disputes.
Arizona Legal Requirements for Car Accident Cases
Arizona is a fault-based state. The driver responsible for causing the crash owes damages to the people they injured. You can pursue those damages through an insurance claim, a lawsuit, or both.
Under A.R.S. § 12-542, you have two years from the crash date to file a personal injury lawsuit. Filing late means losing the right to sue, regardless of how clear the other driver's fault may be. If a government vehicle or road defect contributed to the accident, a notice of claim must be filed within 180 days under A.R.S. § 12-821.01.
Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence standard under A.R.S. § 12-2505. You can recover even if you share some blame for the crash. Your award is simply reduced by your share of fault. Arizona's minimum insurance requirements are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Many serious accidents produce costs that exceed those amounts within the first day of treatment. Accessing additional coverage, including your own underinsured motorist protection, is often the difference between a fair recovery and a shortfall.
The Arizona Department of Transportation tracks collision data across the state, and Maricopa County, where Tempe is located, consistently records the highest number of crashes annually.
Arizona is not a no-fault state. That means the person who caused the accident is responsible for paying your damages, and you're entitled to pursue compensation for pain and suffering in addition to your medical bills and lost income. In no-fault states, pain and suffering claims are often restricted. Arizona's system gives you broader access to damages, but it also means you need to prove the other driver's negligence, which is where having a car accident attorney in Tempe becomes essential. We gather police reports, witness statements, traffic camera footage, and medical records to build the evidence needed to establish fault and maximize your recovery.
What Damages Are Recoverable in a Tempe Car Accident?
Arizona allows car accident victims to pursue compensation in three categories, depending on the facts of the case.
Economic damages include all costs directly tied to the accident. Emergency medical care, surgery, imaging, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, medications, and future medical procedures are all covered. Lost income from time missed at work is included, and if your injuries permanently limit what you can earn, that future loss is calculated and added. Vehicle repair or total loss value, rental car costs, and out-of-pocket expenses are also part of this category. Diminished value claims may apply if your car lost market value even after being repaired.
Non-economic damages address the personal toll of the crash. Pain and suffering, emotional distress, sleep disruption, anxiety about driving, loss of enjoyment of life, and the strain on personal relationships are all compensable. There is no cap on these damages in Arizona, which is an important distinction from states that limit pain and suffering awards. In a case involving a permanent injury, the non-economic damages can be the majority of the total recovery.
Punitive damages are available when the at-fault driver was drunk, fleeing police, street racing, or acting with willful disregard for others. These damages punish the behavior and serve as a deterrent. They're awarded in addition to compensatory damages.
In many Tempe car accident cases, insurance adjusters will point to pre-existing conditions as a reason to deny or reduce your claim. If you had a prior back injury and the accident made it worse, the insurer may claim the symptoms aren't related to the crash. Arizona law disagrees. An aggravation of a pre-existing injury is compensable, and we work with medical professionals to document the difference between your condition before and after the accident. We also negotiate medical liens to reduce what hospitals and insurers take from your settlement, so more of your recovery ends up where it belongs.
Contact Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers
A car accident in Tempe can upend your finances, your health, and your entire daily routine. The insurance company's first offer almost never reflects the full value of what you've been through. And accepting a low offer early means giving up your right to pursue additional compensation down the road, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than expected.
We offer a free consultation for car accident cases in Tempe, AZ. We'll review your situation, explain what your case is worth, and outline the steps we would take to pursue the best possible result.
Contact us to schedule your free case evaluation with a Tempe car accident attorney. Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers will handle the legal fight while you handle your recovery.
Car Accident Statistics in Tempe
Tempe has heavy traffic despite its small footprint. A tight street grid, a major university at its center, and freeways along the edges keep the city in near-constant motion, which brings steady risk, whether you are in a car or on a motorcycle. Maricopa County, which surrounds Tempe, records more collisions than anywhere else in the state, part of roughly 121,000 crashes across Arizona in 2024, according to Arizona crash data. Impairment is a significant factor in a college town with a busy nightlife. Drunk driving remains one of the deadliest choices on any road, tied to a large share of fatal crashes, as NHTSA impaired driving figures show. On streets like Mill Avenue, late-night drivers and heavy foot traffic make a dangerous pairing. A car accident lawyer in Tempe, AZ helps injured people respond when someone else's carelessness upends their life.
What Should I Expect During a Car Accident Case?
No two claims move at the same pace, but most follow a familiar path. Knowing that process ahead of time removes some of the uncertainty and lets you plan. Here is how a Tempe car accident case typically unfolds.
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The first conversation. It begins with a free case review, where we listen to what happened and give you a candid assessment of whether a claim is worth pursuing. There is no pressure and no charge for the meeting.
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Investigation. We collect the crash report, photographs, any video, and witness accounts while they still exist. Starting early matters, because footage gets erased and recollections blur within weeks.
