Arizona Accident Lawyer Blog

The best personal injury lawyers throughout Phoenix, Arizona are familiar with the tragic situations and terrible injuries that result from people speeding on our roadways. Arizona Revised Statutes ARS 28 701 requires drivers to drive a reasonable and prudent speed. Many times, serious injuries could be avoided if people were not speeding. Other times, people are alleged to have been speeding and caused an accident when it was not really their fault.

Too many people rely solely upon the police report in deciding what rights they believe they have to pursue compensation if there is serious injury and wrongful death case. The reality is that families who have lost someone in a serious accident or people who have suffered tragic injuries should not rely solely upon the citations given by the police officer at the scene of the incident. The police officer is almost never around to witness the car accident in Phoenix. Instead, they’re relying solely upon the information they can gather while at the scene.

Continue reading " Ease Off the Accelerator: Speeding Causes Accidents " »

Arizona injury lawyers who experience dog bite cases understand that one of the hardest things to do is to educate the person whose been seriously injured as a result of the dog bite. First of all, often the education must be provided to the parent, because far too often dog bite injury claims involve a dog bite onto the face of a child. This is a tragic accident and it happens all too often. It can easily be prevented if dog owners would take care and guard against it. However, far too many dog owners love their dogs so much they simply cannot see the dangers their dogs present to children.

Holding dog owners responsible for dog bites is something that almost always must be done. We understand that people don’t want to do it. We understand that in many cases people would likely just move on after a dog bite. However, since criminal prosecution almost never occurs for a dog bite, it is only by holding the dog bite owner liable that word will spread that an attack and a bite to a child or to somebody else who is innocently bitten by a dog will not only harm the victim but will also have repercussions for the dog owner.

Continue reading " Finding Experienced Dog Bite Injury Lawyers " »

Arizona Revised Statutes ARS 28 693 and 28 695 help regulate against road rage and drunk drivers. Road rage has become a serious problem on our roadways. Many people suffer serious injuries because other drivers simply cannot use common sense and courtesy in their driving. Aggressive drives are not only responsible under these Arizona statutes but can be held liable in civil court when they cause serious injuries or wrongful death as a result of their inability to control their own tempers on the roadway.

Many people believe that if they suffer serious injuries as a result of a road rage incident they do not have any right to make a civil claim. In fact, the best Arizona auto accident injury lawyers know that it not only helps the victim if there is a criminal prosecution, it can also help the victim pay for medical bills, pay for wage loss, and help them get their life back on track if there is a personal injury claim pursued in many cases.

Continue reading " Road Rage and Reckless Driving in Arizona " »

Hiring the right expert witness can be a critical component of any serious Arizona injury case. It is not enough to simply try to find an expert witness without the help of the best possible Tempe, Arizona injury lawyer. Finding a lawyer in Arizona that can find the best experts, interview those experts, and knows how to utilize those experts to help somebody who has been seriously injured or killed in an accident is vital.

Sometimes personal injury cases are considered nothing more than a “battle of experts” where the best expert witness is believed to influence the jury the most and therefore win the case. While we hope this is not true, we understand the vital importance of finding expert witnesses who are honest, credible, and can explain to a jury why our clients are right and the defendants are in the wrong.

Continue reading " How to Hire an Expert Witness " »

Arizona Revised Statutes ARS 28 661 discusses accidents involving death or a personal injury and the failure to stop. Hit and run auto accidents are a very serious issue in Arizona. Many people believe that if they have suffered a serious injury in a hit and run accident they have no ability to make an insurance claim or to receive money compensation as a result of their injuries. The reality is that there are different types of insurance that may protect someone who has been seriously hurt and will allow recovery from medical bills, wage loss, and other legally compensable claims even if the car who caused the accident left the scene.

If you have any questions after a hit and run auto accident in Arizona, be sure to try to contact the top personal injury attorneys in the State of Arizona who handle automobile accident hit and run claims to answer your questions.

Continue reading " Hit and Run Accidents: What Victims Can Do " »

Professional truck drivers are normally good at what they do. Most are conscientious and they take care of their responsibilities. However, far too many Mesa, Arizona residents and people who live in Arizona have been terribly hurt or even killed as a result of trucking accidents that were caused by fatigue or overly tired truckers driving in excess of their federally mandated hours.

For someone who has been badly injured in an Arizona truck accident, it is not enough for them to hire just any lawyer. It is very important that they find a lawyer who has experience in dealing with truck accident cases. These cases can be far more complex.

