ARIZONA Car Accident Lawyer

Big Auto Accident Attorneys law firm is part of a national team of experienced auto accident co-counsel law firms focused on fighting for you wherever you are. Big Auto and our successful co-counsel law firms help injured clients right where they are. Big Auto has the resources and organization to maximize results for auto accident victims in Arizona.

We know that car accidents are overwhelming. At Big Auto, we guide you through the ins and outs of the legal system. We are the Arizona car accident attorneys you can trust from day one.

Arizona Car Accident Statistics

If you’ve ever been involved in a car accident in Arizona then you understand how quickly your day can change. One minute you’re on your way to take the kids to school, meet a client for an important meeting or grab some fast food and out of the blue the unthinkable happens and nothing is the same again.

Like most states in the country, Arizona has its fair share of motor vehicle accidents. According to recent statistics published by the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were over 121,000 accidents reported on Arizona’s highways and surface streets in 2021. Sadly, this number marks a roughly 22% increase from the previous year.

Car accidents exact a heavy toll on the individual victims involved, their families, and society as a whole. Of the approximately 121,000 accidents reported in Arizona in 2021, over 35,000 resulted in injuries. That number represents a lot of pain, destroyed property, time off work and general disruption to the normal flow of life. Over 85,000 of the accidents reported resulted in property damage and tragically, over 1,000 people lost their lives in 2021 due to an Arizona car accident. These sobering statistics combined to a total of $20.156 billion in negative economic impact to the state of Arizona and its citizens.

Phoenix personal injury attorneys help accident victims recover compensation for the losses they suffered due to another party’s negligent actions. Having experienced representation during a personal injury claim increases the likelihood that you will be awarded a fair settlement from the insurance company or other responsible party. Call a Phoenix personal injury lawyer about your claim as soon as possible after an accident to avoid missing a critical deadline regarding your claim.

Common Causes of Arizona Car Accidents

Car accidents can be the result of one single action or a combination of choices, conditions and circumstances. The specifics of how and why a car accident occurs is often studied with the hopes that a greater understanding of the cause can help educate drivers about certain dangers and ultimately decrease the number of Arizona car accident victims.

Unfortunately, despite education efforts, increased safety devices and awareness campaigns about known dangers, people are still hurt in car accidents at an alarming rate. Some of the major causes of car accidents are detailed below.

Distracted Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association defines distracted driving as anything that takes your attention away from the operation of a motor vehicle. Taking your eyes and attention off the road for just five seconds, while going 55 miles an hour has been equated to driving across a football field blindfolded. No matter how comfortable we are behind the wheel, and how automatic driving may feel to us, it takes mental focus and attention to drive safely and anything less than that puts ourselves and others at risk.

3 Types Of Distracted Driving

There are numerous ways a driver can become distracted behind the wheel, all of which fall into one or more of the following three categories.

VISUAL

A visual distraction is anything that takes your eyes off the road. For example, looking at your kids in the back seat or glancing at your phone.

MANUAL

A manual distraction is anything that takes your hands off the wheel. Eating, drinking, grabbing something out of your purse, smoking etc.

COGNITIVE

Cognitive distraction is when your mind is not focused on driving. Examples include driving while you are emotionally upset or fatigued, becoming so engrossed in audible books or podcasts that you stop paying attention to the road etc.

Impaired Driving

Drunk and drugged drivers are a menace to themselves and everyone else on the road and as such, Arizona law prohibits anyone from driving while under the influence of a substance that is known to cause impairment. This ban includes legal and illegal drugs as well driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.

Driving while under the influence of an impairing substance is negligent behavior and if an accident is the end result, the victim can file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for damages.

If you have been injured by an impaired driver, or tragically lost a family member as a result of a drunk driver, it is critical that you consult a personal injury attorney with experience in alcohol related personal injury and wrongful death cases.

A personal injury case involving an impaired driver can be complicated. You need a law firm of compassionate attorneys with trial experience and the determination to make sure you get the maximum settlement you and your family are entitled to receive.

Unsafe Speed

Driving at an unsafe speed can mean exceeding the posted speed limit or driving so far below the flow of traffic that the vehicle creates a dangerous hinderance. The 2021 report for car crashes in Arizona shows that 835 crashes were the result of exceeding the lawful speed limit. Of those 835 crashes, 46 resulted in a fatality.

Driving at a speed that is too fast for the road conditions is a big problem in Arizona. Regardless of the posted speed limit, if weather conditions make driving the speed limit unsafe, a driver is required to slow down or risks being found negligent if an accident is the result. The statistics show that driving too fast for conditions is a bigger problem than exceeding the posted speed limit, with 35,673 caused in 2021. Tragically, 170 individuals in Arizona lost their lives to this preventable mistake.

Personal Injury Lawyers Hold Negligent Drivers Accountable

A large percentage of car accidents in Arizona are due to choices that individuals make when they get behind the wheel and head out on the streets and highways. Unfortunately, other people end up paying the price when these choices are negligent or reckless and lead to an accident.

Arizona personal injury attorneys help victims who have suffered injury and wrongful death to the careless actions of one or more parties. Personal injury lawyers will investigate your accident, gather evidence using certified specialists in accident recreation and negotiate with the involved insurance company to make sure you get a full and fair settlement.

