Personal injury law is an area of the law that deals with an injured person’s right to seek compensation for his or her injuries, and a personal injury case is one that involves an injured victim alleging that another person or party caused the injuries in question and is therefore liable for damages. If you have sustained serious injuries in a preventable accident in Chandler caused by the negligence, carelessness or wrongdoing of another person or party, Arizona law gives you the right to pursue damages from the negligent party by filing a personal injury lawsuit, which our attorneys can help you with. At Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC, our legal team is equipped to handle all manner of personal injury cases in Chandler and throughout Arizona, including those involving car accidents, elevator accidents, construction accidents, dog bites, slip and falls, or any other type of accident, and we can help you recover the full amount of compensation you are entitled to for your injuries and losses. Consult our reputable personal injury attorneys as soon as possible to discuss how to maximize your monetary recovery following an accident in Chandler.
Experienced Chandler Personal Injury Attorneys
There are few things in life that are more stressful and challenging than dealing with serious injuries or the death of a loved one due to another person’s negligence, and that is why our attorneys have dedicated themselves to helping accident victims receive fair and timely compensation for the harm they have suffered. While you focus on recovering from your injuries, taking care of your family and rebuilding your life following a serious accident, our legal team will work behind the scenes to accurately calculate the value of your damages, preserve any evidence pertaining to your case, and hold the responsible party or parties accountable, ensuring that your legal rights are protected throughout the process. Many accidents in Chandler happen because someone was reckless or careless, and it is our duty to help you determine who is legally at fault for your accident and make that person or party pay for your injuries and suffering.
Generally speaking, in order to successfully recover compensation for personal injuries or wrongful death in Chandler, you must be able to prove that you suffered losses and that the negligence of the defendant caused or contributed to these losses. In some Chandler personal injury cases, multiple parties are found to have caused or contributed to the victim’s injuries and losses, in which case establishing liability, proving negligence and recovering damages can be complicated. The bottom line is that no two personal injury cases are alike, which is why working with an attorney who understands what it takes to successfully litigate a wide variety of personal injury cases is imperative. At Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC, our attorneys have years of experience litigating personal injury cases in Chandler and across the state of Arizona, and we have earned a reputation for aggressively representing the rights of our clients. With the strength and support of our legal team at your back, you can significantly increase the likelihood of receiving the compensation you and your family deserve.
Causes of Personal Injury in Chandler
Personal injury is an extremely broad area of the law covering any physical or emotional harm caused by the negligence of another person, and there are therefore many different types of accidents that fall under the umbrella of personal injury. The following are some of the personal injury accidents our Chandler attorneys have experience handling:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Products liability accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Train accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dog bites
- Elevator accidents
- Construction accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- Slip and falls
Types of Personal Injury
Personal injury and wrongful death can happen to anyone, almost anywhere and at any time – at work, at home or at school, while you’re driving your car, riding your bike or crossing the street, or even while riding on an elevator or walking down the stairs. Whatever the cause of the injury or wrongful death, no one deserves to suffer harm due to the negligence of another person. Unfortunately, the fact is that preventable accidents resulting in serious personal injuries and wrongful death happen every day in Arizona and across the country. Some examples of personal injuries that may result from the different types of accidents mentioned above include the following:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Serious and catastrophic injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Concussion
- Head and neck injury
- Severe bruising
- Internal bleeding
- Back injury
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Permanent scarring
- Burn injuries
- Electrocution
- Amputation
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death
Seeking Financial Compensation for Personal Injuries
Obtaining compensation for suffering injuries or losing a loved one in an accident won’t change the fact that you were injured, nor will it bring your loved one back. However, it can help you pay for the costly medical bills you incurred as a result of your injuries and the loss of income your family may suffer due to the death of your loved one, among other damages, which is why it is important to maximize your compensation following a serious accident. The amount of damages awarded in a Chandler personal injury case can vary a great deal depending on the severity of your injuries, the percentage of fault assigned to each party, and the other circumstances surrounding the accident, which is why you should hire a qualified attorney to ensure that you obtain the maximum recovery possible in your personal injury case. If you suffer injuries and other losses because of the negligence or wrongful actions of another person or party in Chandler, you may pursue damages for the following and more:
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial expenses (wrongful death)
- Loss of financial contribution (wrongful death)
These are known as compensatory damages, which are intended to compensate injured victims for economic and non-economic losses related to the accident. Unlike other states, Arizona does not put a cap on damages for personal injury claims, which means you are entitled to the full amount of compensation for whatever losses you actually suffered in the accident. In some cases, the court may award punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant for his or her actions. Punitive damages may be awarded in Arizona if the accident occurred because the defendant acted in a willful or malicious manner and intentionally caused the victim harm, or if the defendant knew that his or her actions were unsafe and likely to cause someone harm and continued acting in that way, regardless.
