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From property damage to serious injury, the effects of car accidents can be devastating. But you don’t have to face them alone. A personal injury law firm can help you seek the compensation you deserve, and LegalFinders can connect you with top car accident lawyers in your area.
Whether you are in Tempe, Phoenix, or another area of Arizona, there is help for you after a car accident. You may be able to find recourse by filing a car accident claim.
A personal injury claim allows accident victims of car accidents, truck accidents, and other preventable incidents to seek payment for bodily injury or property damage caused by someone else’s negligence.
Auto accidents are fairly common in Arizona, but if you or a loved one have had this harrowing experience, a top Tempe car accident attorney can offer the type of legal advice you need to seek fair compensation.
When it comes to determining fault in a car crash, the process is not as straightforward as it may seem.
A person or party considered at fault can be any person or institution responsible for causing the accident, or contributing to the conditions that created the incident.
That’s why fault is typically determined across a spectrum in personal injury cases.
The basic idea is to determine fault by the level of intention behind the person or institution’s behaviors.
An experienced attorney will know how to determine fault and use that information to work out the types of damages you may be eligible for.
It’s common for the at-fault driver to be considered liable in an accident, meaning they’re responsible for paying damages. But with Arizona car accidents, there can be multiple parties considered at fault.
Other individuals, corporations, and even government agencies can all be held accountable for certain aspects of a car accident in the state.
Aside from motorists, any pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists involved in the incident could be found liable.
Auto manufacturers can also be on the hook, especially if malfunctioning or poorly designed systems in the car contributed to the accident.
And in cases where poorly maintained or badly designed roads played a part in the incident, government bodies can also be held liable.
The Tempe auto accident attorney you work with will help you determine any and all potentially liable parties in your case.
If you’ve been involved in this type of incident, or even injured by one, you shouldn’t think of yourself as a car accident victim. You still have several legal options to pursue the compensation you deserve.
Many people file a personal injury claim after getting involved in this type of incident. The claims process helps determine financial compensation for property damage, medical bills, and other pain and suffering.
These are often complicated procedures, so a top law office, with years of experience, will be able to help them go as smoothly and successfully as possible.
With a solid legal team on your side, you’ll likely be able to negotiate a fair settlement. But in the event a settlement can’t be reached, you still have options.
Bringing the case to court, where a judge or jury will determine the verdict, is the final legal step you’ll be able to take.
A free consultation with a personal injury attorney will help set you in the best direction possible for your specific case.
Whether or not you go to court over your case, there are some steps you can follow to help ensure the best outcome.
While it’s never required to obtain legal representation in a car accident case, you may want to strongly consider the idea, especially if your case involves property damage or personal injury.
A lawyer who’s familiar with the Tempe court system and local and state laws can negotiate strong deals on your behalf.
And an experienced attorney will work hard on your case while you focus on your recovery in a very emotionally trying time.
If you plan on filing a personal injury claim, gathering evidence is very important.
Your attorney will instruct you on the specific documents you’ll need, but in general, evidence can be considered:
More often than not, car accident cases end with an out-of-court settlement. That means lawyers on all sides have reached an agreement on appropriate compensation.
Of course, settlements aren’t always reached. If the legal teams are unwilling or unable to agree, you can still bring your claim to court.
Auto accidents are generally expensive affairs, whether that cost comes from financial, physical, or emotional injuries.
While there’s no way to make up for some of these costs, damages in personal injury cases are meant to at least try to compensate for the experience.
If you needed any type of medical treatment or attention after the crash, you could be entitled to medical damages.
They cover costs like:
If you had to miss work due to injuries sustained in the accident, you may also be eligible for damages connected to lost wages.
If you sustained serious injuries that prevented you from returning to your job or even the same line of work, you may be entitled to additional damages, which cover the costs of changing careers or being unemployed.
Emotional and physical stress are often the highest cost of an auto accident, and yet the most difficult to accurately tabulate.
Still, there are some damages that at least try to compensate for the unpleasant experience, covering:
Wrongful death is the worst case-scenario. In these unfortunate cases, winning damages may feel the most emotionally conflicting, but you can still seek compensation for:
Aside from being stressful, car accidents can very frequently be dangerous, leading to a number of serious injuries, such as:
Personal injury cases are impacted by a number of factors, but perhaps none bigger than the state they’re filed in.
Your Tempe car accident lawyer should be able to explain more about Arizona injury laws and how they affect your personal injury claim. But generally, there are a few state laws that will likely play a role.
The deadline you have to file your claim, the statute of limitations differs from state to state and also from incident to incident.
In Arizona, the limit for filing a personal injury claim related to an auto accident is two years.
In Arizona, there are “at-fault” policies in place. These types of laws dictate that the person or parties responsible for paying damages are those deemed responsible for causing the accident.
Otherwise, states follow “no-fault” rules. In these situations, everyone must carry insurance that covers damages for any type of accident they’re involved in, regardless of who is found at fault.
Arizona also follows a law called comparative negligence.
When this principle is in play, the behaviors of every party involved in the incident are weighed, and liability is assigned to any party found to play a part.
It’s even possible for you to be assigned some portion of liability in your own case. But no matter how many liable parties are found, each is assigned some part of the total damages.
Tempe is one of the larger metropolitan areas in the state. It’s home to one of Arizona’s major universities, and sits not far from Interstate-10, which is one of the busiest trucking routes in the country.
For these reasons and more, it’s not uncommon for the city to experience a fair amount of car crashes.
While statistics on specific factors are difficult to ascertain, in general, most car crashes share a number of common factors.
Driver error, such as distracted driving or driving while fatigued, are perennial problems.
Motorists may also engage in dangerous behaviors behind the wheel, such as tailgating or speeding. And drunk driving can be a particular problem in university towns.
The state of Arizona doesn’t generally report vehicle accidents on a city-by-city basis, making it difficult to say how many accidents actually happen in Tempe.
But what is known is that Arizona as a whole is a relatively dangerous place to drive.
The state was home to more than 121,000 car crashes in 2021 alone, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. And more than 900 of those cases included roadway fatalities.
Being involved in an auto accident can be a daunting experience, leading to a number of questions.
While a Tempe-based law firm will be able to provide more specific advice for your case, these are some generally reliable answers.
Being involved in a motor vehicle accident can be one of the most difficult situations to get through. But there’s help out there for anyone who seeks it.
A top Tempe car accident lawyer will help you build an airtight case to get the compensation you deserve. And with LegalFinders, you can schedule a free case evaluation today.
Once an area attorney is examining your situation, you can rest easier, knowing you’re on your way toward building the strongest case possible.
