Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney

With major sports teams, historical attractions, and a bustling nightlife, Phoenix has no shortage of things to do. Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of ways to get injured due to someone else’s negligence.

Whether your injury occurred in a failure to yield accident, a slip and fall at a local retail store, or you encountered a vicious dog on your evening walk; an experienced Phoenix personal injury lawyer at the law offices of Hutzler Law can help you seek compensation for your injuries.

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What Does a Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who assists individuals injured in accidents caused by someone else’s careless, reckless, or even intentional actions. Phoenix personal injury attorneys help these victims seek compensation for their injuries through the personal injury claims process, in Phoenix, Arizona. This process involves first seeking compensation from the at-fault party’s related liability insurance policy.

For example, if your injury resulted from a car accident caused by a negligent driver, you would generally seek compensation by filing a claim against the at-fault party’s auto liability insurance policy. If a slip and fall in Phoenix caused your injury, you would likely seek compensation from a commercial or business liability policy.

A personal injury attorney in Phoenix provides services to determine who was liable for the accident that injured you, who carries their liability insurance, and how much insurance is available. Your attorney also establishes a value to your claim and communicates with the insurance provider on your behalf.

If the insurance company fails to pay the claim in full or fails to offer a fair settlement to resolve the claim, your injury attorney can file and prepare your litigation case. They can represent your case in court and assist you in collecting your settlement or award.

The Claims Our Phoenix Personal Injury Attorneys Handle

Personal injury law covers a vast arena of different accidents. Not all personal injury lawyers specialize in all claims, so find a Phoenix injury attorney with ample experience with personal injury claims and a successful record handling claims for accidents similar to yours. For example, if a slip and fall claim injures you, find an attorney who knows how to handle slip and fall cases.

Here is a look at some of the claims the legal team at Hutzler Law handles for individuals injured in Phoenix or the surrounding areas.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

With around 83 car accidents a day and a car accident fatality every other day, Phoenix has the dubious distinction of being one of the most dangerous large cities to drive in. While the city council attempts to address these issues through an action plan to enhance safety in all areas of Phoenix, some of the most common factors in accidents are failure to yield and driving too fast for roadway conditions.

Failure to yield accidents most commonly occur in the intersection, where one driver fails to stop at a red light or stop sign and collides with another driver with the right-of-way to move through the intersection.

Speeding accounts for roughly one-quarter of fatal accidents, with the additional speed increasing the likelihood of the driver losing control of their vehicle, decreasing their ability to stop in time to avoid the collision, and increasing the severity of the crash.

Some of the most dangerous intersections in Phoenix include:

• 75th Avenue and Indian School
• 16th Street and Camelback Road
• 19th Avenue and Southern Avenue
• 67th Avenue and Indian School
• 67th Avenue and McDowell Road
• 99th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road

Hutzler Law can assist with all types of motor vehicle accidents, including those involving passenger cars, commercial trucks, buses, motorcycles, and even vulnerable roadway users such as bicyclists or pedestrians.

Premises Liability Matters

Premises liability refers to the legal responsibility of all types of property owners to protect their visitors from becoming injured due to a hazardous property condition. Property owners must regularly inspect their property for hazards, promptly repair them, and warn guests of existing ones.

A slip and fall accident is the most common type of personal injury claim arising from a premises liability issue. Slips and falls occur when someone slips or trips on a property hazard such as loose, worn, or torn flooring, damaged staircases, obstacles or debris in the walkway, or damage to sidewalks and parking lots.

According to the National Floor Safety Institute, more than one million people seek treatment in emergency rooms around the U.S. for injuries sustained in slip and fall accidents. The most common slip and fall injuries are broken hips and other bone fractures, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries.

Other premises liability matters that Hutzler Law can assist with include swimming pool accidents and dog bites.

Workplace Injury

Arizona’s Workers’ Compensation program compensates for most injuries in Phoenix workplaces. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance policy that nearly all employers in the state must purchase on behalf of their employees. After a workplace injury or illness, this policy covers medical expenses related to the treatment of the injury and wage loss resulting from missed work days.

Occasionally, a worker can seek compensation from a liable party through a personal injury claim. This avenue for compensation is appropriate when the injury resulted from the negligence of someone who is not your employer or your coworker. For example, if you were injured by another motorist’s negligence while on the job as a delivery driver. In this case, the personal injury claims process is likely the appropriate avenue to take when seeking compensation.

