Car Accident Cases in
Tucson & Southern Arizona
Hiring an attorney for an automobile collision is an uncomfortable decision. Nobody enjoys suing each other. However, personal injury attorneys work with insurance companies to insure injured parties are treated fairly, and as best as possible, that injured parties are provided the resources to recover fully. This includes personal injury claims and assistance with property damage.
Having personally worked with thousands of Tucson families, we’ve seen the long-term impact a car accident can have, including permanent injuries and death. The accident can result in tremendous financial loss. In Arizona, our law provides the injured person a right to recover damages from the at-fault party of the accident. Damages can include fixing the vehicle, medical costs, lost wages, as well as other economic losses. In addition, the injured party is also entitled to recover for “pain and suffering” resulting from the car accident. This is not to say that a financial recovery can ever fully restore an injury party, but it can assist with the unexpected and long-term burdens caused by an automobile collision. This is the law’s method of attempting to make an injured party “whole”.
The purpose of a personal injury attorney is to assist the client with filing a claim, resolve personal property claims, and advocate for what monetary amount will make an injured party “whole.” Unfortunately, insurance companies offer minimal monetary recovery for serious injuries, which may include whiplash, back pain, brain injury, spinal cord damage, and wrongful death. The attorney navigates a client through the paperwork, and most importantly, assists the client with both evaluating the value of the case and negotiating or litigating a case to secure this award. On this last point, hiring the wrong attorney will cost a client thousands of dollars by settling for less than the value of their case.
How the Process Works In Arizona
A claim is initiated by contacting the insurance company and alerting them of the accident. The company will then assign an insurance adjuster to the file. The adjuster handles the accident investigation by contacting the drivers and any witnesses. The adjuster will also contact any healthcare providers that have provided care for the injured party after the accident occurred. The injured party will provide all evidence to the adjuster that assists with evaluating the pending claim. In addition, the injured party will provide pictures of the damaged vehicle, or make it available for inspection, as well as, provide quotes from auto repair companies.
Upon review of the file, the adjuster decides the at fault party, which may be concluded either partially or completely at fault, even if the police report states otherwise. Your attorney will make their own findings and can assist the injured party in proving the other party was liable.
After liability has been determined and the injured party has completed medical treatment, the adjuster makes an initial offer. The attorney will evaluate the offer and almost always negotiate a much higher offer that will align with what equates to “fair” compensation to make the injured party whole. Once a fair offer is reached, the client will sign an official release and the claim will be closed. Not every case will settle. In some cases, our office will file a lawsuit and litigate an accident to ensure a fair outcome is reached.
Proudly Serving Tucson and Southern Arizona
Most of our clients are referrals. We are tremendously grateful to the thousands of families in Arizona that have trusted us with legal representation. Ideally, our clients contact us immediately after being in a car accident. We can then assist the injured party with filing the initial claim and making statements to the insurance company. We can also conduct our own investigation of the accident and gather/preserve evidence. In less than ideal circumstances, we commonly get clients contacting us after having hired another firm and become disappointed with the representation. These cases can be difficult to step into, and we encourage clients to review their attorney before hiring them.
Understanding Attorney Fees with Car Accidents
There are no upfront attorney fees. We work on a “contingency fee basis”, which means we collect our fee as a percentage of the settlement if we win the case. Most, if not all, personal injury firms handle these types of cases on a contingency fee basis. Uniquely, we offer a client guarantee that our fee will be discounted if necessary to ensure our firm never receives funds disproportionate to our client’s recovery.