Arizona Accident Lawyer Blog

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" »

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" »

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" »

According to a report, a Phoenix man was walking on Camelback Road when a car ran a red light, swerved onto the sidewalk and struck him. Police suspect that alcohol may have been a factor.

Drunk driving must be stopped in Arizona, and car accident lawyers can do their part. Though we cannot stop Arizona drunk driving car accidents overnight, we must try to decrease them.

If alcohol was involved in this incident, there must be criminal prosecution and, if possible, civil prosecution as well. While we do not know the details of this case, we do know that alcohol is repeatedly a factor in pedestrian accidents involving motor vehicles throughout Arizona. To that end, we must take every step necessary to help reduce the number of people harmed.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Hit by Alleged Drunk Driver in Arizona" »

Recently an Arizona man was sentenced to one year in prison for the September 2008 killing of a Yuma woman in a single-vehicle accident. Reports show the man was legally intoxicated at the scene. His license had been restricted for prior drunk driving arrests.

It is difficult to imagine the extent of tragedy drunk driving creates for innocent victims. Anything that helps prevent this kind of heartbreaking loss must be done. Arizona auto accident attorneys assist injury victims in navigating the legal system and pursuing compensation from the drunk driver. Prosecuting offenders is important, but it’s also essential that everything is done to gain the full compensation allowable for families who have suffered a loss or injury. This not only benefits family members of injured parties, but financial hardship discourages drunk drivers from committing future offenses.

The decision to bring a wrongful death claim is often difficult. Families must investigate legal remedies in order to make the choice that’s in their best interest. Our trial experience has made it clear that for some families, a lawsuit causes more grief than its outcome justifies. Even in that case, Arizona drunk driver accident victim attorneys can answer important questions to aid those who have lost a loved one in a car accident.

Continue reading "Yuma Wrongful Death of Woman: Drunk Driver Sentenced" »

Accident and injury victims sue drunk drivers all of the time for fatal auto accidents in Arizona or serious harm caused by the incident. That is because people who drink and drive and cause injuries to others should be sued. When possible, they should not only have to worry about jail time, they should have to answer with their pocketbook. More needs to be done to prevent drunk drivers from causing injuries. If injury lawsuits and experienced personal injury lawyers in Arizona can deter people from getting behind the wheel while intoxicated and selfishly causing death and serious bodily harm to other innocent people, then that is what must be done.

Sometimes people only care about their money. Sometimes, they don't care if they have to spend a few months in jail. However, if they thought that they could lose their house, their car, their savings, or anything else of valuable worth because of the harm they caused to somebody else, maybe they would actually take a cab, get a ride, or care a little bit more before they got behind the wheel of a car.

Having said that, as personal injury lawyers who help people who have been injured in drunk driving accidents in Arizona, we are troubled by the recent decision of the Arizona Court of Appeals, stated in a report, that grants immunity to the State of Arizona for its own negligence if a drunk driver is injured.

Now, understand that drunk drivers do not get the benefit of the doubt here. We do not believe drunk drivers should get off the hook for the injuries they suffer, nor do we believe drunk drivers should be compensated in every case that they are hurt. However, fair is fair. Either all drunk drivers who are hurt have no right to bring a claim (probably something that would be unconstitutional in Arizona), or everybody is on the hook for the injury they caused to everybody else, even if a drunk driver is the one who ends up getting hurt.

Continue reading "Arizona Drunk Driving Accident Immunity for the State" »

Punitive damages in Arizona are rare. In fact, Arizona trial lawyers fighting for punitive damages always have an uphill climb. Across the United States, the primary study said in a report that only 5% of all trials included punitive damages awards. So, for someone who has suffered serious injuries as the result of a defendant that should be liable for punitive damages in an Arizona courtroom, what should they do? Where do they turn?

For individuals wanting to pursue punitive damages, they must be aware that it will almost always take an experienced Arizona personal injury lawyer to help them pursue the claim. Why? Because Arizona law allows for punitive damages in only rare cases.

Sometimes, people call our firm seeking punitive damages after an auto accident in Arizona. Well, some lawyers may tell them that a regular car accident with serious personal injuries is a punitive damages case. However, in most cases, the best injury lawyers know that is not the case. It takes intentional conduct or, at a minimum, deliberate indifference on the part of a defendant to allow for punitive damages. In other words, as the Arizona Supreme Court has stated, punitive damages are appropriate when the defendant’s conduct has been guided by an “evil hand and evil mind.”

