Any time you get behind the wheel of a car, step onto an elevator or walk across a mall parking lot, you run the risk of being involved in an accident through no fault of your own, and that is a scary thought. Sadly, unintentional injuries and deaths are at an all-time high in the United States, with more than 169,000 accidental deaths occurring in 2017 alone, a figure that is equivalent to one American being accidentally killed every three minutes. And many of these unintentional deaths and injuries occur because someone else failed to exercise reasonable care and thereby caused a serious or fatal accident to occur. Any time a severe injury or fatality occurs due to the negligent or careless actions of another person, company or public entity, the injured victim or the surviving family members of the deceased victim have the right to pursue a claim against the at-fault party for damages. If you believe you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries or your loved one’s unexpected death, don’t hesitate to seek legal help. Contact our Tempe attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC today to discuss your legal options.
Skilled Personal Injury Attorneys
A personal injury case in Tempe is a civil action arising when a person suffers injuries and other losses in a preventable accident and another person, company or public entity is legally responsible, or liable, for those losses. After suffering a personal injury or losing a loved one in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you should never be made to settle for less than you deserve, and that is where our Tempe personal injury attorneys come in. We have represented countless clients in personal injury and wrongful death claims throughout Arizona, and we know what it takes to build a successful case. Some Tempe personal injury claims can be resolved outside of court if both parties are able to come to an agreement on a fair settlement. However, our attorneys are prepared to take your case to court, if that’s what it takes to get you the compensation you and your loved ones deserve. You can trust our skilled legal team to handle the toughest aspects of your Tempe personal injury case, so you don’t have to.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
As experienced, reliable personal injury attorneys in Tempe, we have represented victims injured in many different types of accidents. The following are some of the most common personal injury cases our attorneys handle:
- Car accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Train accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bus accidents
- Dog bite accidents
- Construction accidents
- Elevator accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Premises liability accidents
Types of Personal Injuries
If you have been injured in any of the above accidents and you believe another person or party’s negligence or carelessness is to blame, you are not alone. Our attorneys have experience representing clients in Tempe who have suffered a wide variety of personal injuries, including the following:
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash
- Head and neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken bones and fractures
- Sprains and strains
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Internal bleeding
- Severe lacerations
- Loss of limb
- Damage to internal organs
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death
It is a good idea to hire a personal injury attorney if one or more of these injuries were caused by the negligence of another person or party, if your injuries are expected to have a permanent or long-term effect on your quality of life, if your personal injury claim has been denied, or if you have been offered a low settlement that does not adequately compensate you for the injuries and losses you sustained as a result of your accident.
What to Do After Being Involved in an Accident
After being involved in an accident in Tempe, you may be injured and overwhelmed, but as soon as you are able to, you should take the following steps to secure your personal injury claim:
- Seek professional medical care. Your very first step after an accident should be to see a doctor, regardless of whether you believe you have suffered any serious injuries. Some painful injuries can take days or even weeks to show up after an accident, and by seeking medical care immediately after the accident, you can prove that any injuries you sustained were actually caused by the accident.
- Contact a personal injury attorney. Once you have a clear understanding of your injuries and expenses, you should consult an experienced Tempe personal injury attorney to discuss your options for legal recourse. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your accident injuries, which a good attorney can help you recover.
- Collect important records and documents pertaining to your accident. There are certain important records and documents that your attorney can use to support your personal injury claim, including any police reports detailing the accident, medical records that establish the severity of your injuries, and employment records that show the wages you lost while you were recovering.
- Be careful what you say to the insurance adjuster. The first step most people take after an accident is to file an insurance claim, but you have to be careful what you say to the insurance claims adjuster. Insurance companies are mostly concerned with protecting their own bottom line and insurance adjusters are trained to pay out the least amount of money possible for personal injury claims. If you hire a personal injury attorney, he or she can deal with the insurance company on your behalf.
- File a personal injury claim. If you plan to pursue a personal injury claim, you should discuss this with your attorney as soon as possible after your accident. This can help ensure that important evidence isn’t lost and that you don’t miss the statute of limitations.
How Much is My Personal Injury Claim Worth?
