Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyers

What Do You Have to Prove in a Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury claims in Arizona center on the concept of negligence. In the legal context, negligence is when someone fails to use reasonable caution to avoid hurting others.

If someone’s negligent actions contributed to your injuries in an accident in Phoenix, Arizona law allows you to file a personal injury claim against them and seek compensation for your injuries. This process enables accident victims to be made whole through the payment they receive from the negligent party.

Drunk driving accidents are a typical example of negligence in Phoenix. A drunk driver would likely be found negligent because all drivers have a responsibility to avoid injuring someone when they’re behind the wheel. Drunk driving is also against the law, though someone’s actions don’t have to be criminal to be considered negligent.

Time Limit for Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Arizona

In most cases, you have two years from the date you sustained your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit in Arizona. If you miss this deadline, the court will likely dismiss your case, and you will be unable to pursue compensation as a result.

It’s critical to begin working with an attorney as soon as possible following an accident to ensure you don’t run out of time in your case.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Phoenix

Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys have experience with all kinds of cases, including:

• Truck accidents – Large trucks, including semis towing a trailer, are difficult to handle and may be nearly 25 times heavier than a typical passenger car. When a truck hits another vehicle, the results are often catastrophic. Many truck accidents involve truck drivers who are severely fatigued, distracted, impaired by alcohol or drugs, or otherwise negligent.
• Car accidents – Car crashes injure thousands of people in Phoenix and across the state every year. Even when a collision seems minor at first, victims can still suffer severe neck, back, head, and other injuries. Car accidents can also cause burns, severed or crushed limbs, and damage to internal organs.
• Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycles are much smaller and harder to see on the road than cars and trucks. Motorcycle accidents often result from drivers who don’t check their blind spots, follow too closely, or cut off a motorcyclist when passing or making a left turn.
• Bicycle accidents – Many drivers fail to share the road with bicyclists, even though bicyclists have most of the same rights as other road users. Drivers who are distracted, fatigued, impaired, or speeding are likely to hit a cyclist as they’re passing by or going through an intersection. Cyclists who ride at night are at a heightened risk of a crash.
• Pedestrian accidents – Pedestrians have no protection if they’re struck by a motorcycle, car, or large truck. That means motorcycle accidents often lead to life-threatening injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
• Boating accidents – Too many people ignore boating safety regulations when they’re on the water. Common examples of negligence by boaters include not bringing the right safety equipment, boating while impaired, speeding, and getting too close to other vessels.
• Bus accidents – Other careless drivers cause many bus accidents, though a significant percentage are due to bus drivers who are impaired, distracted, or negligent in some other way.
• Construction accidents – Construction sites are full of hazards for anyone who visits or works there. Examples of dangers include falling objects, large construction vehicles, the presence of toxic substances, and fall hazards.
• Dog bites – Any unrestrained dog could potentially attack and bite an unsuspecting victim. A dog bite can result in severe infection, while its sharp teeth and nails can inflict painful, disfiguring injuries.
• Slip-and-falls – Spilled liquids, stray cords, poor lighting, worn flooring, and other fall hazards cause many injuries every year in Arizona. What makes slip-and-fall accidents so tragic is that many of them are caused by property owners’ failure to maintain their premises.
• Traumatic brain injuries – A fall, motor vehicle accident, physical assault, or any other hard blow to the head could cause a traumatic brain injury. These injuries are extremely serious and often cause long-lasting or permanent damage.
• Spinal cord and neck injuries – Any injury to the spinal cord or neck is dangerous because, if the damage is severe enough, it can lead to partial or total paralysis. Common causes of these injuries include slip-and-falls, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents.
• Wrongful death – In some especially tragic cases, someone dies in an accident due to someone else’s negligence. When this happens, Arizona law allows the deceased’s family to file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party.

If another person or party’s negligence has injured you or someone you love, we want to hear your story to help you understand your legal rights and options to pursue a claim for your complete financial recovery needs. Contact our Phoenix personal injury attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.

Types of Damages You Could Recover in a Personal Injury Claim

Depending on the severity of your injuries, the evidence you have, and other factors, a personal injury lawsuit could allow you to seek compensation for:

• Lost wages
• Diminished earning potential
• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Other losses

 

How Should I Prepare for a Free Consultation with a Personal Injury Attorney in Phoenix, Arizona?

If you are like most injury victims, it is challenging to understand the next steps after you’ve been hurt because of someone’s negligent actions or inaction. The surprising nature of personal injuries can cause more than physical harm, but psychological and emotional injuries that are difficult to overcome—even when you’re searching for a personal injury attorney in Phoenix who can help.

When you’re ready, chances are you may become quickly overwhelmed by the number of personal injury lawyers in Arizona. Different lawyers have varying expertise and experience in specific personal injury cases. It is essential to find a Phoenix personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled cases similar to yours and has a strong history of winning cases and securing favorable settlements or verdicts.

Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys believe your only job should be to focus on your recovery. Our firm can take care of everything else. However, we must first discuss your case details during a free, no-obligation consultation to get started.

Various documents and information can help us assess your case effectively when preparing for a free consultation with our Phoenix personal injury lawyers.

Here’s a comprehensive list of what can help us assess your case quickly and effectively:

Personal Information

• Identification: Bring a valid ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
• Insurance Information: Provide your insurance policy details, including any correspondence with your insurance company regarding the incident.

Documentation Related to the Incident

• Accident Report or Police Report: If applicable, bring any official reports documenting the incident.
• Medical Records: Include any medical records related to the injury, such as hospital records, doctor’s notes, and test results.
• Medical Bills: Gather all bills related to your treatment, including emergency room visits, surgeries, medications, and follow-up appointments.
• Photographs and Videos: Provide any visual evidence of the incident scene, your injuries, and property damage.
• Witness Information: Include names, contact information, and any statements from witnesses to the incident.

Financial Documentation

• Proof of Income: Gather recent pay stubs, tax returns, or other proof of income to document lost wages due to the injury.
• Receipts for Expenses: Include receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury, such as transportation costs, medical devices, or home care services.

Personal Notes, Timeline, Correspondence & Questions

• Personal Notes: Write down your recollection of the incident, including dates, times, and details about the injury.
• Timeline: Create a timeline of events from the date of the incident to the present, including medical appointments, treatments, and any interactions with insurance companies or legal representatives.
• Communication with Insurance Companies: Bring any letters, emails, or notes from conversations with your insurance company or the other party’s insurance company.
• Communication with the Opposing Party: If you’ve had any direct communication with the person or entity responsible for your injury, bring copies of those communications.
• List of Questions: Prepare a list of questions you have about your case, the attorney’s experience, the legal process, potential outcomes, and fees.

Bringing these documents and information will help our personal injury lawyers in Phoenix evaluate your case thoroughly and provide you with informed advice on how to proceed. In addition to providing as much information about your incident, injuries, and damages as possible, it is essential to provide honest and accurate information to help us give you the best advice possible.

Finally, all injury victims must feel comfortable with their lawyer’s communication style. You deserve a lawyer who communicates, listens to your concerns, and keeps you informed. Building rapport is crucial for a long-term legal relationship. We pride ourselves on being the lawyers our clients can trust and work with effectively throughout their cases. That’s where our true success lies.

How Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Phoenix Can Help with Your Case

Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys can help with your case by:

• Reviewing the details of the accident to determine whether you have a valid claim for negligence
• Investigating the accident to identify liability and find evidence to support your claim
• Documenting all the financial, physical, and emotional losses you’ve suffered
• Finding the right doctors and other specialists you may need to enhance your recovery
• Taking care of all communication and settlement negotiations with the insurance companies
• Bringing your case to court and representing you at trial, should settlement negotiations fail

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer?

We think everyone in Arizona has the right to high-quality legal representation, no matter their financial means. To make sure anyone in Phoenix who needs a personal injury attorney can afford one, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay us any attorney fees upfront. We get paid only if and when we secure compensation for you.

Steps to Take to Protect Your Rights After an Accident in Phoenix

While your priority after an accident is to seek medical treatment, it’s also important to do what you can to protect your rights. Here are some critical steps to take if you’re involved in an accident in Phoenix:

• Seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you aren’t taken to a hospital from the accident scene, see your doctor as quickly as possible and ideally within a day. A doctor can help identify injuries that haven’t fully manifested and also document your injuries, which is vital for your claim.
• Request an accident report from the police or another authority (for example, the property owner or manager) so you have a written record of the accident. It will likely provide the necessary evidence for your case.
• Get the names and insurance information from whoever was involved in the accident. If you were in a car accident, for example, you’d want to get the name and insurance information of the driver who hit you.
• Take pictures of the accident scene. Get photos of anything that may have contributed to the accident, as well as any vehicles involved (if applicable). You also want to take pictures of your injuries.
• Look around for potential eyewitnesses and ask them for their names, contact information, and a statement. Eyewitnesses can provide valuable, unbiased testimony.
• Tell the at-fault party’s insurance company to speak to your lawyer. You don’t want to give them anything they could use to deny or reduce the value of your claim.
• Contact a personal injury lawyer in Phoenix. The sooner you can do so, the better, as critical evidence in personal injury cases can disappear or degrade after just a few hours or days.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries

A few examples of the catastrophic injuries we see in accidents in Phoenix include:

Have You Been Injured in a Personal Injury Accident in Arizona?

Call our Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Swenson & Shelley today at (602)-497-4387 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. During this consultation, you can learn immediately whether your claim is eligible to proceed with legal action.

We do not charge any fees upfront for our services. Instead, you pay us only if we secure payment for you. That makes getting legal help accessible and allows you to focus on your recovery. Contact us now to learn more.