There are federal regulations in terms of the hours that truck drivers are allowed to spend on the road. There are regulations in terms of the truck weight and size. There are regulations that affect truckers and trucking companies all of which are there for the protection of Arizona residents and people on our highways.

Continue reading " Mesa, Arizona Truck Accident Lawyer " »

The best Arizona personal injury lawyers know full well that the statistics related to drunk driving accidents and drunk driving victims do not tell the whole story. People who have been injured as a result of the reckless decision by others to drink and drive very often need the best possible accident and injury lawyer they can find when a drunk driver has caused a collision.

Too often, trying to find a lawyer experienced in Arizona drunk driving accidents yields results only of lawyers who either handle just drunk driving defense-helping the people who actually caused the accident and the injury-or people who both help drunk drivers in some cases and fight for victims in others.

Continue reading " Arizona Drunk Driving Accident Victim Lawyer " »

One of the things that everybody who is injured in an accident in Arizona needs to be aware of is the statute of limitations. Auto accident lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona are well aware of the number of people who do not pay attention to the problems that could be caused by failing to know the deadlines to file a lawsuit in Arizona.

The statute of limitations for anybody involved in an auto accident will vary depending on the case. Generally there is a two-year statute of limitations for people to file personal injury claims in Arizona after they have been involved in an accident. However, sometimes the limitation's period and the deadline for filing a claim can be less than six months.

Anybody who has been injured in an accident needs to find a top Arizona personal injury lawyer to find out what their statute of limitations' deadline is so that they do not fail to file a lawsuit and lose out on all of their rights.

Nationally recognized Seattle personal injury lawyer Chris Davis posted about a real-life nightmare for one of his clients. It seems that the client posted pictures on Facebook of the client engaging in strenuous physical activity. What is the problem with that? Well, the same client had testified that his serious physical injuries from an accident prevented him from engaging in some activities. This, of course, does not necessarily mean the client lied. What it means, however, is that even the appearance of dishonesty can destroy the credibility of a deserving personal injury plaintiff.

It is also a reminder of the dangers of posting on Facebook anything that could be associated with a lawsuit or legal claim. It is not a surprise to see a top Washington accident lawyer like Chris Davis share this information. He cared enough about his current clients and all personal injury plaintiffs to send out another warning: assume everything you post on Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter will end up in the hands of the insurance company or defense lawyer that is trying to deny your claim.

Continue reading " Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Information May Be Sought in Efforts to Deny Your Personal Injury Claim " »

Those who ride motorcycles know all too well how dangerous it is for them to be on the streets. They know that too many cars do not pay attention to the motorcycle next to them. They know too many drivers are paying no attention at all and do not care about the motorcycle that is near them. The reality is that far too many people die on motorcycles not because of their own fault, but due to the fault of the person driving the car or truck that hit them.

Now, perhaps it is small overstatement to say that motorcycle accident lawyers in Arizona saves lives. On the other hand, lawsuits can deter future conduct. When people know that their friend has been sued for causing an accident, perhaps they will be more careful in the future. Now, in some cases negligence may just be the matter of a one-time mistake.

However, when it comes to motorcycle accidents, far too many innocent motorcyclists are hurt as a result of people who just don't seem to care about the other the people they share the road with. Riding a motorcycle is legal. Those who ride have a right to assume that other drivers on the road will respect their right to be there.

Continue reading " Motorcycle Accident Injury Lawyers in Phoenix, Arizona Can Help Save Lives " »

Arizona car accident lawyers need to always be vigilant and remain aware of all of the ways that compensation can be considered for people who have been injured as a result of drunk drivers. Far too often, people only think of an auto accident in regards to the medical bills, the wage loss, and the "pain and suffering" in terms of the compensation that can be provided to someone who has been badly injured. However, punitive damages should be considered in almost all cases where drunk driving is involved.

There is a big difference between a negligent driver and a drunk driver. The negligent driver may have just made a mistake. Now, the person who has been terribly injured as a result of that negligence deserves full and fair compensation under the law. This is where a personal injury lawyer becomes so important. However, punitive damages not only provide money for lost wages, medical bills, and all other lien legal claims, they also deter others from future conduct.

Continue reading " Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Cases in Arizona " »

Unfortunately, construction sites can be very dangerous places. Even for those who try to be careful and follow all of the safety requirements under OSHA, they can suffer injuries as a result of the negligence of others. Far too many people are injured due to falls that occur on jobsites in Arizona. Many times, these falls would have been prevented had other subcontractors on the scene been more aware of following fall protection standards under OSHA guidelines.