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Medical treatment. Your health sets the timeline. We hold off on valuing a claim until your condition stabilizes, because a figure set too soon ignores the care still to come. If you have not already, see a doctor without delay, because gaps in treatment raise doubt.
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The demand. Once your medical picture is clear, we send the insurer a demand backed by records and a full accounting of your losses. Knowing what a settlement covers informs the figure we put forward.
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Negotiation. Carriers rarely begin with a fair number. We push back, and this phase can take time. Several factors drive longer timelines, and patience through it usually pays off.
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Filing suit, when needed. If the insurer will not deal in good faith, we file. Plenty of cases still settle after a lawsuit starts, but filing signals we are prepared to take the case to a jury.
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Resolution. Most claims end in a settlement, paid at once or, in some cases, through a structured payout. A smaller number go to trial. Either way, we will not push you to resolve before the timing is right.
Through every stage, our goal stays the same. We work toward a result that reflects what the crash truly cost you.
Tempe Car Accident Lawyer FAQs
What does a Tempe car accident lawyer charge?
There is no cost to open the case. We work on contingency, so the percentage we take comes from a recovery and only if one arrives. There is no retainer and no hourly billing. Your first meeting is free, and we set out the fee and any case costs in writing before you sign, so there are no surprises when the case concludes.
Is there a bill if the case does not succeed?
There is not. Our fee depends entirely on the result, so we collect no fee when a case does not succeed. The money we spend investigating and preparing the claim is ours to risk, not yours. That arrangement puts a lawyer within reach for someone who could not otherwise afford one during a period of lost income and mounting bills.
How much time do I have to sue in Arizona?
Two years covers most car accident claims. The statutory window at A.R.S. § 12-542 begins on the date of the crash, and once it ends, a court can refuse the case outright. A few circumstances move the deadline, such as when a claimant was a minor when hurt. With the deadline already running, an early call to a Tempe car accident attorney protects your position.
What happens if I share part of the blame?
You can still recover. Arizona's comparative fault statute, A.R.S. § 12-2505, cuts an award by your share of responsibility instead of denying it outright. Ruled 25 percent at fault, you still recover three-quarters of the damages. Insurers routinely try to enlarge your share, and holding that number to the facts is a central part of our work.
Can Arizona put a ceiling on my recovery?
No. The Arizona Constitution bans any law that caps damages for a personal injury, which matters when a wreck causes lasting harm. A violent crash can bring life-altering catastrophic costs or a lasting brain injury, and the award can follow those real losses rather than a predetermined limit.
Should I still call a lawyer if the wreck was my fault?
Often, yes. Fault is rarely as one-sided as it first looks, and Arizona still lets you recover on a shared-blame claim. It is worth learning options after a crash before you assume you have no claim. An adjuster who hears you accept blame will use it, so a quick, free consultation can protect you from an early misstep.
What could weaken my Tempe car accident claim?
Several common missteps can. Skipping treatment, giving a recorded statement, or posting online while the claim is open all give an insurer room to argue. Even an offhand social post can be used as a reason to pay less. The safest move is consistent medical care, few public comments, and a lawyer handling the insurer for you.
How is my claim's value figured?
There is no set formula. Value depends on your injuries, the treatment ahead, lost pay, and the coverage available to pay it. Deciding whether an offer is a fair settlement takes more than the adjuster's opening move. We develop the number from records and the medical prognosis, then measure any offer against it before you decide anything.
Can a settled case be reopened?
Rarely. Signing a release closes the claim, and reopening a closed case works only in unusual circumstances. That is why any figure has to account for care you might still need, not only the bills already tallied. We think several moves ahead before recommending you accept, so a quick payout does not become a lasting regret.
Local Information for Tempe Car Accident Cases
Most Dangerous Locations for Car Accidents in Tempe
Crashes occur where speed, volume, and foot traffic overlap. A few Tempe corridors stand out.
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Mill Avenue. The heart of Tempe's nightlife, where pedestrians, cyclists, and late-night drivers keep crossing paths.
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Apache Boulevard. A busy light-rail corridor near ASU with constant crossings and turning vehicles.
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Rural Road. A heavily traveled north-south route thick with student and commuter traffic.
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The US-60 and Loop 101 interchange. High-speed merging on Tempe's southern edge, where backups and sudden slowdowns feed rear-end wrecks.
What Are Important Local Resources for Tempe Car Accident Cases?
In the days after a Tempe crash, these local offices can help you get treated and track down the records your claim will need.
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Tempe Police Department: (480) 350-8311. Officers respond to injury crashes and prepare the report a claim often turns on.
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Tempe St. Luke's Hospital: (480) 784-5500. An emergency hospital near downtown that treats serious crash injuries.