Pure Comparative Fault in Chandler Personal Injury Cases
The laws governing fault in personal injury cases vary state-by-state, and Arizona is one of only a handful of states that follows the law of pure comparative fault, which allows injured victims to recover compensatory damages for personal injuries even if they share blame in the accident that caused their injuries. In fact, under Arizona law, injured victims can seek compensation and recover damages in a personal injury case even if they are found 99% at fault for their own injuries, so long as they didn’t intentionally cause the injuries. For instance, say you are injured in a commercial truck accident in Chandler, and the court finds that while the other driver was speeding, you made an illegal turn and are therefore partly to blame for the accident. If you are determined to be 40% at fault for your injuries, you are still entitled to damages, but your total damage award will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Fault and Negligence in Personal Injury Cases
Whatever the circumstances of your accident, determining liability, or legal responsibility, is the key to successfully obtaining compensation for the injuries and losses you suffered as a result of the accident. And in order to hold the defendant or the person against whom you are bringing a claim, liable for injuries resulting from a car accident, dog bite, slip and fall or pedestrian accident in Chandler, you must show that the defendant acted negligently and is therefore at fault for the accident. Proving negligence involves establishing four important elements:
- Duty – The defendant had a duty to use reasonable care to ensure your safety,
- Breach – The defendant breached this duty by acting in an unreasonable manner,
- Causation – The defendant’s breach of duty directly caused your injuries, and
- Damages – You suffered compensable damages as a result of your injuries.
Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
A statute of limitations is a state law that establishes a strict deadline for the amount of time you have to bring a lawsuit, and in Arizona, the standard statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims is two years. That means you only have two years from the date the injury or death occurred to file a claim, or else lose your right to seek compensation. There are certain circumstances that can make the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Chandler even shorter, including if your claim is against a public entity or government agency. If this is the case, state law says that you must file a formal Claim of Notice within six months (180 days) of the injury or death, to notify the public entity or government agency of your intent to file a lawsuit. The law also states that in such cases, you must file the lawsuit within just one year of the injury or death, rather than two years. In order to improve your chances of obtaining the maximum recovery in your Chandler personal injury case and avoid missing the deadline to file a claim, do not wait to hire an attorney.
How Our Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help
Some personal injury cases in Chandler may seem pretty straightforward, especially if there are only two parties involved and one party is obviously at fault for the other party’s injuries. If this is the case, you may be tempted to try to handle your personal injury case on your own, but that is not something we would recommend. There are unforeseen challenges that can arise in any personal injury case, regardless of the circumstances, and without a knowledgeable Chandler injury attorney on your side, you may end up making a grave misstep that could rob you of the compensation you need to recover from your injuries. For instance, many injured victims find out the hard way that insurance claims adjusters don’t always have their best interests in mind. In fact, most insurance companies will do everything they can to pay out as little as possible for personal injury and wrongful death claims, even if that means denying, delaying or settling a valid claim for less than it’s worth. Our skilled legal team is committed to providing injured victims in Chandler with the aggressive and compassionate legal representation they need to seek the financial compensation they deserve in the aftermath of a serious accident, whether that means negotiating a reasonable settlement on your behalf outside of court or taking your case to a jury trial. Let us help you obtain the maximum recovery for your personal injury claim.
Contact Our Chandler Personal Injury Attorneys Today
Whether you have been injured in a bus accident in Chandler, a construction accident in Sun City or an elevator accident in Phoenix, if your injuries were caused by the negligence or carelessness of another person, company or public entity, you may be entitled to compensation that could be crucial to your recovery, and our personal injury attorneys can help. Personal injury can be a complicated area of the law, which is why we always recommend that injured victims seek qualified legal representation when filing any personal injury claim. Also, remember that there is a strict time limit on your right to file a lawsuit against the person or party at fault for your accident, so don’t wait to hire a personal injury attorney to represent your case. Contact our knowledgeable attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC as soon as possible to find out how much your personal injury claim is worth.