The attorneys at Hutzler Law assist claimants who have suffered workplace injuries through the personal injury claims process.

Wrongful Death

Many injuries are fatal. If a person dies due to injuries that entitled them to seek compensation through a personal injury claim, their loved ones can seek compensation through the wrongful death claims process.

The compensation available in a Phoenix wrongful death claim includes:

• The cost of final medical expenses.
• Funeral and burial or cremation costs.
• The loss of financial support provided by the deceased to their family.
• Loss of inheritance.
• Property damage the deceased sustained in the accident, such as the cost of repairing or replacing the car they were driving if their death in a fatal car accident.
• Physical pain and suffering endured by the decedent from the injury until death.
• Emotional trauma suffered by the decedent’s family members.
• Loss of comfort, society, guidance, and emotional support provided by the deceased to their loved ones.

Catastrophic Injuries

Certain injuries are likely to result in permanent disabilities that impact the sufferer’s ability to earn an income. These Phoenix personal injury cases are generally higher valued as they require additional compensation to cover the claimant’s lost earning capacity.

A traumatic brain injury is one of the most common catastrophic injuries. The brain is responsible for sending messages through the spinal cord that controls the body’s functions. Depending on the injured part of the brain, an individual with a brain injury can suffer impacts such as memory loss, loss of the ability to communicate with others, difficulty with balanced and coordinated movements, and inability to control one’s emotions or impulses.

Spinal cord injuries are also catastrophic, as they tend to result in a partial or complete loss of function below the injury site, known as paralysis. Spinal cord injuries suffered high on the neck can result in the inability to control movement or feel sensation over much of the body. This injury can result in complications, including pneumonia from the inability to remove lung secretions through coughing and the inability to feel extremely hot or cold surfaces.

Other types of catastrophic injuries include:

• Severe damage to the spinal vertebrae and discs resulting in spinal instability.
• Injuries that cause vision or hearing loss.
• Traumatic limb amputations.

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Injured in an Accident in Phoenix? We Can Help you

Let the Phoenix personal injury lawyers of Hutzler Law review your case and guide you through the process of making yourself whole again. Remember: we only get paid if you do. Contact us for a free case evaluation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Claims in Phoenix, Arizona

How long do I have to file my claim?

In Phoenix and throughout the state of Arizona, the statute of limitations in both personal injury and wrongful death claims is two years from the date of the accident or death. Failing to file your personal injury claim in court by this date often surrenders your right to seek compensation. If you can no longer file a lawsuit in court, there is no legal recourse if the insurance provider fails to pay your claim.

What compensation can I receive through a personal injury claim?

Arizona allows personal injury claimants to seek economic damages, which refer to payment in compensation of expenses such as:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Property damage you incurred as a result of the accident

Additionally, claimants can seek non-economic damages, which compensate for your quality-of-life impacts, such as:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of the enjoyment of life

In some cases involving extreme recklessness, punitive damages are also available. This compensation punishes the defendant.

How do I know if my injury is severe enough to pursue compensation?

If your injury resulted in medical expenses and income loss, it is severe enough to seek compensation. Let the experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Hutzler Law evaluate your case and examine if you have a claim likely to result in a settlement.

Who may file a wrongful death claim in Phoenix?

When an individual dies in Arizona from a wrongful act, neglect, or default that would have entitled the deceased to personal injury compensation if they had survived the incident, certain family members can seek compensation through a wrongful death claim. Those who may file the suit include the deceased’s spouse, surviving children, or surviving parent. Additionally, the named executor of the deceased’s estate can file the claim if there are no surviving family members.

How much does a Phoenix personal injury attorney charge?

Luckily, the billing method used by most personal injury law firms ensures that anyone who needs a lawyer can afford one. The contingent fee billing method allows you to withhold payment for your attorney’s services until your claim has a positive outcome. This method means no retainer, no hourly billing, and no worrying about your case stalling because you aren’t current with your payments.

Phoenix personal injury lawyers provide many services that are very difficult, if not impossible, for a claimant who is untrained in the law to handle on their own. We have an experienced legal team to handle the legal aspects of your case while you focus on your physical recovery. You can learn more about these services for free and without obligation through a free case evaluation.

Call us at (602) 730-4530 or contact us online to learn more.