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Arizona MVD crash reports: (602) 255-0072. The state Motor Vehicle Division issues certified copies of the crash report your claim will rely on.
We mention these offices only as a convenience. Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers has no stake in any of them, earns nothing from naming them, and recommends none above the rest.
About Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers
Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers was built by Justin L. Wyatt around a plain idea. An injured person should never feel outmatched by an insurance company. He and the firm take on injury work only, nothing else, and handle Tempe car accident cases on contingency. The firm's recoveries include millions of dollars for clients hurt in collisions.
What Our Clients Say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I can't thank Justin enough. This was my first auto accident, and I was extremely nervous about how to handle everything. Justin connected me with what I truly believe is one of the best lawyers in the country. He is incredibly professional yet genuinely friendly."
Mingyu Shim
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Contact Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers
A review with Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers costs nothing to start, and under our contingency terms, you owe nothing unless we win. A Tempe car accident attorney will talk through what happened, what a claim could be worth, and the options in front of you. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Car Accident Statistics in Tempe
Tempe fits a major university, four freeways, and a light rail line into roughly 40 square miles. State crash reporting reflects that density. Tempe ranks among the busiest crash jurisdictions in Maricopa County, and the county absorbs close to three-quarters of every collision reported statewide. Our Tempe, AZ car accident attorney reads these reports closely, because they establish the patterns an insurance adjuster is already working from before a claim is ever opened.
Volume tells only part of the story. Severity tells the rest. Roughly one in three reported Tempe collisions produced an injury, which puts thousands of people each year into medical treatment, out of work, and on the phone with a carrier within days of the crash. Statewide, rear-end impacts remain the single most common collision, which tracks with what happens on congested arterial streets. Broader Arizona crash statistics put the local numbers in context.
The figures below come from the Arizona Department of Transportation's most recent annual report:
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Tempe recorded 6,637 total collisions in 2024, per ADOT crash data.
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Of those, 2,049 were injury crashes, and 3,007 people were hurt.
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Twenty-nine Tempe crashes were fatal, claiming 32 lives.
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Alcohol was a reported factor in 295 Tempe collisions, injuring 225 people.
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Maricopa County accounted for 88,094 crashes, or 72.74 percent of the state total.
Numbers on a page are abstractions. A claim is not. Each of those injury crashes represents someone deciding what to do next.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Tempe
Fault in a collision usually traces back to a specific driver decision. Identifying that decision early shapes the investigation, the evidence we preserve, and the argument we eventually put to a carrier. These are the causes that come up most often in Tempe cases.
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Distracted driving. Phones remain the most common culprit, but food, navigation screens, and passengers all contribute. Drivers frequently assume a stopped vehicle is a safe moment to check a device, which is why the rules about phones at red lights matter to liability.
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Impaired driving. Tempe's bar and restaurant density concentrates impaired drivers on certain streets at certain hours. Alcohol-related collisions in the city injured hundreds of people last year, and impairment cases often support claims beyond ordinary compensatory damages.
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Excessive speed. Speed appears in Arizona crash reports more than almost any other driver violation, and it changes outcomes rather than just probabilities. The same impact at 45 miles per hour produces a categorically different injury than one at 25.
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Failure to yield. Unprotected left turns and four-way stops generate a steady share of Tempe intersection crashes. Disputes over right of way are common, and they are frequently resolved by physical evidence rather than by what either driver remembers.
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Following too closely. Stop-and-go traffic on Tempe arterials produces constant rear-end impacts. Liability looks obvious, but coverage questions still arise, and drivers are often unsure whose insurance pays in the days afterward.
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Unsafe lane changes. Merging traffic on the US-60, the Loop 101, and the Loop 202 causes sideswipes and chain reactions. Restricted lanes complicate these cases, since HOV lane rules can affect where a vehicle should have been.
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Fatigue. Drowsy driving rarely appears on a crash report, but it shows up in phone records, work schedules, and driver statements. We look for it in early-morning and overnight collisions.
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Aggressive driving. Tailgating, weaving, and retaliatory braking escalate quickly. Conduct that supports a citation for negligent driving also tends to strengthen the civil claim that follows.
Causes overlap more often than not. A speeding driver is frequently also a distracted one. Sorting out which factor actually caused the collision, and which merely accompanied it, is a large part of what a Tempe car accident lawyer does in the opening weeks of a case.
Tempe Car Accident Lawyer FAQs
How soon should I see a doctor after a Tempe car accident?
The same day, if you can manage it. Adrenaline masks symptoms, and soft tissue and head injuries frequently declare themselves 48 to 72 hours later. Beyond your health, the medical record is what ties an injury to a collision. A carrier reviewing a file with a three-week gap between crash and first treatment will argue something else caused the problem. Careful documentation of your injuries from the outset removes that argument before it starts.
What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?