The consequences of a serious personal injury can extend far beyond physical injuries and emotional trauma. An injured victim may also suffer a considerable financial burden due to costly medical bills and a devastating loss of income if he or she is forced to take time off work to recover. Our attorneys understand how challenging it can be to recover from a personal injury while attempting to care for your loved ones and cover the expenses you have incurred as a result of your injuries, and we can help you figure out what your personal injury claim is worth, so you can maximize your recovery and obtain the compensation you need to get back to where you were before the accident. We know that no amount of money will change the fact that you were injured because of another person, company or public entity’s carelessness, but by filing a personal injury claim, you can recover the compensation you need to move forward and begin recuperating from your injuries. If you have suffered personal injuries in a Tempe accident, you may be eligible for monetary damages for any losses you suffered as a result of your injuries, including the following:
Economic Damages
- Past and future medical bills
- Cost of hospitalizations or rehabilitation
- Cost of a caregiver
- Property damage or loss
- Lost wages
- Loss of the ability to earn an income
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
Tempe Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
If a person injured in a Tempe accident decides to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault person or party, the general law in Arizona is that the lawsuit must be initiated within two years of the accident or injury. This legal time limit is called the statute of limitations for personal injury claims, and if the injured victim fails to file a claim before the statute of limitations expires, he or she may be barred from recovering compensation altogether. If a lawsuit is being brought against a public entity, such as a municipality or the state of Arizona, the law has different requirements. In this case, the lawsuit must be initiated within one year and a Notice of Claim must be filed within six months (180 days) of the injury. This strict deadline is the main reason we always encourage accident victims in Tempe and throughout Arizona to hire legal counsel as soon as possible after their accident, so they can avoid missing out on the compensation they are entitled to for their injuries and losses.
Why Fault and Negligence are Important
Whether you can hold someone else accountable for the harm you suffered depends on who is found to be at fault for the accident and whether you can prove that the at-fault person or party’s negligence caused or contributed to your injuries. Proving negligence in a Tempe personal injury case means establishing the following elements:
- Duty of care – The at-fault person or party (the defendant) owed you a duty of care, meaning he or she had a legal obligation to act in a reasonable manner to avoid causing you harm,
- Breach of duty – The defendant breached that duty of care by failing to act in a reasonable manner to ensure your safety,
- Causation – The defendant’s negligence caused your injuries, and
- Damages – As a result of your injuries, you suffered measurable losses or damages.
Arizona’s Law of Pure Comparative Fault
If there are multiple individuals or parties that share blame in the accident that caused your injuries, you will want to familiarize yourself with Arizona’s law of pure comparative fault. Under this law, the amount of money each at-fault party is responsible for paying depends on their percentage of fault in the harm you suffered. Even if you are partly to blame for the accident that caused your injuries, you can still recover damages under Arizona’s law of comparative fault; your total damages award would simply be reduced by your percentage of fault. Say, for example, you are involved in a Tempe motorcycle accident with another driver and you are found to be 30% at fault for the accident. If your total damages award is $100,000, you would still be entitled to recover $70,000 from the at-fault party or parties.
Find Out How We Can Help
Personal injuries can be serious and long-lasting or possibly even life-changing, and when it comes to obtaining the compensation you and your loved ones deserve, the success of your Tempe personal injury claim depends a great deal on the expertise of your personal injury attorney. You don’t need an attorney to seek damages for your accident injuries, but obtaining the maximum recovery you are entitled to typically involves working with the insurance company or filing a personal injury lawsuit, and enlisting the help of an attorney who has experience handling Tempe personal injury claims can only improve your chances of winning your case. Our attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC care a great deal about the well-being of our clients, and we will aggressively represent your rights and best interests throughout the course of your case, helping you negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company or arguing your case in court. We will investigate the cause of your accident and who is to blame for your injuries, so you can pursue the monetary damages you deserve from the person or party responsible for causing you harm.
Contact Our Tempe Personal Injury Attorneys as Soon as Possible
Suffering a serious personal injury due to someone else’s negligence or carelessness can result in significant physical, emotional and financial losses, and it can be extremely overwhelming attempting to deal with these injuries and losses on your own. If you have been seriously injured in a Tempe car accident or another accident caused by the negligence of another person or party, it may be in your best interest to hire a Tempe personal injury attorney who can protect your rights and help you recover the damages you deserve. Our attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC have years of experience representing clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases in Tempe and throughout Maricopa County and the state of Arizona, and it is our number one priority to provide the best possible legal representation. There is a strict filing deadline for personal injury claims in Tempe, so don’t wait too long after your accident to contact our firm.
