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 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 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
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 will handle the legal fight while you handle your recovery.