You may still have a path to recovery through your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which many Arizona drivers carry without realizing it. We review your declarations page, identify every applicable policy, and pursue them in order. Household policies, employer coverage, and resident relative provisions sometimes apply. These claims run against your own carrier, which changes the dynamic considerably and is a poor moment to be unrepresented.
What happens if I was a passenger rather than a driver?
Passengers are rarely at fault, which usually simplifies liability. It does not simplify everything else. You may have claims against more than one driver, including the person who was driving you, and coverage may be shared among several injured people competing for the same limits. Order of settlement matters when limits are tight. We identify every available policy before anyone signs a release.
Does a Tempe car accident case have to go to trial?
Most do not. The large majority of claims resolve through negotiation or after a lawsuit is filed but before a jury is seated. That said, a case is worth what an insurer believes it will be worth in front of a jury. Preparing a file as though it will be tried is what produces a serious settlement offer, and our founder's trial record is part of why those offers arrive.
How long does a car accident claim take in Tempe, AZ?
It depends primarily on your medical treatment. We do not value a claim until your condition stabilizes, because a number set too early ignores care that has not happened yet. Straightforward claims can resolve in a few months. Cases involving surgery, disputed fault, or lost earning capacity take considerably longer. We would rather take the additional months than leave real losses uncompensated.
Who pays my medical bills while the case is open?
Usually health insurance, MedPay coverage, or providers willing to treat on a lien. The at-fault driver's insurer does not pay bills as they arrive; it pays once, at resolution. That surprises people. We coordinate billing so treatment continues uninterrupted, and we address reimbursement claims at the end so more of the settlement stays with you rather than going back to insurers and providers.
What if the crash killed a family member?
Arizona permits certain surviving relatives to bring a claim for the losses a fatal collision causes, and the deadline is limited. These cases involve different damages than an injury claim, including the value of lost companionship and support. A Tempe wrongful death lawyer can explain who holds the right to file and what the claim would need to establish.
Important Resources for Tempe Car Accident Cases
Most Dangerous Intersections for Car Accidents in Tempe
Tempe was the first Arizona city to adopt a Vision Zero resolution, and it designates rotating safety corridors based on collision analysis. These segments receive stricter enforcement, added patrols, and engineering review. The city's current Vision Zero corridors are:
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Rural Road, University Drive to Broadway Road. A dense north-south stretch carrying student and commuter volume through signalized crossings.
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University Drive, McClintock Drive to Price Road. An east-west arterial feeding the Loop 101 with frequent turning conflicts.
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Southern Avenue, McClintock Drive to Price Road. Multi-lane traffic mixing commercial access points with through movement.
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Elliot Road, Harl Avenue to Kyrene Road. A south Tempe commuter route with heavy peak-hour demand.
One development helps injured people more than most realize. Tempe opened a Real-Time Operations Center in 2024 that links hundreds of city traffic cameras, and police can review that footage to establish what actually happened at a collision. Camera video is overwritten quickly, so a written preservation request in the first days after a crash sometimes decides a disputed liability case.
What Are Important Local Resources for Tempe Car Accident Cases?
Several public offices handle the records, treatment, and filings a Tempe car accident claim depends on. Their contact information is below.
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Tempe Fire Medical Rescue: (480) 858-7200. Responds to injury collisions citywide and maintains the emergency medical records documenting your condition at the scene.
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Clerk of Superior Court: (602) 372-5375. The office where a Tempe car accident lawsuit is filed and where the civil case record is maintained.
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Arizona Department of Insurance: (602) 364-2499. Accepts consumer complaints about how an insurance company handled a claim.
Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers lists these offices as a convenience only. We have no affiliation with any of them, receive nothing for naming them, and endorse none over any other.
About Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers
Founder Justin L. Wyatt built Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers around injury work exclusively, and he has practiced that way for more than ten years. He passed the Arizona bar examination before finishing law school, which few students attempt. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho and belongs to the Maricopa County Bar Association, and he volunteers with area nonprofits outside the office. Firm recoveries in collision cases include a $338,000 result for an injured motorist.
What Our Clients Say
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Justin has represented me for a car accident case. I greatly appreciate his approach, communication, and overall dedication to his clients. I have reached out to Justin for things not related to injury and he has taken the time to provide resources. I have been thoroughly pleased with my experience. Thank you Justin and team"
Matthew Rosas
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Additional Resources for Tempe Car Accident Cases
Contact Wyatt Injury Law Personal Injury Lawyers
Bring us the crash report, the photos, and whatever the adjuster has sent you. A Tempe car accident attorney will read through it, tell you what the claim looks like, and explain what we would do next. The case review is free, and our fee comes out of a recovery, so representation costs you nothing up front. Someone answers our line around the clock, and we return messages promptly. Contact us to arrange your consultation.