Car Accident Lawyer in Arizona

Arizona Auto Accident Lawyers

Car accidents claim tens of thousands of lives every year and leave millions of people injured across the country. According to the National Safety Council, about 38,800 people died in car crashes in a single recent year. Another 4.4 million persons sustained injuries that required medical attention.

If you have been involved in a serious auto accident, you already know how it can significantly affect you. An automobile accident can cause lifelong and disfiguring injuries. You might need expensive medical treatment. If you’re also forced to miss work while you recover from your injuries, an injury accident can quickly drain your financial resources.

After you are in a collision caused by another motorist, you can seek compensation through a personal injury claim. You could be owed significant compensation for your auto accident injury. The compensation can include payment for your medical bills, lost wages and other expenses.

The Arizona car accident injury attorneys at Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC can put together an individualized, goal-oriented legal strategy that reflects your specific needs. Our team has deep ties to the community, and our auto accident lawyers are committed to getting justice for Arizona car accident victims.

In fact, two of our firm’s attorneys, Kyle Brown and Ernst Janensch, earned their law degrees from Arizona State University. Kyle also completed his undergraduate degree at Arizona State. Our attorneys and support staff will hold the responsible party accountable in your car accident case. Our auto accident lawyers have handled thousands of car accident cases, including cases involving Uber/Lyft drivers.

Take the first step today on the road to recovery. Schedule your free initial legal consultation by calling Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC. You can also reach our auto accident lawyers on our online contact page.

 

How Our Car Accident Lawyers in Arizona Can Help You

Filing a claim for damages is a time-intensive and painstaking process. It is certainly not something you want to do if you are still recovering from your car accident. You can make things easier on yourself by hiring a car accident attorney to handle your claim.

An attorney can help by:

• Handling correspondence between you and the other driver, their lawyer or their insurance company.
• Investigating your car accident to gather evidence and determine fault.
• Helping you find the right doctors and other specialists for your injuries.
• Negotiating a settlement that captures the full extent of your losses.
• Representing you in a lawsuit should it become necessary to take your case to court.

Compensation in a Car Accident Case

To collect compensation in a car accident claim, you must establish that the other driver was at fault. Most car accident claims involve some element of negligence. You will need to show that the other driver caused the crash. For example, you may be able to establish negligence by showing the other driver was not following the rules of the road when the accident happened.

Once you’ve established that the other driver was negligent, you can claim compensation for these losses related to your accident:

• Medical bills from doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgical procedures, physical therapy and prescription medications
• The cost of future medical care, if necessary
• Lost wages
• The costs of repairing or replacing property damaged in the accident, including your car
• The costs of renovating your home to accommodate your injuries
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Reduced future earnings because of your injuries
• The value of any lost financial or emotional support from a family member who was hurt or killed in the accident
• Punitive damages in exceptional cases to deter drivers from acting in a wanton or reckless manner

Some damages, such as medical bills or lost wages, are fairly easy to document in a car accident claim. Other damages, such as the pain and suffering from the accident, are harder to assign a dollar value. However, a knowledgeable car accident lawyer can help you recover the full amount of your damages.

Time Limit for Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Arizona

Arizona has a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims. That time deadline includes car accident claims. If you do not file a claim within two years of the date of your accident, you will almost certainly lose an opportunity to collect compensation. Only rare exceptions extend the deadline.

Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC can help you understand how much time you have to file your claim. Our car accident lawyers can also help by ensuring your claim is filed on time.

 

What to Do If You Have Been Hurt in a Car Accident

Car accidents can be violent and traumatic. The aftermath of that accident can be even more painful if you do not stand up for your legal rights. A mistake in the minutes and hours after your accident can drastically affect your ability to pursue compensation.

These steps can help protect your rights after your Arizona car accident:

• Call 911. You or another driver may be seriously hurt after a car accident. Those injuries make it important to seek medical treatment right away from first responders. A call to 911 also means police will quickly begin their investigation of your accident. Ask for a copy of the accident report and use it in your damages claim. If you don’t get medical attention at the accident scene, see a doctor as soon as possible. See your doctor even if you feel fine. Some car accident injuries may not show up for days or weeks after the crash. Early detection by a medical provider greatly increases the likelihood of a full recovery.
• Document the scene as much as you can. Take pictures of your vehicle and any other vehicles involved in the accident. Take photos from different angles to make sure you get a full record of the damage to your car. Also take pictures of your injuries if you are able to do so.
• Get contact information from anyone who witnessed the accident. Get the names, phone numbers, email addresses and mailing addresses of any witnesses. For other drivers involved in the accident, get the same information as well as contact information for their insurance carrier and the insurance policy number.
• Notify your insurance company. Let your insurer know you have been involved in an accident.
• Hire a car accident lawyer. Arizona has a limited time window for filing a claim for damages from a car accident. The sooner you speak to an attorney, the sooner the attorney can begin an investigation to recover the compensation you are owed.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Even if you are a car accident victim with few financial resources, the law firm of Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC can help with quality legal representation. Our car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that our clients do not have to pay any attorneys’ fees upfront. Instead, clients pay their lawyer a percentage of their damages only if their lawyer helps them collect compensation.