However, there are many personal injury lawyers that do not handle construction accident injury cases or do not have any experience in finding the right experts to pursue them. For those who have been seriously injured in a construction site accident and need answers, it is best to find the top construction accident lawyer in Arizona that you can seek out. Many times, people injured in construction accidents have the right to not only a workers' compensation claim for the construction accident but also have the right to make an injury claim as an added for of compensation that will not hurt the workers' comp claim.

Continue reading " Finding a Construction Accident Lawyer in Arizona " »

Many articles discuss safety issues such as the need to wear motorcycle helmets for safety reasons. The fact is that Arizona motorcycle helmet laws are surprisingly confusing, and for a motorcycle rider injured in Arizona who fails to wear a helmet, this failure will be used against them.

Most people agree motorcycle helmets increase safety, yet even the staunchest advocate knows that a motorcyclist can still be severely injured or killed while wearing a helmet in an Arizona motorcycle accident. According to the law, motorcycle riders in Arizona are allowed not to wear helmets. While they may not be fined for not wearing a helmet, however, someone who negligently injures a motorcycle rider, causing severe head trauma, can then claim that the injury was related to their failure to wear a helmet rather than their own negligence. In this way, an injured motorcyclist can lose their claim to legal compensation even though they broke no law.

We should end the double standard that exists about motorcycle helmet laws in Arizona. Either helmets should be required or they should not be. Motorcycle riders should not be punished when there is no law requiring them to wear helmets. With seatbelts, for example, an injured party who was not wearing a seatbelt in Arizona can also be denied a personal injury claim. But in this case, Arizona has strict laws against not wearing a seatbelt. As honest motorcycle accident lawyers in Phoenix that take cases throughout Arizona, we believe that this inconsistency in the law needs addressing.

Continue reading " Motorcycle Helmet Laws in Arizona Are Far From Perfect " »

Phoenix car accident attorneys like ourselves are happy to see things that will lower the number of claims involving serious injury and wrongful death in Phoenix, AZ. The light rail line approved by voters between Tempe and Phoenix is potentially one of these things. As local Phoenix lawyers, we know that this is not why people voted to approve the project, but because of our dealings with personal injury and wrongful death suits, we believe strongly that this will be one of its positive though unintended effects.

The lowering of some risks usually raises others, as a recent report of a light rail train accident with a truck in Tempe shows. Though automobile accidents are likely to decline because of light rail, there may be an increased number of light rail train accidents. As experienced Arizona accident lawyers, we foresee these new risks with the light rail system.

There is additionally only a six month window in which a person can file a notice of claim after a light rail accident. This means there is very little time for a victim of a light rail train crash to recover from injuries, hire attorneys, investigate, and file the proper paperwork.

Continue reading " Arizona Light Rail Accident " »

As personal injury lawyers in Arizona having handled police conduct cases, we often criticize policies that individual officers are forced to abide by. Most police officers do the best they can while putting their lives on the line for the public, but certain police procedures we question. With a lot of the misconduct cases, it is due to rogue police officers and the misconduct of individual officers, sometimes it is the policy of the police department that needs to be questioned.

We have seen a number of innocent people killed in unnecessary high-speed chases. It is the policy of many police departments to allow police to chase at high speeds even if the person is not a danger to anybody else.

A recently reported Arizona sentencing that involved wrongful death, however, is an example of a high speed chase that was probably necessary. In this circumstance, a firearm had been identified, and the police pursued what was thought to be someone who was immediately dangerous to innocent bystanders in Tucson, Arizona. A passenger in the pursued vehicles was killed and the driver sentenced to more than 14 years.

This high-speed chase was an exception to what should be the rule. It involved a firearm and armed road rage, which increased the risk to residents of Tucson, Arizona, and thus more understandably required a high-speed police chase. As veteran attorneys that deal with automobile accidents in Arizona, we ask that officers be offered more discretion to ensure that high speed chases generally be banned, unless the public is in imminent danger.

Continue reading " Tucson Police Chase Turns Fatal " »

A woman from Van Nuys, California was reported killed in a tragic head-on collision with a tour bus on State Highway 74 east of Wickenburg, Arizona. Although we do not know for sure from the limited report available, the woman may have driven her car into the path of the bus in an effort to avoid hitting an animal. Whatever actually happened, it certainly cannot undo the tragedy of this horrible wrongful death in Arizona. Also, we do not know, from the limited report available, whether or not the woman was in fact trying to avoid a vehicle and if so, what vehicle.