Now, understand that just placing profits before people can be the type of deliberate indifference that meets this test. Knowingly taking actions likely to cause serious injury or death to others can often raise a case to one where punitive damages are appropriate. Drunk driving accidents in Arizona often include claims of punitive damages. But simply alleging punitive damages is not enough, the plaintiff in Arizona must prove that punitive damages are appropriate, something that is hard to do and requires more than just a preponderance of the evidence.

Continue reading "Arizona Punitive Damages in Auto Accidents and other Personal Injury Cases" »

Arizona drunk driving must be stopped. Car accident lawyers in AZ can do their part. If we cannot stop drunk driving car accidents in Tucson and Phoenix and throughout Arizona, we must do more to decrease the number. According to reports, Rene Herrera was walking on Camelback Road near 37th Avenue when Victor Lopez ran a red light, swerved onto the sidewalk and hit Mr. Herrera. According to the reports, alcohol may have been a factor in the incident.

To the degree that alcohol was involved in this incident there must be criminal prosecution and, if possible, civil prosecution as well. We have all heard about drunk driving accidents. We all know how many Arizona residents are killed because of drunk drivers every year. We have all heard the stories of the terrible Tucson car accidents and Phoenix drunk driving accidents that take the lives of innocent people.

Continue reading "Arizona Man Hit By Careless Driver Who May Have Been Drunk" »

A small bit of justice was brought to the Yuma, Arizona community following the wrongful death to Yuma resident Yvette Herrera as a result of a one-year sentence handed down to Daniel Luna. Apparently, in September Yvette Herrera was killed in a single vehicle Yuma, Arizona car accident in which Mr. Luna was the driver. It has been reported that Mr. Luna was driving under the influence at the time of this incident. It has also been reported that Mr. Luna had been previously arrested but was apparently allowed to keep his driver’s license with some limitations.

Everything that can be done to prevent drunk driving accidents in Arizona must be done. Personal injury lawyers can help drunk driving victims by not only helping them through the legal process, but by going after compensation from the drunk driver after a serious injury.

The best personal injury lawyers helping Yuma residents, Scottsdale, Arizona residents, Tucson, Arizona residents, and everywhere throughout the state know the tragedies that befall innocent victims as a result of drunk driving. In addition to the prosecution of these individuals who cause serious injuries, it is important that personal injury lawyers do everything possible to allow the families who have lost a loved one to receive every bit of compensation that they are deserved and allowed under the law. Not only does this serve the benefit of helping the survivors after such a tragedy, or the injury victim that can no longer work, but it may be one more potential harm that could befall a drunk driver that may discourage future drunk driving. Anything that can be done to do so is important.

Continue reading "Yuma Woman's Death From Drunk Driving Accident Accounted For" »

Add six more victims to the long and growing list of drunk driving accident victims in Arizona.

It was reported that the Chevy turned left in front of a Mercury Cougar near Southern Avenue and Signal Butte Road. It is believed that at least one of the drivers of the vehicles was driving under the influence of alcohol. We must continue to do everything possible to decrease the number of drunk driving accidents and drunk driving serious injury and wrongful death cases that emanate from people who just don’t care. And the people who get behind the wheel after they have been drinking and risk the health and safety of innocent people. Getting behind the wheel after drinking and driving is almost always a selfish act and it needs to be eliminated. With one drunk driver, it appears that at least five other innocent people who were not drinking and driving have been seriously hurt to various degrees.

It is true that there are criminal courts to handle drunk drivers. But how much to criminal courts help the victims who have suffered personal injury as a result of drunk drivers? What can an Arizona trial lawyer do to help drunk driving victims after such a crash? The reality is that it is a personal injury lawyer that can do more for victims of these kinds of cases than the criminal courts in most situations. The criminal courts will only provide limited restitution, whereas a personal injury lawyer can help the victim of a drunk driver recover monies for medical bills, lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of abilities to do the normal life’s activities, and every other injury and compensation for all of the pain that innocent victims of drunk driving have to live with.

However, the decision to bring any lawsuit or file any claim is usually a difficult one. Knowing that there is adequate representation, and deciding whether to bring a claim is the right decision requires first speaking with an experienced personal injury trial lawyer in Arizona. We are always happy to answer any questions that people may have so that they can make the best decision for themselves and others following such an accident. However, with drunk driving accidents in Phoenix, AZ, we believe that people who drink and drive should be pursued not only in the criminal courts, but also by the personal injury victims and by personal injury lawyers in the courtroom to hold them accountable for the harm and devastation they often cause by their selfish acts.