What You Need to Know About Dealing with Insurance Companies

Unless the other driver in your accident is not insured, you will probably deal with that driver’s insurance company when you seek damages. The insurer might ask you to give a statement.

Be incredibly careful about speaking to the other driver’s insurance company. The insurer may appear friendly and offer to quickly settle the claim. Remember that the other driver’s insurer is not looking out for you. The company wants to avoid paying the claim or to pay as little as possible.

Insurance companies might try to use your statement against you and shift the fault away from the other driver. Do not let the insurance company get away with this. Hire a car accident lawyer before talking to any insurance company. That will help ensure you do not say something that might harm your claim.

 

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Every car accident is unique. However, our law practice often sees these common causes:

• Drunk driving or driving while impaired by drugs – Consuming alcohol or using drugs – even prescription medication – can affect a driver’s reaction times and judgment. The use of alcohol or drugs can make drivers less alert or cause them to drive dangerously and cause accidents. In some cases, alcohol or drug use might also cause a driver to fall asleep at the wheel, putting themselves and any other motorists in extreme peril.
• Distracted driving – For years, public service campaigns have encouraged people to put away their phones while driving. However, distracted driving still plays a significant role in many rear-end Making a phone call, sending or reading a text message, and eating or drinking are distractions that take drivers’ eyes off the road. Those distractions can easily lead to a collision.
• Speeding – Drivers who speed on the road present a serious safety hazard to themselves and other motorists or pedestrians. Speeding can cause drivers to miss hazards on the highway. Speeders may not have time to avoid a hazard when they see one. Additionally, the faster a car is going, the greater the impact will be if a crash occurs. High-speed crashes result in much more serious injuries than crashes at lower speeds.
• Aggressive driving – Aggressive driving includes following too closely, making hostile lane changes, running a red light or stop sign, and passing a car using the shoulder. Those behaviors place other drivers at significant risk.
• Driving while fatigued –A lack of sleep can be almost as detrimental to a driver’s awareness and reflexes as drinking alcohol. Driving while fatigued is a particularly common problem among commercial truck drivers. Truck drivers are held to strict delivery deadlines and may go long hours without adequate rest. Falling asleep at the wheel can cause a driver to collide with another nearby motorist.
• Mechanical errors – If a mechanical defect with a vehicle causes an accident, the vehicle or parts manufacturer might be liable for your injuries.
• Bad weather – Precipitation and sudden storms can make road conditions worse in a matter of minutes. If drivers are not prepared for the changing weather, accidents can be the result.

Arizona Car Accident Statistics

Statistics from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2019 Crash Facts report show:

• Arizona had 129,750 car accidents. Of that total, 911 crashes involved a fatality. Another 36,926 crashes caused at least one person to be injured.
• Arizona had 4,907 alcohol-related crashes, with 234 of those crashes leading to at least one death.
• Nearly 300 people died, and another 20,571 people were injured, in speeding-related crashes.
• Crashes were much more common in urban areas (114,457 crashes) compared with rural areas (15,293).
• Around 300 people died, and 2,931 people were hurt in car accidents where safety equipment, such as a seatbelt, was not used.

Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer in Arizona

At Brown & Hobkirk, PLLC our car accident lawyers in Arizona have more than 20 years of experience. Our auto accident attorneys have helped accident victims get the justice and compensation they deserve. Allow our car accident lawyers to evaluate your accident and develop a legal strategy for you.

Take the first step and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with us today. If an office visit is not possible our car accident lawyers are available for video or phone conferences.

If you’re ready to speak to a dedicated Arizona car accident lawyer, our accident lawyer is here for you. Our car accident attorneys have law offices in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Peoria, Chandler, and Tucson. Get your free consultation by calling our auto accident attorneys. You can also visit our online contact page.