It has been surmised that the most likely scenario is that she attempted avoiding an animal on the road when she steered into the path of the bus. Even so, because of the limited information available, it is possible that she may have been attempting to avoid a vehicle instead, leading to this wrongful death on our Arizona Highways.

The probability that it was an animal raises questions that personal injury lawyers in Arizona have seen before. As experienced Arizona bus accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we see how livestock owners failing to properly fence animals to keep them from roaming onto roads can cause accidents such as this. We do not know whether negligence was the case in this incident, but the possibility that it did is enough to consult a lawyer who is knowledgeable about wrongful death claims in this case.

Continue reading " Woman Killed in Head-On Crash with Tour Bus " »

Recently, the news reported that a teen in Glendale, Arizona got into an accident while riding his bicycle, and suffered a personal injury as a result. As Arizona attorneys that deal with bicycle accidents, we are uncertain who was at fault in this particular Arizona bike accident, but we do know that far too often people who ride on the streets of Arizona suffer serious injuries.

What further complicates claims related to bicycle accidents is the fact that juries, who are inevitably made up mostly of drivers of motor vehicles who may find bike riders on

As per Arizona law, bicycles have as much right to the road as other vehicles. Regardless of this fact, we see accidents that cause serious injuries happening far too often in Phoenix, Arizona. Negligent drivers not paying attention to bicycles is often a factor in these bike accidents. Despite who is at fault, it is nearly always the rider of the bicycle who suffers serious personal injury, while the vehicle driver is usually unharmed. That is why hiring an experienced Phoenix, AZ personal injury lawyer in such cases is so imperative.

Continue reading " Drivers Need to Be More Bike-Aware to Help Prevent Bicycle Accidents " »

Many Arizona auto accident lawyers like us spend a large portion of their time battling insurance companies to provide for seriously injured clients compensation to which they are legally entitled. We regularly see insurance companies deny fair claims to deserving injured parties.

Now, insurance is a business, and insurance companies are trying to make a profit. We understand this, but this is no excuse for them to abuse their authority in such matters. Too often we see insurance companies not only deny legitimate claims but also challenge issues that are clearly not debatable.

A number of seriously injured people blame another party for their injuries. They are sometimes correct, but other times there is an issue as to who was negligent in an automobile accident. Having the best personal injury lawyers in Arizona on your side will help those with legitimate claims get the settlement they deserve.

Continue reading " Understanding Arizona Insurance Bad Faith and What You Can Do " »

Six more people have become drunk driving accident victims in Arizona. A Chevy reportedly turned in front of a Mercury Cougar near Southern Avenue and Signal Butte Road in Mesa, AZ.

At least one of the drivers was believed to be under the influence of alcohol. Any one who gets behind the wheel after drinking not only risks the health and safety of the people in their own vehicle and the public at large, but they open themselves up to personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Driving drunk is ultimately a selfish, careless act that can kill or seriously injure innocent people in drunk driving accidents. This one drunk driving accident in Arizona injured six people, with as many as five of them who were not drinking.

Criminal courts try drunk drivers, but they are not set up to help the victims who have suffered personal injury as a result of a drunk driver’s carelessness. An Arizona trial lawyer might pursue tough criminal penalties against a drunk driver who contributes to causing an automobile accident, but personal injury lawyers can do more for the injured victims in most circumstances.

Continue reading " Drunk Driving Accidents in Arizona Must Not Continue " »

A Phoenix school bus accident recently made the news nationwide when a bus driver lost control. The driver was taking Western Valley Middle School students home after school. The resulting accident, according to a story, resulted in 13 collisions on 67th Avenue. The driver went unconscious after the first of these.

Accident lawyers in Phoenix who deal with road accidents know how important it is to ensure the victims of this bus crash know their rights. Phoenix, Arizona personal injury lawyers such as ourselves know that far too many of the people involved in this accident will miss the deadline for filing a claim.

There is normally a 180 day deadline to file a Notice of Claim when involved in bus accident in Arizona. Failure to file a proper notice of claim to the right defendant within six months nullifies a person’s ability to pursue a claim for damages.

After this bus accident, 26 of the 45 students in the bus were sent to hospital. As the driver of the bus is an employee of an Arizona school district, and thus protected by a law that requires all injured parties to file a Notice of Claim within six months. The normal statute of limitations in bus accidents is two years, allowing an injured party the opportunity to recover from their injuries before searching for the best Arizona personal injury lawyer they can find. The short window to file for a claim in this accident will almost certainly leave some of those with injuries out in the cold.

Continue reading " 26 Injured in School Bus Accident in Phoenix " »