If the insurance company refuses to agree to a reasonable settlement, your personal injury lawyer will present the facts of your case in court and represent you and your best interests in all matters pertaining to your injuries.

The sooner you contact an Arizona personal injury lawyer after an accident, the better. It is not unheard of for an insurance company to pressure victims injured in an accident to accept a settlement offer before the full extent of the damages are known. Having an attorney handle the negotiations eliminates the effectiveness of these bully tactics and often results in a larger settlement amount for victims and their families.

Types Of Arizona Car Accidents

Common types of car accidents that cause significant damage and injuries include:

• Rear end collision
• Sideswipe on same and opposite side of vehicle
• Head-on collision
• Angle collision
• Left turn accidents
• U-Turn accidents

The type of accident and the speed at which it occurred directly correlates to the type of injuries a victim may have suffered as a result. Personal injury lawyers use this information to substantiate and verify the injuries suffered by the victim.

Proof that a client’s injuries are a direct result of the accident is critical to injuries cases where the victim is seeking compensation for their losses.

Car Accident Personal Injuries

If you have ever been in a car accident, you know that even a minor fender bender can cause aches and pains that linger for days and even weeks. Unfortunately, some accidents are far more serious than a fender bender and can change a person’s life and the lives of their families forever.

Car accident victims should seek medical care in all but the most minor of accidents. Often, a victim may think they are uninjured due to shock and adrenaline and wake up the next morning, too stiff and bruised to go to work the next morning. Early treatment and documentation is the key to a quick recovery, both physically and financially.

Common injuries caused by car accidents include:

• • Whiplash and other neck injuries
  • Cuts and bruises
  • Broken bones
  • Spinal Cord injury
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Injury to back muscles and spinal discs
  • Chest injury, broken ribs, collapsed lung
  • Injury to internal organs
  • Head and face injury
  • Catastrophic injuries, paralysis, amputation
  • Psychological trauma, PTSD
  • Wrongful death

A reputable law firm treats their injured clients with compassion and will accept cases regardless of how seriously the victim was injured. Attorneys understand that as a victim, you have suffered losses, big and small, and deserve compensation for your medical bills and other damages.

Trusting that the insurance company will offer you fair compensation may be a mistake. Statistics show that injury and wrongful death victims and their families are awarded significantly larger settlements when they have a personal injury attorney representing them during negotiations.

Compensation For Victims of Car Accidents

Successful personal injury claims can seek three basic types of compensation: Economic damages, non economic damages, and punitive damages. One of the big benefits of contacting a law firm about your case is that your personal injury attorney can evaluate your claim and give an accurate assessment on its worth and what is in your best interests to pursue.

Economic damages

Economic damages include tangible financial losses and out of pocket expenses you incurred as a direct result of being hurt in a car accident. Most often these types of damages have a solid paper trail, such as receipts, bills and invoices and are fairly easy to quantify. Examples of economic damages that may be available to you include:

• Lost wages
• Future lost wages
• Medical bills
• Future medical expenses
• Emergency room treatment
• Anesthesia
• Prescription and over the counter medication
• Ambulance and transportation expenses
• Medical hardware such as walkers, wheelchairs, splints etc.
• Personal property replacement costs
• Rehabilitation expenses
• Other related expenses

Non Economic Damages

Non economic damages are harder to quantify as they often lack the paper trail associated with other types of damages. Personal injury attorneys will gather evidence to justify the existence and the dollar amount of the non economic damages you have suffered.

Examples of non economic damages that may be included in your personal injury claim include:

• Pain and suffering
• PTSD
• Emotional distress
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of limb
• Permanent impairment
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Punitive Damages

If a car accident was caused by an individual’s especially negligent and grievous actions, displaying a complete disregard for the safety of others, a judge may award additional damages that are not intended to compensate the victim for losses, but to punish the offender. Punitive damages are used to punish the person responsible for an extremely serious accident and deter others from making the same, often deadly, mistake.

Additional Damages For Wrongful Death Cases

Personal injury cases that involve a wrongful death may qualify for additional economic and non economic damages. Those additional damages may include:

• Burial and funeral expenses
• Pre-death pain and suffering
• Loss of expected income
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of companionship and value of services

Your personal injury case is too important to leave to chance. It is in your best interest to contact an experienced law firm for advice before agreeing to any settlement offered by an individual or their insurance company. A law firm will often employ a trial lawyer, a certified specialist and state bar licensed attorneys to assist you should seeking a jury verdict be necessary to ensure you get the full settlement you deserve.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Lawyers Help Victims Regardless Of Income

The days, weeks and months following a car accident can be physically and financially overwhelming for injured victims. The medical bills start piling up and the emotional pain and fear of not being able to make ends meet is crushing.

Victims know that their best chance for compensation is hiring a lawyer to file their personal injury claim but fear not being able to afford to do so.

Many accident attorneys and lawyers take personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that essentially, the victim can get legal representation with no upfront fees or expenses. The lawyers only get paid contingent on them winning your case. This is good news for victims as it opens the door to much needed legal assistance regardless of socio-economic status.

In addition to a contingency fee basis, most personal injury and wrongful death attorneys offer a free consultation to accident victims. An individual can ask questions regarding insurance policy limits, practice areas, and other injury law concerns related to their case during their free consultation.